Breath of Fresh Air Fitness Club can help you maintain your independence. Scroll down for a discount for Morgantown magazine readers.
Who doesn’t want to age healthy and stay independent as long as possible? Balance, coordination, strength, and mobility come easily in young adulthood—but in later life, they have to be earned. Functional fitness is the key.
“Being able to carry groceries in from the car or vacuum your house without having to call somebody for help, those things become harder to do as we age,” says Sadie Lucas, one of three exercise specialists at Breath of Fresh Air Fitness Club on Don Knotts Boulevard, right beside the Caperton rail-trail. “Maintaining strength and independence is a recipe for a good, high-quality later stage of your life.”
Everyone loses muscle mass as they age, Lucas says. Our 30s and 40s are a great time to build it up so the eventual loss starts from a higher point. But it’s never too late. “For seniors, my main focus is maintaining what we have. We do lifts that translate to everyday life—squats for getting out of chairs, carrying movements, overhead strength for putting things into cabinets.”
Ultimately, this is what BFA Fitness Club is about. The gym was opened last fall by Dr. Laura Davisson and her husband, Jim Boyce. Davisson, a primary care doctor, runs a clinic that treats obesity, with the aim of preventing the heart disease and diabetes that often follow. This gym is her way of getting even further ahead of chronic medical problems.
To create an inclusive, non-intimidating environment where people feel like they belong, Davisson hires exercise specialists who have genuine enthusiasm for fitness at all ages. “I think our members feel welcome. We have members in their 40s and members in their 70s who all support each other, and they feel like it’s a fun atmosphere,” she says. “The trainers have a lot to do with that.”
It starts with making newcomers comfortable from the beginning. If you think you wouldn’t be able to keep up or people would judge you, Lucas says, BFA Fitness Club will surprise you. Group classes and strength training are tailored to every fitness level, and the trainers provide lots of positive encouragement.
The results can quickly be life-changing. One client has gone in a short time from being unable to get up off the ground to getting up as long as she has something to hold onto. “She lives by herself, so that gives me so much peace of mind,” Lucas says.
BFA Fitness Club makes it easy for first-time gym-goers to get started. Its Foundations Onboarding Program welcomes you to small-group classes—a structured, safe starting point that builds strength, skill, and confidence.
Or you can get your start in personal training with an introductory Breathe Easy six-week package. It includes an assigned exercise specialist, before-and-after fitness assessments, a personalized workout plan, and full standard gym membership.
And for those who prefer to follow their own workout program in a supervised setting, a variety of gym memberships that include access to open gym, group classes, and guest passes are available. All members are offered a free fitness assessment to establish a baseline and identify injuries or safety concerns.
To get started, visit BFA Fitness Club’s website, Facebook, or Instagram page for details, or call 304.381.5863. Mention this story to get 10% off the price of your first month of membership or a first membership package.
BFA Fitness Club Exercise Specialist Sadie Lucas earned a B.S. in exercise physiology from WVU and is certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She has volunteered, interned, and worked in fitness since she was 15, including instructing boxing classes for people with Parkinson’s disease and programming fitness training for men recovering from drug addiction. Ask her about Olympic lifts—her favorite workout these days.