Owners of only Black-owned gym in Pontiac on a mission to shift mindsets, cultivate a healthier community
PONTIAC, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - We're just a few days into the second month of 2024, and a Metro Detroit couple wants to help you meet and maintain those "new year, new me" goals while changing health statistics in their community one visit to the gym at a time.
"It's so important," Russell Harris said. "To be able to provide that type of resource for our community, it means a lot."
Russell and his wife, Kolby, are the proud owners of an Anytime Fitness, the world's largest fitness franchise. The Harris family is celebrating one year as the owners of the only Black-owned gym in Pontiac.
The couple suggests that achieving those new year fitness goals requires adopting a healthier lifestyle and showing up for yourself, especially when the odds are already stacked against you.
"As we know, high blood pressure, heart disease, and things like that run rampant in our community," Russell Harris said. "The only way for us to combat those things is to make sure that we're taking care of our bodies."
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Black women have the highest rates of obesity compared to other groups in the country. About four out of five Black women are overweight or obese, increasing their chances of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol, all risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
"Even if you can't come to a brick-and-mortar gym [but] you're making fitness your lifestyle," Kolby Harris said. "You can definitely still be consistent with being active."
The pair says they're on a mission to shift mindsets while creating an inclusive and supportive fitness experience and setting an example for their daughters.
"I want to be able to run around with my kids and their kids as long as I live," Russell Harris said.
Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the Harris-owned Anytime Fitness is located at 149 Perry St. in Pontiac. Free parking is available in the main lot.