A new year. A new beginning.
Many people go into January with good intentions of sticking with a New Year’s resolution if it involves losing weight or getting more exercise. But very few follow through for very long.
One of the reasons, according to Nicole Cournoyer, the general manager of Anytime Fitness in Chemainus, is people often set unrealistic goals for themselves. The best way to assess your situation, she added, is to spend 60 minutes with a trainer.
“We help you goal set and help you with programming based on what you need,” said Cournoyer.
“You don’t need to be a gym person, but you need to move. It’s as simple as I’m going to commit to two hours of physical activity a week.”
Anytime Fitness just happened to open a year ago on Jan. 2, 2017 and has proven to be a great option for more than 400 current members in Chemainus of all ages.
The business is owned by the Spurlings, a father and son team from Victoria. Cournoyer came on board immediately and there’s three others on staff.
Cournoyer, 36, is a personal trainer and also a group fitness instructor. She’s been in the fitness industry several years, most recently on Pender Island before moving to Chemainus.
“At least a decade I’ve been doing it,” Cournoyer said. “I love it. It’s a really rewarding job.”
She’s not only active in the gym, but away from it with two children aged seven and nine.
Being able to do something that changes peoples’ lives in a positive way brings Cournoyer the greatest satisfaction.
“Right now, I’m focusing more on trying to help people live more pain-free lives,” she indicated.
Cournoyer is rounding out her own qualifications to receive her yoga certification at Red Door Yoga outside of Nanaimo so she can pass on expertise in that area as well.
“I’ve practiced on my own off and on for years,” she pointed out.
Again, it’s all about assisting people with pain management.
“As you age, you have aches and pains,” Cournoyer said. “A lot of it is repetitive movement. The nice thing about yoga is understanding another whole set of how anatomy works.”
A foundation is being built for more success stories to start the new year for those people planning their workouts accordingly. Many are finding options for training locally instead of having to go out of town are very much to their liking, making it easier to maintain a schedule.
“The nice thing about the gym is people don’t have to go outside their community anymore,” Cournoyer indicated.
The gym has members ranging in age from 14 to 82.
“I like to call it a family, very community-oriented gym,” noted Cournoyer.
“People see Chemainus as a retirement community. They’re surprised when they come in here and they don’t see that.”
For those still having trouble getting started, there’s a special deal on until Jan. 14 at Anytime Fitness where people can join for $1 and get the 13th month free after a year plus 50 per cent off the first month of personal and small group training.
A key fob is provided for entrance to the gym and it can be utilized at all hours.
“The best thing is to keep trying new activities till you find something you love,” advises Cournoyer.
And you can’t expect to lose weight immediately if that’s your goal, an area that’s the biggest disappointment for many people who expect some sort of miracle to happen.
“It usually takes about three months before you’re going to see something,” added Cournoyer.
The proper nutrition, combined with exercise, will provide the desired results.
“It’s a lot easier to put it on than it is to take it off,” reasoned Cournoyer. “It’s something you now are. It has to become a lifestyle change.
“It’s about feeling better. Slow and steady wins the race. If you keep at it, you will see results over time.”
Anytime Fitness personnel are eager to help and the gym is integrating into the community with events like the Santa Run in December.
“The biggest thing we hear is people are just happy we’re here,” said Cournoyer.
