Mt. Sinai Gym set to close this month
RACINE — A local gym is closing this month after six years in business.
Alex Ersing, owner of Mt. Sinai Gym, 2005 Lathrop Ave., made the announcement in a Facebook post on Jan. 27.
Alexander Ersing, founder of Mt. Sinai, 2045 Lathrop Ave., rests on a 150-pound cement boulder in the gym he opened Thursday, June 1, 2017.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life,” Ersing wrote in the post. “Over the past 6 years it’s been a blessing working/meeting the great people within and outside Racine. I started this gym to bring a new platform that the community never seen. (I) wanted to create a safe space of opportunities for many and anyone. Most of all I wanted to help make a difference in someone’s life for the better, I’m confident I did.”
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Ersing said he hasn’t settled on the final day that the gym will be open.
“I started the gym as a give back,” Ersing said. “It started as something bigger than just me. I wanted to bring something different to Racine.”
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Ersing said that family medical emergencies made it hard to keep the gym running, and also cited the recent birth of his third child and starting a new career as factors that weighed on his decision.
“It put me in a little bit of a bind, but there is nothing really that I could do,” he said. “Medical stuff happens, what are you going to do? Especially when it’s in your own family.”
As part of the process of closing, Ersing is selling the gym’s equipment and memorabilia and also is waving all back dues that members owe, which he said tallied $20,000.
The gym was known as a therapeutic space for its members, like Jose Santos-Ruiz, who had been a member of the gym for five years.
Santos-Ruiz, 23, joined the gym to get back into working out after a football injury in high school.
Ersing helped Santos-Ruiz train for powerlifting competitions during the five years Santos-Ruiz was a member, even getting him into a national competitions.
Santos-Ruiz also received life advice from Ersing, ranging from work to school to relationships.
Jose Santos-Ruiz, from left, with his girlfriend, Samm Cuellar and Alex Ersing pose after a powerlifting competition. Ersing has couched the couple in powerlifting for about 5 years, during which time they have notched several records in their age groups and participated in nationals.
“In life, he taught me that the gym was a hobby and not a job,” Santos-Ruiz said. “He showed me a lot of things that I am grateful for, a lot of advice.”
Santos-Ruiz isn’t sure if he will join another local gym or go the home gym route.
To him, the community around the gym was just as important, if not more than the equipment.
“People that I’ve see come and go, change and become better people from that gym alone,” Santos-Ruiz said. “It’s common you don’t want to bother anybody, but at the gym, you’re a part of the family when you sign up. You need to get bothered because we don’t want you to get hurt, we want you to get better.”
Wherever each ends up, Santos-Ruiz said that Ersing will “forever be my coach.”
Mt. Sinai also was known for its fitness classes, including a Special Olympics boxing class in 2021. In the six years since the gym opened, Ersing gave free memberships to differently abled people.
Ersing ended his post by wishing past and present members well.
“The mountain wasn’t a place, it is a people, and I feel I proved how great our people in the community are through this gym,” Ersing wrote in his post.
Ersing said the closing has been emotional and that he has received a “ridiculous” number of messages from members offering support.
“I’ve gotten hundreds, its crazy,” he said. “You really don’t realize the impact of what you have done until something like this happens. All of a sudden you have people reaching out and talking about how you helped them and what you’ve impacted and motivated and it was very eye-opening.”
Ersing said that while Mt. Sinai is closing, this won’t be the end.
He and several members have discussed future plans, including a possible relocation.
“We’re in the works for something else,” Ersing said. “I’m not going to say that we are going to permanently close, we just got to improvise with the situation right now. We are not the type of individuals to just give up.”
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Bancon Stationary Exercise Bike
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Gaiam Beginner Yoga Set
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Core Max Pro Resistance Trainer
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Sunny Health & Fitness Air Walk Glider
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Niceday Under Desk Bike
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ProBody Pilates Exercise Ball
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Yes4All Wooden Wobble Balance Board
Building up your strength and stability is key to living a healthy life, especially as you age. A balance board is a great way to work on both at home without making too much noise.
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