Gold’s Gym Douglasville Enewsletter

 By: Leslie Austin, Gold’s Gym Director.

Benefits at Every Age

No matter at what age a woman becomes physically active, an ever growing body of research continues to support the idea that the benefits of this increased activity aretremendous, and extremely beneficial throughout a woman’s life.

Importance of Youth Exercise

Until recently, most people believed that children didn’t need to worry about getting enough exercise. But with the advent of television and computers, growing generations of sedentary children are becoming the next generation of unhealthy adults. Current research is finding that heart disease begins developing in youth. Considering that cardiovascular diseases are now the leading cause of death for women as well as men, one could conclude that childhood and adolescence is the appropriate time to develop healthy lifestyle habits that include exercise.

Exercise in Midlife is Very Important

During midlife, the most common physical complaint among women is weight gain. This slow, but steady and persistent gain is something the majority of middle-aged women experience. Some experts believe it is caused in part by hormonal changes; others argue it is most likely due to a decreasing amount of lean muscle tissue, which results in a slower metabolic rate. It is widely known that a woman’s bone density begins to decline even before her midlife years, and bone loss accelerates after menopause. While most types of activity offer some protection against bone loss, weight-bearing exercise such as walking, jogging and strength training seem to offer the greatest benefit.

Senior Exercise is Important

Physicians who work with the elderly are the fastest growing group of doctors who use exercise to combat injury, illness and disease. Washington Physiatrist Scott Gross, M.D. routinely prescribes exercise programs to his elderly patients. “Decreased muscle strength, flexibility and endurance is central to many of the problems I see in older adults, especially women. In terms of daily living, the typical 75-year-old woman I see rarely has adequate strength to carry groceries up a flight of stairs, and certainly could not pick herself up off the floor after a fall.”

Start Exercising Now

Once you’ve made the decision to begin exercising, don’t wait. By starting today, with something as simple as a walking program you will discover the key to a lifetime of health. For many women, young, old or in the middle, the day they begin an exercise program can be the day they discover the key to improved quality of life.

Are your ready to get started on being a healthier you?  Gold’s Gym wants to help you get started with a FREE MINI-MEMBERSHIP!  Get Yours Today!

By Steve Pacheco

One Gym Two Locations in Douglasville, GA

When it comes to Douglasville, GA health clubs, Gold’s Gym, off of Chapel Hill Rd is unique in many ways.  One such way is its close proximity to its sister gym, Gold’s Gym on Hospital Drive.  As the newer of the two locations, the Chapel Hill Gold’s Gym plays off very well on the features and benefits offered at the Hospital Drive location. 

Douglasville Health Club has Personal Training & Group Fitness 

It provides complimentary programming with a distinct emphasis to Group Fitness and Personal Training.  In turn, our members have total access to a very diverse choice of programs and features at both clubs to meet their individual fitness needs.   It is literally a “one gym, two location” philosophy which actually expands the benefits to our members to a wide ranging choice of fitness benefit options.  Whether one’s fitness goals are weight loss, strength training and toning, or relaxation through yoga based group classes, Chapel Hill compliments Hospital Drive’s theme of family fitness. With two group fitness studios and ample space for personal training, it provides a logical extension of choices to our members beyond the more traditional workout options and racquet sports offered at the Hospital Drive location.         

Total Fitness with Variety of Choices

Losing weight for example, is a most popular fitness theme.  Classes, either in the pool or in a studio are a great compliment to the more traditional activities associated with weight loss.  While walking, running and solo cycling on a stationary cycle appeal to some, many find motivation and inspiration in the group fitness setting.  At Chapel Hill there are as many as 65-70 group fitness classes offered per week.  Adding the classes offered at Hospital Drive, this number is pushed to nearly 120 classes per week.  This is but one example why Gold’s Gym at Chapel Hill is so unique to the Douglasville, Georgia community. 

Gold’s Gym Chapel Hill wants you to experience all that two locations has to offer.  Claim your FREE MINI-MEMBERSHIP today! 

By Steve Pacheco

Group Ride Great Class to Lose Weight

Isn’t perception funny? This is especially true when seeing just how members view the “pounding” they expect to take during a Group Ride class in Douglasville GA Gold’s Gym. I hear comments such as, “You all seem to be working so hard”, or, my favorite, “I’ll take that class when I get in better shape.” In truth it all boils down to how the Group Ride experience is viewed or perceived in the eyes of the beholder. How things appear to change when you build the courage to take a class. Then the view changes from one previously held to,” I should have started earlier”, “it’s really only as hard as you want to make it”, or, again a favorite of mine, “show me how to take it to the next level”.

What Is So Special About Group Ride? 

So why Group Ride? I can say that it certainly is not for the pounding. No one would ever return if that were the case. Yet the Group Ride program in Douglasville, GA is one of the more popular classes Gold’s Gym offers.  And if judged on the number of classes offered (approximately 30 per week in) it is the most popular.  Why? I think at some level participants like to live the perception of taking on something tough.  There’s a pride in association with a program viewed as worthy of the fitness elite.

Group Ride Works! 

Dropping down a level or two there are reasons more practical while less psychological. Ride works! The class experience delivers on its promise of enhancing or increasing cardiovascular fitness in a very personally measurable way.  The participant “feels” the progress he or she makes over time (and not a very long time at that).  I don’t care how it’s gauged, either fewer rest breaks, longer time up and out of the saddle, or more resistance, progress is made.  More importantly, it’s personal progress in the sense that you are quickly getting better at something in ways you don’t have to be told. Making progress is good.  You discover it yourself! So it boils down to “progress” and not the “pounding”.  I can’t tell you just how good it feels to watch a member take simple personal pride in just “making it through class”.

Ready to Lose the Weight for Good? 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not discounting the benefits to core strength, increased Vo2 max, or drop in body fat, etc.  You just don’t have to go that far and measure all those things to know that something good is happening to you after a short time enjoying the Group Ride class experience.
And that’s where I come back to the beginning.  Individually you’ve been intimidated by a perception which almost kept you from trying Group Ride. Then you broke down some personal barrier and took your first class, and many since. Then, in some perverse way you want to return to having survived the pounding, and want others to know you did, perpetuating the myth. You are in an elite class of group fitness participants. Isn’t perception funny?

Try a Group Ride Class for yourself…FREE!  No strings attached!  Get your Free Gold’s Gym Mini-Membership today!

By Skip Johnson

Improve Tennis Skills with Exercise

Over the past decade, the fitness industry has seen double-digit growth. As a tennis director for ten years, a player for over thirty years, and now a partner in Gold’s Gym, I have seen the tremendous benefits that players receive from starting a workout program. The challenge for most players, and Americans in general, is simply overcoming their perceived obstacles to getting in a health club in the first place.

You Can Overcome Your Fears

1) People don’t want to look stupid when they workout. That’s right, and tennis players don’t want to look stupid playing tennis. In fact, come to think of it, nobody wants to look stupid doing anything. Human nature says that people typically want to be in their comfort zone and they don’t want to be rocked out of that security, even if they are learning a new skill.

The great thing about starting an exercise program is that most quality clubs provide a trainer to show you how to use the equipment at no charge. Wouldn’t it be great to have a club teach you how to play tennis at no charge when you first join! If you are taking group fitness classes, start off with classes that have simple movements like Group Power or Ride classes. You’ll be comfortable very quickly and you’ll get quick results in these types of group environments.

2) People are afraid they won’t have time to workout. Let’s face it, this is a time-compressed society we live in, and tennis players are no exception. You will see many fitness club ads geared toward “fast results” or “30 minutes or less workouts” or programs that talk of helping you get fit in only “20 minutes, 3 times per week.” These programs really can produce positive results, and if you would like to see substantially quicker and more obvious results, increase the duration. For example, a workout class should last no more than an hour, and three to four classes per week is plenty of exercise to see results. As far as on-court results, tennis players who participate in weight training and cardiovascular training programs such as this will see benefits such as increased power with less effort, and increased endurance in long matches.

3) People are afraid of not knowing anyone else at a health club. Especially since September 11, the need for support-type activities has grown dramatically and health clubs are no exception. In fact, even before that fateful day, the fitness industry realized that individual workouts were sometimes just plain boring. Thus, the explosion of group fitness activities such as kickboxing, weight-training classes and yoga/relaxation classes. To put it in tennis terms, private lessons may be efficient, but they are undoubtedly not as emotionally fulfilling for the majority of adult players as group programs. Round robins and tennis socials are winners, and in gyms, group fitness is a great way to be around like-minded folks and get fit while doing so.

4) People feel that they need to be in shape before joining a club. We have become a country obsessed with our appearance and the public has often thought that one would need to look “perfect” before walking in to see all those “perfect-looking” people at a health club. The reality of it is that the industry in general has moved away from the old school “beach beauty” and “body builder” types of advertising and thus has become a place for mainstream America.

For example, the Gold’s Gym tagline is now “Serious Fitness for Every Body”. Clubs have begun focusing on the healthy, attractive look that comes from feeling fit and being fit. Walk into a health club today and you will more likely see moms and business people working out, as opposed to models and chiseled hardbodies.

5) People think that health clubs are expensive. The truth of it is that a health club membership will typically cost less than two dollars per day—about the price of a soft drink and a candy bar, and less than most specialty coffees! You can pay monthly, yearly or just about any way you’d like. Most regular health club users feel that it is one of the best investments they could possibly make.

Become a Better Tennis Player

The bottom line: Face your fears and give the health club route a shot. Joining a gym can provide tremendous mental, physical and emotional health and benefits. Players from local leagues to professional circuits are realizing the potential edge that a structured fitness program can offer.

Learn more about the Gold’s Gym Tennis Program.

By Tom Butler

A Friend, a Member, an Inspiration

We all are holding sadness in our hearts here at Gold’s Gym from the death of our dear friend and member Aaron Moody. Aaron joined the gym in 1994 to work on his health and eventually found that the Ride classes produced the results he and his doctors wanted. Aaron had heart problems, had to have a pace maker “installed” (his word), he had over come colon cancer, he had a kidney removed, and he had a half dozen other things wrong that were causing him to be in poor health. Once he became a regular in his workouts and involved in a steady schedule of Ride classes many of his maladies fell by the way side or he managed to get under control. He soon found that he could not miss his programs because he felt terrible if he did and absolutely terrific when he was here. “I guess I’m just addicted to them and that’s a fact”, he told me years ago.

He Regularly Surprised his Doctors

All of these years Aaron has pleasantly surprised his doctors from his perseverance, determination, and downright stubbornness. There was not much he couldn’t do, or try. They were amazed when he had his physicals and discovered how strong he had become. He was an inspiration to those who knew him. Even when he had a kidney removed this year he was back in the gym in just a few days starting to ride again, getting his groove on one more time.

 His Passion for Cycling Kept Growing His Passion for Cycling Kept Growing

Aaron had not had a new bike since he was a kid but when he discovered the Silver Comet Trail he went out and bought a shiny new one so he could do what he enjoyed so well. He told me all about it and how much fun he was having being out in the wind. He was in love with the ride and the miles of beauty he discovered. Aaron traveled hundreds (maybe thousands) of miles on that old rail bed and identified with its age and colorful history. It gave him many hours of vigorous pleasure.

He Died Doing What He Loved

Aaron had a bad wreck there this weekend and died Monday (July 16,2007) from complications of a broken hip and other injuries. The only comfort I have from this sad news is that he was experiencing something he loved when it happened. I can only hope that Aaron knew how much we all cared about him. He was a good man, a true inspiration, and a loyal friend. We will miss him very much. Ride on Aaron.

Tom Butler, Gold’s Gym

You Can Do Anything

Several years ago I had an opportunity to hear motivational speaker Les Brown ignite a few thousand people at the Cobb Galleria north of Atlanta.  He sent us out into the night with passion in our eyes and fire in our bellies.  The subject was “Live Your Dreams” (he has a book of the same title) and when I left I felt I had been given a shot of power that had no equal. He released my personal shackles of fear and self-doubt with his words and I was convinced I could do anything.  After a few days the “S” faded from my chest, my cape fell away. But still, he left flames burning that would not go out and I still feel the heat from his words after these many years.

Time to Believe in Yourself

What has to happen to you to believe in yourself?  How do you become convinced you are in control of your destiny?  In my case it has been many people and experiences but that night with Les Brown I had a crystal clear understanding that there was really nothing in my way for success.  The old embers were rekindled that I thought had gone dark.  This man stoked my dreams and I begin to consider the future of my life and what I wanted to do with my years. 

For others who have lived their dreams their stories are varied and many, but the one thing that is common to all is the passion to push forward no matter the hardships or obstacles that fall in our path. Once the flames are red hot, the steam builds, the powerful wheels begin to move, and nothing will stop an iron horse of power. 

Take Charge of Your Life

Our Jennifer Marnell lost 180 lbs.  It took her almost 3 years but she did it.  She will tell you right away that it was a blue steel mindset she developed to help her succeed.  It was never easy, but she had fire, she had vision, she had an unstoppable determination that took her past the whining and moaning and weak moments to the reality of the treasures of her life. She realized that she was more than eating, more than junk food, more than fat, more than illness, more than a victim of her choices.  Jennifer took charge of her life and became the person she wanted to become, living her dream, reaching her potential, and enjoying her life in ways she had never before considered. 

Anyone can do this with the right motivation and opportunity.  So let’s go back to my original question.  What has to happen to you to believe in yourself? Does it come from within or without?  Do you simply have to decide you’re going to change?  Are your ready to get started on being a healthier you?  Gold’s Gym wants to help you live your dreams.  Take the first step with a FREE MINI-MEMBERSHIP! 

Jennifer Marnell from Douglasville, GA was recently named the Southeastern Region Change your Body Change Your Life Winner!  Jennifer won a trip to the Gold’s Gym International Convention in Las Vegas to tell her Gold’s Gym success story for the International Change your Body Change your Life Award.

Inspiration to Everyone

Jennifer has shown everyone how to take command of our lives and become who ever we want to become.  She is living her potential and realizing all of her possibilities.  Gold’s Gym of Douglasville is proud of her as she is a true inspiration to every one of us.  A shining example of how, with determination and clear goal setting, Gold’s Gym can help change your body and change your life. 

Read Jennifer’s Full Success Story and the Journey from 300 pounds!

People Marrying excess weight who aim to ward off diabetes should try to lose the pounds before they reach middle age, Australian researchers suggest.

BODY MASS INDEX Strong Predictor for Diabetes Risk

A woman’s body mass index (BMI) in her late 40s was the strongest predictor of her risk of developing diabetes over the next eight years, Dr. Gita D. Mishra of the University of Queensland and her colleagues found.

On the other hand, there was no link between weight change in subsequent years and the likelihood of becoming diabetic.

Is Your Weight The Problem?

While excess weight is understood to boost the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the effects of shorter-term weight gain or loss are not as clear, Mishra and her team note in the journal Diabetes Care. To investigate, the researchers followed 7,239 women for 8 years. Study participants were 45 to 50 years old when the study began, and they completed surveys on their health at the study’s outset in 1996 and in 1998, 2001 and 2004.

Your greatest risk.

Those with BMIs of 25 or greater, indicating they were overweight or obese, in 1996 were at the highest risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 2004, the researchers found. Very obese women with BMIs of 35 or above were 12 times more likely than their normal-weight peers to become diabetic.

Want to know your body mass index?  Get a Free Mini-Membership and find out today.

Do You Want to Lose Weight and Keep it Off?

People who consistently engage in high levels of exercise over the long haul are the most successful at losing weight and keeping it off, a new study shows.

Among a group of overweight men and women participating in an 18-month weight loss program, those who were still getting 75 minutes of exercise daily a year after the program ended had lost 26 pounds, compared with 1.8 pounds for people who were exercising less.  But only 13 of the 154 people who completed the study were able to sustain this level of activity, Dr. Deborah F. Tate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and her colleagues found. “Strategies are needed to help participants maintain high levels of activity over the long-term,” she and her colleagues conclude in a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The researchers initially assigned 202 people to either a high physical activity group who aimed to burn 2,500 calories per week (equivalent to a 75-minute walk daily) or standard behavioral treatment, including 30 minutes of exercise daily, equivalent to 1,000 calories per week.

Exercise Works!

Twelve and 18 months later, people in the high activity group had lost significantly more weight than those in the lower activity group.  Although the participants in the high activity group were able to sustain the 2,500 calorie per week exercise goal during the 18-month study, their activity level declined once treatment ended, which resulted in no between-group differences in activity or weight loss at 2.5 years.

Gold’s Gym has the programs and expertise to help you lose the weight and keep it off!

Get your FREE MINI-MEMBERSHIP TODAY!