Move Fitness Founder Marco Borges Designs Fitness Centers and Spas for South Florida's Most Iconic Properties

Move Fitness Founder Marco Borges is an exercise physiologist and New York Times Best Selling Author.

South Florida’s premier resort-style oceanfront condominium residences, Continuum, recently announced Florida-based Move Fitness as the new operator for the management of Continuum Sporting Club and Spa in Miami Beach. Founded by exercise physiologist and New York Times Best Selling Author, Marco Borges,

Move Fitness is one of today’s leading pioneers in the wellness industry and previously engineered the design and development of the iconic wellness amenity when the property opened more than 20 years ago. Borges is also the founder and CEO of 22 Days Nutrition, a plant-based lifestyle solutions company, and he’s the author of four award-winning books that have been translated into 22 languages around the world.

When it first debuted, the three-floor Continuum Sporting Club and Spa was revered as a revolutionary concept in health and fitness, born within an innovative architectural marvel at the South of Fifth residences—proven to be the first of its kind in the region. Move Fitness has implemented its turnkey best-in-class approach to wellness, distinguishing a “fitness first, management second” brand ethos across the entire spectrum of operations at the Sporting Club and Spa. 

Spa Profile: The Ritz-Carlton Spa, South Beach

“We are delighted to welcome Move Fitness as our new operator for the Continuum Sporting Club and Spa,” says Rishi Idnani, Managing Director at Continuum. “The company has a proven track record in delivering an integrated wellness philosophy across a plethora of luxury residential properties, and it was a natural decision to bring Marco and his team back to the Continuum. Our residents are known for having a very active lifestyle, and a community with a discerning perspective on health and fitness requires a progressive style of management that Move Fitness will constantly test and adapt towards meeting the lifestyle demands and personal challenges of our club members.”

Borges and his management team have developed a high-performance health and fitness program based on in-depth assessments of the residents’ needs and long-term wellness goals. They have installed a roster of prominent health and fitness professionals to offer residents a newly curated program of aerobic and strength-conditioning classes. The bespoke weekly schedule includes a wide range of offerings including spinning, aqua fit, Pilates, and more, and residents can take advantage of one-on-one personal training programs in the state-of-the-art gym with a certified personal trainer.

Spa Diary: Tammy Fender Holistic Skincare Spa in West Palm Beach

The newly rebranded Rejuvaline Medspa features a highly experienced team of beauticians, aestheticians and medically trained physiologists and a menu offering the latest in body, hair and facial treatments, as well a variety of wellness programs and IV therapies.

“Our company has more than five decades of combined experience specializing in fitness operations,” says Borges. “Our aim is to inspire movement by taking a ‘members first’ approach as our core principle for every fitness amenity we manage. The health and fitness industry has transformed entirely from what it used to be over 20 years ago when we first opened the Continuum Sporting Club and Spa.  We have moved with the times and now have to be far more innovative by adopting a rapid response mentality, in which we are constantly challenging and adapting to the wellness environment and the needs of today’s fitness enthusiast.  We are delighted to resume our partnership with the Continuum and look forward to enhancing the overall wellbeing of its residents.”

We interviewed Borges, who shares insight on the latest wellness trends, offers his personal approach to designing fitness programs for clients, and more.

Continuum Sporting Club & Spa is South Florida’s premier resort-style oceanfront condominium residences.

When was Move Fitness founded and what inspired its creation?

Move Fitness was founded in 2003 and was born out of a desire to create wellness experiences that inspire health through movement. We're a group of professionals who have dedicated our lives to helping others achieve optimum health and have a collective 50+ years experience in doing so.

Tell us more about your services that you offer.

Move Fitness is truly a turn-key solution. We're obsessed with wellness as a lifestyle and as such, we pride ourselves in being able to create concepts and go all the way through to operating and managing fitness centers and spas. We've been responsible for the design of the fitness center and spas in some of South Florida's most iconic properties (Continuum, Icon Brickell, Beach Club, Flamingo Point, to name a few). We've also walked into fitness centers and spas that needed help activating their community and we've turned them around in record time. In short, we love creating solutions that inspire people to live healthier lives.

What’s your personal approach to designing wellness/fitness programs for your clients?

Form has to follow function!! I can't tell you how many times I've walked into fitness centers that looked beautiful but no thought was applied to the equipment selection, placement, programming, flow, etc. I'm of the thought that it has to work well first and foremost and then we add in the elements of design, but first comes function!

Who are some of your clients you’ve worked with over the years?

We've been incredibly blessed to have been able to work with some of the most successful developers in the country and more specifically, South Florida, including the Continuum, Related Group, and FirstService.

Move Fitness has has installed a roster of prominent health and fitness professionals to offer residents a newly curated program of aerobic and strength conditioning classes at the Sporting Club. 

What are you looking forward to in your new partnership with Continuum?

When we initially designed the fitness center and spa at the Continuum over 20 years ago we envisioned that the space would inspire wellness within the community however we couldn't have predicted that it would become such a draw for buyers looking for a place to live. As we begin to reimagine the next 20 years, we take the same approach which is designing a space for where wellness is headed. In simple terms, it's all about personalization.

Can you share some insight about private spas vs. public spas?

Private spas are all about understanding your captive audience and how to design and program in ways that invite them to participate in an active lifestyle without making it a box they check or a chore, but rather something they look forward to on a daily basis.

What are some current wellness & fitness trends at the moment?

Wellness in general has become highly personalized. On the equipment side, we've been designing cold plunges into our spaces for 20+ years and we used to have to say "trust us" but now, it's one of the first things people actually request. Red light therapy, sauna, steam/Hammam are all quite popular, but we see the industry really prioritizing on “recovery” which makes all of these a must today when they were a “nice-to-have” just a few years back. On the fitness side, we see a greater emphasis on "smarter training" over the popular "harder training" just a few years back. Equipment and hardware that is easier on joints while stimulating muscle growth and maintenance more effectively is also on the rise.

At the newly branded Rejuvaline Medspa, a highly experienced team of beauticians, aestheticians and medically trained physiologists offer a menu featuring the latest in body, hair and facial treatments, as well a variety of wellness programs and IV therapies.

Why is wellness important to you and what do you love about this industry?

As an exercise physiologist and someone who is incredibly passionate about health, I live by a simple mantra that is "Health is Happiness" because without health, there isn't much else. Today more than ever, we have an overwhelming body of evidence that proves without a shadow of a doubt that our lifestyle greatly influences everything from how we prevent and fight disease to how well our bodies age. This is why I love the industry because it empowers people with tools and resources to be more mindful of their daily choices and actions.

For more information about Move Fitness, visit their website.

[Photos courtesy of Move Fitness]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk