CKO Kickboxing Health Fitness Franchise Continues Rapid Growth with New North Jersey Gym

AUGUSTA, N.J., April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CKO Kickboxing, one of the fastest growing health fitness franchises, announced the grand opening of its 25th location in Augusta, NJ, the second location in Sussex County, in the northwestern most part of the state. The other location in Franklin opened in 2008. CKO also has gyms throughout the NY-NJ-Connecticut tri-state area, as well as in North Carolina and California.

Grand Opening festivities are in the works for Saturday, April 28 from noon to 4 p.m. at CKO Kickboxing at 17 Route 206 in Augusta, according to owners Darlene Pallay and Joe Pallay, who also own the CKO Kickboxing in Franklin.

Radio station WNNJ 103.7 will broadcast live with DJ Rob Moorhead from noon - 2 p.m. An acoustic band, Shade of Grey, will also perform.

There will be plenty of activities for children, including a balloon artist on stilts, face painting and games.

Free food and beverages will be available.

There will be giveaways, including tickets to local events, radio station mugs, massage sessions and two (2) one-month, free memberships to CKO Kickboxing. Special deals will be offered for new membership enrollment. Discounts are offered to students, teachers, active military and veterans as well as police and fire personnel.

The newly designed, spacious 2,500 square-foot gym features 39 heavy bags so members will have plenty of room to work out. A free child-care center is always available during morning classes, Monday through Friday, to accommodate stay-at-home moms as well as commuters.

"Unlike other gyms and kickboxing centers that have limited hours, CKO Kickboxing will be open 7 days a week and will have classes at all times of the day that are convenient to all kinds of people," Mrs. Pallay said.

"We really try to cater to all fitness levels, from people who need to lose weight to people who are athletic and need to train for an event. Runners come to us to train for a marathon and build their strength and endurance. Stressed-out stay-at-home moms also come to get results. We are geared to getting results. We also provide 1-to-1 nutrition counseling. We try to hit it at all angles."

Kickboxing workouts are among the most popular fitness trends today.

"In one hour, you get a full body workout," she said of the sessions that target upper body, lower body, cardio, strength and resistance training. "One hour is the perfect time for a workout. You just show up and we'll handle the rest. No two classes are the same so you won't get bored. The classes are great. The music is great."

CKO Kickboxing has built a reputation for its family-like atmosphere.

"We get to know our members. We call you by name. We know who you are. That's what makes us stand out," she said.

Not only is she the co-owner, she also started as a customer.

"I was a stay-at-home mom with 3 kids. I was 50 pounds overweight. My mother had uterine cancer because of her weight and I thought, 'That could be me. I need to do this.' I came to CKO Kickboxing and was hooked in my first class. The class took only an hour, so my husband could watch the kids. I lost 50 pounds," she said. "It was a wake-up call for health reasons. I took the challenge and I did it."

"I inquired about getting a franchise. They told me I had to become an instructor first. I was nervous about being in front of a group."

Her husband, Joe, was an excavating contractor. When business was slow, he decided opening a CKO Kickboxing franchise would be a good move.

"We moved out of our comfort zone. It's been a fantastic lifestyle for me and my family (which includes three children under the age of five)," she said.

"We love helping people achieve their fitness goals. I know what it is like. You struggle, but you can do it. All you have to do is show up."

The first class is free. Rates start as low as $59 a month.

"It's like getting two gyms for the price of one," she said.

"CKO Kickboxing is emerging as one of the leading fitness franchise opportunities in the country," said Joe Andreula, Founder of CKO Kickboxing, one of America's fastest growing franchises according to industry standard Entrepreneur Magazine, which included the sports fitness franchise in its Franchise 500 list of best franchises. The magazine also rated CKO Kickboxing as the 48th top new franchise in 2011.

For more information, go to http://www.ckokickboxing.com

SOURCE CKO Kickboxing, Inc.