Rockaway's Wellness Boom: Eight New Health Spots Open

The Wave of Long Island reports a wave of new health and wellness businesses opening across the Rockaway peninsula, from fitness studios.

According to The Wave of Long Island, Rockaway's health and wellness scene has seen a notable expansion, with several new businesses and fitness facilities opening across the peninsula. The publication reports that residents now have more options for staying active and managing their health close to home, ranging from Pilates studios and personal training to chiropractic care, recovery services, and medical equipment providers. This development represents a broad diversification of local wellness infrastructure rather than a single new venture.

The Wave of Long Island details eight specific new or expanded establishments. These include Body By G Performance Lab, a 650-square-foot studio opened by Gustavo Sanchez offering strength and conditioning classes; MURF, a fitness center operated by certified nutritionist Alexey Bushuyev featuring free weights, selectorized machines, and recovery tools like compression devices and hot-and-cold therapy; Pilates by Jacqueline, owned by Jacqueline Celi, featuring seven Allegro 2 Reformers; Rockaway Beach Pilates, expanded by Patrick Lewis to approximately 25 weekly classes; Rockaway Family Chiropractic, now under Dr. Vincent Esposito; Beach Drugs, a full-service pharmacy; Little Waves Pediatric Therapy & Wellness; and Rockaway Pickleball & Golf, a year-round facility with five indoor pickleball courts and two golf simulators.

What makes this development stand out is the simultaneity and variety of openings across a single peninsula. According to The Wave of Long Island, these establishments emerged in a concentrated timeframe, with Pilates by Jacqueline officially opening in April following a March soft launch, Little Waves Pediatric Therapy & Wellness opening earlier in 2026, and Patrick Lewis expanding from a smaller studio he originally opened in 2024. The breadth is also notable: the new offerings span pediatric therapy, chiropractic care combined with nutritional counseling, pharmacy services, high-intensity Pilates, and indoor pickleball, addressing life stages from infants to seniors.

The Rockaway expansion coincides with a broader national pattern of communities increasing access to preventive health services. According to Ochsner Health, the organization will host a no-cost Heart Health & Wellness Day on September 5 at the Livingston Parish Library Denham-Walker Branch in Denham Springs, Louisiana, offering blood pressure, cholesterol, EKG, glucose, and lung cancer screenings. Separately, KTVZ reports that a free health and wellness fair on September 19 at Ponderosa Park in Bend, Oregon, will offer dental screenings, HIV and STI testing, and immunizations. These events reflect the same push toward community-based, accessible wellness that The Wave documents in Rockaway's private-sector growth.

According to The Wave of Long Island, the new Rockaway businesses are focused on building community alongside health outcomes. Bushuyev of MURF told the publication his short-term plan is 'to keep working on building a community here,' while Sanchez of Body By G said his goal is for clients to 'look forward to working out, getting healthy, and being better at their game.' The Wave notes that Rockaway Pickleball & Golf was created after its founders saw demand firsthand at the Rockaway YMCA, suggesting these ventures are responding to demonstrated local need. The publication also reports Little Waves Pediatric Therapy & Wellness is currently accepting new clients, indicating these businesses are in active growth phases rather than settled operations.