Our Bungee Team

Inventor and CEO

Patty Cummings

Patty Cummings is a single mother of four- three sons, (two which are identical twins) one daughter who is married with two daughters of her own. Patty grew up watching her mother open up spas in the early 90’s and loved watching the growth of her mother’s business and seeing many people that was in need of an outlet for stress and healing, during that time Patty helped in the spa industry and created her own cosmetic line and really loved creating color and packaging. 2005 Patty received her cosmetology license, in 2013 Patty became an EMT from learning how to save lives Patty wanted to go further in the Health and fitness industry, Patty became a personal trainer in 2014. Patty moved to Cape Coral with her 3 sons and having a vision of owning her own fitness studio. She networked throughout the community with her personal training skills and seeing how many of her clients were struggling in pain she knew something must help her clients to train with more confidence and less pain on their joints. 2016 that is when Astro-Durance was developed and Patty opened her first studio and Astro-Durance Bungee Fitness was born within that year.

Patty is community oriented and has always participated in any event she can to support charitable fund raisers and local events. She has cross referred businesses and introduced business owners to one another and matched up service providers with individuals needing specific skilled trades. In her own business Patty has offered services at no charge to those who needed them and could not afford them, working with people with rehabilitation issues including cerebral palsy and rehabilitation, including PTSD.

Patty has developed a training program for small business owners that show them how to open their own Bungee Fitness Studio and holds workshops and training classes teaching other entrepreneurs how to open their own Studios since 2017. She developed a complete bungee fitness program for people of all ages, sizes, fitness levels, and those with physical limitations. Patty has devised training manuals and certification through Astro-durance that is designed pacifically for all categories even a person that weighs 480 pounds that covers all aspects of bungee fitness, and build the confidence that they can do this. Astro-Durance Bungee Systems uses and benefits from every aspect of how this type of exercise interacts with the organic way our body is designed to move to how others can perform movements that they couldn’t do without the bungee assistance that gives the user buoyancy and g-force vibrations to help them rev their heart rate in seconds, stretching the muscles, pumping the muscles and achieve a maximized work out in a time span of as little as 10 to 15 minutes! And all with little to no added pressure on the joints.Patty has worked directly with industry and medical professionals to further develop the benefits and uses of the bungee concept with medical professionals such as DANA VAN PELT l Owner Palm Beach Institute of Sports Medicine, Boca Raton, FL and Physical Therapy & Sport Medicine, Clemson University, SC.

Patty Cummings is a strong supporter of our armed forces and promotes our veterans. She developed a non -profit program for veterans titled “G-Force Fitness For Veterans and Guardians” which include all of our first responders and arm service forces such as Police Officers and Fire Fighters. She networked and teamed this program with “Veterans Are Foundation”, a foundation started by Gold Star Mother and Veteran, Susan Price so the program could have a national reach. The veterans program is designed to meet the needs of veterans suffering from PTSD, physical rehabilitation, and general overall health and fitness. The Program offers opportunities for fitness, employment, and ownership.

G-Force Fitness provides therapy sessions for Military Veterans and Guardians (First Responders) – Veterans G-Force Fitness and Guardians G-Force Fitness.

G-Force Bungee Trainer Certification – Veterans and/or Guardians can learn how to become a certified G-Force Bungee Fitness Instructor. 

G-Force Bungee Studio Starter Support is being designed for those with the heart, (intestinal fortitude and skill set), required of an entrepreneur in order to be successful in owning one’s own bungee training studio. You will be provided with guidance on what it takes to open and run a fitness studio.

VP Astro-Durance

Aaron Bathory

I have been personal training for over 15 years. I first learned how to train from growing up in a military family, which is how I became interested in physical fitness. My father started personal training and powerlifting while finishing out his 29 years of service and I became intrigued that hundreds of pounds could be lifted off the floor by him. Before this time, I was confined to push-ups and pull-ups like most kids in my situation. Fortunately, I was able to take Martial Arts as a young boy which created a foundation to build upon for the rest of my life.

I trained in multiple disciplines as we relocated from military base to base. The lessons learned for these various teachers helped in part to shape some of my philosophy regarding exercise and its importance in a person’s life. would meet Masters and even some Grand Masters who would be physically fit, flexible, and coordinated even in their later years.

I began to ask questions as to how they could achieve this when the norm was for people in their age range to be lethargic, uncoordinated, and in my eye’s, frail. Physical conditioning, good eating, and stretching was all a part of their daily routines.

I found the sport of bodybuilding early on in my teen years and soaked up as much information about the human body and how it works metabolically and biomechanically as I could. I transformed myself from a thin 145lbs out of High School to a 212Lb training machine in 2 short years. I competed in my first contest a couple years after then, placing second.

In College and eagerly chasing after a master’s degree in Nutrition is when I became interested in opposing viewpoints regarding fitness and nutrition. I would read research about how important protein was to an athlete’s body and then listen to my professor lecture how protein was dangerous!? This turning point led me to a lifelong journey of being open minded and aware of various viewpoints on nutrition and health.

I eventually dropped out of college and ran stores for companies GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, as well as gyms and studios. I loved being able to help other people reach and break past their previously held limitations of themselves.

This passion led me to Astro-Durance and the amazing benefits of bungee exercise! I was truly blown away by all the applications this equipment, tied to the proper knowledge, could achieve! Now that I am a proud father to a son of my own, I can empathize with parents concerned about health for themselves and for their children. A foundation of health and fitness in a young person can lead to a life full of possibilities. And for a person in a later stage of life, it is never too late to start feeling great again with Astro-Durance!

Wellness Coach

Valerie Nieves

Valerie Nieves is a Wellness Coach, Certified Lifestyle Educator, Lifestyle/Spiritual Counselor, Certified L.I.G.H.T (Lay Institute for Global Health Training) Trainer as well as an Astro-Durance Certified Trainer. Valerie Nieves was trained and educated at one of the top leading lifestyle medicine institutes in the world, Uchee Pines Institute, located in Seale, Alabama. Which means that not only can she help individuals reach their fitness goals, but she is also competent to guide them in changing their lifestyle and navigate the typical pitfalls of common lifestyle associated conditions such as: diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, digestive disorders, circulatory issues, inflammation, weight loss, women’s health, and so much more. She has worked with the young and elderly. She has helped individuals with limited mobility. As a trainee and staff member at Uchee Pines Institute she has had the privilege to work with some of the most prominent leading physicians in lifestyle medicine for 4 years. Doctors like Dr. Mark Sandoval, MD -graduate from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, one of the first 200 physicians in the world to become Board Certified in Lifestyle medicine through the Lifestyle school of Medicine. And Dr. Irvin Davis, M.D. which is one of the founding faculty of Florida Southern University, and he is also the President of a Non-Profit called Healthy Lifestyle Choices Global Institute, Inc. Based in Thomasville, GA.

Valerie Nieves’ passion is to help the individual get to the root of the problem which is hindering their progress to wellness. She is caring and takes time to understand the client so that as she coaches them their efforts will be maximized.  She is fluently bilingual, well able to communicate with both English and Spanish populations.  

Client Testimonial

Mrs. Juana B. Lopez was a 79 year old Venezuelan mother of 3, that arrived at Uchee Pines Institute’s Lifestyle Center under the care of the Physicians on staff & was assigned to Valerie Nieves as the client to care for, counsel, coach, support and assist throughout the 17- day sessions. Mrs. Juana arrived being overweight, had type 2 diabetes dependent on insulin injections and Metformin, with limited mobility, pulmonary hypertension which made it difficult for her to walk 5 consecutive steps without feeling exhausted. She was also oxygen dependent on a pick line that was connected to the heart releasing Remodulin intravenously (a medication for expanding the veins to allow better blood flow to the lung) in order to be able to get enough oxygen in order to function. Throughout her 17-day session Mrs. Juana learned how to change certain lifestyle habits pertaining to her nutrition daily routines and much more. She also learned the need of exercising and receiving fresh air. She received a variety of hydrotherapy’s that were very beneficial to supporting her lungs and pancreas to improve function. She began the session struggling to walk more than 5 steps and at the end of the session was able to walk along the halls with very few stops and her breathing was no longer laboring hard as it had been when she first arrived. Her blood sugar numbers also had improved as well to the point of no longer depending on the insulin. She left determined to stay on the going Home Plan drawn out for her by Valerie Nieves and prayed often. One year later Valerie Nieves received some pictures shared with you below of Mrs. Juana. She had lost the excess weight, recovered some lung function and was no longer taking any diabetic medication or insulin because her glucose levels returned to normal ranges. Mrs. Juana is no longer on Remodulin she has now been placed by her Dr. on a pill to continue to encourage the recovery of her lungs. She is definitely proof that you are never too old for the improvement you seek, and to never stop even though all hope seems gone.

Community Outreach

Valerie Nieves conducted a series of 9 Health Seminars for the community in which she offered free educational information on how to make better choices to lead a healthy lifestyle. This series was part theoretical and part practical to help the attendees implement healthy lifestyle habits in their daily lives.

She also volunteers at the local Cape Coral Adventist Community Service Food Bank, encouraging the community by offering them health tips, hope, prayer and more through giving away free books, magazines and all kinds of literature to help bring hope & comfort. 

T.V. Appearance

She appeared on 2 cooking shows put on by 3 Angels Broadcasting Latino Network, a Christian television and radio network which broadcasts religious and health-oriented programming worldwide, based in West Frankfort, Illinois, United States. She was also interviewed twice by the assistant in Administration of said broadcasting network, Idalia Dinzey in the “3ABN Latino- “ Hoy (Today Show)” on the experience of a Lifestyle Counselor and the work, and services offered by Uchee Pines Institute.

 Spare time:

In her spare time, she likes to read and play her ukulele. Her favorite workouts are cycling, swimming and getting her bungee on. She loves experimenting in the kitchen creating new recipes. She feels like a food scientist in the kitchen. She also loves spending time with her family and friends as much as she can.