Carrie Banks

Member since '04

"It's better to wear out than to rust." I heard that recently in an online lecture by John Ratey, M.D., the author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, which comprehensively explores the fascinating and important connection between the two.

I was intrigued by Dr. Ratey's comment. I've exercised consistently and consciously for more than a decade but I'm not, nor have I ever been, an athlete. For me, exercise is about maintaining health and well-being. It's about fitness. I'm in my early 40s with an unfortunate metabolism, an arthritic shoulder, a creaky, unpredictable knee and a profession that requires me to spend most of my day in front of a computer. Yet, I'm also a scuba diver, a (sporadic) weekend bicyclist, a yoga enthusiast and an active member of MetroFitness. It's important to me that I can haul my scuba gear without struggling; that I can work in my yard for as long as it takes to complete a project; that I'm not going to the doctor for multiple sinus infections every year; and that I can enjoy a myriad of outdoor activities. Exercise makes these things possible and Metro provides a safe, professional, nonthreatening and friendly environment for me to maintain a realistic routine. I'm also constantly inspired, encouraged and uplifted by the people at Metro - members and staff.

Several years ago I began circuit training once a week with Melvenia Redding, one of Metro's elite trainers. It's not an exaggeration when I say my sessions with Mel have been life changing. One of my early goals was to be able to do five military pushups. Now I do 25 every day. Mel plans a different set of challenges for me each week - always designed to push my personal limitations while ensuring I maintain correct form and a realistic outlook. Sometimes I exceed the challenge; other times I'm just thankful to finish. Regardless, Mel is my mentor, my teacher, my coach and my reality check. My session with her is something I look forward to every week. It's an investment I've made in myself that has expanded my physical abilities. The rewards are evident - and absolutely worth the personal commitment.

Bottom line: I feel better, think better, have more energy and am much more pleasant when I exercise. Therefore, MetroFitness has played a vital role in my personal health and well-being. Yes, it's definitely better to wear out than to rust.

Rajni & Jeetu

Members Since '09

My name is Rajni and Jeetu is my better half, we are basically natives of India. I am a homemaker and my husband is an IT consultant whose work brought us to the USA back in March 2006. We lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for 2 1/2 years before my husband got an opportunity with Hyundai which brought us to Montgomery in October 2008. We have been an active member of MetroFitness club since February 2009.

The purpose of us joining MetroFitness was that my husband and I wanted to lose weight and get back in shape. We had started neglecting ourselves in recent years and we got a wake up call when my husband started complaining about his knees and shortness of breath whenever we did some basic stuff like climbing up the stairs. We realized that we had put on substantial weight over the years and this had started showing on our health. It is then we decided that we needed to do something about this and have better control of our life.

We visited several clubs in the area and finally decided to become a member of MetroFitness. We initially enrolled for a free trial period of seven days, and immediately we started enjoying working out at the club. We love the friendly staff, the calm environment, competitive instructors/trainers and state of the art equipment. We love the friendly ambience at MetroFitness which motivates us to keep going; we have made many good friends and everyone encourages each other to raise the bar. We enjoy the wide variety of group exercises Metro has to offer. My personal favorites are Turbo Kick, Zumba, Hip Hop, Cycle, and Yoga. My husband loves Ab Attack and Yoga. We work out at the club regularly and have seen a gradual reduction in our weight and a tremendous improvement in our overall health. We now feel much stronger from within and outside. Exercise has proven to be good for our mind, body and even our relationship. Exercise has helped to reduce stress from our day-to-day life. We always feel a natural high after working out at Metro. We feel that we now have more energy for everything, feel more confident and can enjoy life in a better way.

Since we became a member of MetroFitness we both have lost a combined weight of 100 lbs. and still counting. We haven’t reached our goal yet but believe that we will get there soon. Thanks to Metro and all the trainers and instructors who have helped us get closer to our goal. We would especially like to thank our trainer Tony Davis for guiding us through our weight loss journey. One of the valuable lessons we’ve learned from our trainer is ‘Food is Fuel to Body.’ We have learned to maintain a healthy diet and no longer indulge in comfort or junk food. These lessons have helped us to complement our weight loss efforts.

We thank Metro for the opportunity to share our story with all of you. Congratulations to MetroFitness for being voted as the "Best Health Club" in Montgomery for 10 years in a row. MetroFitness Rocks!