In Shape in Eight

Everyone knows January is gym month. After the holidays the guilt kicks in and New Year’s resolutions are made. But how about getting ahead of the crowds and making some life-changes before the holidays?

“In Shape in 8” is an eight-week small group program run by   to help about 10 women get in shape before the holidays and learn how to better maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond January resolutions.

The session starts next Monday, September 26, and will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. “There will be about 30 minutes of instruction from a guest speaker or specialty instructor, and then 45 minutes to an hour of actual workout,” said Leslie Stone, Fitness Manager at Chinn.

Beyond the three hours of class time together, the women will be given some homework to do throughout the week and can receive points for prizes if they do extra workouts during the week. There is a slightly higher fee for those who are not already Chinn members, but those non-members will receive a fitness pass to use all of Chinn’s facilities during the eight weeks.

They also get motivational emails throughout the week from the instructor, Adrienne. “Adrienne has a passion for the people. She really takes pride in this program,” Stone said. “She’s not going to let you quit.”

Stone said every lady in the session will be weighed and measured at the beginning and end of the eight weeks, but not throughout. “Weight is not really the focus here as much as just getting in shape,” Stone said. “Maybe you’ll be able to climb a flight of stairs without getting winded, or jog three miles, or meet some other goal.” But she said the classes have always resulted in weight loss as well. The classes are able to be tailored to each person’s fitness level so everyone improves and no one is left behind.

“This class has the best group dynamics!” Stone said. The women bond and spur each other onward—often tag-teaming for extra workouts throughout the week and then they have partners to help keep each other accountable once the session is over.

During the classes, the women will also be introduced to many different exercise varieties from yoga to using the gym’s weight lifting equipment, to . They will then be able to come back and feel confident in doing these things on their own time.

Each week will focus on a different health aspect during the lecture section, from moving more to eating healthy to less stress.  At the end of the eight weeks, the women will have built habits and learned a lot of material to change their lifestyles for the better. So it’s not just about the bi-weekly workouts.

This is the fifth time Chinn has run this particular session, each with great success. They usually hold three at different times throughout the year.

“It is an investment in yourself,” Stone said.

The classes will run until right before Thanksgiving, with no class on Halloween. Contact Chinn to learn more or sign up for the classes, which begin next week.