#CBCFit: Curves workout proves to be the perfect fit

#CBCfit is searching for the best way to break a sweat.

Edmonton AM director Tim Adams and personal trainer Chris Tse will be hopping into some of best fitness classes in the city centre.

Every week, they'll test out a new heart-pounding programto help you find the perfect fitness fit.

Writing a review of Curves isn't the easiest thing to do Chris Tse and I aren't exactly the target demographic.

Curves is for women and many are over the age of 50. But we were invited, so we went.

And you know what? Iwas pleasantly surprised.

The focus of a Curves workout is to get you a full-body workoutin 30 minutes. There's a dozen exercise machineswith mats in between them. You alternate between a machine and a mat,following a clock.

On the mat, you pick the exercise so long asyoukeep moving.

The workout had its strengths and weaknesses, but make no mistake:Curves is one of the most inclusive places you can go for a workout.

'Not a sniff of gym culture'

If you're a woman andhave any concerns about body image or not fitting in, this is your place.

There's all kinds of different folks here and there's not a sniff of "gym culture."

The challenge without "gym culture," though,is the quality of the workout largely depends on how much effort you put into it. Without that culture, there's not much of a push.

It'seasy to come here for a hang out and not a workout.

Chris said he's concernedabout the practical use of the type of training, particularly for their target demographic.

He said he thinks many clients would be better served working on exercises that will help in day-to-day life, such as balance and lifting safely, so they can, for example, pick up a box without injury.

"The deficit in the programming is that although participants may become stronger in each of these movement patterns, there is little functional movement training which applies this strength to real life movement patterns," Chrissaid.

"We may be able to become stronger in our press and pull while seated, but in real-life situations, other muscle groups are incorporated: core, mid back, legs."

A place to start

Helping offset this concern isTamy Gano, one of the owners of Curves in west Edmonton. She's not preaching that Curves is the one and onlyanswerto health and fitness, like many studios do.

She understandsthe classes at Curves are a stepping stone. She's happy if her workouts inspire someone to move on to a"tougher" workout.

"We've had many that did weight loss journeys do that," Gano said."We are not trying to sell ourselves as the be-all-end-all."

Frankly, that's refreshing to hear someone just looking after their clients best interests.

This is a place to start and get comfortable, but after awhile, you'll need to find the next step.