Douglasville Gold’s Gym Ezine

By: Skip Johnson
Douglasville Gold’s Gym Managing Partner

Do You Need A Change?
There comes a time for each of us, whether it is through a sickness, a divorce, a death of someone close to us, a financial hardship, or some other crisis, that we will each say, “It’s time. It’s time for a change. It’s time to find out who I really am, who I really can be, and it’s time to take my life to a level that I have never known before. It’s time for a new me.”

I See Health And Fitness Changes In Douglasville Everyday
As an owner in a health and fitness facility, I am privileged to get to witness these great changes in peoples’ lives on a regular basis (I have often said that aside from the ministry–and I was a young adult Sunday School teacher for twelve years–the health and fitness business makes more of a difference in peoples’ lives than any business I can think of).

The Emotional Benefits Of Fitness Are Surprising
When people walk in the door and tell us that they are ready to see what they can do with themselves physically, they are seldom prepared for what will happen emotionally when they commit themselves to an exercise program. In fact, recent clinical research has shown that exercise is often as effective as therapy for improving the lives of patients who are suffering from depression.

Your Magic Bullet
Additionally, exercise has been found to have dramatic effects on the lives of persons who live with illnesses from anxiety to diabetes and from high blood pressure to insomnia. It is the closest thing there is to a “magic bullet” for dealing with the physical and emotional difficulties of life. It simply “works”, but it takes you or me making a decision to make a change. It takes us saying, “I’m ready—it’s time.”

What’s Holding You Back?
But, we say, we don’t have time. Or we say that we don’t have the energy. Or we say that we have too many other pressing needs or we have too many other people counting on us and too many other commitments in our lives, and those are true. And, they always will be true. They always will be until we rise above our busy schedules and our commitments and our fears and our disbelief in ourselves and say, “It’s time.” Because time and convenience won’t come to us, so we must meet them halfway. They won’t come to us when “things settle down” or “the kids get in college” or “when we get a better job with better hours” or even when “we retire”.

What If You Could?
So if we want to begin an exercise program, then we set our daring goal and we begin looking at how responsibilities and events in our lives can be positioned to allow our goals to come to fruition. We start looking at the possibilities of what could happen for ourselves and the people in our lives through the achievement of these goals–and we start looking at how we can make choices to facilitate our starting and progressing into this new, exciting, rewarding chapter of our lives. We simply begin because the momentum of our decision that “it’s time” pushes us forward in a bold, unstoppable way. It’s time.

As we begin a new year, we make resolutions. But why not make a resolution today? Now. We’ll fail at some, and we’ll succeed at some. But one thing is for sure: the ability to make a resolution to change our lives through activity is within our grasp. All we have to do is take one small action to start good things happening. The many results of are “ripe for the picking”.

It All Starts With Your Decision
If you have never been involved in a consistent exercise program, or if it has been years since you have been active, the clock is ticking. The decision to start an exercise program will be one of the most powerful decisions you will make in your life. No Kidding. I see it every day. A decision to get fit and make regular exercise a habit is a force of nature.

It will positively affect every aspect of your life, your family’s lives and the lives of those that are important to you. Take a deep breath, step forward and begin. It’s time.

By Skip Johnson, Gold’s Gym Managing Partner

Research overwhelmingly shows that regular exercise lowers the risk for many diseases, enhances the functioning of virtually every physiological system in the human body and improves psychological well-being. 

1. Helps you to more effectively manage stress.     

2. Helps you to lose weight – especially fat weight

3. Improves the functioning of your immune system.

4. Reduces medical and health care expenses.

5. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease

6. Increases your level of muscle strength.

7. Improves athletic performance.

8. Can help relieve the pain of tension headaches.

9. Allows you to consume greater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance.

10. Helps you sleep easier and better.

Are you ready to reap the benefits of exercise?  Gold’s Gym is ready to help you get started!  We have a Free Mini-Membership waiting for you!

By Tom Butler

A Friend, a Member, an Inspiration

We all are holding sadness in our hearts here at Gold’s Gym from the death of our dear friend and member Aaron Moody. Aaron joined the gym in 1994 to work on his health and eventually found that the Ride classes produced the results he and his doctors wanted. Aaron had heart problems, had to have a pace maker “installed” (his word), he had over come colon cancer, he had a kidney removed, and he had a half dozen other things wrong that were causing him to be in poor health. Once he became a regular in his workouts and involved in a steady schedule of Ride classes many of his maladies fell by the way side or he managed to get under control. He soon found that he could not miss his programs because he felt terrible if he did and absolutely terrific when he was here. “I guess I’m just addicted to them and that’s a fact”, he told me years ago.

He Regularly Surprised his Doctors

All of these years Aaron has pleasantly surprised his doctors from his perseverance, determination, and downright stubbornness. There was not much he couldn’t do, or try. They were amazed when he had his physicals and discovered how strong he had become. He was an inspiration to those who knew him. Even when he had a kidney removed this year he was back in the gym in just a few days starting to ride again, getting his groove on one more time.

 His Passion for Cycling Kept Growing His Passion for Cycling Kept Growing

Aaron had not had a new bike since he was a kid but when he discovered the Silver Comet Trail he went out and bought a shiny new one so he could do what he enjoyed so well. He told me all about it and how much fun he was having being out in the wind. He was in love with the ride and the miles of beauty he discovered. Aaron traveled hundreds (maybe thousands) of miles on that old rail bed and identified with its age and colorful history. It gave him many hours of vigorous pleasure.

He Died Doing What He Loved

Aaron had a bad wreck there this weekend and died Monday (July 16,2007) from complications of a broken hip and other injuries. The only comfort I have from this sad news is that he was experiencing something he loved when it happened. I can only hope that Aaron knew how much we all cared about him. He was a good man, a true inspiration, and a loyal friend. We will miss him very much. Ride on Aaron.

Tom Butler, Gold’s Gym

You Can Do Anything

Several years ago I had an opportunity to hear motivational speaker Les Brown ignite a few thousand people at the Cobb Galleria north of Atlanta.  He sent us out into the night with passion in our eyes and fire in our bellies.  The subject was “Live Your Dreams” (he has a book of the same title) and when I left I felt I had been given a shot of power that had no equal. He released my personal shackles of fear and self-doubt with his words and I was convinced I could do anything.  After a few days the “S” faded from my chest, my cape fell away. But still, he left flames burning that would not go out and I still feel the heat from his words after these many years.

Time to Believe in Yourself

What has to happen to you to believe in yourself?  How do you become convinced you are in control of your destiny?  In my case it has been many people and experiences but that night with Les Brown I had a crystal clear understanding that there was really nothing in my way for success.  The old embers were rekindled that I thought had gone dark.  This man stoked my dreams and I begin to consider the future of my life and what I wanted to do with my years. 

For others who have lived their dreams their stories are varied and many, but the one thing that is common to all is the passion to push forward no matter the hardships or obstacles that fall in our path. Once the flames are red hot, the steam builds, the powerful wheels begin to move, and nothing will stop an iron horse of power. 

Take Charge of Your Life

Our Jennifer Marnell lost 180 lbs.  It took her almost 3 years but she did it.  She will tell you right away that it was a blue steel mindset she developed to help her succeed.  It was never easy, but she had fire, she had vision, she had an unstoppable determination that took her past the whining and moaning and weak moments to the reality of the treasures of her life. She realized that she was more than eating, more than junk food, more than fat, more than illness, more than a victim of her choices.  Jennifer took charge of her life and became the person she wanted to become, living her dream, reaching her potential, and enjoying her life in ways she had never before considered. 

Anyone can do this with the right motivation and opportunity.  So let’s go back to my original question.  What has to happen to you to believe in yourself? Does it come from within or without?  Do you simply have to decide you’re going to change?  Are your ready to get started on being a healthier you?  Gold’s Gym wants to help you live your dreams.  Take the first step with a FREE MINI-MEMBERSHIP! 

Jennifer Marnell from Douglasville, GA was recently named the Southeastern Region Change your Body Change Your Life Winner!  Jennifer won a trip to the Gold’s Gym International Convention in Las Vegas to tell her Gold’s Gym success story for the International Change your Body Change your Life Award.

Inspiration to Everyone

Jennifer has shown everyone how to take command of our lives and become who ever we want to become.  She is living her potential and realizing all of her possibilities.  Gold’s Gym of Douglasville is proud of her as she is a true inspiration to every one of us.  A shining example of how, with determination and clear goal setting, Gold’s Gym can help change your body and change your life. 

Read Jennifer’s Full Success Story and the Journey from 300 pounds!