Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/8603
Fitness Guide LIVE's COMPLETE BY>>TOVA MORRISON F itness clubs are plentiful in Southern California because So Cal- ians like to stay in shape, look good and have fun. We offer this guide of the major health clubs so you can get a leg up on the diversity and compare the similarities. All of them offer the use of different exercise and weighted equipment such as ellipticals, treadmills and spin bikes. They almost all have personal trainers, free trial memberships and a wide variety of group classes. The most popular classes are, without a doubt, Pilates, Spinning, yoga, aerobics and the newer Zumba, set to spicy Latin and reggaeton tunes. Group classes are designed to be enjoyable, build strength and flexibility and burn calories. And, they foster a shared community experience around exercise: when everyone is sweating in unison to keep up with the instructor, it is easier for individuals to stay on track. To get an idea of the importance of the personal trainer in the gym workout scenario, I spoke with Perry Dennis, a CrossFit-certified trainer and licensed massage therapist who works as a personal trainer at Spectrum Athletic Club and at a private sports rehabilitation and conditioning facility. He advised, "The best thing for a person when he or she first becomes a member of a gym is to talk to a personal trainer, hands down. They are going to have the most knowledge in the field of training, which is the reason why you are there. A lot of things that people do when they join a gym are detrimental to their overall goals, and they don't even know it." Dennis explained the basic duties of a personal trainer, which includes guiding you through the exercises while "presenting them to you in a progression that's suitable for you. " Foremost in a good personal training relationship is safety. "Everything should be about injury prevention first." Another reason a personal trainer is beneficial, Dennis thinks, is "to find out the latest. The whole scientific rational changes every three or four years, and people find out new things about the body and new things about how the body reacts to stress. So it's always changing." Dennis recommends how to find the best trainer at the gym. "Talk to other members there and see who is the most popular trainer, the easiest to approach, and then go talk to that person. Usually if a trainer likes what he or she does, they are not going to try to sell you right off the bat. They are there to help you; they want to help you."