At the beginning of each year, when the champagne bottles are in the recycling bin and the sugar cookies have all been consumed, many of us look back to the indulgences of the previous weeks and decide it’s time to straighten up. We stock up on fruits and vegetables, double our water intake and lace up our shoes with plans to bounce back from a lapse in good habits—or to build a healthier lifestyle from scratch.
“New Year’s is always our biggest sign-up period,” said Eileen Barbour, health promotions coordinator at HealthPlex. “That’s when everyone is either getting started on a resolution or just trying to get back on track. We see a lot of new faces, and some we haven’t seen in a while.”
Inside a whopping 65,000 square feet, HealthPlex offers just about everything a new fitness-seeker could want: a vast array of equipment for cardio and strength-building, an indoor walking/running track, a full-court gymnasium, a lap pool, and a packed calendar of exercise classes. Not to mention a spacious locker room, towel service, and men’s and women’s steam rooms.
“There’s a spot for everyone to find their comfort zone,” said Barbour.
New members to HealthPlex can kick off the year with a steep discount: The enrollment fee, usually $75, has been lowered to only $10 for a limited time. And the monthly payment follows a fee schedule that has something for everyone, including a “part time” membership that gives members a lower rate for using the facilities during non-peak times of day.
Once the payment and paperwork are out of the way, each new member gets a fitness assessment to understand their starting point.
“This helps them figure out where they are now,” Barbour said. “An exercise physiologist will walk them through all kinds of measurements like body fat, weight and blood pressure. Then they’ll talk about what their goals are and how to get there.”
So what are your goals, exactly?
If you’d like to just generally improve your health, and you’re starting with a fairly sedentary lifestyle, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes a week doing some moderate-intensity aerobic activity (things like brisk walking, riding a bike or pushing a lawn mower) or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (like swimming laps, running or playing basketball). They also recommend at least two days each week for muscle-strengthening activities like weight training or yoga.
Just this baseline of physical activity can yield significant long-term benefits, reducing your risk of dementia, heart disease, diabetes and eight of the most common types of cancer. It helps to keep your weight in check, improves your bone strength and reduces your risk of falls by strengthening your balance and coordination.
There’s some more immediate gratification as well: One single session of moderate-to-vigorous activity can improve your sleep, reduce your feelings of anxiety and bring your blood pressure into a healthier range.
If you have a health condition or disability that makes some exercise difficult, your HealthPlex exercise physiologist can make recommendations to suit. Among the weekly offerings are warm-water exercises classes for people with arthritis, and chair yoga that eliminates the need to get up and down from the floor.
If your goals lie beyond this basic level of fitness, you’ll get recommendations that move you closer to the finish line. And as you get stronger, your goals will likely change—so you’ll want to keep the consultations going past that first day.
“We encourage open communication as our members move toward their goals,” said Barbour. “We want people to feel comfortable with their workout, but also challenged by it as they progress.”
And don’t be afraid to mix it up. Instead of just adding miles to your jog or more weight to your lifting, take some time to check out what else is available just a few steps away. Maybe you’d like to replace your treadmill time with a Zumba workout this week, or a swim in the lap pool. Maybe a yoga class you’ve never tried before will become your new favorite thing.
“We have all degreed, certified staff,” said Barbour. “You can always ask for help when you have questions or you’re ready to try something else. It’s important to do things you’re really interested in but also comfortable enough to stick with.”
To learn more about the happenings at HealthPlex, including their no-contract fees and weekly class schedules, visit capefearvalley.com/healthplex.