Your Local YMCA... Keeping in Shape while on a Budget
The YMCA - Is It Right For You?
After years and years of personal neglect, I made a decision to get more physically active. My passion is computers and I often spend way too many hours in front of that electronic marvel.
When I first started my quest to find the right fitness center to join, the YMCA never quite entered my mind.
One reason for this is that we're all bombarded with commercials from the mainstream fitness centers. Your larger cities have numerous exercise facilities and they do not hesitate to let you know that you need to "get up off your butt and get in shape".
While taking advantage of several 'guest passes' I found myself always coming to the same conclusion. It seemed like those places were made for the mostly "young and in shape". They impressed me as being locations where people went to "pick up dates" and to show off.
I realized that I was only partially right in my assessment but the un-nerving feeling was still there.
Then, as luck would have it, I found out about a new YMCA that was opening near me and I went to check it out. It was moving into an established fitness facility that adjoined a well known general hospital.
The YMCA in co-operation with the Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital (Inglewood, Ca.) completely revamped the whole place and supplied it with brand new equipment. I was sold and the timing was perfect.
One of the primary "Fitness Advisors" at this facility was Katina Calvin, shown in the pictures above and below.
Katina has been in the sports/training business for more than 15 years. She holds classes involving physical fitness and endurance. Believe me, you'll know you've been in a 'fight' after attending one of her workouts. She's a tough trainer and makes you put it all on the line.
Her "students" range in age from infant to adult. She has been with the YMCA for about 5 years.
Katina admits that the favorite thing about her job is her ability to "change peoples lives".
Most adults have the same concerns and questions about weight control and shedding inches. Her response in general is that people just need to use common sense.
She'll quickly point out to you when you're trying to bend the rules:
"Look! What ever you've been used to doing, it's not working."
To counteract all of that physical aggression
that takes up most of her day, Katina loves to "knit". Now how about that for a closing statement?
