Queens Gyrotonic (Photo: QueensPost)
August 15, 2012 By Bill Parry
What do Shaquille O’Neal, Gwyneth Paltrow, Madonna and Sting all have in common? They’re all true believers in gyrotonics, a workout that is said to provide stress relief, wellness and personal fitness.
In Queens, there is only one studio dedicated to this growing discipline and it’s in Sunnyside, located at 41-51 49th Street.
The business, called Queens Gyrotonic, is owned by Kandi Kitich, who established her new studio just 3 weeks ago. She had previously operated on 44th Street, across the street from the Sunnyside Post office, for about five years.
The move was motivated by a number of factors and not just a rent increase, she said.
“The rent is high everywhere you go in an area like this,” Kitich said. “The move was more about simplifying things. It suits me better because my business is right up the street from Cafe Marlene [41-11 49th St.] where I live upstairs.”
Kitich co-owns Café Marlene with her sister.
There are other benefits, she said. “I find that on this side of Queens Blvd. people are younger and are more aware of the Manhattan scene. They know about the holistic approach on this side [of the boulevard], and don’t need to be educated about it like the other side of the boulevard,” she added.
All of her clients have made the move with her.
Kitich’s most famous client was the Irish middleweight boxer John Duddy who’s now retired. “When he was selling out Madison Square Garden he was coming to my studio three times a week” Kitich said. She went on to explain that gyrotonics offers benefits to athletes, ballerinas, gymnasts and even opera singers.
