Left to Right : Charles , Gracie , Nancy , Iris , Tommy , and Pam
Gym Buds in Action ... gym , my daughter Michelle Pepito talked me into joining Fitness Incentive where I met my trainer Iris Greco . That was the beginning of my life change . I joined my first challenge , lost 40 pounds , and met three great people . With Iris at the helm , we have become great friends . Thank you , Nancy , Gracie , Charles and Pam . But most of all , thank you , Iris .
Nancy ' s Favorite Things …
Like Home ”
My favorite time of the day is when I get to Fitness Incentive as it opens . What a great way to start the day . The fun begins when I meet up with my Gym Buds to do a little warm-up , and then it ' s time to meet up with our trainer . Iris is not just our trainer but also one of our best friends . Iris is unbelievable ! She is smart , knowledgeable , and knows us like nobody else . The bond between our gym buds is like no other . We offer strength and encouragement to each other . It doesn ' t matter what kind of day you ' re having you can be sure when we get together all bets are off . We feed off each other . Whose weights are heavier , whose body fat is lower , how much have we gained or lost ? We hold each other accountable for our health and wellbeing .
Let ' s not forget about spinning , one of the best parts of our morning . We are together all the time , and if you ' re not at FI , you get a text . Although we are five very different people , we have our love for our gym in common .
I have been working out for forty years but the best years are the ones I have spent at FI . I am stronger and healthier than I have ever been . I have the best gym buds and the best gym . Thank you , Ken and Cor !
Charles ' s Experience
Let me start by saying that I have been working out at various gyms for just about 20 years , start and stop , on and off . I moved to Babylon from Manhattan about 11 years ago . At that time I was still a member of NY Sports Club , which was my gym when I lived in the city . In 2006 there were no NY Sports Clubs close to my new home in Babylon , and having just moved to a new town and commuting to my job in Queens , I put working out and the gym on hold .
About a year later after settling into my new home and neighborhood , a friend of mine invited me to be his guest at FI . I immediately liked the environment . Everyone was very friendly , and it was close to home so
there were no excuses for me not to go ! As I recall , I joined right away and started with complimentary training from one of the trainers .
One day while doing my regular gym routine , one of the guys that I would regularly see at the gym recommended I take a spin class . At first I was intimidated , but after my initial fear , I realized that I loved the adrenaline of these intense cardio classes with great music that kept me going back for more . I was hooked ! There was also a comradery among spinners , and I started making new friends from the spin classes . You could go unnoticed in a spin class , but not in Carmella ' s . She ' s a great coach , calling everyone out by name and cheering everyone on .
As a result of Carmella ' s spin classes , I met Nancy DiCicco who was there with a smile and a friendly hello every day . Little did I know that a year or two later Nancy , her husband , Tom , and Grace would turn out to be my closest friends and teammates . Nancy encouraged me to do a fitness contest in the spring of 2012 and suggested I join her team training with Iris Greco . I was hesitant , but considering I was turning 50 that coming summer I decided now was the time to challenge myself . The Fit 4 Summer contest of
2012 was great ; I never worked so hard or felt so good . The support of Iris and my teammates made me welcome my 50th year with strength and confidence .
Fast forward a couple of years later I started experiencing tightness in my hips , pain down both my legs . I could not understand where this pain was coming from . I tried all kinds of stretches and lunges to loosen up my hip flexors , and nothing was working . I was in pain and discouraged and spent less and less time at the gym . I missed my daily routine with my friends . As it turns out , I was diagnosed with severe arthritis in both my hips at 53 years old .
One morning , when I attempted to do a little bit of a workout at the gym , I ran into Iris and my friends , who I had not been training with since being diagnosed . Iris encouraged me to come work out with them that morning . I did , and it felt great , not only to exercise and move my body but to be back with my “ gym buds .” Not to mention Tom ' s offcolor jokes and our rowdy laughter that would turn heads in the gym .
Within a few months , I scheduled my double hip replacement surgery while I continued to train with my gym buds and Iris . Sticking with my training was no doubt the catalyst for a miraculously speedy recovery after my surgery . I felt great , and I could not have done it without the knowledge and expertise of my saint of a trainer , Iris Greco , and the support and friendship of my gym buds . Fitness incentive feels like home .
* American Journal of Medicine
Spring 2017 FIT to Print
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