Magic Hands: My first massage at Fitness360 WestChase

“So let me get this straight … ” I said on the phone with my locally owned gym. Fitness360 WestChase, a full fitness gym with beautiful rooms for group fitness, a separate personal-training consultation area and so much more, recently opened off W. Hillsborough Ave., and their manager was calling to ask me to try their new massage amenity.

Now, I still had to pay for the massage, but they know I have a big mouth and will tell everyone I know about it IF I like it, so they wanted me to come check it out exclusively first.

“So let me get this straight …” I said, as my brain danced in delight. “You want me to come to MY gym, right down the road, and get a massage while my three-year-old toddler is in kids care?” A massage with FREE daycare provided? This can’t be real. BUT IT IS!

I headed into the gym just before my 5:30 appointment, and Olga greeted me warmly. She explained the 30-minute Swedish massage, mainly focused on my neck, shoulders and back. “YES!” I screamed in my head. “My mommy knots can try to hide but I have a feeling Olga will find them.” (Mommy knots are those sore back muscles from lugging around your child, their gear, your gear and more, all while balancing a coffee between two fingers in utter desperation. It’s your badge of honor as a mom, but it leaves you walking around like Frankenstein most days.)

The massage room, lined with black curtains and rich with soft lavender scents, instantly relaxed my strained eyes and tense shoulders. I slipped under the sheet, and Olga began loosening up my back while I let my mind drift off to the room’s soothing music. Those 30 minutes flew by as I traced Olga’s warm hands in relaxation. Here’s what I learned:

• This massage did more for me in five minutes than most massages do in 1 hour!
• Olga did indeed find those knots and she made them her ____ (I’m trying to keep this post clean).
• I now have a nickname for Olga: The Knot Destroyer!
• I have the best gym ever with tons of amenities — now including massage — and FREE daycare during staffed hours.

Five stars and two-thumbs up don’t even come close to how thrilled I was with this service. This is a must-try! And that’s life in a nutshell.

MommaNut