Foley’s Fitness

Mike Foley is excited for the completion of his new fitness center, located at 33 Haigis Parkway, which will be open on Dec. 1. He has been training clients for over 30 years and said he is confident he can help everyone realize their fitness goals. Catherine Bart photo

SCARBOROUGH — Mike Foley of Foley’s Fitness, a new gym opening on Dec. 1 at 33 Haigis Parkway in Scarborough, said that he’s ready to prove he can run a gym that combines all health needs into one location.

Foley has been a personal trainer in the Portland area for 32 years, and as a Scarborough resident, he said that he loves his community and thinks that people in Southern Maine are dedicated to staying healthy and active.

Foley said that he’s had a dream to combine every different kind of gym experience into one place — from spinning to boot camp to weight training and cardio. And that’s what he’s done.

There will also be a children’s activity zone, Foley said. Toddlers to children aged 11 to 12 can jump rope,walk the balance beam and play while their parents are getting their own workouts.

Although finding the right training plan can be tough for some, this new fitness center is meant to help people who may have never exercised before find a regimen that works for them, Foley said.

“I feel like I’m building a special place,” he said. “I’ve trained so many people who had never exercised before. That’s one of the reasons why I put in the kids’ fitness zone. The athletes are so good today, but the non-athletes, when you walk into a big gym, it’s really intimidating.”

While Foley focuses on nutrition, he said that he has hired staff who not only live the lifestyle, but also want to help people.

“I want my staff to understand that exercise isn’t easy for everybody,” he said.

Besides the training stations, Foley’s fitness will include a sauna and a nutritional center.

Building the center has made Foley understand the feeling of getting out of his comfort zone, he said, so he thinks he can relate to those who may feel out of place when walking into a big, dark gym.

“I want a place that’s inviting; you see the sun,” he said. “We’ve got these big, open windows, high ceilings. It’s not like a dungeon.”

Foley said that his staff will talk to new members, sit down with them and listen to their goals, and create a routine that will follow what they need.

“People who come in and they don’t like exercise, they’re the ones who need it the most,” he said. “I want to keep them accountable. I truly want to be a gym that truly cares — then that will keep people into the gym. No one ever says I’m strict, but I want a gym where people watch out for one another, keep one another accountable. Whatever your fitness goals are, I want to be the gym for you.”

With an extensive client list and a confident plan, Foley said that he’s excited to prove he can make his dream a reality.

After having back surgery in the 1980s, Foley became serious about weight training and never grew tired or burnt out of the regimen, he said.

“I think fitness is just so important to everybody,” he said. “In my lifetime I’ve done over 20,000 clients, and it’s ranged from people who are very young to people who really struggle with certain health issues. I’ve always thought you can combine the worlds if you’ve got a place that’s big enough and have someone to run the gym.”

Foley said that the basic membership will start at $35 per month, with discounted rates for students, seniors, family members and veterans.

He expects to have over 50 boot camp classes a week and over 20 spin classes a week.