By Brian M. Rafferty
If you have decided to do something to help burn off those pounds, Queens and its neighbors have tons of places to go where people are willing to help.
Gyms, health clubs, weight loss centers, spas and more all entice those wanting to slim down or bulk up.
Body By Berle, which bills itself as the original Nautilus one-on-one fitness center, has a series of pamphlets that cater to individual needs, but all with the same theme— muscle burns fat.
“The goal of any proper diet and exercise program should be to get the resting metabolic rate high enough to burn calories even when the body is inactive,” according to Richard Berle, president of Body By Berle.
“Muscle is active tissue, burning 75 to 100 calories more per pound each day than fat just by being there,” Berle said. “When dieters lose this active muscle tissue, they put their dieting goals further out of reach.”
When people try to lose weight simply by eating less or substituting meals with shakes or pills, they may lose weight quickly, but they lose both muscle and fat, Berle said. When meals are reintroduced to replace the shakes and pills, most of the weight that is gained back is fat, and losing the weight again will actually become harder.
Berle feels that working to build strength and muscle should be a part of any diet or exercise program. ““Aerobics and step classes do not make a person stronger,” he said. “These forms of exercise do not build muscle and do not promote the loss of fat.”
But what they do, is build cardiovascular health, a key to many health clubs. New York Sports Club, with locations throughout Queens, offers new members an introductory session with a personal trainer to design the best workout to meet personal goals.
Elliptical machines, treadmills, stair-climbing machines and other cardiovascular devices are found at just about every New York Sports Club location. The purpose of many machines that people find at these locations is to build stronger hearts and healthier lungs.
In addition to machines, many health clubs have an indoor track, swimming pool, racquetball courts and other options for working up a sweat.
But if you really want to sweat, a spa may be the way to go. Advanced Integrated Wellness in Manhasset is a leading medical spa that offers a wide range of features for the person trying to shed a few pounds, feel well-rested or just enjoy a day of relaxation.
They offer fitness training, herbal medicine, Reiki therapy, meditation, physical therapy, massage therapy, facials, acupuncture, and many other services that treat the whole body from an holistic approach. They even have a primary care physicians and accept many health insurance plans.
Their “Evolution Diet,” which works the whole body, inside and out, is medically supervised and involves behavior modification, hypnosis, acupuncture, non-surgical cellulite reduction, one-on-one fitness training and nutritional counseling.
Yoga, kickboxing, Tae Bo, and spinning may be the 21st century heirs to the running, aerobics, jazzercise and “Sweating to the Oldies” fads of the late 20th century, but they all share a common goal—to get people in better shape.
Body By Berle is located at 224 Middle Neck Road, Great Neck. Call 516-487-7878. New York Sports Clubs have locations throughout Queens. Go to www.nysc.com for more information and locations. Advanced Integrated Wellness is located at 1165 Northern Blvd., Manhasset. Call 516-627-0303 or go to www.advancedwellness4u.com.
