by Julie-Ann Joy
Written at the beginning of 2019. A brand new year to start something good! Our society is fixated on keeping and staying busy that we’ve neglected the importance of caring for our mind, body, and spirit. Forget resolutions, instead, think about ways to take care of You. This blog is about my 3-day wellness experience at Wellbridge Fitness and Spa (Wellbridge) in Clayton, Missouri. If you’re in town for corporate meetings, 3 days at Wellbridge will relieve travel stress and refresh you.
Day 1 – It was a gorgeously sunny wintry day, when I decided to walk to Wellbridge and meet David for a tour of the facility. Once I arrived, my senses exhaled a big ahh! the feel and atmosphere of a new fitness club. I’ve not been to the gym in 3 years and so it was nice to walk-in to a brand new fitness and spa club. Wellbridge is in the same building acquired by Centene Corporation for their expansion. A new building structure was built where Wellbridge moved in and the club got a face lift.
The 1st floor reception area was empty, and then I noticed everyone else use the elevator or the stairs to the main reception area. I chose to walk up the stairs to the 2nd floor and was greeted by Danielle who immediately verified my appointment with David. She handed me a tablet to enter my contact information and fitness goals as well as sign a liability waiver. By the time I was finished with entering my information, David introduced himself and asked me a few questions about my fitness goals.
The Ladies locker room on the 2nd floor was the first stop on my tour. David showed me how to use the keyless locker and then I went inside to store my things and get ready for a workout. After locking up my things I met David in the pool area, accessible from the ladies locker room. The pool area was clean and the air felt and smelled fresh with no humidity. David told me they use saline (salt water) treatment for the pool and monitor the pool frequently.
The pool is used for Aqua fitness group classes as well as free swim. There is a juice bar outside the locker rooms that also sell snacks for re-fueling. Fresh towels abound and neatly folded and stacked in shelves in the locker rooms and throughout the 3rd floor.
Next stop was the 3rd floor. I was impressed with all the New equipment available for circuit training, cardio, and free weights. I was introduced to Kelcy who is a new addition to the Master Trainers roster at Wellbridge. She took the time to get to know me and my fitness goals and we set up a time for her to do a physical assessment of me.
Classrooms for group exercises filled the perimeter of the 3rd floor. Today, I’m trying out these group exercises – Stretch & Strength, Barre, Hard Core, and Power Flow. I know this was ambitious!
10:30 a.m. Stretch & Strength Group class with Sandy was full and looked like 15 or more people were in attendance. After the warm-up exercises I got hungry and left for lunch before the circuit workout portion of the class. I enjoyed Sandy as an Instructor and look forward to taking the Cycle and Sculpt group class with her on Day 3 of my free pass. I reconnected with David who handed my 3-day pass to Wellbridge. I walked back to my home to re-fuel, do some errands, and then went back for the Barre group class.
5:00 p.m. Barre group class with Michele was my very first Barre class. It was 60-mins of a great workout without too much sweat. Throughout the entire class, I felt my thigh muscles quiver and shake from lack of use. After the class, my entire body felt overall exhaustion in a good way! I had no more energy left to do the Hard Core class at 6:30pm.
Instead, I headed to the whirlpool to soak in and relax my muscles after the Barre workout. I stayed in the whirlpool for 10 minutes and went to the shower room. Ventilation worked well to eliminate moisture or steam throughout the 2nd and 3rd floors. There was no steam in the whirlpool or shower room areas. It was great to look at clear mirrors outside the nice and clean showers stalls that include body cleanser, lotion, and shampoo mounted on the wall for easy access.
My reminder alarm notified me that the 6:30 p.m. Power Flow class was starting. I just ignored it and decided to get dressed and go home feeling refreshed, renewed, and energized for the 15-min. walk home in 30° weather. Tomorrow, I’ll try out Aqua Zumba.
Day 2 – I was late for my physical assessment with Kelcy, but she was gracious and accommodated me to do my physical assessment. During my 30-min session with Kelcy, she demonstrated the most effective way for me to do a plank and push up and also shared her knowledge of musculature, toning, and weight loss.
5:30 p.m. Aqua Zumba with Maria R. was my first aquatic group exercise experience. Maria’s high energy, enthusiasm, and encouragement made me want to travel the entire length of the pool with the dance movements. It was neither too hot or cold during class because the pool temperature was perfect. I learned a few movements I can now do on my own whenever I’m in a pool. The water resistance was great for my muscles and joints that my body felt loose and not sore. After an hour long class, I felt my entire core muscles and body worked out to the max! This is definitely a class I’d enjoy doing regularly as part of my full body workout.
It was wonderful to soak in the whirlpool to relax before heading into a shower stall to cleanse and then get dressed for my walk home. I felt refreshed, renewed, and ready to relax for the remainder of the evening. What a luxury to come home stress free and feeling great and energized after a full body workout.
Day 3 – Today I took the Zumba class with Karen and I was not disappointed. Karen introduced herself and welcomed me to the class of about 10 women in attendance. I’ve always enjoyed Zumba and this was one of the best cardio workouts I’ve experienced. I loved the variety of dance moves, enthusiasm, and feeling that my whole body was engaged the entire time.
At the end of 60 minutes I had the same feeling of exhaustion and lots of endorphins flowing through my head and making my mind and body feel like I can do anything! I was sad this was the end of my 3-day pass and wanted to look into becoming a member. Because of the tremendous selection of classes to choose from, there’s so much more I want to experience at Wellbridge. Next time, I’d like to attend Power Flow, Mind Flow, Vinyasa classes and all the other Aqua classes available.
In addition to the classes and all the other amenities, I experienced a warm community with a wide age range and members in different levels of fitness. While relaxing in the whirlpool, I was talking to a lovely lady who said that she has been a member of Wellbridge for decades because she loves the community and the classes she attends for her overall well-being. This lady was perhaps in her seventies and looked terrific! I hope I can look like her in my seventies.
Overall, my 3-day experience was wonderful and left me wanting more. Wellbridge provides a relaxing atmosphere that made me feel safe and accepted. I can be friendly and socialize with others or choose not to talk to anyone and get my workout done. In all three days of my trial membership, I went home feeling refreshed, renewed, and energized. This feeling and the benefits of membership at Wellbridge is priceless! and I am thankful for the experience.
Traveling with Joy 