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Fitness
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talks with members about ‘healthspan’ — the num- ber of years one spends without being hampered by chronic disease — and ‘playspan,’ the number of years one is able to continue to enjoy favorite activities.
“If you’re a biker, golfer, tennis player, runner, obvi- ously you can’t go as fast and hard and aggressive as you did in your 20s or 30s, but you can still go out and enjoy doing it, at maybe a little less intensity.”
Understanding the value of that playspan, and
of maintaining the ability to enjoy quality-of-life moments like getting on the floor to play with a grandchild and easily getting back up, puts a real- life emphasis on fitness goals, Conca said, which are more powerful than the numbers attached to weight- loss goals.
“When they come here, a lot of folks are not in
a good place; they’re struggling, and there’s a lot of misinformation out there,” he explained, adding that many people have tried different approaches but lacked proper accountability along the way.
“We really personalize it. I’ve been really blessed to help people and have a team around me who feel the same way. It’s exciting because we’re really help- ing people.”
Opportunity Knocks
Lebo has seen a huge change involving when peo- ple choose to access her club. In the past, the hours before and after work were consistently busy, while the club was practically a ghost town in the early afternoon. That’s no longer the case.
“We are busy at all different times during the day,” she said. “With more people working from home or on floating work schedules, they might come in after
“Everyone’s got a lot of stuff on their plate. So we try not to make fitness another burden for them.”
9 a.m. or after 2 p.m.”
All-day activity has been a positive development
because, in addition to seeing activity all day, mem- bers no longer experience those congested times waiting to use the more popular exercise equipment.
“It’s also good for our training classes because we can schedule throughout the day instead of trying to jam everyone in after work,” Lebo said.
Whether it’s through personal training sessions, small groups, open gym time, or an introductory, six- week program called Mastering Your Best Self, Conca emphasizes that fitness should not be stressful. In fact, when done properly, it should reduce other stressors in life.
“Everyone’s dealing with something, whether it’s physical stress, financial stress, or family situations, taking care of someone. Everyone’s got a lot of stuff on their plate. So we try not to make fitness another burden for them,” he said.
“We want people to recognize, they have an oppor- tunity to take better care of themselves, and it’s going to make all those things they are dealing with much more manageable. Fitness can be fun, let’s not make it a punishment.” BW
Heather Samuelson works with Healthtrax member Erin Lynch.
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