Let’s take a walk down Memory Lane…
October 30, 1977
Light n’ Lovely is opening in Salem, MA
January 1984
Light n’ Lovely in Salem is rebranding as Healthworks Fitness for Women
July 1984
Healthworks Cambridge is opening in its original Porter Square location
“Healthworks only had two locations: the mothership in Salem and our ‘under Tag’s Hardware’ location in Porter Square. We were two small locations in strip malls, both with a neighborhood feel.” — Jenny Briggs, Personal Trainer at Healthworks Cambridge since early 1992
“The ceiling was so low that when we brought in an assisted traction machine, we had to remove a ceiling tile and your head went into the ceiling!” — Mark Harrington Jr., President of Healthworks Group
September 1992
Healthworks Brookline opens on Commonwealth Ave
January 1996
Healthworks Back Bay opens in Copley Square
1996
James Foster is suing Healthworks to join the all-female club
October 1997
Healthworks is celebrating 20 years
December 1997
Suffolk Superior Court Judge Rules Healthworks Back Bay Can’t Ban Men
“The potential for men to intimidate, harass and demean female members of the club was not sufficient to justify a claim that women’s privacy would be invaded. Judge Nonnie S. Burnes wrote in her ruling. “Absent the naked exposure of intimate body parts or the touching of body parts by members of the opposite sex, this court can find no basis to override the mandate of the public accommodations law,” he wrote.
“If that was the law, countered Mr. Harrington and others advocating for the nearly 50,000 Massachusetts women who belong to all-women clubs, the law had to be changed. They went to the State House.” — Carey Goldberg, “Lawyer’s Suit Challenges Women-Only Gyms,” The New York Times, January 26, 1998
January 1998
Gov. Paul Cellucci signs new law allowing same-sex clubs to operate
“…Foster may have won the battle, but he didn’t win the war. A bill was quickly introduced in the Massachusetts House to allow single-sex clubs to operate in that state, and in January 1998, Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci signed the bill into law. In many ways, it was very positive for us,” says (Mark) Harrington7 of its significance and how important it was to many people”.—Stuart Goldman, “Women’s Only Health Clubs Make a Big Deal for Members,” Club Industry, March 1, 2012
1998
The Healthworks Foundation was created as a 501c3
Healthworks Cambridge is moving to its new building in the car park of the original club, now known as Porter Square Shopping Center
2002
Healthworks Foundation opens first club in St. Mary’s
2003
Healthworks Chestnut Hill opens
“The positives were memorable – the immediate success and acceptance, with members signing up in the parking lot trailer. The large group that knew not only each member’s name but all the family news that went along with building relationships.”— Mark Harrington Sr., co-founder of Healthworks
2008
Healthworks Community Fitness opens at Codman Square Health Center in Dorchester, dedicated to providing high-quality fitness and health education opportunities for women and their families in underserved Boston neighborhoods
2011
Healthworks Brookline is moving to its new clubhouse in Coolidge Corner
GymIt brand is created and opens its first club in Brookline on Commonwealth Avenue (in the old Healthworks Brookline location)
2012
GymIt Watertown opens
The Healthworks Group is refocusing on premium clubs (Healthworks) and high volume/low cost clubs (GymIt). As a result, the Salem club closes
2014
Republic Fitness is founded and its first club opens in Downtown Boston’s Financial District
2016
First Fitness Management is founded, specializing in the design and management of fitness centers for companies, property managers and institutions
2018
The HWX brand was created, bringing new, quality studio classes for the next generation of group fitness to Healthworks and Republic Fitness
April 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic is hitting and all the clubs are closing their doors as we enter a quarantine that lasts much longer than we ever expected. The team rotates quickly, offering virtual classes on Instagram and later, Vimeo, outdoor classes, in-person distance learning, and more. We are forever grateful to the members who stuck with us and chose to financially support our clubs, helping us weather the storm
July 2020
Our clubs are able to reopen with strict cleaning and safety standards. HWX Outdoor Classes launch and we continue to expand our virtual class offerings
2021
We introduced Healthworks Digital Studio (offering premium Livestream and On Demand courses)
Due to the financial challenges of the pandemic, we have been forced to close Healthworks Chestnut Hill. Clubs Remaining Healthworks and Republic Fitness ended the year with 66% of our 2019 memberships, but with check-ins at 49% of 2019 rates. Gym ended the year with 85% of our 2019 memberships
“From the moment I joined the Healthworks team in 2003, I knew it was a special place to work. The past 18 years have brought us many ups and downs, but one thing remains the same – the Healthworks community! Supportive, encouraging and innovative. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!” — Kristyn Fales, Healthworks Group Director of Personal Training
2022
- Healthworks Group now operates 20+ facilities in Greater Boston, including Healthworks, Republic Fitness, GymIt, NB Fitness Club, The Track at New Balance and more
- Memberships, course offerings and club amenities continue to grow
- Celebrating 45 years of POWER and our commitment to inspiring our members and community
2023
- Reset Spa startups in Healthworks
2024
- Reset Spa startups in Healthworks
2025
- Republic Fitness is opening a new location in Davis Square
- Restore Spa Launches at Republic Fitness
2026
- Start a new teamTRAINING
