JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In Jacksonville, a fitness organization is creating business opportunities for our military members.
F45 is described as a global fitness community specializing in high intensity group workouts. They have fitness studios in Jacksonville, St. Johns County, and Jacksonville. Beach. The "F" stands for functional and "45" is the number of minutes the workout lasts. The fitness group is a major supporter of the military.
"We have over 100 active duty service members from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard that are interning at F45 Studios all throughout the United States, while the government is still paying them," Mike Nichols told First Coast News.
Mike Nichols is a Marine veteran and the director of military operations for F45.
In the summer of 2020, the organization started working with active-duty service members and veterans to assist with their transition into civilian life. The program helps military members with on the job training and online education to convert their military skill sets into a career in the fitness industry.
"That transitional phase out of the military is one of the most difficult times. I've been there. There's been a lot of people that have been there. But, what we've noticed is that we're able to prevent problems before they even become a problem," Nichols explained.
F45 has a partnership with the Department of Defense to train active-duty service members. But, they also offer veterans an opportunity to become franchise owners. Nichols says more than 100 veterans own their own F45 fitness studio.
"Over the next three to five years, we're going to open up thousands of new studios. My job as the military director is to fill as many of those positions as possible with our military community," Nichols added.
If you're interested in working with F45 or maybe owning your own fitness studio, click here for more information.