Rebecca Parks

       We received our new fitness center shirts, and the slogan reads “commit to get fit”. I like this slogan. It’s perfect for what a fitness center is about. Commitment.  It’d be so nice if signing a contract and paying dues would be enough commitment to make the pounds fall off. The most important part of committing to a fitness facility is of course coming in, using the equipment, participating in classes and finding motivation in gym friends and staff.  

        My name is Becky, I’m the new gym attendant and personal trainer at PFCC. I’ve been here about a month now, and I want to thank all the staff and community members who have made me feel very welcome. I’m enjoying my time here and I’m excited about the future of our fitness center.  

      A little about me, I’m a certified personal trainer from the National Personal Training Institute. After community College, I enrolled in NPTI in Orlando Florida. I attended an intensive studies program and in eight months graduated with certifications in both personal training and massage therapy. I’ve been actively working in both fields for almost three years. I love working with people, and I really enjoy being in the gym.

      I enjoy working out, and playing sports. I live an active lifestyle but I’m not by any means obsessed with working out, as I have other hobbies such as art, music, literature (things that involve less physical activity). I also am very educated in nutrition, but I don’t go too crazy with that either. (although I’m a bit of an organic foods snob). I grew up in a pizzeria, so I will not (won’t not can’t) live without pizza and beer.       

      Why is any of this relevant in an article about fitness? Because this article is about committing to fitness. In order to honestly commit to getting fit and living better, there needs to be an agreement with reality. Unless you are ready to spend all your time counting reps and sets and eating egg whites, we need to be realistic. The reason so many people struggle to commit to a fitness program is because they are intimidated by the “all or nothing” attitude so many fitness centers and trainers preach.

     Don’t get me wrong, I promote healthier living, but I also promote LIVING! Our lifestyles represent our culture, ancestry and personalities, so it’s improbable that anyone who goes on a strict diet and exercise program will be able to commit. In the same respect, working out, for a lot of people is, as the title depicts “work”.  What if we could learn to make healthier versions of our favorite foods? What if, instead of being in the gym lifting every day, we played sports, joined running clubs, danced Zumba, studied self defense?

       So what’s the point of all this? The point is, what gets people to commit to anything?  The answer is gratification through achievements, big and small successes, fun and social interaction. Its instinct to continue behavior that makes us feel good!  Exercise and proper diet fuels our bodies to function smoothly, allowing us to enjoy living to its fullest, but if exercise and diet is an all compassing miserable sacrificial process then we have failed before we even started. My goal as a trainer is to find out what makes fitness fun for the individual. Our goal as a fitness center is to help our members commit to get fit!!!