THE GOLD STANDARD 

Those of you that know me know that I'm not a New Year's Resolution kind of guy. For me, any time is a good time to start on a new path. Then again, I realize that I'm different and look at things a little differently than most. However, it is that time of year again, time when we vow: "This is the year I will do those things I didn't do or finish last year. I will be better, thinner, smarter, see more, do more and be the person I know I can be!"

Good for you for setting goals and objectives to guide your life. I do hope you achieve what you set out to do. I'm sure one of those things on your list is a health and wellness issue. Well you've come to the right place. Health and wellness is our passion.

Hopefully what drew you to Lifestyle, among the many wonderful things (I'm slightly biased), was our dedication and commitment to your health and wellness. There are very few health clubs that take an active interest in our members the way we do. We are joyous in your victories and are prayerful in your challenges.

We have made it our goal this year to ensure that each and every member of Lifestyle Fitness is successful. A healthy body, mind and spirit are so much more effective and can help you achieve the other items on your Resolution list. Keep reading and I'll tell you how we're going to do it...together.

Being the owner of a health club gives us certain advantages that we might not get if we were just reading studies or stories published in the mainstream media. We are witness to real studies and stories played out right in front of our very eyes. We get to see what happens when people do what they should do.

You do too. Each month we publish a member profile so you can meet and learn how other members are making progress on their wellness journey. These stories are put there to inspire you. To show you that other people, perhaps just like you, are achieving great things. More importantly is HOW they did it.

All they did was follow the Gold Standard for improving and maintaining health and wellness. What's the Gold Standard? You know what it is but it bears repeating...  click here  

In early December Lifestyle Fitness will switch to a new club management software system. Several changes will become effective after the switchover:

• Monthly Dues will be billed on the 1st day of the month.
• Other charges (Personal Training, drinks, etc) will be billed immediately or within a few days of purchase.
• Declined billing for any charges will automatically incur a $5.00 late fee. To avoid the fee, please keep your billing information up to date with us. (Card expiration dates, lost or stolen cards, etc.) You will soon be able to do this from your home computer.
• The new system will automatically generate e-mails when Personal Training appointments are made. If you are a PT client, you may see several emails as we get your initial schedule set up. You will soon be able to schedule, change or cancel your own PT appointments via computer.
• All Personal Training appointments must be cancelled or changed with at least 24 hours notice. If you do not show up for the appointment or if you cancel with less than 24 hours notice, the session will automatically be deducted from your package.

We are excited about this new system and the benefits it will offer to our members to control their accounts. We anticipate a seamless transition; however, If you have any questions or problems, please see Ken.

Now that I am an empty nester, the adult-only feature of Lifestyle was a major plus. The size of the club and availability of the equipment were also important to me.

Lifestyle is always clean, neat, and calm. During my "trial" week (last April), I appreciated the friendliness of the staff and the help that was offered. It was easy to quickly feel that I was a part of the facility and a valued member.

Goals: My goals are to achieve and maintain a weight and fitness level that will relieve and keep away most of the aches and pains that aging brings and give me enough energy to do more than go to work.

Approach: Three times each week I ride the recumbent bike for 40-45 minutes at 2.5- 3 resistance. This gets my heart rate up to over 130 for most of the ride and currently seems like a good sweaty level for me. I then do upper body weights on the machines. I finish with sit-ups and then Yoga stretches for my legs, back and arms. It takes me about 1-1/2 hours to complete this program.

I also take a Yoga class on Monday evening, and now that the weather is nice, I try to take a quick 30 minute walk on several of my non-workout days.

When I joined Lifestyle I also signed up for On-Line Weight Watchers. This has helped me become much more aware of what I eat and helped me moderate portions. Weight Watchers has worked well for me. The on-line program keeps track of my "points" so I stay on top of my daily and weekly intake. 

Results: Great results! I've lost 25 pounds in 5 months. I have a lot more energy. I sleep better. My lower back pain rarely rears its ugly head anymore. I'm stronger and can walk faster. I feel better about myself knowing that I am on a path that is benefiting my health and is "do-able". I am neither doing anything extreme nor anything that puts me at risk to pull a muscle or hurt a joint. I feel like I might be able to finally keep with a program and sustain my weight and health at a reasonable level. 

Fun facts: I work as a Speech-Language Pathologists and really enjoy helping children and adults with communication or swallowing problems. Outside of work, exercise and yoga, I love to read on my Kindle, knit, play scrabble, work crossword puzzles, play the piano, and follow politics. I have a 21 year old daughter in college and I enjoy keeping up with her life as much as she'll let me. I've been married for 27 years and truly enjoy spending time with my husband...watching U of Michigan football, keeping up with movies, and going stargazing. I'm a "cat" person and have two "senior" kitties. My parents, in their early 90's are still active and healthy. I hope to follow in their footsteps!