January 21, 2015
Lasting resolutions? Recipes
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St. Stephen’s Food Pantry
Photo courtesy Lloyd Gardner’s Karate
Students participate in a class at Lloyd Gardner’s Karate in Florissant.
Local fitness industry sees a wave of new customers with the New Year By Sara Hardin Everyone can finally shake off the stress of the holiday buzz with the introduction of the New Year. For many that means following through with their resolution to get fit, whether it be on the treadmill at the gym or taking up some martial arts. Last year, the James J. Eagan Center saw a 190% increase in its fitness membership sales in January, as compared to the sales from June later in the year. Brendan Kane, Center Director of the James J. Eagan Center, discussed how the “resolutionists” increase the January fitness sales, and how the attendance tends to fluctuate during the year’s first few months. “Every year around the New Year we see a pretty significant increase in the attendance in our fitness center,” said Kane. “For the first couple of months it gets a little hectic. It’s natural that some people get out of their routine, but we notice that our regulars who have consistent attendance before the New Year are usually the ones to stick it out after people stop coming as often.” Regardless of the eventual decrease in attendance once some people lose the motivation after the first few months slide by, the mindset for many seems to be very similar once the Christmas ham has been eaten and the resolutions for the New Year have been considered. “People always want to look good and be in shape,” said Kane. “After the holidays when people are eating a lot of
food and laying around watching football games, they feel like they need to turn over a new leaf.” For some, the standard gym isn’t the most desirable place to seek out the beginnings of a healthier lifestyle. Lloyd Gardner, owner and instructor of Lloyd Gardner’s Karate in Florissant, discussed the increase of adult enrollment in his classes around the New Year, and how many of them are simply looking for something different than the gyms that many flock to during the beginning of the year. “We see that adults are looking to get fit, and oftentimes our adult enrollment will increase in January,” said Gardner. “They’re looking for something different. Maybe they’re tired of the gym and the gym scene and they’ve gotten bored, so they come try out karate. It’s a different way to get fit. People take our adult programs for stress-relief and to get in shape. People are hyped and ready to go.” Gardner offers Japanese-based instruction in various age groups, but said that the kickboxing and aerobics class are most popular among adults. He also offers a “Little Warriors” program for kids ages 4-6, a beginner’s class for ages 7-14, and a class for black belt holders. When it comes to following through with resolutions and goals, Gardner has a sound piece of advice. “Change: it’s easy to talk about, but it’s hard to do. You really need to have
a plan, have a purpose, and you have to be persistent.” Stephen Ray, Master Instructor at F.I.T. Martial Arts Centers in Florissant, discussed the reasons why some take up martial arts classes as an alternative to attending a gym, and the benefits gained by doing so. “The reasons why a lot of people would choose martial arts over a gym typically is because in martial arts you have a life coach, and we’re there to help you every class,” said Ray. “We’re not just helping you to just increase your strength and whatnot like you would get at a gym, See LASTING RESOLUTIONS? page 2
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