O
ne of the most common New Year's resolutions is the pledge to get fit.
Whatever may propel the pledger in that direction, be it health concerns, physical aesthetics or wishing to up one's energy level, it is all the same thing
With widespread fitness options, it is easy to wonder what is the best fit for you, the combination that will help maintain your momentum and make progress.
The decision to come through the door is a relatively easy one, but most of those coming through have no idea how to really get going on their own.
Cody Dailey, co-owner of Legends Gym and Health Club, along with his wife Marsha, is knowledgeable and encouraging.
"People walk into a fitness facility and look at the sheer immense space, filled with equipment and people exercising and may feel lost and a bit self-conscious," he said. "Eight to 10 people touring a gym for the first time have no idea what to do and may feel intimidated. For most of them, it has been over 10 years since they entered a gym, if ever. Knowledge-wise, they are worried they know nothing. So that is the key for any gym, to help people stick with the program, instead of being discouraged or burning out."
Dailey believes that fitness goals have both outside and inside components.
"What is your goal, what are you there to do," he said. "Set your routine around that goal. And just as important, match nutrition to activity. By the way, don't worry about your food component being perfect, just consistent."
Dailey warns against fads or other shortcuts.
"Don't mess with macro diets or exact points. Think in more general terms regarding your diet," he said.
He warns against "mullet season" in gym terminology.
"Don't start on your routine and go at it all wrong or too hard and quit out of frustration," he said.
Legends Gym and Health Club, which reaches its 25th year of operation in January 2020, has had the image of being a "muscle temple," a land of hardcore bodybuilders.
But Dailey assures prospective clients that is not what they are all about.
"We have a few of those here and you certainly can do that," he said, "But we are set up for all fitness levels and goals. We even have seniors in our membership. Many are surprised when they come to Legends, how relaxed and no-pressure the atmosphere is."
From a range of classes and methods of introduction, such as "Lunch with Cody," to the free, one-week pass just to get a feel for the place, equipment, staff and members, the idea is a casual introduction and to ease yourself into a guided approach to fitness.
"This is not just physical, this approach to fitness, a session here is a mini mind-vacation," he said. "One of the primary benefits of working out and fitness is a chance to get that stress we all get out of daily life out of the system. Members have 24-hour access to the facilities and all our classes are included in the membership as well."
For those who want another approach, One Love Yoga is one of the newcomers to the fitness scene in Texarkana, just having opened in the past year on the wave of more mainstream awareness of the practice of yoga.
Lauren Booker, one of the co-owners and instructors at One Love Yoga, stresses that yoga's approach is not just the physical, but also mental.
"In the coming new year, we have the 2020 Self-Care Challenge," she said. "That's one major difference with our approach versus conventional gyms, an inner focus as well as the physical realm."
Basing One Love Yoga's approach around the concept of the "eight limbs," a key yoga discipline, the idea is a whole self reset. New year, new focus.
"We don't take a competitive approach to what we do," she said. "Ours is an ongoing continuum of awards and incentive, encouraging participants in their progress as well as making sure they make time for themselves."
In the practice, Booker emphasizes the full range of benefits that yoga offers.
"Many think it is just stretching," she said. "But doing this also builds balance, muscle tone and helps the body to use stored energy. It serves to condition the physical."
Booker emphasizes love as the most important component to long-term success in the practice.
"We make sure our instructors teach with love and compassion so that every student benefits from our classes," she said.
"All our classes are accessible, from new students to seasoned yogis. We take time to make sure every student's needs are met so they can progress. Every student will progress at their own pace - no pressure here. The student decides what they need and we help guide them there. This really is just a continuum, no beginning or end point. The student decides and the instructor guides," she said.
Legends Gym and Health Club is located at 3315 N. State Line Ave. Call them at 903-792-2639.
One Love Yoga is located at 3004 Richmond Road. Their website is oneloveyogatxk.com, where their class schedule can be found.