Exercise is the best medicine in life and can help in the battle against all ailments from depression to diabetes, according to personal trainer and fitness tutor Liam Tigue.
As owner and manager of Fitness Works gym in the heart of Ballina town, Mr Tigue is a keen fitness fan who believes the feelgood psychological benefits that go with exercise are equally as good as the physical body results that follow.
“Any time I’ve ever trained I never think it will be to change my shape or size - it’s always to make me feel good. Physical training has been a great friend of mine all my life and has helped me in so many other ways. Things may go wrong at work or at home but once you’ve done the physical work you’re fit to cope. It never lets me down.
“People feeling down or worried - if they just work out, push themselves, sweat up, exert themselves, release the feelgood endorphins and the natural high will last for hours after. So I always say yes to walking, jogging, any form of exercise. To the general population I say, get out there, meet together, walk together, dance together.”
Feeling good is one thing but looking good also goes hand in hand with exercise, adds Mr Tigue, who since a young age has played soccer, Gaelic football, boxing, and martial arts.
“There is the added perk with training that it also gives people good shape and tone and makes them feel good about themselves. I’m not saying everyone needs to go around in perfect shape but it’s certainly better than going around obese. Also, exercise is a great help against all the diseases of the heart, diabetes, cancers even; it also strengthens the immune system.”
Among all the pluses, Mr Tigue cites the benefits of exercise on depression as the big one.
“There is no doubt it helps alleviate the blues. It works and it must be the beginning of a lifelong journey. Fitness is a lifestyle. The minute you start working out you start taking care of yourself. All you need to get started is to buy the pair of runners and get walking.”
Being a keen fitness trainer, Liam Tigue always dreamed of opening his own gym one day. In October 2007 his dream came true when he opened Fitness Works on Hill Street, Ballina, which is open seven days a week with fitness classes each weekday night on offer on a pay-as-you-go €5 basis.
Fitness Works is what is described as ‘a dry gym’, in that there is no swimming pool, no spa, with the focus being solely on working out. It is divided into four areas - the cardio room with treadmills, cross trainers, bikes, rowing machines and steppers; two separate weights room - a men’s bodybuilding strength room and a women’s shape and tone room with light weights.
“In the aerobics studio the nightly 7pm classes are very popular at the moment with people enjoying the social aspect of working out together. Each week the women’s total body workout class runs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Tuesday and Thursday are mixed circuits classes, open to all at €5 a session.”
Weekly weigh-ins and assessments are also available at Fitness Works, with Yvonne Langan, personal trainer/fitness instructor - and vibroplates are also available to clients.
“What it all comes down to is that your health is your wealth, and that certainly is very true. In today’s fast moving and stressful world, just 30/40 minutes of exercise two or three times a week can keep you fit, healthy, and in great shape. It is a known fact that regular exercise and physical activity are extremely important and beneficial for long-term health and wellbeing, and that the psychological and feel good factors are equally as important as the physical ones. There is no doubt that exercise is a great tonic for all ailments from depression to diabetes, plus the added benefits of keeping fit and in great shape. Consistency is the real key to long-term exercise success, with a weekly combination of aerobic, anaerobic and resistance training,” said Mr Tigue.
Fitness Works Gym is open seven days offering affordable rates to all, as follows:
€5 pay as you go visit; €35 one month membership; €80 three months; €140 six months; and €240 one-year membership. Discounts are available for groups, couples, and families.
For further information call now on 096 75811 or 087 1309685.
