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  • Belinda Bohot cleans a treadmill late Tuesday afternoon. Bohot is the owner of Action Fitness Gym in Waurika. David Laughlin

    Cleaning up
January 9, 2012

Ready to get fit? Bohot can help

David Laughlin Waurika News-Democrat

WAURIKA — Lose weight.

For most red-blooded Americans, those two words become an objective about this time of year.

According to research conducted by TD Ameritrade and Opinion Research Corporation, more than 60 percent of Americans want to exercise more, eat better and lose weight.

Enter Belinda Bohot.

Bohot, a Hastings resident, is the proprietor of Action Fitness Gym in Waurika. Bohot’s gym, like many others, is chock full of treadmills, elliptical machines, recumbent bikes, spinner bikes and other fitness and health enhancing equipment. Around the time everyone purchases new calendars for the new year, Bohot sees an increase in membership and use of her gym.

“It has started picking up a little bit,” she said. “Everyone is thinking about trying to get more healthy this time of year.”

Bohot has owned Action Fitness Gym for nearly four years. Every new year, she said, she sees a slight increase in membership. Many of Bohot’s customers are senior adults.

“I think as you age, you realize how much more you need to stay in shape,” she said. “If you want to live longer and stay healthy, you need to stay active. Overall, we are becoming a more health conscious society.”

With more and more studies revealing the health benefits of losing weight and getting in shape, Bohot expects business to continue to improve.

“I really, really enjoy seeing people start to feel better and drop weight,” she noted. “It’s been very fulfilling to me.”

As Bohot gave a tour of her facility, a regular member interjected:

“I have lost more than 25 pounds just on the toning beds,” the gym goer said. “This place is just such a blessing. I drive in from Temple just to use it.”

Though Bohot sees an annual increase with the new year, she also sees an annual slow down shortly after. For whatever reason, she said, people tend to slow down after a few weeks.

“I tell everyone to give it a good two weeks and not stop,” she said. “It can be painful, sure, but it’s worth it. Once you break past the pain and start seeing the results you are after, it’s worth it. For some people, it doesn’t matter, they are here no matter what. Others, though, need some encouragement.”

The benefits of utilizing a gym, Bohot said, are tremendous.

“If you choose to workout at a gym you’re not at the mercy of the weather,” she said. “Whether it’s 100 degrees outside of 20 degrees, it’s always the same in a gym. That’s why I encourage people to get memberships and work out at gyms.”

Bohot also suggested getting a like-minded workout “buddy.”

“It’s amazing what a workout buddy can push you to accomplish,” she said. “Whether you are lifting weights together or running, it’s good to have someone to talk to and visit with. It kind of helps you forget about some of the pain you may be going through. It helps you have fun while you are exercising. Having fun is important to make sure you come back.”

Just starting a gym membership or commitment to healthier living is important, Bohot said, but maintaining that decision is far more imperative.

“You really have to stick with this kind of thing,” she added. “If you want to start seeing results, you have to stick with it. The average person, if they want to see results, should go to the gym three or four times a week. Going just once a week won’t do too much. It’s important to just set some time aside to do what you have to do.”

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