Village Spin relocates to spacious Medina Theatre
Photos by Tom Rivers: Heather DiGiacomo, owner of the Village Spin, moved the gym and exercise equipment to the Medina Theatre which is owned by the Cardone family at 603 Main St. The site has more room to spread out the indoor cycling bikes and other equipment to meet Covid-19 guidelines from the state.
Heather DiGiacomo uses a TRX straps for a stretching exercise. With the TRX straps people use their bodyweight to develop strength, balance, flexibility and core stability.
MEDINA – On March 16, Heather DiGiacomo was forced to close the Village Spin for indoor exercise classes due to restrictions put on gyms from the state during the Covid-19 pandemic.
DiGiacomo has since adapted the business in many ways, including recently moving Village Spin to the Medina Theatre at 603 Main St. That location offers much more space for exercise bikes and equipment than her previous location on Main Street. The state allowed gyms reopen on August 24, but the guidelines require exercise machines to be spaced out for social distancing.
DiGiacomo kept the business going throughout the pandemic, leading classes online and outdoors. She opened Village Spin three years ago.
In her regular job, DiGiacomo is the instructional tech coach at the Buffalo school district. She used that knowledge to launch online classes on March 17 after the state closed indoor gyms.
She rented out bikes and exercise equipment, and led online classes that sometimes had 70 participants.
“We were thinking it would be a two to three week thing,” DiGiacomo said about the pandemic restrictions. “We wanted to keep them physically and mentally strong.”
In her previous location, she had room for about 15 people in an indoor class.
In late spring, summer and fall Village Spin also set up the cycling bikes and exercise equipment outside for classes. The Canal Basin was a popular spot and the alleyway between the Presbyterian Church and KeyBank.
On Oct. 1, Village Spin relocated to Medina Theatre. With the spacing restrictions from the state for gyms, DiGiacomo would have been limited to eight cycling bikes at her previous location.
Heather DiGiacomo and other instructors lead classes from the stage at the Medina Theatre. DiGiacomo likes the setting at the Medina Theatre. It feels like a gym in a night club.
At Medina Theatre, she can easily fit in 20, as well as other exercise equipment, including a spot with TRX straps for stretching exercises and also to build strength and flexibility. Village Spin also has free weights and BOSU ballast balls. And there is a “pound class” with weighted drum sticks. The classes are for 45 minutes or an hour.
“This is a nice opportunity for us to grow,” she said about the new location.
Village Spin offers classes at the beginner, regular and advanced levels. The class participants range from children to senior citizens. DiGiacomo leads many of the classes and also has six instructors.
There are classes early in the morning at 5 and 6 a.m., mid mornings and in the evenings.
“We’re here to build a healthy community and to do healthy social fitness,” DiGiacomo said.
