M e m b e r Pe r s p e c t i v e
Interview by Erin Frawley
Think You ’ re Too Old ?
Listen to Sandy . Then Think Again .
Only
Human
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Kristin Victorious at 2009 Golden Gloves “ Age is Only a Number ” - Sandy Luongo
f you ' ve taken one of my Sculpt
Iclasses chances are you know Sandy Luongo . She is a long time Fitness Incentive member who is both inspiring and motivating . I recently sat down with Sandy to find out what keeps her going .
What brought you to Fitness Incentive ? I moved to West Babylon when I was 60 years old . I wanted to join a gym and didn ' t know the area . I found an ad for Fitness Incentive and called . Cor was the one who answered the phone and invited me to come down and give it a try . I came down to try a class , and there was an adorable little 3-year-old girl running around named Jourdan , and I ' ve been here ever since . own pace , not to look at anyone else , just do what ' s comfortable for me , which I do . It ' s part of my life .
What would you say to someone who is afraid to take a class ? I would tell them don ' t be afraid . Once you come here , you ' re going to want to come back . You ' ll feel very comfortable ; you ' ll never be judged by what size you are or how old you are .
To that point , what advice would you have for someone who thinks they are too old ? That ' s only a number . Your spirit never ages , it ' s ageless . I ' m going to be 83 years old , and my spirit is young . She wants to jump around and have fun ; she ' s the little girl we all have inside of us .
Do you feel exercise keeps you feeling young ? Without a doubt . Without a doubt . I love it . I would tell people if you ' re 60 , 70 , 80 or over just give it a try . You ' ll love it .
I think Sandy is on to something because if you meet her , you will know her spirit is still young . She is a perfect example of what staying active can do for both your mind and body . Sandy is also one of the people that make Fitness Incentive so special . Next time you feel intimidated to take a class or come to the gym take Sandy ' s advice . but I get very different workouts .
The updated app with the rewards feature is really nice and an added bonus to coming to FI . Luv that I get points just for checking in , completing a workout , and for reaching a goal . It is so easy to rack up points . There are some great rewards to redeem as well . Obviously , the more points you collect , the greater the rewards . I find it very motivating that for 1900 points you can get a PT session , 2400 gets you a massage , and there are a bunch more . The first week of the updated app I quickly added up 75 reward points . It is so easy and a great motivating tool .
Spring is right around the corner , which means it is almost Fantastic Four competition time and I am so stoked to get started . Looking forward to seeing what this year ' s competition will entail . All the mini-challenges last year helped keep it interesting and motivated me along the way . This year Michelle and I will be teamed together along with two new partners . We ' re looking forward to seeing what they will bring to the table . I plan on placing once again and want to do so much better than I have in the past . It ’ s even more motivation for me to heal my shoulder so I can compete without limitations . I love competing and being challenged - if you haven ' t figured that out by now !
Have you always worked out ? I have been working out sporadically since I was 40 years old . I ' ve been more consistent since I started coming here . I love Fitness Incentive ; I ' m not just saying that . I ' ve made a lot of friends here ; everyone is very warm and nice and caring . It ' s a good feeling when I ' m here . What inspires you to keep going ? It makes me feel young . I don ' t think about my age . I just enjoy what I ' m doing . I don ' t feel pressured or intimidated . I ' m told I can work at my
Erin Frawley is a certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Fitness Incentive
Dolores Falco is an FI Member who is a regular contributor to these pages
Spring 2017 FIT to Print
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