Women of Fitness: Yulonda N.

My name is Yulonda. I currently work as a service excellence rep in the security department for presence health. I really enjoy working in a hospital because I love helping people. I am also family oriented, so I spend a lot of time with my family. Growing up, sports played a huge factor in my family.

We were ALL extremely athletic. I played volleyball, basketball, ran track, and was on the cheerleading team throughout my entire academic career. But of course as I got older, I wasn’t very active anymore. With work and everyday life, things had drastically changed.About three years ago, I went to the doctor because I felt dizzy all the time. It was then that I found out that I was prediabetic, and had high blood pressure. I remember feeling really sad, and thinking to myself, I didn’t want to have to take pills every day for the rest of my life. I knew I had to change my lifestyle. I purchased a set of 10lb weights, meal prepped, and worked out to you tube videos for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I started seeing great results, I felt more energetic, and things were great.

In August 2016, I had to have gallbladder removal surgery. During my recovery, I wasn’t able to work out for at least 6 months. That was a major setback for me and the lifestyle I had created. By the time I had the clearance to start doing physical activities, I was right back to where I started. I gained all of the weight back. I was extremely discouraged, but I knew that if I did it before, that I could do it again.

I started back doing my routines as I had before, but I felt like I was missing that extra push I needed. I decided to join a gym. I did some research, tried out a few facilities, and eventually came across W3. W3 has given me what I was missing and more!!!! The classes are amazing, and all of the trainers are outstanding. The members are really encouraging and inspirational as well. When you walk in a gym and everyone knows your name, and will come over to help you with your workout, it truly feels like a second family.

I am happy to say that through my ups and downs, that I am no longer on any prediabetic medication. I know that as long as I continue to stay focused, that I will be able to accomplish anything. That I can continue to create a lifestyle where I can be here for my family, and I can be a healthier, happier, stronger ME!

W3Body App Launches January 2017!

It is finally here!

The W3Body APP for members. 

We are so excited to bring this mobile/tech feature to our members to help them stay engaged and ultimately, achieve the results they are looking for.

We strongly feel at W3 that this new app will help our members by keeping them engaged with the W3 community, keeping them up to date about what is going on at the club, offering challenges and other activities to keep them motivated, and incentivizing them through our NEW rewards program.

The W3 rewards program is a very exciting new feature for us at Women’s Workout & Wellness. Members who have the app will be able to earn points through various activities: coming to the gym for a workout, sponsoring a friend, taking a challenge, setting a goal, achieving that goal, enrolling in training, and more! They can redeem their accrued points at any time for various prizes, such as membership months free, a W3 t-shirt, team functional training, small group personal training, one on one personal training and lots more! It is all tracked on the app, and guess what? The app AND rewards program are FREE for our members!

Check group fitness class schedules, scan into the gym, join challenges, post to social media, receive daily deals, club updates, push notifications, rewards, prizes, record your workouts, refer friends, sync your nutrition log, connect your FitBit or other fitness device, chat with other members, set goals and MORE… All on the NEW W3Body APP!

-coming January 2017-

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Did we mention the app is FREE and only accessible to MEMBERS?

Can you tell we are a bit excited 🙂 Spread the word and get ready to set new fitness goals and ACHIEVE them in 2017!!! See you at W3~

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Sneak Peak of the new W3Body App:

What to Wear to the Gym for your Best Workout

Enhancing Your Performance

Many women don’t think twice when it comes to what they wear to the gym. They have their favorite pair of workout shoes, that one sports bra that feels just right (or so it seems), and their favorite pair of yoga pants they wash every day because let’s face it- they want to wear them again tomorrow. At this point holes may be forming in the inner thigh, and they are fading in the butt area, but they’re your favorite right?…you can’t just throw them away! Wrong!

Athletic apparel is a booming industry in fashion today. Many women feel that they don’t need to look cute while working out, versus the girls that go to the gym just to look good. Well let me tell you there is a lot more to athletic wear than what meets the eye. Actually, it’s an entire world of science, technology, fabric innovation, manipulation and perforation. Athletic apparel is created for a reason, and it is broken off into different categories for a reason- the reason being you. Yes, the reason is to enhance your performance through allowing the maximum range of motion, stability, and acceleration. Being aware of what you put on your body may severely impact your joints, muscles and the ladies(chest) in the long run. Athletic wear can get expensive, so I’ve come up with a list of a variety of products perfect for your specified workout and their equals for less!

#1 Taking Care of the Ladies!

I don’t care what cup you are- how small or big- you have to wear a supportive sports bra. Wearing a supportive sports bra while doing physical activity will ensure that the coopers ligaments in your breasts don’t stretch out to maximum capacity, meaning you will defy gravity for as long as you can! Are you experiencing back pain and upper back and shoulder problems? This may be due to your bra. 80% of women statistically are in the wrong size, so before you go out on your search, make sure to get measured professionally. Here are some photos of bras ranging from low to high-intensity support depending on your workout of choice and size of chest!

Great for light workouts. These bras are meant mostly for ladies with cups A-C who are lifting weights or doing light yoga, Pilates, and PiYo.

 Medium Impact Bras

These bras are best for women with A-C cups who are performing any activity from Zumba class, a long run, or just doing moderate cardio at the gym. They will support the ladies but also give them room to breathe! Getting the right size is the key to a good bra. These bras range from small to extra large. Ask an associate if you are not sure, and they will be glad to assist you!

High Impact Bras

These bras are designed with molded and adjustable straps to really help secure the chest. These bras are mostly for women with C-E cups. With extra support and padded straps, you will be able to move securely without having to worry about back aches or anyone staring at your chest! They are created to tame the ladies! The Hero as well features an traditional snap off for easy removal.

#3 The Right Tights for your Workout!

Having the right tights for your workout will be one of the key aspects of your performance. The main two categories of tights are running and yoga/training. Most running tights feature a drawcord for stability and less spandex for breathability. They usually will have an inseam or zipper pocket to stash your keys etc. Training tights, on the other hand, tend to have a higher waistband for extra coverage when doing yoga, Pilates, or any workout that asks for minimal distraction when lying on your back. It is important to be comfortable when doing your workout, so you are not pulling your pants up every five seconds! Being comfortable in your wardrobe will only make you concentrate harder due to less distractions. Nike, Lu Lu Lemon, and Under Armour all use a sweat wicking system in which the fibers will wick the sweat to the surface, allowing you to stay dry in the long run!

Running Tights

Nike Epix Lux
Lulu Lemon Speed
Lulu Moon

 TRAINING PANTS:

North Face
Lulu Lemon
Fabletics

#4 Do Not neglect your feet!

The importance of wearing the right shoe for your workout is crucial, if not the most important. If you are training, you must wear a training shoe! If you are running, you must wear a running shoe! No questions asked. This is crucial to your health, performance and pure enjoyment of your workout. Having a training shoe will help you with stability, jumping, and locking them in place when you need to. Training shoes tend to have more contact with the ground, allowing your movements to be fluid and intact. There are many different kinds of support; asking an expert will help you get on the right track. Finding the correct running shoe is key to your performance and overall bone health. Most runners need support and tend to switch their shoes out to work different muscle groups. It is important to have arch and ankle support if you have bad knees. In this case, you may need a Lunar Glide or Pegasus if shopping via Nike. Below are a few examples ranging from most minimalistic/barefoot to highest support.

Running Shoes

Nike 3.0 Flyknit
Nike Free 4.0
Nike Lunaglide 6.0
UA Speedform

TRAINING SHOES

Nike Flyknit Agility
Ryka Cross Training

These are a few tips to keep in mind. Places like Nike and Under Armour offer services like gate analysis in which they find the correct shoe for you by testing your feet on a treadmill. Now go out there and get the clothing that best suits you! Your hard work deserves the best. Follow our Pinterest page @w3body for more inspiration on athletic fashion! (Women’s Workout & Wellness)

 

*Post and information provided by Vanja, W3 Marketing Intern

Member Feedback from the W3Body Lawrence Ave Club!

We always ask our members for feedback, so we know how we can improve the experience we give our members. We want our members to be inspired, motivated and happy in our environment so they can thrive and get the best results they’ve ever seen and felt in their lives! Check out this feedback a member wrote in via email about our Lawrence Avenue gym in Chicago… It totally embodies what we try to cultivate at W3.

I’d be happy to give you feedback! I’ve really enjoyed working out at W3, but more than that, I’ve loved working with my trainer Coleen. She pushes me to do things I never thought I could.

The space is comfortable, and the women end up feeling like family. I’ve never felt uncomfortable talking to the other patrons after a workout. Something about the way W3 is run just makes everyone more approachable.

I used to be an athlete, but a few years ago I had surgery, got sedentary, and gained weight. Thanks for being the first gym that has accepted me regardless of my current state of physical capability. I feel welcome, and I never feel judged.

You ladies are great!

Bethany

Thank you for sharing, Bethany!

Shift in the Fitness Industry Toward Functional Training

Traditionally, health clubs have been known as a “big box” …. “rent a treadmill” …. “churn and burn.” But now, the trends are changing toward smaller gyms, towards results and programming and towards a huge focus on retention. Of course, you still have your big box players- those clubs that came into the market during the recession as the low-price competitors, but what are those gyms, really? They discount the price we should put on our health, and they don’t offer the services that the higher priced gyms do. Now, that’s great for those who are self- motivated and know exactly what they need to do and how to do it. But that doesn’t help the average American, and unfortunately, it sets them up for failure. Intimidation is a big factor along with the lack of knowledge, help, and in turn, the lack of results they’ll receive.

It’s unfortunate because these low price competitors have really changed the market. Less than 20% of the US population works out. When you take those out of the 80% who make the leap of faith and try it, only to fail, they are WAY less likely to ever join a gym again. It’s sad and frustrating, especially coming from a gym (we at Women’s Workout & Wellness 🙂 who truly care about our members. We have shifted our focus to learn new ways of helping our members and giving them service. We don’t want to be a ‘big box’ anymore, and we DEFINITELY don’t want to be known as the “churn and burn” club. We want our programs, especially our group exercise classes and group functional training, to be popular among our members because we know that’s how our women will get results. Group atmospheres for women make exercise FUN! And this dynamic keeps our members coming back to maintain the health they have achieved here at W3!

As mentioned, group exercise throughout our Chicagoland locations is a huge part of what makes W3 successful and what gives the Women’s Workout World (& Wellness) name strong brand recognition, even 30+ years later! We pride ourselves on excellent group exercise programs throughout our 5 locations. We know it’s a great bridge for the beginners and a great way to ease everyone into fantastic programs. However, also as mentioned above, we have looked for ways to better service our members and give them the attention they need to get fit, healthy, and see results. They need guidance and a GREAT program, and we have found a way to do that through our group training programs. Not only is it group training; it’s also functional training. Work on core, strength and metabolic movements- many times all at the same time! Much of our equipment is what you’ll see on the Biggest Loser show, too! For those who don’t want to fully jump into the program, we offer bootcamps to get a short-term taste of what success feels like!!! (and an awesome workout!) If you are thinking about functional training, ask to set up a fitness assessment where one of our fitness professionals/trainers will go over with you, step by step, what’s involved in the program, what you can expect, and then he/she will take you through a mini-workout so you can experience that personal attention first hand!