Gyms prepare for influx of new-year members

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - We hear it all the time, “New Year, New me.” And for some, that means they’re heading into the gym.

“It’s very nice people make resolutions and come in. We also see people who are members who have been here in a while,” said Crunch Fitness General Manager Patsy Wallace.

Wallace says they always take safety precautions. Since the pandemic, they have spaced out their machines to give people more room.

“We have bottles everywhere. We have paper towel stations and sanitizing stations. We have extra staff,” added Wallace.

A big focus for Crunch Fitness going into the new year is prioritizing mental health.

“Now more than ever we find that people, from the COVID and the weather, a lot of people are suffering from mental health,” explained Wallace.

The gym created a new meditative yoga class to offer support. Wallace says exercise is a good way to release some of the stress.

“It’s one of the easiest things and it’s definitely proven that it makes a great effect on people’s mental health if you can get yourself into the gym,” said Wallace.

And to keep yourself in the gym, training Director Shane Shubert says to not have unrealistic goals.

“Set goals that you can obtain and set small ones. And when you hit it, go to another one,” said Shubert. “So, sort of set yourself with benchmarks.”

Remember the scale can’t differentiate between muscle gain and weight loss.

“So, you can come in here and start your goal. But you’re working out, you’re using weights, you’re doing cardio. So, your body is going to start burning fat and also gain lean muscle,” explained Shubert.

Shubert suggests working out three days a week for thirty minutes for beginners. He also added having a well-balanced diet helps with achieving your goals at the gym.

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