PLS Associate Wellness

For the last few months about 75 associates at CS Pleasanton have teamed up with trainers and have been working out together in small groups getting fitter and healthier. It has has been a great bonding experience for the associates, and the trainers have had a lot of fun getting to know staff they wouldn't have met otherwise. Last Thursday they had a wrap up party with healthy food and a nice chance to socialize with each other.

The picture top right is Mary, Heather and Kathy doing TRX, below that is Charli's group and some of the accounting team, and third the rest of the accounting team.

Below is a letter from Jon Merlin, the graphic designer, written to Heather. It warms my heart on many levels - it encapsulates all the things we want to do for our members and associates. Thank you for sharing your experience Jon, and thank you Heather for putting together such a great program.

Heather,
I just wanted to take the time to thank you for the Associate Wellness Challenge. Before the program, it had been about 6 years since I was regularly exercising. Although I worked here, it was still a challenge for me to find the motivation to exercise. I was very hesitant about attending the info meeting about the associate wellness program, dismissing the idea before even giving it an honest shot. In the meeting you talked about some of the “benefits” of exercise, such as increased energy, positive mood, and higher productivity. When I heard this, I was very skeptical. However, this challenge was just the motivation I needed. I decided to give it an honest try. I knew I would have a hard time keeping myself accountable if I did not have a partner, so I called my dad and asked if he would partner with me and work out consistently with me. I made the hard sacrifice of waking up a few hours early, and staying at the club a few hours later, and put an exercise routine into my week. I also scheduled an appointment with my team leader Ahmad, and he came up with a plan for me and revamped my nutrition and eating habits, teaching me how important what and when you eat are to staying healthy.

Its now been over 7 weeks, and I look and feel great! I have been working out 4 times a week, taking a few group exercise classes (tom’s boot camp and charlottes yoga), playing racquetball with my dad, and have been eating better foods, in smaller portions, in multiple little meals throughout the day. All the promises you made in the beginning were absolutely true for me. I have more energy, I am in a better overall mood, and I am more productive during my day. I have lost about 10 pounds of fat, gained some muscle mass, and completely changed my nutrition. In fact, I have even become somewhat of a health advocate to my group of friends, telling them what working out has done for me. I never thought I would be that person. To be honest, it has never been about winning a prize or the competition of this program. I did this program for me, and I feel like it has already paid off in tangible results. I have developed a passion for fitness, and plan to keep it up all year round. So once again, thank you so much for this program and the opportunity to learn about fitness. I feel the healthiest I have ever felt in my life. Thanks for caring about the employees here and putting programs in place for their success. It makes ClubSport a great company to work for.
-Jon