Fitness centers bursting at the seams
Turkey and mashed potatoes may be comfort food, but too much holiday feasting has local gyms and fitness centers bursting at the seams from those looking to shave off that extra weight.
Oakland County gyms prepared for the surge, some sporting new fitness routines for members with busy schedules, while others introduced reduced rates to get people working out earlier.
Regan Wahoski, a personal trainer at Great Lakes Athletic Club in Lake Orion, said small group sessions at her gym have been gaining popularity.
"We're seeing a lot more small-group training, and I think it helps focus people while they're working out," Wahoski said. "These workouts are more time efficient, but hit all the major muscle groups for a total body exercise."
Wahoski said one of the more popular exercises in the group training is suspension training, which uses the exerciser's own body weight to improve flexibility and endurance.
"We have top-notch fitness equipment, friendly staff and a kind of 'mom and pop' feel, and I cannot say enough about our trainers."
While some gyms are using time efficiency to draw potential members, others are finding success by introducing special rates to encourage people to join. Darcy Barry, an employee at Fitness Unlimited in Royal Oak, said her gym will offer an eight-month membership for $189.99. "People really like our gym; it's family owned, and we have all the equipment that people like to use."
Barry said Fitness Unlimited specializes in power lifting and that group training is not as prominent, although the gym does sponsor boot camps that she said offers fast results over shorter periods of time. In addition to power lifting and the boot camps, the gym also offers kickboxing classes and unemployment plans for those who want to continue working out despite job loss.
Other gyms are seeing an increase in group exercise sessions, including Triad Health & Fitness in Farmington Hills. Triad Health & Fitness specializes in assisting injured athletes, helping them bridge the gap between physical therapy and returning to their sport. Jeff Kong, a trainer and massage therapist, said group training can also act as a motivator.
"Our gym specializes in personal training, but we've noticed that the less personalized feel of group training makes it a little more fun for everyone and can really help motivate everyone to keep at it," Kong said. "We also offer an athletic testing on every second Saturday of the month, which is kind of a standardized series of exercises.
"We do exercises like the standing broad jump, the 40-inch vertical leap, push-ups per minute, chin-ups and the 'proshuttle' (a standard football drill involving rapid change in direction) which all work on agility and speed. A lot of these exercises are done in groups."