It’s not about looking like Catherine Zeta-Jones or Mathew McConaughy. It’s not about wheat germ, herb tea or abstinence. It’s about balance. It’s about the right doses of physical, emotional and social exertion. It’s about picking up the pace and slowing it down. It’s about work and play, pushing and pampering, participating and watching, eating and drinking.

Nothing is more important than your good health and the specialists at the Poulsbo Athletic Club are about to make it more convenient and fun for you to be fit. Built by Poulsbo contractor Tim Ryan, the new club, located behind Rite Aid, in the Poulsbo Village Medical Dental Center, will have an open house April 6 and 7 to showcase its new facilities. Meet the trainers, peruse the fitness opportunities, check out the spacious, light filled aerobics rooms, spin center, and pool on the second floor. Door prizes, café snacks and membership discounts will be offered. Everyone is welcome to tour the 19,200 square foot structure filled with racquetball courts, saunas, a spa, a pool, weight training facilities, two large Aerobics/dance floors, a spinning room, baby sitting conveniences, a physical therapy office, massage rooms, aesthetician services, personal training programs, a pro shop and a café all under one roof. The latest in balanced regeneration, fitness and health is now available in Poulsbo. The club will celebrate its sixth anniversary with the long-awaited expanded facilities opening on Monday, April 9. Club members will think they have died and gone to gym heaven.

Wade Zinn, physical therapist and club owner, promotes fitness through all stages of life.
Says Zinn, “The benefits of exercise are evident. Ideally, you want a gym that’s convenient, reasonably priced, and has the equipment and classes you need.” Whether you have been referred by your medical physician for preventative or rehabilitative care; are meeting a friend for a chat and a climb on the Stairmaster; want to take advantage of the “little lifter” program for youngsters while catching a cardioblast class; need to power lift with a personal trainer; or are a “silver sneaker” member, the new Poulsbo Athletic Club is the place for you. The gym will be a melting pot of all shapes, sizes, ages, and abilities.

After all the sweat and fun stop by the Club’s in-house café for a smoothie. You don’t have to be a member to dine. More than just a juice bar, the idea behind Café Synergy is to support the connection between exercise and food as fuel. According to the College of Sports Medicine, the most common way for you to lose muscle is by not having sufficient energy input (food calories) to make up for the high-energy output of a rigorous workout. In other words, if you don’t eat enough of a balanced diet (sufficient protein, complex carbohydrates and good-quality fats), then your body is likely to lose lean muscle mass in an effort to satisfy energy requirements.

The club is set up to foster health awareness in a fast-paced world that tempts you to forget. On a tight schedule? Order your turkey sandwich and fruit cup on your way into the weight room. After your shower, pick up your lunch on your way out the door.

At the heart of a healthy lifestyle is social activity. What better way to stay emotionally fit than by sitting with friends sipping juice, water, or a beer (yes, Café Synergy will have a liquor license) after your Fab Abs, killer 30-minute abdominal and lower back strengthening session?

New to the gym scene? It’s not just for fitness fiends, the rich or the famous. You’ll enjoy the accessibility of the gym staff, who you can learn a lot from. When you tour the club, watch what they’re doing. You’ll notice that members are treated like long-time neighbors. Lively, friendly and unpretentious, since it’s creation in 1995 the club has put its members first. Besides providing support and motivation, the staff is trained in both first aid and CPR.

An essential part of the athletic club scene is the therapeutic value of space. Large locker rooms, with private showers and dressing rooms lead to a high-ceilinged cardio fitness theater banked by silent televisions. The weight room is mirrored, warm and sunny, as are the physical therapy offices. The Café sits high above and overlooks the sport courts. The parking lot holds 86 cars. You’ll have elbow, shoulder and muscle room enough to stretch your legs, to get away and to get comfortable

Far from frou-frou, but more than the average gym, the new Poulsbo Athletic Club allows you to unlock your fitness potential through a vast array of therapies, services and classes: fitness assessments and consultations, personal training, child care, over 40 exercise classes a week (including yoga, pilates and kick boxing), special programs for juniors and seniors, swimming lessons, water aerobics, racquetball tournaments, physical therapy and sports medicine, massage and skin therapy, club parties, weight training, all at extremely reasonable rates.

Although the club is moving and expanding, the phone number remains the same: (360) 779-3285.

(Editor’s Note: Marjorie Marcellus is a freelance writer and can be reached at
206-842-9814.).