On a Saturday morning at Get In Shape For Women, the kettlebells matter less than the chitchat. Someone is looking for a good plumber nearby. Someone else is asking for recommendations for where to bring their nephews and nieces who are visiting. The workout always happens, but so does something else — something Caryl Dlugy built in this studio for 20 years and hopes will survive her retirement.
“You have to make sure people exercise, but, you know, half the battle is getting them there,” said Dlugy, the recently retired former owner of Get In Shape For Women in Lexington.
Dlugy signed up for her first class around 20 years ago when her 4-year-old son called her “squishy.” Receiving a pamphlet in the mail about the studio’s grand opening changed her in ways that went beyond the number on the scale. “I just fell in love with the place,” she said.
Dlugy lost more than 50 pounds after joining and was fixated on the thought of what her life would be like if she could be the manager of this place. A few years later, when the manager was leaving, Dlugy took on the role for the next five years. A few years after that, the owner wanted to sell, and Dlugy purchased Get In Shape For Women.
“I joined there to lose weight but I think over time, the understanding of health broadened — it’s not just about weight. It’s about fitness. It’s about ability,” said Dlugy.
“Caryl creates an incredibly welcoming environment and has built a very, very strong community that’s very supportive of each other,” said Melodie Lovely, a frequent client at Get In Shape For Women in Lexington.
Lovely said Dlugy did two things particularly well: she built a scheduling system that made showing up the default, where you had to actively cancel if you were not going to show up, and she built a community tight enough that people would show up for each other — even on days they didn’t feel like exercising.
“The group of people is a lot of the draw, what gets me out of bed and helps motivate me to show up,” said Lovely. “Caryl is the key ingredient in all of that.”
Dlugy’s openness extends to all individual fitness levels, whether or not you’ve previously lifted a weight.
“I’ve had women go in for hip replacements and they’re back sooner than their doctors thought they would be because they work out and exercise, so it brings them a level of fitness that helps them recuperate faster,” Dlugy said.
Get In Shape For Women’s website describes accountability as something that needs to be “coached, not wished for,” citing research that structure, feedback and social support help improve commitment.
In Lexington, this structure has produced loyalty within the program. “I think one of our clients has been with us the whole 18 out of the 20 years that we’ve been there,” Dlugy said.
On Aug. 29, Dlugy officially handed the studio over to Andrew and Valery Dubrowski, the owners of Arlington’s Get In Shape For Women and StretchMed in Brookline.
“They know of the success of the studio, and they want to carry it forward,” said Dlugy.
Andrew Dubrowski spent about a month shadowing Dlugy to learn the ropes before she passed the torch. As he started to learn the names of regulars and understand the flow in and out of the studio, he admitted that he had some big shoes to fill: “She’s amazing. She knows everybody. Everybody knows her. Everybody loves her.”
“I want to keep that sense of community,” he said. “I want this place to be a safe place where the women of the Lexington community can come and talk… but also get a good workout and achieve the goals that they’re looking for.”
As Dlugy prepared to step away, she reflected on the women who have passed through the doors throughout her 10 years working there. “I can’t even express the gratitude that I have for this town and the women that have been members.”
It started with a pamphlet in the mail, and 20 years later as Dlugy steps away, she hopes that what she built lives on — the way the flyer once changed her.
“It’s owned by new people, but they’re carrying forward the community,” said Dlugy. “And that’s the best I can hope for.”