Thrive Health Lab is a class-based, boutique fitness studio specializing in small group training and holistic approaches to everything fitness such as mental, physical, and sometimes financial health. Apart from their classes, Thrive host a variety of developmental workshops, community events, and aim to educate the community on proper training through corrective exercise. Essentially, they meet you where you are. There is a place for everyone, and most importantly, there is a community supporting your goals along the way.

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Luckily, IdentifyLA got the chance to speak with La Niecia Vicknair, aka "Coach LaLa V," LA native and owner of Thrive Health Lab on the importance of inclusion and creating a safe diverse environment for people of ALL backgrounds.

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IdentifyLA: What sets Thrive Health Lab apart from other gyms/fitness spaces in the LA area?

La Niecia Vicknair: We are determined to educate and inspire people within our own community and provide a diverse environment where people of all backgrounds and fitness levels feel comfortable in their own skin. We challenge our clients to embody lifestyle changes that strengthen the whole person, not just the physique. We genuinely care about our clients' well-being, they are family to us. A lot of the time, we are the first introduction of fitness to those that visit our facility. The beauty of Thrive is that our niche is community. We offer a variety of classes TRX, Yoga, Meditation, HIIT, Stretching, Life Coaching, Workshops on nutrition, personal development, finance, and more. Most boutique gyms do not offer such a variety. We meet you where you are and push you to thrive.

IDLA: Thrive gives back to the community, why is giving back so important?

LNV: It is a part of our social responsibility to pour back into the community we serve and that blesses us daily. Most of our staff live or grew up in this community. We strive to make our community stronger, more compassionate, and health-conscious. It’s really important to be able to make our variety of skill sets accessible for our community. We host donation-based classes, provide resourceful workshops, share our knowledge on the simple steps they can take to start living a healthier lifestyle and we even volunteer with different organizations and assist with cooking and clothing donations.

IDLA: What inspired you to create Thrive?

LNV: I have grown up in an overweight family and wanted to break the cycle and become an agent of change. The same year I became a trainer, I lost my father due to a heart attack and morbid obesity, that’s when I decided to take my inheritance and open the doors to Thrive. Representation in fitness is important and there is a major health disparity in America, as it pertains to minority populations. Our philosophy is to Educate, Empower, and Community.

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IDLA: What do you see in store for the remainder of the year?

LNV: The silver lining of COVID-19 is that it has shifted everyone’s perspective on how to work, train, and so much more. We now have the ability to spread the mission of Thrive with the world. We will be doing more live streaming and offering more virtual options and continue to do so once we open our doors again.

IDLA: How has COVID-19 changed operations? Is Thrive hosting online courses or have all operations stopped at this point?

LNV: We were one of the first businesses that were forced to close in Los Angeles. After receiving the news that we had to close the doors, we immediately took the classes that we offered in the lab and pivoted to make them available online for free via Instagram. For us, it was more about providing a service for our clients so that they can have a sense of normalcy and know that we are there to support them during this time.

IDLA: Do you have any fitness tips for individuals to maintain an active lifestyle during quarantine?

LNV: A few tips to get you through this quarantine are meditating and take time for yourself. Emotions and mood changes are very common during these “safer at home” orders, so it’s important to take care of your mental health first. Going outside for a walk, breathing in the fresh air and natural vitamin d from the sun will do you some good. Also, you can hop on our virtual platform and try one of our classes and workout with one of our trainers right in the comfort of your home.

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IDLA: Restrictions are getting lifted and LA is going to slowly open soon, what, if any, changes that you've enforced to ensure a safe environment for clients?

LNV: During the closure, we have done the due diligence to disinfect everything in the gym; such as the equipment, bathrooms, walls, mats, you name it we did it. We will require everyone to use our hand sanitizer and bring a towel to wipe their sweat from their body as they take one of our classes. Also, we will reduce the class sizes until we are free from COVID-19 and require everyone to wipe down any equipment they use for class.

IDLA: Anything else you'd like for our readers to know?

LNV: We are currently live streaming our classes via Instagram four times a week. Recently, we just launched our new virtual platform through our app, “Thrive Health Lab” which gives you the opportunity to take our classes with our instructors and receive proper coaching because they can see you as you workout. Lastly, we offer custom meal plans and virtual challenges that are available on our website www.thrivehealthlab.com/thriveonthego.