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- The gym is accessible during business hours and offers both free and paid classes.
- Ruiz partners with the community, including a free workout event on May 10 and a program with Jefferson High School’s special education class.
- She aims to expand community involvement and wellness resources in the next three years.
NEWPORT — Adding to her mission to promote wellness and nutrition, Kim Ruiz has added a gym to her popular drink shop.
“It goes hands and hand with wellness,” she said. “Anybody has access to the gym during our open hours and any classes that we have.”
Ruize owns and operates Shine Your Lite Nutrition located at 5071 N. Dixie Hwy. in Newport. The business is open 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The corner shop specializing in healthy drinks, energizing teas and shakes along with other hot and cold beverages using Herbalife products. It opened in September 2023.
“I do believe there has been a lot accomplished since opening the shop and every day I feel blessed,” she said. “This isn’t just making teas and shakes but impacting lives. I look at it like a ministry. As much as the people encourage us we pray we’re encouraging them as well. Our mission is to truly shine our lite to this community and make a difference.”
Ruiz said the community can use the gym during open hours if a class isn’t scheduled.
“That will be considered a drop in,” Ruiz said. “Some classes will have a fee and other classes will need to have a purchase from our nutrition club. The same with drop in.”
She is planning a free community fitness workout from 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, partnering with Monroe Nutrition. Registration runs from 8-8:45 a.m. Workout begins at 9 a.m. with 10-minute stations for upper body, legs, cardio and core. A raffle giveaway is also planned.
In addition to reaching out to the community, Ruiz is working at Jefferson High School once a week with the special education class focusing on life skills.
“Staff pre-order from a weekly menu and students assist with making them and then delivering them to the classroom,” she said. “Most rewarding is how excited the students are to prepare and serve.”
Within the next three years, Ruiz said she’s praying for transformed lives and more wellness check-ins.
“We would also like to get more community involved and bring more resources this way, give back and stay plugged in with the school,” she said. “We currently partner with Jefferson’s athletics department, where we sponsor the athlete of the week. Who is then chosen can come down to Shine Your Lite and get their drink for the week.”
— Contact reporter Lisa Vidaurri-Bowling at lvidaurribowling@gannett.com.