Nanaimo News Bulletin - Tuesday, April 26th, 2005
Club cushions plunge into Physical Fitness

Written by Kevin Laird, Managing editor.

     If you're into fitness, you'll know that a well-equipped, well-run fitness centre is a necessary if you want to reach your fitness goals.

     Before I started Lifestyle Health and Fitness Centre's Fitness Challenge 11 weeks ago, I had several false starts with fitness centres. I wanted to get into shape, but I found most times I was left floundering.

     Most fitness centres I found were quite willing to sign me up as a member and take my money, but committed to little else. I was never introduced to a personal trainer, let alone a program suited to my individual needs. So when Paul Lee, co-wonder of Lifestyles Health and Fitness Centre, approached me about taking the challenge I was skeptical at first. "You'll get our best personal trainer, full access to our gym and everyone at the gym is super friendly," he said. "Uh-huh," I said with my reporter's built-in cynicism. Lee proved me wrong. From the first day I began the challenge, Lifestyle has been nothing short of remarkable.

     The Lee family purchased Lifestyle Health and Fitness Centre eight months ago, and since then the facility has been in a constant state of improvement. The family has put thousands of dollars into improvements such as an interior paint job, better layout to get better use out of the space and new equipment such as an incline bench press, preacher curl, treadmills, dumbbells and renovations of the men's change room and yoga room.

     I've been a member of the club since February and I have yet to see a week go by that something new hasn't been added or improved upon. More is on the way, says Lee. And while all these improvements are nice, there is one thing that is constant in the facility: the friendliness of both its staff and clientele.

     I'm basically a newbie in the fitness world - I've done very little fitness activity since graduating from high school 25 years ago - so I need a lot of guidance and understanding.

     I've turned to the personal training staff numerous times (and they've all been great), but more times than not the club membership has offered me tons of advice and encouragement. "We want to deliver the ultimate member experience," says Lee. "We want to give our members 100 per cent satisfaction so that they'll never want to leave this place. "And we have to have the best staff ... hands down."

     Yet if you take a look around the fitness centre there is something you notice right away - the wide spectrum of ages (and body types). Everyone does their own thing but with one thing in mind: fitness. You don't see the gym jocks in one corner and the others in another. Instead you see everyone working together.

     Lee says people expect courtesy and helpfulness when they walk into his facility - and he sells it very well.

Kevin Laird is editor of the Nanaimo News Bulletin. This is his 11th installment in Lifestyle Health and Fitness Centre's Fitness Challenge.