Between Claremont McKenna College’s Roberts Pavilion, Pomona College’s Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Wellness (CARW), Scripps College’s Tiernan Field House, the Pitzer College pool and Harvey Mudd College’s Linde Activities Center, choosing a workout space can be overwhelming.
“I sometimes feel intimidated to go to the gyms,” Addison Reddington CM ‘25 said. “Traditional gyms can be kind of uncomfortable, like Roberts or the new Pomona-Pitzer gym that just got built.”
Reddington is a CMS football player and part of an on-campus marketing organization, Claremont Marketing Group (CMG), which supports local and multinational businesses. One of their partners is a local business called Fit Rituals, which provides an environment for anyone looking to escape the college workout atmosphere.
“[Fit Rituals] offers genuine, inclusive fitness that’s for all, and they’re dedicated to helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle in a way that’s very constructive and very safe,” Reddington said.
With a short one-mile walk off campus, Fit Rituals has provided 5C students with the opportunity to workout in an environment completely removed from the college atmosphere. This removal has allowed for the studio to form its own community of people that are striving for a similar workout experience of inclusion and safety.
Trinity Gabato CM ‘22 is an avid attendee of Fit Rituals and current graduate student at UCLA.
“Being away from campus, outside of the Claremont bubble and also just being able to engage with people in the broader community was something that I really enjoyed,” Gabato said.
This unique community was formed by Bern LeGrant ten years ago with the intention of creating a space that was affordable, comfortable and secure for anyone who wanted to attend an exercise class.
“The studio that I was going to had some issues with equipment, and there was not enough space … so I thought to myself, I can provide this, I can do this,” LeGrant said. “That’s how the whole studio — Fit Rituals — happened.”
With these foundations, the gym has evolved to include numerous workout sessions, including yoga, spin, aerial, barre, resistance training and a new bungee workout. These are all led by professionals and are geared toward providing attendees with a safe and fun workout experience.
The teachers are really good at showing you what to do, especially if it’s your first time,” Gabato said.
LeGrant and other instructors work together to provide attendees with the best experience for people of all levels. To ensure the best environment, the classes are small, with around 7-15 people in the gym at a time.
“[Fit Rituals] offers genuine, inclusive fitness that’s for all, and they’re dedicated to helping people achieve a healthy lifestyle in a way that’s very constructive and very safe.”
“[Fit Rituals] is a no-judgment zone,” LeGrant said. “You can come in if you’re a beginner … or experienced. It’s for everybody.”
Gabato explained that Fit Rituals provided her an opportunity to escape the fears she had at Roberts. She was a frequent visitor of the studio and attended a variety of classes that the studio offered.
“I didn’t ever feel judged in classes … especially being low income, first-gen and a person of color, I felt really safe to be myself and not have pressure to look a certain way,” Gabato said. “Especially because there was such a mixed range of people going to classes: different body types, different goals [and] different ideas. It always felt comfortable.”
Offering a special discount for 5C students, LeGrant hopes to remove any financial burdens having a positive workout experience can come with.
Fit Rituals also joined the 5Cs’ physical education roster as a class for credit that students can take. The gym is hoping to become close to the 5C community and appeal to students as a welcoming option for fun workouts.
“It’s open for everybody, especially for college kids, [if] they need to release their anxiety or they need a break from studying,” LeGrant said.
She has had the opportunity to form solid relationships with many students on campus throughout the years. Expressing her sadness as students have graduated, LeGrant is hoping to invite more students into her studio.
“[LeGrant] is awesome, and what she’s doing is amazing for people,” Reddington said, “this gym is local; it’s about people, connection, strength and community.”
To book an appointment with the gym and explore the session options, check out the Fit Rituals website.