The fitness chain Orangetheory began with a first location Fort Lauderdale that opened in 2010.
In the eight years since, franchises have expanded rapidly, with gyms in 17 countries and more than 750 locations in the United States.
Earlier this month, Port Washington joined the list as an Orangetheory opened 1013 Port Washington Blvd.
“We are trying to reach as many people as possible,” said Sarah Kutzma, the studio manager for the Port location. “We have a few studios on Long Island but the closest one to Port is in Syosset, and that’s a 20-minute drive without traffic.”
Orangetheory’s focus is on getting the heart rates of members into the “orange zone.”
This target zone pushes participants heart rate to a level that stimulates the metabolism. Members can burn between 500 to 1,000 calories in a one-hour session, and then continue to burn calories for 36 hours after a workout.
Members wear a heart rate monitor, which is tracked on a screen.
“It’s not just you coming in and jumping on a machine,” Kutzma said. “You have a coach in here the entire class to make sure you aren’t over or under training, correcting form, and giving modifications for those with injuries.”
The coaches, she said, will push you harder if you’re in the “green zone” and have you slow down if you’re in the “red zone.”
Members will ultimately hit these three zones and two easier ones over the course of the workout, although it is the time in the orange zone that will lead to post-workout calorie burn, according to the science of excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, Kutzma said.
She said the classes can have as few as five or as many as 30 participants, although each of the coaches will spend time working with each member.
“The coaches are committed to you,” Kutzma said. “If you take a week off, they’re going make sure everything is going okay because we didn’t see you in the studio.”
Kutzma said the first class was free and that the coaches would go over the results after that first workout to determine how frequently one needs to come back for workouts. She said payments are month to month.
Certain workouts are tailored to focus on either strength, endurance or power-style routines, although each one has cardio. Classes are held from 5 a.m. to 8:15 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, 6:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and 7:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Sunday.
Kutzma, who grew up in Levittown and lives in Babylon, was chosen as the studio manager in January. She said she was thrilled to open the location on June 8, which was followed by a ribbon cutting with the Port Chamber of Commerce on June 13.
“It’s amazing, I’m so happy to finally have members come into the studio and going through the workout,” she said.
