Breath of Fresh Air Fitness Club wants to help you stay stronger longer.
The change of seasons is a great time to start a new routine. And for healthy aging, there’s no better time than the present to start strength training.
Weight lifting isn’t just for body builders, says Brycen Virgili, one of three exercise specialists at Breath of Fresh Air Fitness Club, a new gym on Don Knotts Boulevard that’s geared toward healthy aging. For older adults, it can mean the difference between a flexible future and a frail one.
“Everybody needs strength training,” Virgili says. From getting into and out of a car to picking up grandchildren, “building strength for everyday life makes everyone’s life easier.” For women in particular, he says, it prevents osteoporosis. “Strength training helps build density in your bones through the force you put on them.”
BFA Fitness Club was opened last fall by Dr. Laura Davisson and her husband, Jim Boyce. As a primary care doctor who takes a particular interest in illness prevention, Davisson runs a clinic that treats obesity, with the aim of preventing the heart disease and diabetes that often follow.
But she wanted to get even further ahead of chronic medical problems. “I like treating disease, but my long-term goal was always to help people thrive and be healthy.” BFA Fitness Club is her solution. “I wanted a gym targeted to people who are 40-plus, a place where they felt like they could belong. I also see a lot of people in my practice who are taking GLP-1 medications, and a gym that emphasizes strength training can play a critical role in helping prevent loss of lean body mass during weight loss.”
BFA Fitness Club sets a high priority on safety. “There are 24/7 gyms where you can work out any time and there’s no staff at all,” Davisson says. “That goes completely against my philosophy. Our open gym is staffed with exercise specialists who have the training to show you how to do a lift and to make sure you do it safely.”
Virgili is excited about the progress members are making in group classes. “Our classes put an emphasis on basic movements, so people can get stronger in squats and presses. We’ve seen improvements in people going up in the weight they can lift, and they’re more confident being in a gym and lifting. I love our group classes.”
His main observation about strength training: “It’s not scary!” He laughs. “People think of big grungy gyms with people slamming weights around. But any weight is strength training—5 pounds, 50 pounds, you’re still doing something for your body.”
Never been a gym-goer? BFA Fitness Club makes it easy to get started. Its Foundations Onboarding Program welcomes you to small-group classes—a structured, safe starting point that builds strength, skill, and confidence. The next six-week Foundations program starts Monday, March 16.
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.
BFA Fitness Club Exercise Specialist Brycen Virgili is a former college athlete and body builder who joined his first gym when he was 13. These days, he plays slow-pitch softball, and his favorite workouts include twists and throws with a medicine ball.