How the UPHS – Portage Fitness Center Helped Marcia Achieve her Health & Fitness Goals

As someone who lives an active lifestyle, Marcia Goodrich was left without a place to exercise when her local gym closed. With a wide range of options in the area, Marcia did her research to find a gym that was the perfect option for her. That’s when she trusted the UP Health System – Portage Fitness Center to help her achieve her health and fitness goals.

“I looked around [for a gym] for a long time and saw that the Portage Fitness Center had great things, even for retirees,” Marcia said. “So I signed up for the FUNctional class.”

Marcia decided to try a few fitness classes before committing to a long-term membership with the Fitness Center. The first was the FUNctional Fitness class, which is a fun, socially interactive class designed to maintain and improve a daily active lifestyle for all activity levels.

“I loved it so much I ended up getting an annual membership,” Marcia said. “I ended up growing my fitness level.”

For Marcia, fitness isn’t only about keeping herself healthy. She also had pain in her knee that made it hard for her to move with ease that she wanted to alleviate.

“I was having trouble with my knee and the fitness classes were already giving me some strength back, but the stretch class was a rude awakening for how tight I was,” she said.

After attending several Stretch Release classes, which primarily use foam rollers to release tension from trigger points and enable muscles to stretch more easily, Marcia’s knee was starting to feel better. But she had to test how good she felt when she and her husband decided to move homes.

“When we started moving and lifting boxes and heavy furniture, it made a huge difference,” Marcia said. “The thing that blew me away was I hit five times my normal goal for stairs, and my knee didn’t hurt at all. The stretch class was paying off.”

Not only was her knee pain being alleviated from the classes she was attending, but Marcia felt that her instructors were there for her through every single class.

“The instructors are so expert at understanding the needs of us students, they help you when you need it and you never feel like you’re in the presence of an intimidating exercise person,” she said. “They’re kind, supportive, but they still challenge you.”

Marcia has been able to enjoy the classes and instructors, but one of her favorite things about the Fitness Center is the social aspect and the friends she has been able to make along the way.

“One of the biggest risks of retirement is loneliness, and while the Fitness Center is great, there’s something really special about those classes,” Marcia said. “The FUNctional group is such a great, supportive bunch of people and we have so much fun in the stretch class too.”

Not only has Marcia been able to mend her knee pain and gain some new friends, but she has also continued to make herself healthier and stronger through every class.

“I was already working out before, but it’s the Fitness Center’s regular exercise that pushes you, not only helping your physical strength but your mental agility as well,” Marcia said.

The UPHS – Portage Fitness Center offers competitive rates and specialized programs to help people of all ages achieve their health and fitness goals. The Fitness Center is located at 921 W Sharon Ave. Houghton, MI 49931 and open seven days a week. To learn more, go to PortageHealth.org/our-services/fitness-center or call 906.483.1149. To see the full list of fitness classes, go to PortageHealth.org/classes-events/fitness-classes.