Did you know that since The Warehouse opened in 2013 we have provided over 162,000 services for our clients in the community. This includes fitness classes, recovery services, special events, and virtual resources. Wow – that’s a lot of joy spread through our Warehouse Community. But how did it all get started? As we kick off 2024, let’s take a deep dive on how our home away from home got started. 

In 2004 Nickie Carrigan, became a certified fitness professional, a vision of hers since she was a little kid. She loved Gilad, Joanie Greggins, Richard Simmons, local PBS exercise classes and any VHS tapes she could get her hands on. 

Her ambition for a career in fitness started young with her teachers in school. They made exercising something she looked forward to, with a positive attitude and fun activities. They inspired her to share joy through movement. In high school she was given the opportunity to share fitness choreography in her PE classes – the spark was born there! She knew right then, this was where she was meant to be! Did you know…she still uses some of that OG choreography in her classes today. 

Nickie was met with resistance when she expressed her desire to become an aerobics instructor. She heard everything from “that isn’t a real job” and “‘you will get burned out”, to “there is no money in that field”. She let her vision sit on the back burner, but the fire never went out. She earned a degree in English Education with an emphasis in Theatre Arts from California State University – Long Beach. She spent some time working in education, moved back to Minnesota and started a family with Marc. Nickie and Marc have two sons, Brady (22) and Will (19). Both of them are currently living in Stevens Point, WI. Brady graduated last year with a degree in Interior Arcitchetire and works full time at an architectural firm and coaches the UW-Stevens Point Swim and Dive team. Will is a freshman at UW Stevens Point, pursuing a degree in Health and Wellness and dives on the university team. They are incredibly proud of their boys. 

While pregnant with Will, Nickie began working at a community center in her home town of  South St. Paul. It was there she was given a tap on the shoulder to start teaching her first fitness class. It was her time to start spreading joy through fitness. Over the next few years Nickie taught at the community center, YMCAs, Northwest Martial Arts, and branched out on her own to teach health and wellness in corporate settings. In 2013, the martial arts studio was closing and Nickie took the opportunity to continue her established classes and move them into her own space. Hence, the Warehouse was born. 

The Warehouse is its own entity created mostly from its community members. From trainers and members, both past and present, we have built something incredibly special and  ever-evolving. We have learned so much from one another, and have continued to grow and change over the last 10 and a half years as a community. We survived the mandated shut down, we made a new home in a new location, and we continue to add relevant services to The Warehouse to keep members moving, happy, and energized. 

When we first opened, we did lots of fitness challenges. We focused on helping people who wanted to lose weight. We attracted a lot of runners who wanted cross training, and beginners who needed a safe place to get started. We worked with local sports teams, Girl Scout Troops, and kids’ fitness classes. Our message in the beginning was focused on getting into the best shape of your life, having fun with fitness in a non-judgmental space, and giving kids a positive exposure to physical activity. 

This concept made sense at the time. 

Fast forward to today, we are still The Warehouse, but our message has evolved. Getting into the best shape of your life means something different. We focus more on the fun and the joyful aspect of fitness. The pandemic was traumatic for all of us. It put life into perspective in so many ways. Post-pandemic, we have built in the necessary elements to create a life of quality longevity. We have added Athletic Recovery Services to The Warehouse to ensure that we can keep moving freely.

Today we offer Therabody Recovery Air Sessions, Egoscue Posture Alignment, and Assisted Stretch Sessions. We no longer lead with, “getting into the best shape of your life” but many of our members would say they are definitely in the best shape of their lives. Why? Because they have found JOY in movement, and they understand the importance of self care and athletic recovery. They take these steps to build a life of quality longevity every time they step into our space. At The Warehouse, we want to know you personally. We care about each individual member and we want to help you work WITH the body you have. That message has never changed.

At the end of the day fitness is not about achieving a certain look, though your body will likely respond to your efforts by changing shape.  Fitness is about a FEELING. It is about being able to live your life to the fullest, and find ways to move your beautiful body that bring you JOY.

We want you to be able to throw your own carry-on in the overhead compartment when you travel, we want you to feel strong enough to walk or run a 5K, and when you are here we want you to high five your warehouse peers and be motivated by those around you.  We want you to love showing up for yourself, and feel the power of a consistent workout plan that you love, so you can take that momentum and body confidence out into the world and enjoy your life.