In stressful times, certified personal trainer Angi Long says that the most important thing in life is balance.

Exercise and good health is a part of that balance, she said. To help people achieve that, Long opened about a month ago a Palm Desert-based fitness studio, aptly named Fit and Flex By Angi.

Missing something:

It may look like a small gym inside, but it is a personal training studio, Long said.

“We offer one-on-one personal training,” she said. “It's a private exclusive studio where we offer many types of training with different trainers. Some may want specific golf trainers. We have that in Lenny Mello, a Titleist Performance instructor, level three. I offer Pilates. We have a registered dietician Elizabeth Quigley, who offers nutritional counseling.”

Function in fitness:

Long said the studio is all about functional fitness, things that keep people engaged physically and mentally.

“We're all about the functional,” she said. “We do cardiovascular training, but we'll also do hikes. Philip Ferranti will be leading some hikes. He has written some books that most people will recognize. We're going to lead some fitness walks up Highway 74 for a couple miles. We're making it fun and work. We're going to laugh while we lunge.”

Make a difference:

Long said she is trying to offer something different from other training facilities.

“We're high end,” Long said. “We're going to keep it small. We're never going to have more than four trainers with their clients in here at a time. We want to be non-intimidating. We're going to make (patrons) feel comfortable.”

New venture:

Long said she has worked in fitness for 15 years. She has worked with different resorts and facilities. This is her first studio, she said.

“We want a good positive feel to the business. My programs are individually tailored. It meets their needs and their goals.”

“The reason that I got into the fitness field is that I had suffered from depression all of my life. And I realized that fitness was my way out of depression. I think that's important that people who struggle with depression know this can be a way out.”