“I have been a member of the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA for over 30 years. Until I retired in 2017, I was commuting to Manhattan and needed a gym with flexible hours close-by to squeeze in any workouts that I could. Also, when our sons were younger and we had au pairs living with us to care for them, they loved being able to come to the Y. Before the Y’s closure in March, I tried to be at the Y every day of the work week. One of the goals I had once I retired was to spend a good part of the time that I had spent commuting each day doing some form of fitness activity. There are so many great programs that I found it easy to fill up my mornings. My favorite part about coming to the Y was the variety of cardio and flexibility classes and the great instructors. I took HIIT, Defend Together, Yoga, Pilates, Barre Fusion, Cycling, Strength Training Together – for years I LOVED Cathy’s Saturday Cardio Kickboxing class. This class had such a fabulous vibe – everyone was so happy to be there – and it was the perfect workout for me for so many years. When the Y was closed, I missed seeing friends and everyone there – from Eileen at the front desk to the instructors and gym staff! Thank goodness for the remote classes the Y did – I tried these as often as I could. The outdoor classes have also been fun, and I made one visit to the gym since it reopened for a bike ride. I felt very safe when I was inside and was impressed with the clean routine. The staff has been terrific and communicates really well about the rules.”