(Editor's Note: This story is part of Club Industry's series on diversity, equity and inclusion. To see more articles in this series, go here.)
Growing up as a Latino in Brooklyn, New York, I didn’t know where I belonged. Although I was introverted, I played basketball at a diverse high school, and I socialized and became friends with people from various cultures. I guess you could say I had a knack for making people feel comfortable around me. Yet at times I sat alone since I didn’t have a sense of belonging to a specific group.
As an adult, I realize my childhood interactions with different backgrounds are a huge strength for me. I’m able to empathize and understand people from multiple cultures and backgrounds. Personal trainers need those skills to talk and bond with people of various backgrounds, and those skills made me successful enough to open Studio 16 NYC and Treo Nutrition. Being a personal trainer helped fine-tune my communication skills into a business skill. I went from connecting with people to now leading people. Articulating my words and controlling my tone are skills that are necessary in running my businesses.
My love for gyms started at Richie’s Gym in Sunset Park where I was introduced to fitness early in my life. The gym was known and loved by many for its diverse members and grunginess. It was there my passion formed, and I decided to create a career in this business.
In my experience training hundreds of people from all backgrounds and growing up as a Latino American, I have noticed that the Latino community invests significantly less in health and wellness than some other communities. The reasons are likely multiple and complex. But one of the biggest factors is likely that socioeconomic disparities greatly impact communities of color, and often the gyms that I worked in were located in communities with a higher cost of living. That being said, I find that oftentimes, people in the Latinx community aren’t conflicted when making expensive clothing or accessory purchases, but when it comes to health and wellness, we aren't willing to make an investment. Instead, we play into the mindset that we somehow can do it ourselves.
My job as a trainer is to figure out how to add fitness and wellness into someone’s life long term, and what usually ends up happening is they perform better at work, have more energy to be present with family and just overall end up being better people. I think other cultures already know that truth and are more willing to invest in fitness while Latinos don’t know it yet. I want to reveal the truth of the value of fitness to the Latinx community. Fitness isn’t just a luxury anymore; it’s a necessity if you want to take your life to the next level.
I’m going to do everything in my power to bring fitness to light in my community. I know fitness and wellness can be expensive, but other things in which we invest are also expensive. Initially, fitness may not seem like an investment with a high return, but with time, it gives them the best return in the world, which is a longer, more successful life.
BIO
Nate Feliciano is the owner and head of training at Studio 16, a private training facility in New York City with locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan. He opened Studio 16 because of the need for privacy in the industry. Studio 16 is one of the only high-end personal training facilities that only allows one trainer and one client to use the space at a given time. Feliciano wanted to make sure his clients always got to experience clean and private personal training. Along with elite personal training, Studio 16 offers supplements from companies owned by Feliciano, such as Treo Nutrition. It also offers a meal preparation service available to clients who need help with their nutrition. Studio 16 now has access to 28 elite and certified personal trainers with a diverse background of expertise.