Limitless options for health, fitness, and nutrition in Gainesville

Health and its connection to exercise and nutrition is certainly no secret, and here in Gainesville many business owners have created local, “made-for-us” solutions for being healthy and maintaining an active, busy lifestyle.

One of the “founders of health” in our city is Joe Cirulli with his business, Gainesville Health and Fitness Center. The company grew out of an inspired business plan focusing on encouraging even those who had never been in a gym to visit and learn from the ground up what a fitness facility could do for them. Face to face personal education and service were Cirulli’s watchwords from the beginning and this remains true today.

Cirulli’s beliefs about the importance of health and fitness grew directly out of his family experience and the example set for him by his mother, who was a nurse. He also kept his family connections close by involving family members in the business, as they still are to this day. Find out more about Gainesville Health and Fitness at www.ghfc.com.

Chris and Carlee Marhefka began their gym, B3 Gym (https://b3gym.com/), in 2010 and quickly noticed that they were hearing the same need spelled out by many of their clients. Many were nurses and other medical professionals who were extremely busy, which made finding time to go to a gym a real challenge, especially because most gyms were open only during hours which did not fit their unusual schedules.

Reaching out to this community, the Marhefkas placed an emphasis on flexible hours to enable these clients to come in and work out at times that were convenient for them. A similar idea led to their second enterprise, Eat The 80 (https://www.eatthe80.com/), in 2014.

Proper nutrition is crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but the same long hours that can make it hard for busy people to get to the gym during the week can also make consistently eating a healthy diet difficult. Meals that are quick and available ready-to-eat are seldom as healthy as home cooked meals, and they are typically more expensive. The Marhefkas identified a need from their clients for better food choices that were both convenient and healthy — and Eat The 80 was born!

Providing healthy, tailored prepared meals combined with convenient delivery service turned out to be a God’s send for many in the Gainesville community, and these types of plans will continue to be a popular choice for many in the future.

Tommy McKnew brought an Orangetheory Fitness franchise to Gainesville about three years ago, and since that time he has maintained a focus on using scientifically-proven methods for developing strong bodies and finding the best programs for clients. Interval training, education, and working with physical therapists and the medical community all serve to help his clients stay on top of their fitness. Check out www.orangetheoryfitness.com to see the variety of tailored choices they have available.

When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, one aspect that cannot be ignored is fresh food. Today there are Community Supported Agriculture programs that enable us to order online and have fresh food delivered to our door or picked up at a convenient location.

Given the number of Community Supported Agriculture programs in our area, most people in Alachua County should be able to find one nearby. Fresh produce, dairy products, relishes and preserves, and meat products are all made readily available. Healthy food trucks can also be an option. One new choice is www.freshwagon.org, with sites for pickup widely spread throughout Gainesville. Check them out — you’ll be glad you did!

Haven’t attended a gym in ages? Consider checking out a few, as options have evolved a great deal. Chances are that even if one gym is not a fit for you, another one will be. Rest assured, somewhere in all the choices available in Gainesville lies a local answer to your particular fitness and nutrition needs. Being short on time is no longer a viable excuse for not making good, healthy choices.


By Kate Johnson

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