New Gym Co-Owned By NBA Champion Opens In Evanston

Blink Fitness: The mood toward fitness in Evanston is about to get a lift. Blink Fitness (Blink), a premium-quality, affordable fitness brand with its unmistakable Mood Above Muscle® philosophy has other area fitness chains breaking a sweat. The 16,660 square foot gym is co-owned by three-time NBA Champion Draymond Green and Evanston resident and entrepreneur Tom Shumaker.

Blink Fitness offers memberships typically starting at $15 per month and is running a special grand opening promotion for the month of September. The facility is situated in the Evanston Shopping Center near Dollar Tree, Evanston Dance Center and Valli Produce on the corner of Dempster Street and Dodge Avenue. The fast-growing brand now has more than 90 gyms nationwide with locations coast-to-coast, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Virginia Beach and Chicago.

“When I think back on what it was like in Saginaw when I was growing up, we didn’t have cool, positive places to work out and the gyms that did open were either too expensive, or dirty,” said Draymond Green, who also owns several Blink Fitness locations in Metro Detroit with Shumaker. “That’s why it is our mission to create affordable options for people of all backgrounds to be excited about getting fit with our mood over muscle approach.”

To show its commitment to the Evanston community, Blink Evanston has linked up with a local non-profit group, YWCA Evanston/North Shore, to donate more than $10,000 worth of memberships to the organization. YWCA is based on the belief that all women have the right to be safe and choose the direction of their lives, and addresses issues including violence, lack of economic security, social injustice and racism.

“Blink is unlike anything else in the area, and we’re eager to open our doors,” said Shumaker. “I’m proud to be investing and creating jobs in the city where I live and look forward to providing our high-quality and affordable fitness concept to the community.”

Blink is a firm believer that exercise isn’t just about looking good, it’s also about how it makes you feel. In its commitment to putting Mood Above Muscle®, Blink gyms are brightly lit and feature colors that are scientifically proven to lift moods. Gym-goers are greeted and encouraged by specially trained employees, called Mood Lifters®.

Blink Evanston features state-of-the-art equipment for every fitness level, including cardio machines, strength equipment, dumbbells and designated areas for stretching, HIIT, body weight training and more. Certified personal trainers are available for members looking for one-on-one fitness coaching, and every membership comes with a free personal training start up session. On an ongoing basis, personal training sessions start as low as $30.

The gym recently launched a mobile app that empowers and enables members to exercise anytime, anywhere by providing hundreds of workout videos, including HIIT, strength, yoga, stretching, Pilates, spinning and treadmill classes, as well as guided meditations. Plus, the Blink App offers nutrition advice and recipes.

Blink’s growth throughout Chicagoland is a clear indication of the success the company is seeing behind its dual go-to-market models that leverage both company-owned and franchise development. This unique approach will enable the company to open about 20 additional locations throughout the country before the end of the year.

For more information on Blink, visit blinkfitness.com and on Blink’s presence in Chicago, visit https://www.blinkfitness.com/locations/area/chicago. Franchising details are availab