Before 153 BCE, the Roman Calendar had October as the 8th month of the year (octo means 8 in Latin), November as the 9th (novem means 9) and December the 10th (decem means 10).
The old Roman calendar made sense, as the seasons are a cycle. If you were inventing a cycle, where would you start it?
In the winter?
It makes more sense to us humans to start the cycle at the beginning as we know it – birth or Spring.
Spring 2010 – Tioga County Fitness Challenge
So why would anyone resolve to change exercise and eating habits at the end of a cycle – in the dead of winter?
Well, maybe because they think “It’s a New Year and that mean new things. A new you maybe.
But it really doesn’t make sense from a practical standpoint. Up here in the Northeast, winter means shorter days, less sun, and colder weather. Most people slow down – maybe put on a protective layer of fat. Snuggling in a blanket with a good book is much more appealing than trekking out in the snow and cold to get to an exercise class.
In 1993, we coined our mission statement as “Helping Women Succeed with Fitness”. We wanted to be the place where women could come to exercise to get fitter and relieve stress so they could be better to themselves and for those around them.
Our gym has evolved. Now, we’re not just about women. We are co-ed and nearly 70% of our members are over 60 years old!
Our gym is now about serving people in their Best Third of life. It’s about helping people make this time the best part of their lives.
We want this third to be your best. It absolutely is for me and others in the gym. No more financial struggles. No more working for idiots. More time for family and friends.
We all know it’s not the age number that counts. The only thing that really matters is how we feel and how we perform physically and mentally as we age.
Chris Crowley in his book Younger Next Year writes how good life can be for those 55 and older in their “Next Third”. (Its actually the Last Third, but no sense in being morbid about it.)
Chris explains how the science shows that it is a choice for many to allow themselves to decay like the typical older person does. You can choose to feel and act just as good in your 60’s and 70’s as you do in your 50’s.
But it does takes work.
The science is clear that if we change away from our unhealthy habits and start doing the right things with exercise and diet, we can get biologically younger. We can have better physical and brain health as well as be more energized and optimistic.
Building Community within a gym is good for members and for business. Strong communities within gyms encourage member retention by keeping the atmosphere friendly, supportive, and energized.
Most people don’t go to the gym just for a workout. They go for motivation, accountability, inspiration and social connection. There is pride in being part of a healthy, strong, happy community. Members feel valued and accomplished when they are working out side-by-side, learning new movements, celebrating victories and overcoming challenges together.
Crossfit’s meteoric rise in the fitness industry was built on a community platform. Barb and I attended Wodamania in Riviera Beach, Florida in December. The energy and support for the athletes was unreal!
Our friend, the late Val Gundrum, focused her business model of Aerobics Central/Four Seasons Fitness Studio a decade ago on community. She was way ahead of her time in understanding that social interaction is important in the gym.
Community is important!
Now more than ever!
Society is heading in the wrong direction regarding social connection. There is more cellphone and social media use, particularly among younger generations, and less volunteering and face-to-face interaction. This is linked to the increase in loneliness and depression.
Data shows that exercise can help treat depression. Adding positive social interactions within the exercise environment is only going to help more.
The mechanisms underlying the antidepressant effects of exercise remain in debate; however, the efficacy of exercise in decreasing symptoms of depression has been well established. Data regarding the positive mood effects of exercise involvement, independent of fitness gains, suggest that the focus should be on frequency of exercise rather than duration or intensity until the behavior has been well established.
We need to look for opportunities to connect face-to-face with others as well as virtually.
The gym is the perfect place!
Building on to Our Community Gym
In 2024, we will be entering “Fays II” of our Building Project, which will add another 500 sq. ft of floor space to the gym.
This additional space will allow for more people and more classes.
I’d like to borrow from Charles Dickens and start with, “It was the best of times…,” but it wasn’t. On St. Patrick’s Day, I slipped on my front porch, slid to the ground, and was very badly bruised and hurt. A trip to the ER revealed nothing broken, but I was quite shook up. In fact, the swelling and numbness have still not completely gone away after more than two and a half months. Today, June 10th, I fell again…this time headlong. Two tumbles. The first resulted in significant injury; the second, I got up, dusted off my hands, and continued on my way.
Ron and Steve in the Wee Hours – Post Workout
What was the difference, aside from the first was backward and the second forward? The difference is Fay’s Fitness, Inc. on the corner of Simcoe Road and 96B in Candor. After I was cleared by my doctor the first week of April, I started to go see Ron Fay twice a week for personal strength training, and my wife started with Barb Fay. The first thing I saw when I came into the gym is the quote on the wall: “You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet.” Yikes! That struck a nerve…Both Ron and Barb have been able to make accommodations in our exercise programs for injury and fitness levels. Both are highly encouraging, engaging, and super knowledgeable. Since then, I have continued a twice weekly strength training program that is fun, doable, and produces results. About three weeks ago, Ron identified that I had a certain lack of strength in my legs, so we added a “leg day” that takes about 30 minutes.
When I started, I had difficulty balancing on one leg for more than a few seconds. Now I can routinely hold my balance for 30 seconds or more. I am convinced that I was able to get right back up after today’s tumble because my reflexes, ankles, legs, arms, and shoulders are measurably stronger than they were two months ago. I am now doing strength training three days a week and walking between 45 and 60 minutes a day for three days a week. Even the Lord took a day off!
I am so glad that I started at Fay’s Fitness…greater strength, balance, reflexes after two months…and, as a side note, I’ve lost a bit over twenty pounds. Give them a try…you won’t be sorry!
I take a Western view of Enlightenment. I believe the volumes of ancient texts written on the subject can be reduced to a half dozen or so bullet points.
Enlightenment is:
An awakening. Becoming conscious of oneself and our surroundings.
Freeing. It frees us from the things in life that have held us in bondage.
Truth seeking. Once we’re free and conscious, it is our nature “to seek truth and practice it”. This results in wisdom.
Gaining Peace of Mind. No more being stressed out.
Discovering and focusing on what’s important. Putting first things first- like relationships.
Fulfilling your purpose – self actualization.
For many of us, there’s no better time than retirement to put your pursuit of enlightenment into high gear. When you’re working a job and supporting a family, it’s very hard to to free up time from every day pressures. When your life is in high gear, it’s difficult to even think straight. Retirement can change all that.
Being too smart is a handicap in life. Too many active brain cells can make things more complicated than they need to be. It’s why Occam had his razor.
My recent book, Young Longer, can be accused of being “Doom and Gloom”.
As a design engineer, I always think in terms of FMEA – Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. You can’t design something reliable without thinking of what can possibly go wrong.
We all have some concern about things that can go wrong in our lives. It’s why we buy insurance. But where insurance covers us generally when something goes wrong, FMEA is very specific in its purpose to PREVENT anything from going wrong.
New and used car prices are going out of sight. Demand for dependable, newer vehicles is still high and supply is low. As a result, people are overspending for basic, dependable transportation.
If you think the only option is to buy a new or slightly used car to get dependability, then you’re throwing money away. The peace of mind of having a new car with factory warranty has a huge price tag in depreciation.
I help friends and family stay in they’re old beaters for as long as possible. Over the years, I have established some simple rules to get the BEST value out of an automobile used for basic transportation.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, had three simple rules: Do no harm. Do more good. Stay in Love with God.
That compares to his superior, Jesus Christ, who said the most important things are 1) to love your God, and 2) to love your neighbor.
So from John Wesley’s perspective, loving your neighbor is DOING good and NOT DOING harm.
“Do no harm” originated long before John Wesley. The Latin phrase: Primum non nocere – first, do no harm, likely originated with Hippocrates (470-360 B.C.). The Hippocratic Oath contains a version that states: “I will abstain from all intentional wrong-doing and harm”. “
Though the idea of doing no harm is sensible, it is not practical. That’s likely why there is no Biblical Reference. If God had commanded to “Do no harm”, people would have stopped helping each other altogether, as most of us understand that in order to do good, some harm may need to be done.
