Curves offers more than just a workout

NORTH CANAAN — This was supposed to be a business story. But what this reporter found on a recent visit to Curves was a group of women whose life stories and spirit were completely inspiring.

It begins with owner Carol Ann Routhier, who is the coach, cheerleader and quarterback of the all-female gym here on Route 7. The “Curves sisters� are greeted at the door as if they had stopped by at a friend’s house for coffee.

The Journal showed up with little advance warning, so the smiles that every “sister� wore on the way in were genuine. The smiles they left with were wider for having been able to talk about the differences that Curves has made in their lives.

Routhier was hired at the workout studio, located in a discreet space at the Tri-R Plaza,  when it opened in 2003. Three years later, one of the two sisters who owned this Curves franchise made plans to move away. The sisters tried to sell, and eventually resigned themselves to closing the facility.

“I was their manager, and they wanted me to take over, but I had no business experience,� Routhier said.

But her husband, Gerry, and some Curves members (including an accountant and a local attorney) convinced her she could do it, and even that she was meant to do it. They knew that her passion for the business, and her compassion for others, would see her through.

“I got the strength I needed from all these supportive people, and it all fell into place like it was meant to be.�

Although most people come to Curves looking for a place to get some exercise, when they get here they find much more.

“I wouldn’t be here otherwise,� said Bev Dalmaso, who lost 60 pounds in five years and got her Type 2 diabetes under control.

At 42, Caitlin Hotaling, an active mom in pretty good shape, was dismayed to find herself getting winded after just walking up a flight of stairs.

“I thought, ‘This can’t be good, and it’s not going to get any better.’ I realized that none of my other activities, like horsebacking riding, were aerobic.�

Susie Gandelli has the distinction of having done the most workouts: 1,033 in five years.

“I started coming here as a birthday gift to myself and lost 35 pounds,� she said. “It gave me the strength to stop smoking. I regained the weight, so now I’m working on that.�

She also has a torn knee ligament and has avoided surgery by exercising.

“I have no knees,� said Jeanine Coleman, 67, an osteoarthritis sufferer who has avoided the replacement surgery recommended two years ago by strengthening the supporting ligaments. She no longer takes pain medication.

“As long as I come every day, I am pain free. I know it’s working because if I miss a day, it hurts.�

Her doctor is impressed, as are practitioners for Debbie Hopkins, who seems to be successfully fighting the progression of her multiple sclerosis at Curves.

“In the year and a half I’ve been coming here, my bone density has improved and my energy level is up, so I can do other things, like yoga,� Hopkins said, smiling as she moved with enthusiasm through her workout.

Overall, it is a mood booster; and it’s not just about looking good. The women described the social aspect and the energy boost they get here, which puts them in a good mood and sets the tone for other healthy activities.

“I have a young daughter, so I didn’t come very often over the summer,
Hotaling said, adding that, “I found out it improves my mood immensely.�

Then there are Beth Crowell, and her daughter, Erin, a 22-year-old with autism who has found physical and emotional stability through her workouts at Curves. Earlier this year, Erin spent five weeks in the hospital with a rare kidney disease that caused the organs to fail.

Curves members were there for her then, and provided the only social setting Erin was able to deal with when she was back on her feet.

Today, she is not on the transplant list and no longer needs dialysis. When she can’t make it in on a regular basis, her creatinine levels rise, indicating decreased kidney function — and offering apparent proof of Curves’ effectiveness.

The workout also helps tremendously with her mental focus. Erin suggests a headline for this story: “Welcome to the World of Curves for Women.�

Curves equipment is designed specifically for women, and the atmosphere here is supportive and nonjudgmental. No one seems self conscious.

There are two dozen stations set in a circle. The women alternate between resistance machines and step pads and do prescribed movements that mimic activities such as swimming, surfing, rollerblading, even washing the car and doing a hula dance.

Upbeat music is played over speakers, and is interspersed with cues to the exercisers when it is time to move to the next station. Occasionally, there is a pulse check.

Social causes are part of the workout. Top on their list is the annual food drive for Fishes and Loaves and other food pantries. The members try to top themselves each year. They bring food by the bagful. Their record is 1,139 pounds of food.

On Nov. 15 and 16, new members can join without paying the service fee when they donate a turkey to this year’s food drive.

Routhier loves her gals so much, she insisted on posing for a photo only if everyone in the room joined her. Without prompting, they all shouted, “We’re strong together!�

Curves can be reached at 860-824-4496.

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