On Jan 1 2014, like millions of others, Andy White made a new year’s resolution to get into shape. On January 2nd he, like millions of others, learned just how out of shape he was.

“I went to the track for a run … and after one lap I thought I was literally going to die.”

The difference between Andy and a lot of people who recognize their mortality after running only 440 yards was that Andy didn’t give up with the first experience of discomfort. He used that pain to motivate himself to carry on.

In the movies, the Rocky Fanfare plays in the background while our protagonist works his brains out and gets into incredible shape in just a few television minutes. But this is real life and there was no fanfare for Andy. In fact, while Andy did better than most makers of New Year’s resolutions, his adopting a healthy lifestyle did not start out as a full blown commitment. Even though he did remain active, he essentially dabbled in exercising.

And I think we’ve pretty well established by now that our philosophy is that you can’t dabble in fitness.

Some months passed. Andy and his family joined the center.

“I would come in and do a little lifting, some treadmill, and call it good. I actually thought I was getting in pretty good shape until one day my wife and daughter convinced me to take a Fushion HIIT class with them. A couple of days later when I was able to walk normally again, I realized that I was not in shape and that I had to kick it up a notch. I finally understood that this had to be a lifestyle choice and not a hobby. You can’t just workout when you have time. Time HAS to be made or you’ll go nowhere.”

And make it a lifestyle he did. “At one point in time I’d taken almost every class available until I settled in with HIIT three times a week and Pure Strength at least once a week. With the addition of Pinamonti Run I now run three days a week and do Fusion HIIT at least two days a week.”

So, how has making a healthy lifestyle worked out? Well, in addition to getting into great shape, there has also been the benefit of being around like minded folks and making new friends with whom he works together toward a common goal of improving their fitness. Whether it’s training with his running partners during Pinamonti Run or working with our certified training staff, Andy has exceeded some of his goals and is well on his way to meeting others. He is half way to his weight goal, having lost 30 lbs already, and his improvement running has been nothing short of spectacular.

“My first 5K in 2014 was a little over 30 minutes. I averaged around 27 minutes prior to joining Pinamonti Fitness. With the assistance of my trainers through group fitness classes, Lauren’s training and my running buddies in P-Run, I’ve cut my 5K time to under 24 minutes.”

Andy and his P-Run partners are training for what will be Andy’s first half-marathon in this month’s Joplin Memorial Run. So yes, his hard, and consistent, work is paying off. But Andy is modest. “Joining Pinamonti Fitness and getting to work with some of the most professional trainers around has been very rewarding. The real credit goes to them and my dedicated running partners. I am truly thankful to have you all in my life.”

It’s us who thank you and your running crew, Andy. We are thankful to have you all as a part of our wellness family.