Hall rounds out wellness business with massage therapy

     For Andrea Hall, it’s all about promoting one’s overall health and wellness.

     Hall has managed Be Strong Fitness & Yoga for the past four years; owning the business the last two and a half. In min-August, she added Revive Wellness Massage to the mix, rounding out the total body wellness experience.

     “My first week after I was licensed, I was full,” she said of booking appointments.

     Becoming a massage therapist was something Hall had contemplated since she was in high school.

     “It was something I always wanted to do,” she said.

     At the time, Hall toured Carlson College of Massage Therapy, but wasn’t quite set on that as a career. She ended up pursuing Communications.

     Once Hall got into the fitness industry, she met a yoga instructor who also offered massage therapy.

     “The timing was perfect,” recalled Hall, a yoga instructor herself. “I thought why not pursue it?”

     From February through August, Hall attended Carlson full time, banking 775 hours of class time to become a licensed massage therapist. It helped having a background in fitness and yoga because Hall knew the basics when it came to the anatomy system.

     “The timing was right, and it was our less busier season at the gym,” she said.

     When Hall registered at Carlson, she had no clue COVID-19 would force the fitness center to close for a few months as she embarked on a new venture.

     “It allowed me to focus on school and my kids,” she said.

     Hall credits her husband, Dustin, and sister, Crystal Weber, as being there for her when she needed to put her energy into her schoolwork.

     Once the gym did re-open, Hall had part-time help she could rely on to teach fitness classes and manage the front office.

     “We ran on reduced office hours anyway with COVID,” Hall said, “and our members were really understanding.”

     Lately, so much has taken a hold of people’s lives from COVID-19 to the derecho storm, to worrying about returning to school. Hall said now, more than ever, “people need to take care of their health.” Offering not only a place where people can work out, Be Strong is now home to Revive, a place where people can relax, now, too.

     “With so much going on, don’t forget to take care of yourself,” urged Hall. “Live a quality life, with plenty of exercise, a healthy diet, and taking care of your body.”

     That plays into the name Hall chose for her new message business, “Revive.”

     She and her sister brainstormed ideas that would work with the Be Strong business branding.

     “I wanted to related to wellness,” Hall said.

     The definitions of “revive” include: restore, renew, and to provide new strength and energy to.”

     Revive offers several different types of therapeutic massages: pre-natal, hot stone, body scrubs, and 30- to 90-minute body massages.

     “A therapeutic massage combines the long, kneading strokes of Swedish massage with a kneading deep tissue massage to reduce stress, pain and muscles tension, and increase relaxation and blood flow,” explained Hall.

     All of Hall’s services, from Revive to Be Strong fitness classes, can be booked through the Mindbody app.

     Hall also hopes to continue her education for further certifications to expand her offerings.

     While she continues to build clientele, hall said her first few weeks in business “couldn’t have gone any better.” Revive also helps offset the slow periods at the gym due to COVID and the summer months (where people tend to spend more time outside).

     Having an already-established business, it was easy for Hall to open her massage therapy business right inside the gym.

     “People are already familiar with me, my brand, and this business,” she said.

     But it all comes down to helping people and healing people, for Hall.

     “With the journey I’ve been on these last four years, I know who I am,” she said. “I want to make others feel good and happy about themselves, and be an advocate for preventative wellness versus a quick fix.”

     Hall explained getting a massage has a plethora of health benefits, aiding one’s parasympathetic nervous system.

     “It helps relax the body, gets rid of stress and anxiety,” she said. “It ignites the parasympathetic system, bringing the body back to homeostasis.”

     For more on Revive and Be Strong Fitness & Yoga, visit their Facebook pages. You can download the Mindbody app for appointments on your smartphone.