The resolution makers are coming: Gyms, fitness centers brace for January rush - News-Herald.com

The treadmills already are rolling at the Geauga County YMCA, as some people get a jump start on their New Year’s resolutions at the tail end of 2013.

Cyndi Larned, program coordinator for youth programming of the Geauga Y, part of the YMCA of Greater Cleveland Association, said membership and participation really picks up in the last few weeks of December through early March and then begins to decline.

“We make sure we are fully staffed,” she said. “Our membership is on a monthly basis from seniors to youth and family and adult memberships ... We do have a new membership format called Member Plus. You pay a little more each month and then you don’t pay for our normally priced fee-based classes, like yoga or pilates.”

On Thursday, the Geauga Y, 12460 Bass Lake Road in Munson Township, started its January 2014 campaign, which features a reduced joining fee for new members.

In Lorain County, Charity Butch, director of branch operations for French Creek Family YMCA in Avon, said that the organization always sees an increase in gym goers after the new year. The YMCA usually starts preparing for the influx of YMCA patrons in October and November.

“We know it’s going to happen,” Butch said. “It’s not a surprise to us.”

To be ready for the January rush, the YMCA audits the group classes and programs to make sure they are running smoothly, Butch said.

“So for us, it’s not just making sure the adult classes are in order, but also that the kids and teens classes are in order as well, so we can have the entire family in here at one time,” she said.

Ginni Murphy, owner of Anytime Fitness in Amherst, said that the gym “absolutely” sees an influx once January comes. Right now, the team is gearing up for deep cleaning and making sure all the equipment is in working order. Once January comes along, the gym is always packed.

“January just about every day is really crowded,” Murphy said. “In fact, the first couple of months of the year are busy.”

Mentor Heisley Racquet and Fitness Club, 6000 Heisley Road in Mentor, is just as “slammed” during the early months, said Ian McLelland, a supervisor at the club.

Classes fill up quickly, he said. Zumba, a Latin-dance inspired aerobic workout, remains popular, but spinning is gaining quite a following, he added. Newer additions to the club’s class roster include a cross training class and yogalates, a hybrid of yoga and pilates.

McLelland, who’s been at Heisley for two years, said he’s seen successes when it comes to individuals who are working on New Year’s resolutions to get fit or be more health conscious.

“It depends on the person,” he said. “Set small and manageable goals for yourself so it’s realistic. When you attain that, you feel really good and keep going.”

Crash diets and intense workout programs may help drop pounds in the short-term, but McLelland said when people do things for a short-term goal, the results usually don’t last. It also isn’t safe or healthy for a person’s body.

“If you set small goals and keep achieving them, it becomes a habit. Moderate exercise and proper nutrition is an addiction and you can get addicted to that new, healthy lifestyle,” he said.

Larned, the Geauga Y coordinator, said people new to exercise should review their club or fitness center’s safety notices.

“Our health and wellness orientation is open to all new members,” she said. “You need to get yourself acclimated to the equipment and know how to operate it safely.”

Time, Larned said, is a definite asset when it comes to getting in shape.

“Just be patient and stay strong,” she added.

Butch, the French Creek Y director, suggests in order to keep a New Year’s resolution, one must figure out what they want to accomplish so that he or she stays motivated.

“I think that it’s not just about finding that routine, it’s really mostly about finding that inner drive, that something that they enjoy doing.”

And if some haven’t kept up with their New Year’s resolution, Butch said they will start to see the people with the resolution fade away when the weather starts to get nicer.

Those who want to keep up with the resolution need to have what motivates them most in the forefront of their minds, Butch said.

People who have better accountability will be successful with the resolution, agreed Murphy, owner of Anytime Fitness in Amherst, adding that working with a personal trainer or having a workout buddy can increase your chances of success with the resolution. Taking classes also can help because it gives someone a set time to be at the gym.

“You gotta make yourself an appointment, like you would with the dentist and doctor, so why not keep this appointment for yourself?” Murphy said. “You just need to get on a regular schedule and keep those set times.”