Owner of new Geneva gym hopes you make fitness a priority
This is it - the year you are finally going to get rid of your flab.
Jennifer Smith hopes you will keep your New Year's resolution at her new business, Anytime Fitness in Geneva.
The gym officially opened Thursday at 10 W. State St., on the southwest corner of River Lane. Tours are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at other times by appointment. Members must be at least 18 (16- and 17-year-olds are allowed, if a parent also has a membership).
And while some people in this economic downturn are cutting gym memberships out of their budgets, deeming them a luxury, Smith is trying to convince people that's a short-term gain but a long-term mistake.
"People are recognizing that (exercise for) health is more of a necessity, not a luxury anymore," said Smith, who co-owns the gym with David Lakin, also of Geneva. She suggests cutting out one dine-out dinner a month and spending the money instead on a gym membership. "A dollar a day for health and wellness? That's not asking a whole lot," she said, for something that can lengthen your life and prevent debilitating illness. A membership this first year costs $29.99 a month. There's no initiation fee.
Anytime Fitness also eliminates one excuse for not exercising: It's never closed. Members receive a key card, so even during unstaffed hours, they can let themselves in and pound away on the cardiovascular machines, lift weights, even use the tanning beds. A security company monitors the place by camera, the interior lights are on all the time, members can wear an emergency alert fob, and the gym is across a parking lot from the Geneva Police Department.
"We're trying to make it as easy as possible for people to join the gym," Smith said.
Smith knows many people sign up for workout facilities in January with the best of intentions, but aren't seen again the rest of the year. Clients who receive guidance from a facility's staff and get a personalized routine set up right away are more likely to continue exercising, she said.
"The important thing is the first 30 days," she said.