You know what's coming in a few weeks. Oh yes! It's New Year's Resolution time, and on the top of almost everyone's list is "Lose weight." Part of getting rid of that muffin top is joining a gym, and Curves is one of those places that promises that you can "change your life" in just 30 minutes a day.
I've always been curious about Curves.I've never been a member or taken a peek, but my friend Alison of Ali Thinks is a Curves member, and she has graciously spent some time with us to share an insider's view of the Curves experience.
BISJ: So Alison, thank you for taking the time to chat with us about
your experience at Curves. We think the idea of Curves is interesting
so we'd like to know more about what it's like from one of its members.
First question, how long have you been a Curves member?
Alison: Since late May of 2006. I had heard about Curves about a year
or so before, and thought it was the kind of gym I would like to try.
At the time, I was living in France, and there were no franchises
anywhere near me. I joined shortly after moving back to the States.
BISJ: Why did you choose to sign up with Curves versus another type of gym like a Nautilus or Gold's Gym?
Alison: I liked the "women only" concept. When I visited my local
Curves, I saw women of all ages and sizes. It seemed less intimidating.
There was also the idea that you only do an exercise for about 30
seconds before switching. I had never joined a gym, and wasn't sure I
had the physical stamina (or patience) to do X number of reps. And I
knew that the workout was very guided, and I felt I needed that.
BISJ: Can you quickly tell us what a typical workout day is like for you at Curves?
Alison: I go three mornings a week. Tomorrow will be my 50th workout! I
swipe my key card, put my things in a cubby, eyeball the floor to see
how busy it is, choose a "recovery board" to warm up on for a minute,
then I go through the circuit twice. Before I do the stretches at the
end of the workout, I do about three minutes of hula-hooping. There's a
heavy hula hoop inside the circle of machines, and I've been using it
for about a month. You have to build up gradually with it! The hoop is
not really a Curves thing but I enjoy it. Yesterday I started an
advanced workout with a new trainer we have. She kept me on the
machines for longer than the requisite thirty seconds. On the recovery
boards I had to do knee lifts instead of the freestyle jumping around I
usually do. Then at the end, we did some Pilates moves on the floor. I
can feel the workout today!
BISJ: So, you've been going to Curves for 6 months. What are the things you like the most about your experience at Curves?
Alison: I like the atmosphere. It's nice to see familiar faces, even if I don't talk to the other members that much. I love the two trainers who are there when I go. And my body is changing. That's a good thing! The stronger I get, the harder I work on the machines -- they're resistance-based, so the harder you push yourself, the better workout you'll get. One thing to note about Curves is that each Curves facility can be different becuase each is independently owned by a franchisee. The Curves I go to has a couple of extra machines, and there is lots of room to stretch after the workout. I have heard that the owners' other Curves in town is smaller. One way to make sure the Curves in your area is up to snuff is to see if it is a "Shining Star" facility -- this means that it meets Corporate's criteria.
BISJ: What do you think Curves could do better?
Alison: The music! Everything we listen to is set to a pretty fast back beat, which is okay, but the songs are covers of popular tunes. If I hear "Rockin' Robin" one more time... But seriously, I'd love to hear a bit more techno or dance music there. If you're already fit, Curves might be boring. My Curves switches the machines around once a month or so, and I never start the circuit in the same place twice. I also try to stay a few machines away from older women who are slower getting out of the machines. If you're right next to them, you're going to lose precious time on the machines. Luckily, it's never too crowded when I go, so I don't have to worry about that too often.
BISJ: In the Weight management plan, under resources, there is a sheet called "Metabolic Tune-Up Tracking chart". What are you tracking exactly in this chart?
Alison: This is a way to kickstart your metabolism, which might be sluggish due to yo-yo dieting. You weigh yourself; your current weight is your low weight. You weigh yourself first thing every morning. You're not trying to lose weight, so you eat 2500-3000 calories a day. You may gain three to five pounds; this is your high weight. You weigh in every day, and once you hit your high weight, you do Phase 1 of the Curves eating plan (but not more than 72 hours) to get back to your low weight. Then get back to eating those 2500 calories (it has to be healthy food, natch). Do this until you are able to eat normally for a month without gaining weight, and only need to "diet" for a couple of days. At this point your metabolism has been "fixed," and you can actually use one of the Curves eating plans to lose weight. I have never tried a metabolic tune-up -- I got this info from this book. I'm not sure I answered the question! You're tracking your weight, basically, but not because you're trying to lose any.
BISJ: Have you tried the Curves 6-week solution program?
Alison: I'm thinking of trying it. All I've done is Phase 1 of the Curves low-carb eating plan, which is similar to Phase 1 of South Beach. Once I can eat more carbs, I count them for maybe a week, then I get fed up and just eat whatever I want!
BISJ: Did you accomplish the results you wanted in that Phase 1 plan?
Alison: I did lose 10 pounds on Phase 1 of the eating plan. I will probably talk to someone at Curves about how to do the 6-week solution.
BISJ: Curves has a magazine called "Diane". I haven't read it, so I'm
wondering what the content is like. What are the messages they promote
in Diane?
Alison: I have only read one issue of Diane; it was a special Abuse Awareness issue. From what I can gather, though, the basic message of Diane is to encourage women. I got my issue free at Curves, but I'm not sure I would go out and buy it.
BISJ: And finally, what advice or tips would you give new people who are thinking about trying Curves?
Alison: Check it out! Sometimes Curves will have a "one week free" promotion. Give it a try and see what you think. Also, you can have a "fitness evaluation" done. It's free, and you get a free workout. I know Curves isn't for everybody, but if you want to do something good for yourself and can dedicate about 40 minutes to a workout, especially if you haven't worked out in a long time (or ever, in my case), then Curves might be just what you are looking for. I never imagined myself committing to something like this. It's at the point now that if I don't go to Curves for one reason or another, my body tells me that it misses the exercise! That's major progress for me.
BISJ: Thank so much again Alison for your time. We appreciate it greatly!!!
Alison: It was an honor to be asked!
