Blaine, Birch Bay offer a variety of fitness options

By Tara Nelson

If you’re like many Americans, you have pledged to lose weight during the coming year. Fortunately, Blaine and Birch Bay offer a variety of fitness establishment to help you achieve your goals.

Everyday Fitness
Everyday Fitness opened its second Whatcom County location in the Blaine International Mall last April. The gym offers cardiovascular, resistance and strength training at both its Blaine and Ferndale locations. Owner Josh Lehman said their specialty is offering nutrition classes and various fitness training to their members.

“Nutrition is 80 percent of health,” Lehman said. “The second most important thing is cardiovascular training and the third thing is resistance training and strength training no matter how old, young, shape and size, because the more muscle the body has, the higher the metabolism is.”
Programs include their “Women On Weights” small group training that teaches strength training for women and their popular “Body Bugs” devices that attach to the arm,tracking caloric expenditures throughout the day. Personal training, special weight management and senior programs are also available. Everyday Fitness is open from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and closed on Sunday and is located at 1733 H Street #850. They can be reached by calling 332-7210. For more information, visit their web site at www.everydayfitnessinc.com.

Birch Bay Fitness
Those looking for a workout at 3 a.m. might check out Birch Bay Fitness at 4815 Alderson Road in Blaine.

Owner Patrick Wlaznak said he opened the gym in May when he thought early-risers and night shift employees might constitute a demand for a 24-hour gym. Members enjoy an electronic key card and the freedom to work out during odd hours. Workout equipment includes free weights, cardio machines, sit-down bikes, elliptical machines, treadmills and stair master machines. Personal training and corporate group rates are available. Birch Bay Fitness can be reached by calling 746-0577.

Blaine Senior Center
The Blaine Senior Center offers free use of its exercise equipment to paying members with the completion of a 10-week training course and a doctor’s release form.

The center also offers a wide range of free classes such as yoga at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and Tai Chi at 5:30 p.m. Monday and 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday and Saturday. Strength training classes are also available.

The Blaine Senior Center is open from a 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Membership to the center is available to Whatcom County residents ages 50 and older for $25 per month. They can be reached by calling 332-8040.

Curves
Curves offers a unique approach to cardio and strength training. Manager Leah Discher said members can use an automated sequence of 10 hydraulic resistance weight machines with alternating sessions of aerobic exercise as directed by video feed.

“So you really don’t have to think,” Discher said. “You’re pretty much on your own but there’s always someone here that will keep an eye on you, of course.”

Curves is open from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 3 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday. Curves is located at 3400 Birch Bay-Lynden Road in Birch Bay Square. They can be reached by calling 366-0272.

Whatcom Fitness
Whatcom Fitness offers a full selection of free weights and stationary exercise equipment including treadmills, elliptical machines recumbent bikes and stair climber machines. Added bonuses are the aerobic rooms, supervised complimentary childcare and the extensive list of group membership classes that includes yoga, low-impact aerobics, women’s and men’s flexibility and strength training, nutrition, mat conditioning, and cardio training. Personal training, drop-in and non-expiring punch cards are also available.

Whatcom Fitness is open from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. They are located at 250 G Street in Blaine and can be reached by calling 332-8167.