A new clinic is opening in Guildford today that aims to help baby boomers stave off aging.
Dubbed as the “anti-gym,” the LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic is built around the idea that exercise can act as medicine.
The Surrey-grown business aims to help people who might need extra help with their fitness, due to age, illness or weight.
The “medical fitness clinic” offers “inspirational coaching, clinical oversight and a welcoming environment,” a release notes.
The oversight could include such things as monitoring blood pressure while exercising, and the teams keep a patient’s doctor apprised of their progress.
The goal? To help fight off illness and reduce the need for medications through fitness.
“Regular exercise at the right intensity can reduce the risk of premature death by up to 50 per cent,” says LIVE WELL fonder Sara Hodson in a release.
Hodson, who was named Surrey’s Business Person of the Year in 2017, worked in cardiac rehabilitation before opening LIVE WELL in 2011.
Her drive to help people before they had a heart attack in that job, inspired the company’s creation.
See also: Exercise clinic boss named Surrey’s Business Person of the Year (Nov. 2, 2017)
“At LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic, you are going to get a supervised, individualized exercise program where you’re going to come two or three times a week to the clinic for one-hour exercise sessions,” said Hodson in a promotional video. “You’re going to get a health coach, you’re going to get education courses and seminars, you’re going to get a fun, social, inspiring environment and you’re going to get a community of people who really care about you and who you connect with because the common thread at LIVE WELL is people want to make healthy chagnes and that’s really our focus here.”
The Trust for America’s Health reports that 62 per cent of those aged 50 to 64 claim to have at least one of the following obesity-related chronic conditions: diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, arthritis, and high cholesterol.
The company reports that many of the clinic’s members come from doctor referrals who recommend a healthier lifestyle.
This most recent location is the third in Surrey, and seventh in Canada, with six more set to open later this year in Victoria, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, New Westminster, Richmond and Burnaby.
Recent retiree Sue Hodson is the franchise owner of the newly opened Guildford location.
According to a release, when Hodson retired after 30 years in diagnostic imaging, she wasn’t ready to leave the working world completely behind.
So, she launched an “encore career” by opening the Guildford clinic.
As part of the grand opening on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m., a tour is planned as well as a free talk from Hodson, called “7 Healthy Habits to Improve Your Lifestyle in 2018.”
The newest Guildford LIVE WELL location is located at 220-15117 101st Ave., Surrey.
Find LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic on Facebook, or visit them online at livewellclinic.ca.
amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
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