ROANOKE RAPIDS – Anchor’D Fitness has arrived on the avenue, where owners Duane Daniels and Sabrina DeBrow-Daniels provide the heat with some aerobics.
The couple offers group training such as hip-hop step workouts and Zumba and celebrated its grand opening on Saturday with positive participation.
Duane said people came to the event in the rain just to sign up for memberships and classes.
“We had excellent support from the community,” he said. “It was better than I expected.”
Sabrina said many people already knew about her business when they were teaching at New Day Fitness, where she praised owner Tammy Crowley Deloatch.
“Thank God for this opportunity and thank God for Tammy at New Day Fitness, too,” she said. “Because that’s what started it all.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic halted all training, Duane said he spoke to his wife and sought advice. That was when God gave him the vision to start Anchor’D Fitness, he said. Her journey to get the fitness center on Avenue began in March, Duane said.
The fitness center is painted blue, with pictures of anchors throughout the room to give that nautical feel. But what is the meaning behind the name?
When asked, Duane said that the vision he received revealed that his place with God is anchored in what he said and the vision he gave.
“You have to be anchored in who He tells you you are and not in anyone else – to be anchored and anchor your fitness,” he said.
Repeating her husband’s thoughts, Sabrina said that anchoring allows for a consistency that will produce results.
“You have to stay anchored because we start really well and then fall off, everything comes back,” she said. “We stay consistent. If we stay anchored, you won’t move.”
Duane said a ship is anchored because of the anchor.
“Even though they’re in the water, it may fluctuate, but it won’t be too far away,” he said.
Anchor’D Fitness offers $ 8 per class or a $ 35 monthly membership that includes all classes.
Duane said they are doing monthly memberships and will offer auto draft or monthly payment options in the future.
“In many places you have to sign a basic agreement or an annual agreement,” he said. “We do month after month just to start making sure that what we offer everyone is paid for with what they can conveniently pay so they don’t get stuck in a contract.”
Duane said her fitness center doesn’t have elliptical machines, treadmills, or the regular fitness equipment.
“Basically whatever you put in here is what you will get out of it,” he said. “But you will have the luxury of dealing with people you know and people you don’t know, but everyone will be doing the same job – dancing, exercising and having fun together.”
Classes last 45 minutes to an hour, with Duane leading the Hip Hop Step, Bricks-n-Bands, and U vs. U classes.
Duane said the U-versus-U classes involve a person who is self-versed.
“When we go to gyms and other facilities, we often pay attention to the weight we’re using and we tend to go by the weight or the repetitions,” he said. “In U vs. U, you are so focused on completing the routine that you don’t even realize how much work you’ve done. With cardio, you burn more calories doing cardio. This is basically an alternative to ‘I’ don’t like to run. ‘”
Many people might be interested in the Zumba classes on offer, which Sabrina claims to lead and has been a trainer since 2015. She said that a lot of people look forward to Zumba classes because it’s a full-body workout. Since the teacher sets the tone for the class, it makes a huge difference in people’s performance, Sabrina said.
“You don’t notice until you have a hard time sitting down after training because I’ve trained you so well,” she said. “But it’s fun. It’s a fun environment and I just love that.”
Next to the stage is a portrait of Sabrina’s mother, the late Rev. Gabriel DeBrow, who passed away on November 25, 2017.
Sabrina said she has her mother all over her heart, but her portrait will be in the fitness center.
“Mom was one of the biggest cheerleaders we’ve had and I know if she were here she’d be on the front lines with us,” she said. “She supported us so much.”
A member of the center, Tracey Brake, said she knew Duane and Sabrina from New Day Fitness, where she took classes. When the couple moved to their new location, Brake said she followed him.
“They are positive people and they give you the motivation to keep going,” she said. “To me, they are very community-minded people.”
Sabrina said no one can dance to attend class.
“I say just come and try it,” she said. “I’ll give you clues with my hands. I don’t like the microphone that much. Don’t be embarrassed. Just come and try it out. “
Duane said, “It’s not about rhythm, it’s about having fun.”
Anchor’D Fitness is located at 1016 Roanoke Ave. For more information, call 252-532-5419 or visit the Facebook page.
