With the profusion of fast food joints that people throng and the evident increase in obesity locally, the management team of the newly-opened Body Max Fitness Centre is urging Guyanese to get fit and change their lifestyle.
The new facility, formerly Studio 2000, which was formally opened yesterday on Croal Street and United Nations Place, is aiming to promote fitness consciousness and offers a superior workout environment.
According to one of the managers of the centre, Andrew Poonai, the gym was designed to be on par with other facilities in the Caribbean and the United States.
But most of all the gym’s objective is for Guyanese to become more fitness conscious and to give them a “facility where they are comfortable to workout in,” says Poonai.
The management has a plan that matches that of the Ministries of Health and Sport.
“What we will be trying to do is have a fitter Guyana and remove some of those diseases that are caused by being obese. We can get you healthier but it doesn’t mean that you have to be slim but it means that you have to be fit and if we can get you to that point where you can be comfortable with yourself then most diseases like hypertension and diabetes etcetera we can minimize,” Poonai said.
He added that they are working with the same objectives as the ministries of health and sports and the Fit for Life and the Living Longer programmes that those ministries have tried to promote.
The other objective of the facility is to cater to every athlete of every sport, Poonai stated.
He pointed out that resistance training will be one of the focal points of trainers as this is one way that athletes can improve in their respective sports. The gym will also cater for persons who may be recovering from an injury, sporting or otherwise, or a serious accident or a stroke.
Further, Poonai, who studied at the American Council of Exercise, disclosed that the management has thrown out a challenge to all the sporting associations and he was pleased that the boxing facility has accepted the opportunity to have one of its members train at the two-storey facility. World International Boxing Association (WIBA) Bantamweight champion Shondell Alfred was present at yesterday’s launching and will be one of the faces of the gym, which will be catering to all the needs of its patrons and athletes.
Alfred conducted a few demonstrations on the machines as part of the launching ceremony.
Poonai, who has been part of the fitness industry for the past 13 years, noted that the gym is equipped with the latest in cutting edge cardio-vascular and elliptical machines.
An elliptical trainer is a stationary exercise machine used to simulate walking or running without causing excessive pressure to the joints, thereby decreasing the risk of impact injuries.
Poonai said they also offer a non-impact cardiovascular workout that can vary from light to high intensity based on the resistance preference set by the user.
He informed that there will be three trainers and they are all qualified. He pointed out too that there will be ongoing training for the trainers.
He said that the trainers are qualified to conduct over 500 exercises and the focus will be on acquiring the best possible results for their patrons.
