“By being able to take time for yourself, exercise, fuel your body properly and enjoy life each day, everyone can create a their own physical equilibrium with the mind, body, and spirit all aligned.”

Sara Dimmick is Physical Equilibrium’s founder and lead personal trainer. Her vision of owning a fitness boutique in New York City with the capacity to offer high-quality fitness programs and nutrition services led her to open Physical Equilibrium in 2003.

Physical Equilibrium is New York City’s premier personal training boutique. Busy executives, small business owners, students, aspiring athletes, and expecting moms choose Physical Equilibrium personal trainers, triathlon/running coaches, and registered dietitians to help them achieve their fitness and nutrition goals.

BusinessInterviews.com: After being a personal trainer for a number of years, how did you know the time was right to launch your own fitness boutique?

Sara: I had worked at a large corporate gym for several years and had attained both the highest-level trainer status and salary compensation that was offered. There was not an opportunity to advance further unless I wanted to become a manager, which required fewer interactions with clients and less personal training instruction. Aside from reaching my glass ceiling, I consistently had ideas for new programs or media pitches that would never be utilized or implemented because of the corporate structure. I knew there would be demand if my ideas could just come to fruition as my clients and even fitness media showed real interest in my concepts. So I decided to take a chance, open my own business, and incorporate my program ideas that the majority of large gyms were not offering. I started out alone and slowly added on other trainers, dietitians, and endurance coaches. As an owner, I do manage a staff, but I also get to do what I love -personal training and coaching, with many hours of client interaction every day. I also have the flexibility to add in new programs whenever an opportunity arises. Despite challenges, opening my own boutique was the best decision I have ever made.

BusinessInterviews.com: What are some ways that you set yourself apart from the stiff competition you face in NYC?

Sara: From a company standpoint, we offer a variety of educational and experiential opportunities that a lot of larger gyms can’t do or simply don’t do. In addition, we embrace ourselves as a service provider and thus truly value customer service. Simple things like always being prompt, prepared, focused on results, and offering good request follow ups are easy to do and even sound commonplace; but you’d be surprised how overlooked those efficiencies are within this industry.
Our post-rehabilitation personal training program is also unique in the market. This service is offered to recent physical therapy graduates or current patients with doctor approval who want or need to continue rehabilitative personal training with the assistance and oversight of an expert fitness professional. We directly engage with the client’s doctors and physical therapists in order to best understand and help them overcome an injury or health issue.

We also offer a dynamic suite of services – such as nutrition counseling, endurance coaching and massage all under one roof. This variety of services keeps clients comfortable, motivated and interested in having our team exclusively manage their overall fitness, health and wellness.

BusinessInterviews.com: Why you think it’s important to get all of your trainers certified in post rehabilitation training?

Sara: I would say that about 90% of our clients have some sort of current or past injury or health problem. And 100% will have some sort of injury or health problem in the future. People are living longer and many want to play sports and be active later in their lives. Post rehabilitation personal training bridges the gap between where traditional health care ends (usually after just a few physical therapy visits) and when full recovery is reached.

To meet the needs of most clients, it is important for us to understand the common injuries and ailments that walk in our door. Our goal is to make clients healthier and get them back into their daily routines, sport and exercise programs as quickly and as safely as possible – while also doing our best to help avoid re-injury. Having each person on staff certified in post rehabilitation personal training is comforting to clients and a major differentiator for the Physical Equilibrium brand.