After more than two decades in the health and fitness field, Doreen Puglisi believed the time was right to launch a new fitness studio in suburban Berkeley Heights, NJ, at the start of 2017.

Body Restoration is Puglisi's third fitness studio.

"The beginning of the year is definitely a favorable time for the fitness industry," Puglisi said of the timing of Body Restoration's grand opening. "I owned a personal training studio and a Pilates studio. I sold both in 2008."

Her extensive background in the field of health and fitness gives Puglisi, a former college professor with a Masters Degree in Exercise Science, what she hopes will be the upper hand in making Body Restoration a success.

"My goal is to create a studio focused on the Baby Boomer population," she said. "Those born between 1946 and 1964. This generation is the generation responsible for the fitness boom we have been experiencing for the past 20+ years. However, the fitness industry, in general, focuses on a younger population, leaving the 45 and older people not feeling comfortable in a gym setting."

Precisely the kind of small, local company that can greatly benefit from the advantages offered by a small business loan, Body Restoration is a intimate studio with innovative fitness and health programs focused on restorative and integrated movement, helping people improve strength, mobility and quality of life.

"As we age," Puglisi explained, "there can be many health concerns: hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, decreased cognitive function. I can help someone with any of these health issues improve his/her health outcome."

Body Restoration has four stations for a maximum of four participants in each group class. Body Restoration offers a number of different programs and classes. The Dr. Fit programs through Body Restoration are intended to aid anyone experiencing medical conditions such as heart disease, obesity, hypertension, or arthritis, diabetes or cancer. Training sessions that are customized to the individual's specific needs help the person to adopt healthier behavior with the intention of improving their quality of life. There are also Heart Fit, Diabetes Fit, Survive Fit and Pink Ribbon programs.

Heart Fit is designed for individuals at high risk for or with a history of cardiac disease. This exercise program offers continued support by a degreed exercise physiologist assists the client in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Candidates for this program include individuals with documented cardiac disease, heart surgery and previous participation in an outpatient Phase III cardiac rehab program or at increased risk for heart disease. Program participants receive a non-cardiovascular fitness assessment, blood pressure monitoring and program oversight by an exercise physiologist.

Body Restoration also offers fascia stretch therapy, an assisted table-based stretching system that focuses on the connective tissue of the body in achieving optimal flexibility, strength, performance and pain relief. The trainer works to unlock stiff joints and stretch the body so the client can move with greater ease.

Puglisi will also be starting monthly lectures on health and fitness later in 2017.

Body Restoration is one of three concurrent businesses that Puglisi operates. She also heads a program for breast cancer survivors and an online education program for prospective personal trainers.

"Pink Ribbon Program is a exercise therapy program for breast cancer survivors which I created," she said. "For the past 10 years, I have been educating healthcare professionals around the globe. I conduct a two-day seminar teaching all that is involved with breast cancer recovery, from diagnosis through surgery and treatment, and how all of those things will affect a patient physically. The protocol I created address the side effects of the surgeries and treatments, helping patients to recovery more quickly and have a better quality of life.

"In 2004 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I used my program to rehabilitate myself," said Puglisi, who has now expanded the Pink Ribbon Program internationally. "We are in the U.K., Spain, Denmark, Ireland Hungary and Italy. We have over a thousand certified Pink Ribbon instructors throughout the world."

Puglisi is also in the process of launching another program.

"Fitness Trainer Institute is a new venture," she said. "We are ready to launch an online education program to better prepare and educate individuals who want to become personal trainers. Right now, we are working on getting the education program approved by the G.I. bill so that returning veterans can complete the program and begin a new career."