Vol. 3, No. 4, April 2005
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No Sweat
How to work off those winter pounds despite the Atlantic City casino work schedule
Island Gym and Tilton Fitness offer the most comprehensive programs. Island Gym Fitness Centers, located in Ventnor, Absecon, Egg Harbor Township and Northfield, are open 24 hours, seven days a week. They offer a variety of cardio machines, free weights, and circuit training, as well as aerobics, spinning, yoga and Pilates. One of their most unique features is the Body-O boxing and cardio workout created and taught by world-champion boxer Virgil Hill. (See sidebar below.)
Co-owner Dave Dungan also touts the gym's Strive System, a ten-piece resistance circuit that stresses a different portion of each muscle group with every set. "In less than 30 minutes you can get a full-body workout, which is great for someone who's pressed for time," he says. Island Gym also features personal training, a juice bar, childcare, saunas, steam rooms and massage.
Tilton Fitness has gyms in Northfield, Somers Point, Mays Landing and Stafford Township. Tilton's Northfield gym is open 24/7. Others vary by location. All locations offer a variety of cardio machines, circuit training, free weights, and a variety of fitness classes. However, each of Tilton's gyms also boasts individual perks. Northfield offers both indoor and outdoor pools, a Jacuzzi and racquetball courts. Stafford has an indoor pool, Jacuzzi and racquetball courts. And Somers Point has indoor tennis courts available.
Another unique feature of the Tilton program is its affiliation with local hospitals. Mays Landing and Somers Point offer weight loss programs through Shore Health Systems. Stafford is connected to Southern Ocean County Hospital. Massage and childcare are available at all Tilton locations.
One of the newest workout options in town is AtlantiCare's LifeCenter in Egg Harbor Township. The 37,000-square-foot facility, which opened in February, includes a fitness floor with state-of-the-art cardiovascular, strength and resistance training equipment; "floating" floors for safe exercising; an indoor track; two group exercise studios; an exercise pool; a warm-water therapy pool; a café; a demonstration kitchen for healthy cooking classes; luxury locker rooms; a steam room, whirlpool and massage rooms in both the men's and women's locker rooms; showers with private dressing rooms; a community room; a library/resource room; and a babysitting room.
According to Executive Director Glenn Jones, the LifeCenter's distinctive feature is the personal attention given to each member. "If 100 people join a gym in January, only five of them will still be active members by December," Jones explains. "We address that by designing programs custom-fit to each member's individual needs, and by reassessing their results every six weeks."
The LifeCenter is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends.
Fitness First, with locations in Galloway Township and Seaville, is an option for women of all ages and men over 40. In place of traditional weight training systems, they feature Keiser variable resistance machines.
Compressed air provides the resistance with these machines, allowing for very small incremental changes in weight as you grow stronger, rather than the 10- to 15-pound increase that is necessary with traditional machines. Both locations also offer a variety of cardio equipment. The Galloway Fitness First is open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends. Seaville is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Also in Galloway is Galloway Fitness. This gym features an 8,000-square-foot boxing room in addition to its cardio and free weight sections. Offering personal trainers and childcare, the gym is open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, Saturday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Island View Gym in Seaville offers a variety of cardio equipment, free weights, circuit training, spinning classes, and personal trainers. They are open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The gym also offers Pilates, yoga, aerobics classes, and body sculpting. Childcare is available.
Somers Point Fitness offers cardio equipment, free weights, circuit training, and kickboxing, as well as body sculpting and step aerobics. Personal trainers and childcare are available. The gym is open from 5:15 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the weekends.
If you need help designing a diet, you can try the L.A. Weight Loss Center in Northfield, or join Weight Watchers, which holds meetings in various locations throughout South Jersey. L.A. Weight Loss is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. Weight Watchers meeting times vary according to location and range from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. To find a meeting near you, log on to weightwatchers.com and enter your local zip code. You can also get diet information and support online through weightwatchers.com and ediets.com.
With all these available resources, working in a 24/7 industry should be no obstacle to achieving your fitness goals. And if all of the above isn't enough to inspire you, remember this: Summer is just around the corner, and you'll have to climb out of those elastic waist pants and into a swimsuit!
