1. You may find him in the weight or cardio room, chatting with the Exercise
Physiologists at the fitness desk or maybe even taking a cycling class. Don’t
let the suit and tie fool you, Vinnie is not all business. His sarcasm may
catch a few people off guard; there is a compassionate side to Vinnie. He is
outgoing, likes to talk, laugh and have a good time. Vinnie is a rarity among
the members with having a smile on his face when he works out, but like the
majority of us, he has his own fitness journey with the same obstacles and
personal goals.
Vinnie has been active off and on. In the past he may attend the fitness cen-
ter for a few weeks and then not show up for a year. About two years ago,
Vinnie was feeling really tired, noticed he was overweight, had to take blood
pressure and cholesterol medication and looked older than his actual age. It
was then that Vinnie decided to do something about it.
Vinnie finds inspiration through his family. He wants to be healthy for them,
live to see his children grow and reach many milestones in life. Vinnie is also
inspired by working for a healthcare organization. He knows that healthcare
professionals are a great source of information, and believes that many dis-
eases affecting our population are from a lack of physical activity and poor
eating habits.
Vinnie’s current work out plan is to work out during his lunch hour. If he can-
not make it at lunch, “I will try and go after work.” His goal is cardiovascular activity on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, weights
on Tuesday and Thursdays. Vinnie leaves the weekends for rest. Sometimes he mixes it up his cardio activity with running, cy-
cling class and/or using another piece of cardio equipment. Vinnie mixes up his weight training by using and trying different
equipment or movements, or learning a new type of strengthening exercise. Vinnie gets through the plateaus of fitness by trying
different activities offered by the fitness center (Cycling, Pilates, etc). “The instructors are good and enthusiastic”. Vinnie isn’t
afraid of getting advice from the physical fitness instructors. His favorite activities include running and lifting weights. Sometimes
you will find him in a cycling class at lunch. When summer rolls in you may find Vinnie doing cannonballs in the pool.
Vinnie feels a lot better about himself. He has lost 40 pounds, has gained back 10, because he likes to eat. He still works out at
least 4 to 5 days a week. He says his children “Now want to go on long walks or short jogs with me because they see the bene-
fits of his activity.”
His advice to others is set aside a time in the day just for you and your favorite activity. Block it off on your calendar. Then go.
Even if you are tired, and do not feel like going, just go. That is the toughest hurdle, getting to the gym. When you first start out,
take it slow. Some days will be good days, some days you will feel like you did not accomplish anything, but before you know it,
you will feel better and notice your stamina increasing. Vinnie also states that the staff at the fitness center are motivating, a
great source of information, and are truly concerned about the people using the facility.
Vinnie is like all of us, and that is what I really like about Vinnie. He knows what he has to do; in order to be healthy and fit, you
have to exercise and eat healthy. He also has had his struggles in making working out a habit, but he stuck with it and is now a
familiar face in Cycling classes, and in the cardio and weight room. He also likes to eat and isn’t discouraged or alarmed when a
few pounds come back. Another reason why I like Vinnie is his upbeat and positive attitude. I have never seen Vinnie in a bad
mood, and when he sees you he greets you with a huge smile on his face. He may be lifting the heaviest of weights; he will give
you a smile and a “Hi.”
