WALLINGFORD — A local woman who is passionate about health and fitness is set to host an open house and grand opening for her gym DiversaFit on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at its 549 Center St. location.

Diversafit offers its own twist to fitness and doesn’t feel like a typical gym. The colors are warm and fun. Owner and Wallingford native Jennifer Nuzzo has even set up disco ball lights for dance classes to create a more enjoyable environment.

“I set up my gym to make it more of a home feel,” Nuzzo said. “I want it to feel like home, like a giant living room. I want everyone to come in and feel safe, not to feel intimidated.”

The open house offers an opportunity for the community to meet the trainers, instructors and members of the DiversaFit community. Sample classes will be held, and refreshments will be served. The gym welcomes all ages and ability levels.

Nuzzo is excited about the opportunity to show off her gym. She has been slowly trying to rebuild her business after being hit hard by the pandemic.

“Gyms were the hardest hit from COVID,” Nuzzo said. “During that time, I offered virtual classes to keep things going.”

The open house and grand opening are not just about the community learning more about DiversaFit, but also about celebrating the new location. Nuzzo moved into the Center Street location after being on Main Street in another downtown spot.

During the open house, there will be raffle tickets with prizes from local businesses. Money made from the raffle tickets will go toward Movember, an event held during the month of November to raise awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide.

“A gentleman who is a client of mine said something about doing a fundraiser in November, and I started talking about (Movember) with him. I asked him to tell me more about it,” Nuzzo said. “When the opportunity for the open house came up, I said that’s where I want to donate the money.”

At the open house, sample classes such as meditation/yoga, Zumba, kickboxing, rocking the reps, kettlebell/kickboxing circuit and cardio drumming will be offered. A full schedule of the sample classes is listed on their Facebook page.

DiversaFit offers a range of fitness classes, from small group training to yoga, Zumba, specialty classes, personal training and virtual training. In addition, personal training sessions can take place at home.

Packages range from sessions to quarter and yearly memberships. 

The gym offers a full, open space that is good for a variety of classes. Nuzzo even has disco balls that rotate colors around the room for her Zumba classes or even just for clients who want to come to relieve some stress and dance for a little bit.

Nuzzo is always moving things around to accommodate classes and clients. The gym opened up this past May. Before that, the gym was located on Main Street, where she worked with another fitness studio. When both businesses started to expand, Nuzzo said she was outgrowing the space and started to look for a bigger space.

In February of 2020, Nuzzo was a month away from celebrating the one-year anniversary when COVID-19 began, which then closed the gym. 

She found the space on Center Street this year and began to build up the gym, with a soft opening in May.

Nuzzo is neighbors with Vinny’s Deli and Sweet Cream’s. She said she is lucky to have great neighbors and that the foot traffic has been great.

“It’s great that the gym is where it is,” Nuzzo said. “People can work out and then treat themselves afterward if they want.”

To learn more about DiversaFift, you can visit their website, www.diversafit.com, or call 203-668-5627. You can also learn more about them on their Facebook page or by email at diversafit@gmail.com.

nzappone@record-journal.com203-317-2212