My Job At Curves

Today is a work day for me. I will be reporting in at 3:30 and work until 8:00. I will be standing on my feet and exercising the whole time I am there. Needless to say I am bushed by the end of my shift but I am always happy and feeling good about what I do when it is time to go home.

As you can see from the picture above, there are 24 stations which consist of 12 platforms and 12 machines which are all arranged in a circle. The client starts their workout on one of the platforms and no, it doesn't matter which one. There are signs taped to the floor in front of the platforms which give a "suggested activity" such as "jog in place" or "do the swim" or "do the twist". The platforms are to get your heart rate up and to keep it up during the workout. The music (it is basically disco music for Curves) is playing and every 30 seconds a woman's voice says "change stations now". That is the cue for the ladies to move one station to their left and they keep going until they have gone around the circuit 2 or 3 times.

I can see why this franchise is so popular around the country. First of all the demographic is the over 40 overweight woman who feels overwhelmed at a large gym like Bally's. These are ladies who have no desire to have the guys looking at them or to hang out with the 20's spandex crowd. When they come in the door they are greeted by a friendly "Hi, how are you Sarah" (or whoever). They like being welcomed by everyone who is already working out and you can see that some friends have been made in this little ladies gym.

Having the stations in a circle promotes talking and most everyone joins in on the subject of the moment. By now I know a little about their lives so the conversation flows pretty easily. Well, anyone who knows me knows that conversation flow is not a problem. LOL We talk about all kinds of things. Husbands, kids, work, food (lots of talk about food), exercise, Paul, Britney and just about anything that you can think of. This conversation helps the time go by so that the ladies go around the circuit a couple of times, get in their exercise and it is over before they know it. It is actually (dare I use the word?) fun. After the workout is over we suggest that they stretch in our designated stretching area. Then they are done and they can go home feeling as if they have accomplished something to help themselves get fit.

Most of the ladies who join are also looking for motivation to keep them on track. I have my before and after pictures up on the board so that everyone can see that I have been where they are now. Of course, Richard is always in the discussion. He is really well loved by all these ladies and they are all jealous that I know him and that we actually email and party together at his yearly retreats. I tell them what Richard always told me. I tell them that they are worth the effort and that they really can do it. We always talk about how hard it is to get a grip on food and I tell them that I am right there with them struggling every day. They appreciate the fact that I feel their pain and have been where they are now. Of course, some do better than others.

It goes both ways though. Not only do I help them but they help me too. I have gotten some fantastic advice about how to bring down my astronomical homeowner's insurance. I have been told about the best shoe sales coming up at our local Dillards and I have also been motivated by the same ladies that I am getting paid to motivate. Just watching them come in that door every day and work so hard makes me think twice about straying from my food plan. I still stray but at least I think about it more.

So, yeah. This is my workplace. This is my Curves where I work with my clients who are now my friends.