The Herbert Wellness Center first opened in early 1996 featuring racquetball courts, a weight room, and an above ground track. For almost thirty years, the facility not only catered to students but the UM community. Since the Herbert Wellness Center is not just for current students, it has created a tight knit community of dedicated members of all ages. The center has adapted over time, transitioning some of the racquetball courts to stretching rooms or adding pickleball lines to the tennis courts. They truly cater to all ages and stages of life, which allows families and generations of Canes to enjoy the facility together.
Jana (B.A ‘96) and Andrew Hertz (M.B.A ‘96) have been members of the Herbert Wellness Center since its opening. They met while volunteering with the Buoniconti Fund 25 years ago and bonded over their mutual membership. “I told Andrew I was going to step aerobics at the center in the morning, and he said he’d meet me there. I wasn’t sure he’d show, but sure enough when I was running late, he was already there,” Jana recalled. Jana and Andrew married in 1998 and attribute part of their connection to their love for the University of Miami and the Herbert Wellness Center, so they made it a key part of their life for the decades to follow.
As their family grew, Jana and Andrew never stopped working out at the Wellness Center; in fact, their kids became regulars too. One of their sons, Josh, is currently in Law School at UM and makes an effort to get a quick workout in with his mom during the day. “We do the spin classes together,” Josh added. Josh, and their younger son Alexander, grew up attending the Wellness Center—first as toddlers, watching their mom in her various workout classes, then as young kids, for their own swim lessons at the indoor pool. Josh and Alexander also attended Mini Canes Camp growing up and eventually, worked as program aides when they got older.
Today you will still find the Hertz family at the gym. Even though they may not be offering step aerobics anymore, Jana and Andrew have enjoyed taking new classes the Wellness Center offers. “We do everything—Arms and Abs, Zumba, the aquatic classes. We love to do it together,” said Jana. As times have changed, the Hertz family still find a sense of comfort from attending the same gym for decades, especially a family oriented one. As the family does not live in Coral Gables anymore, it's a bit of a trek to get to the Wellness Center, but the fresh energy from the college students draws them back day after day. “It’s motivating and exciting, makes you want to keep returning,” Andrew says. Since it is mostly college students working the front desks and weight room at the Wellness Center, the Hertz family gets to learn about new ways to work-out and connect with younger generations over their mutual love for the University.
The Hertz Family is just one of many local UM community members that utilize the Herbert Wellness Center and all it offers. It’s more than just a gym, but rather a place where motivated and energetic people, of all ages, can grow and learn from one another. Next time you think about working out, head over to the Herbert Wellness Center, maybe you’ll see the Hertz’s in a cycle class or a classmate in the weight room.
