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Therapists and psychologists agree: close to seven out of every 10 people annually break their New Year’s resolutions each year – a trend that history shows will continue in 2014.
To make it even worse – a lot of those people will give up on their goals within the first few days of getting started.
Don’t be in the majority this time around.
If exercise is on your to-do list for 2014, Houma and the surrounding areas have a lot of places that are fully equipped to keep your body moving and your calories burning at a high clip.
“After the holidays are a very, very busy time, because people want to really start with a new, clean slate and really want to start fresh with new habits,” Black and Gold Nutrition Wellness Coach Starr Coleman said. “We are definitely expecting to see a bit of a peak here once the Christmas trees come down.”
Black and Gold Nutrition is a place where the price is right for the customer – free.
The newly started local business is located on 1206 East Tunnel Boulevard and offers “boot camps” several times a week where any male or female is able to exercise with Coleman and the business’s other wellness coaches free of charge.
The local business celebrated its grand opening on Dec. 21 before a crowd of approximately 50-60 health-happy Houma natives.
Coleman said the boot camps are all different in terms of the types of work that are done. She added that some even focus on spinning, yoga and other various forms of exercise genres and techniques.
This humble writer has witnessed a boot camp take place. Those in attendance push themselves to the limit while receiving encouragement from the wellness coaches on staff.
“We have a large variety,” Coleman said. “And it’s all no cost and low pressure. We just want people to be more active and to be healthier. If people try it and don’t like it, then that’s OK. But we at least would like for people to give it a chance and try it out one time, because we think we do a really good job making sure everyone feels welcome.”
While Black and Gold Nutrition aims to grow its clientele, so, too, does Twisted Fitness on 112 Equity Boulevard in Houma.
Owned and operated by Ashley Fontenot, Amber Berry and Gena Ragas (known around town as the Twisted Sisters), the local gym has been open since the fall, specializing in family yoga, kid’s yoga and a slew of other offerings that come in both group and individual sessions.
Fontenot said that, like Black and Gold Nutrition, Twisted Fitness also encourages men and women of all ages to get up and exercise.
“This is such a great thing for all people,” Fontenot said. “We are here for any people of any age. Yoga is something that truly is an amazing exercise for any person of all walks of life.”
At Twisted Fitness, Body Flow classes are always offered throughout the week.
Fontenot said the gym also contains an indoor cycling station where instructors are able to host bicycle-based workout courses.
“We’re not like the traditional gym that you picture when you think of a stereotypical workout gym,” Fontenot said. “We don’t have big weight machines or cardio equipment like treadmills or anything like that. Everything that we do is led by an instructor. It’s special because it’s all tailored specifically to an individual’s specific needs. … We want to make sure that we’re helping people. That’s our main focus.”
For those looking for more sports-based exercise or perhaps a weight-lifting routine, perhaps Renaissance Family Fitness in Houma is the spot to consider.
At the health club, which is located on 106 Southdown West Boulevard in Houma, customers who obtain a membership are given the keys to one of the area’s largest exercise facilities.
Inside Renaissance’s walls are two, separate gym and cardio areas, which contain lifting equipment and cardio machines.
Renaissance has racquetball courts, tennis courts, pools, and a quarter-mile rubber walking track.
In the facility’s aerobics studio, Body Pump courses and spinning classes are among the many offerings.
In Lafourche Parish, Peak Performance in Cut Off is similar to Renaissance in the services offered and size of the facility.
At Peak, members may join various exercise courses, including boxing training and Zumba. Peak also has racquetball courts and basketball courts.
For a public running track, the Cut Off Youth Center and Larose Civic Center offer two of the larger tracks in the parish – each free to anyone to use.
In the northern portion of Lafourche, a hidden gem is the Harold J. Callais Memorial Recreation Center on Nicholls State University’s campus.
Containing a 6,000 square-foot strength room and 42 pieces of state of the art cardio equipment, the university’s recreational center freely services Nicholls’ students.
But alumni of the school may also sign up for memberships at rates the university boasts are comparable to other facilities across the area.
2014 is here and the clock is ticking on those resolutions. But plenty options are available locally for those with the willpower to see the process to its completion.
Good luck. The statistics aren’t in your favor.
