For Alex Monteiro, running a gym is all about reducing friction for members.
“Life is busy, and finding time for the gym can be tough,” the co-owner of the new Highland Strength and Performance (HSP) in Minden says.
He added his philosophy is making the experience as seamless as possible and moving away from the ‘all or nothing’ mindset. “We can help build momentum within a community that now identifies as strong and resilient without the extra pressure of having to see oneself as a ‘fitness person’. Being strong and healthy so you can fully engage in what matters most to you is always worth showing up for.”
Monteiro and his wife, Heather, own the new business in the Heritage Plaza building. Monteiro has worked in the fitness industry for more than a decade; training everyone from youth athletes, busy professionals, and older folks looking to stay strong and active.
“Regardless of age or ability, my starting point is to always pull from athletic strength and conditioning principles and make them scalable and accessible for every client.”
HSP is the second personal training business he has started. His first is Atom Athletics, a mobile personal training company in Toronto. He said his time there “shaped every aspect of HSP.”
Since the first time Heather brought him to her family’s place on Horseshoe Lake, Monteiro said he’s been devising ways to spend more time in Minden. “It has been our second home for seven years, and during that time I have kept an eye on the fitness industry here and felt that although there are plenty of great options in the County, something like HSP was missing in Minden.
“With Minden’s growing population, both locally and on the lakes, I saw an opportunity to expand fitness options, not to replace what already exists, but to better support the community in the way it deserves. There’s a fitness style for everyone, and offering more options helps more people find something they enjoy and stay active.”
They offer semi-private personal training as well as strength and performance classes.
He added he and Heather make their goal one of meeting members where they are, so they can support them in getting to where they want to go, which is why they’ve designed a flexible membership model and class schedule. They keep memberships month-to-month and allow for membership pauses. They offer flexible scheduling.
As for the space, they stumbled upon it when visiting a Minden restaurant. “Within a few weeks, we were meeting with the realtor for Heritage Plaza and the rest is history.”
Monteiro said the business’ new digs needed to function as a gym, but they didn’t want it to feel like just a gym. The open layout gave them the flexibility to design thoughtfully, balancing enough equipment for workouts while leaving space to comfortably host classes.
They also aimed to create a welcoming environment; including a gallery wall.
“It’s vintage outdoor/sports-themed, relaxed, and even features a small but growing library for members to borrow from. Heather poured her heart into the gallery wall, collecting antiques from around the area. We were even gifted 100-year-old wooden golf clubs from our neighbour, Bob. It’s not just a reminder of everything we have come to love about Minden, but the unbelievably supportive community we have here.”
Find them at: https://highlandsnp.ca/ or email info@highlandsnp.ca
