First-time fitness member? This is for you
March 26, 2019
This paid piece is sponsored by GreatLIFE Golf & Fitness.
Walking into a fitness center for the first time can be a little overwhelming.
GreatLIFE realizes that, which is why it created a model that ensures every guest gets a great start that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.
Director of fitness Nick Ovenden explains what to expect on your first visit.
I’ve been thinking of joining GreatLIFE, and I finally did. Now what? Where should I go first?
You’re going to come in and meet with a fitness professional because you joined for a reason and we want to find out why that is and connect you with the right spot. The hardest thing is coming through the door the first time, and the second hardest thing is knowing what to do. So we want to have a plan, understand where you’re starting and have you meet with someone who can help you get to where you want to be.
A stumbling point in the journey is when members come in motivated, but then they try to do what they did 20 years ago. It usually doesn’t work out very well, and they walk out sore or even injured and discouraged because they can’t do what they used to do.
We have fitness professionals who can meet you where you’re at and where you want to be and create a step-by-step plan to get you there that involves achieving and celebrating small attainable goals versus a 100-pound weight-loss goal. It’s fine to have that as a goal, but we want small attainable goals to get there so we can celebrate small victories and continue to be motivated.
What do I bring that first day?
Comfortable clothing. Anything you feel you’re comfortable moving in, working out in, sweating a little bit, that’s the best bet. Even if you don’t’ want to work out that first day, just wear something that you can move and be comfortable in so we can check how your body moves and give you appropriate exercise recommendations from there.
What will my initial conversation be like?
We call it Great Start, and it’s free for anyone whether you’re a member or not and regardless of where you’re considering a membership.
It’s your chance to sit down and make a plan with a fitness pro and see what the best way is to get to your fitness goals. They’re about 45 to 60 minutes. We spend the majority of the time talking and getting to know you so we can make recommendations, and we spend a little bit of time doing a movement screen to see how your body moves, so we don’t recommend something your body can’t handle.
And then we sit down and get a game plan together of what makes sense for you in your fitness journey. Is it personal training, classes, our gym, a different gym? Is it nutrition? It’s really game-planning next steps. If someone decides this is the place for you and you just want to know how to use the equipment, we will be happy to go over that too.
And if the best fit happens to not be with us, I still feel very confident in our trainers’ ability to give you advice and steer you in the right direction.
How can I track my progress?
We have some great high-tech options for that. At Woodlake, there’s Fit 3D. Instead of having a trainer come over and give you a bunch of measurements, the machine will do it in 35 seconds, and it emails the measurements directly to you. It gives you a great starting point. And you can do it once a month free with your membership. It’s very quick, and you’ll be able to see your progress.
There’s nothing more frustrating than stepping on a scale after working three months and you’re not seeing results. You might not see that, but you’ll see inches lost on their body through this, and it’s motivating. It shows you what your body looked like and now looks like, and you can do overlays and comparisons of different times
Another great option is at Performance Center and called Styku. It’s similar technology, but Styku gives you more information for personal trainers to give you recommendations for diet and exercise. You can do both. If you want a trainer to go through it, Styku is a good route, and if you’d like it more private to share later, I recommend Fit 3D.
Do you recommend one gym over another to start?
I don’t. Every gym is different. Every GreatLIFE is different. Fitness is a very personal journey. I’d be lying to you if I said there was one gym that fit every single person. What I recommend is to try out several gyms within or outside of GreatLIFE and see what works for you. Ultimately, we want it to be a fit so you stick with it.
Some people need accountability in small groups, some want one-on-one training, some like bigger gyms, and some like small settings. It really depends on your personality and where you’re at in your fitness journey. You might start at one place and progress to a different one depending on your goals. We’re here to make sure we’re a good fit for you and you’re a good fit for us. And you will see that our equipment can vary from gym to gym. That’s by design, too, because you might find you like one type of equipment over another. So try out several places, and we’ll help find the fit for you.
