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FitLife Find Your Best Workout on the Hill
January 11, MondayGym owners see it every January. The month of “the New Year’s resolution” is their busiest time. However, many renewed vows of fitness and well-rounded eating habits get derailed by mid-March.
“I see the same mistake every year. People join a gym and exercise 100 percent, everyday, all at once. This never works,” says Joseph Zeleznock, MSPT and owner of FitLife gym in Mt. Airy.
“The key is to figure out how exercise can fit into your life in a manageable way, and to find a way of working out that you enjoy,” says Zeleznock.
We spoke to 3 different Chestnut Hill and Mt. Airy fitness experts along the Avenue, and they all agreed: If you’re going to be successful in changing your body, and changing your life, you have to set reasonable goals.
So, whether it’s running intervals on the treadmills at FitLife’s open gym, one-on-one personal training sessions at Balance, or a heart pumping cardio dance class at En Motion Dance and Fitness, all 3 facilities want to help people in Chestnut Hill find a regime they can stick with this year.
The gym membership: FitLife
FitLife is more than your average gym. Inside the charming 2-story brick building you’ll find a pool, a large collection of cardio machines, weights, group exercise classes, physical therapy, childcare, personal training, nutrition counseling, and massage therapy.
Zeleznock, owner of FitLife and a licensed physical therapist, talks about the kind of experience he aims to create for his clients, he says, “The staff at FitLife is extremely well trained and educated about how to help our members reach their goals. There is a positive feeling in our facility. This isn’t a muscle-head gym; everyone is friendly and encouraging.”
At FitLife, you can create a workout with maximum variety to keep your body second guessing. Members can burn calories in the pool one morning, and then stretch their muscles at a yoga class another night.
The gym is open by 5 a.m. Monday-Friday, so if you prefer to sweat it out on the stationary bike before heading to work, this could be for you. Of all the gyms we visited, FitLife has the largest selection of group fitness classes, the most weight machines and cardio equipment to meet the needs of many members working out at once, and comprehensive physical therapy services.
Join FitLife
7140 Germantown Ave.
Mt. Airy, PA 19119
215-753-8910
Membership Information
$719 for annual individual
$1339 for annual couple
$99 for 1-month membership
*For additional information about other packages call: 215-753-8910
The one-on-one approach: Balance
Don’t be fooled by minimal number of weights and the small size of Balance gym on East Highland Avenue. Their dynamic personal training staff is a goal-oriented team that designs high-intensity and individual workout programs for each of their clients that yield huge results. Unlike an open gym, Balance is exclusively a personal training studio that also offers group fitness classes.
“I’ve worked at many fitness centers over my career, and the one-on-one approach our staff focuses on here at Balance really works,” says Amy Carolla, part-owner of Balance and a National Association of Sports Medicine certified trainer.
“At Balance we’re completely client focused, we create a program that will specifically target areas of their body to strengthen. Our number one priority is making sure our clients reach their goals, whether it’s to get healthy and lose weight or to prepare for a triathlon,” says Carolla.
In addition to having group fitness classes ranging from boot camp, to yoga, to cardio kickboxing, Balance also emphasizes the non-physical portion of training by offering therapeutic massages and nutrition counseling. “By training at Balance, you get all the tools for a healthy lifestyle. We offer workshops from our registered dietician to educate and show our clients how to balance their diet and make satisfying meals that will compliment their workout regimen at home,” says Carolla.
To help jumpstart the new year, Balance has a few incentive programs running: A group exercise class card discount and a Strength in Numbers program. During the month of January you can purchase 5 group class passes for $35 (classes are normally $15 each), or you can register with a group of 3-4 friends and get 5 personal training sessions and a 10-pack of group exercise classes for $360 a person through Strength in Numbers.
“By joining our Strength in Numbers, you’re accountable for doing the workouts not only for yourself but for the other people on your team. You’ll have your friends’ support and you’ll also feed off of the energy of burning calories in our group class setting,” says Carolla.
Join Balance
5 East Highland Avenue (Next to Cake)
Chestnut Hill, PA 19118
267-335-2271
Membership Information
Personal Training: Ten 30-minute sessions (plus a free consultation) $360
Semi-Private Training (3 people or more): 1-hour sessions, $50 a person
*For additional information about other packages call: 267-335-2271
Join the dance party: En Motion Dance and Fitness
“Ditch the workout, join the party” is the catchphrase for the high-intensity, fat-blasting, and energy-boosting workout, Zumba. En Motion Dance and Fitness founder, Desiree Smith was able to get back into shape after having her 3rd child from this one-of-a-kind fitness dance. Smith was so inspired after learning this Latin rhythm workout, that she traveled to train with Beto Perez, the founder of Zumba, with one goal in her sights: To open her own Zumba dance studio and spread the joy of this workout. Smith’s affinity for dance and belief that everyone can benefit from the Zumba is what helped launch En Motion Dance and Fitness studio.
Smith insists that even the most uncoordinated people can successfully enjoy Zumba. “A Zumba class, is an actual dance party,” says Smith, “Even if you can’t dance, you can do this. The energy in the room is contagious, and each class if filled with all different athletic levels, shapes, and sizes.”
Smith says the hour-long class goes by quickly because the entire work out is masked behind this fun dance. However, each Zumba routine is a specially crafted workout that guarantees you’ll engage your core through isolations, up your heart rate through cardio salsa moves, and will sculpt your body through designed resistance.
“People leave classes feeling energized, good about themselves, and are talking about how they can’t wait to come back the next week. And that’s the important key. To be successful with any workout program you have to find something you love to do,” says Smith.
In addition to Zumba, there are many other dance classes at En Motion that will give you a total body work out including: Spin, mat pilates, boot camp, and hip hop.
En Motion is a reservations-only studio. Before attending a class, please call their main number 215-948-3307 or send an e-mail to info@enmotiondanceandfitness.com and confirm what class you plan to take that day. Not sure if dancing is for you? Come by the studio and try your first class free of charge – if you enjoy the class, there will be a discount for registering the same day.
Join En Motion Dance and Fitness
9425 Stenton Avenue (1 block from the Morris Arboretum)
Erdenheim, PA 19038
215-948-3307
Membership Information
Become a full-time member: $75 initiation fee, and then $45 for unlimited dance card pass per month
One class: $15
10 class card: $109 (Card is good for 12 weeks)