Curvy and beautiful

Getting in shape and learning to love your body is part of Curve's fitness goal

By: By Kristin McNulty

Posted: 7/31/03

Tammy Teel pays for the Student Recreation Center with her fees, but prefers to go to Curves fitness center for women.

"I wanted an exercise program that was very structured so I would know what I was going to do every time I came in," said Teel, a senior community health major. "I needed something easy to do but effective."

For decades, women have been pressured to have perfect bodies. They have tried numerous health clubs and diets to find the right balance between Marilyn Monroe and Britney Spears. But this time, ladies, it is OK to have Curves.

Curves fitness center is the latest workout trend among women, and it is the fastest growing franchise of any kind, according to a 2003 survey by Entrepreneur Magazine.

The editor of Entrepreneur magazine said women around the world are discovering that Curves is 30-minute fitness, common-sense weight loss, and all the support they need to reach their goals.

Curves is a women-only gym that believes in a 30-minute workout consisting of hydraulic weight lifting mixed with cardio training.

According to Becca Stelzer, a senior community health major and a Curves employee, Curves understands a woman's busy schedule, especially that of a full-time student.

"Thirty minutes is quick enough for a woman to fit into her day, but long enough to get an intense workout," Steltzer said.

While the majority of Curves members are between 30 and 55 years old, Texas A&M students are using Curves as a replacement for the Student Recreation Center.

"At (Curves) I don't have to worry about a crowd, having to wait for machines or feeling uncomfortable with all of the guys around me," Teel said.

Steltzer said approximately 50 of its members are A&M students.

"Students choose Curves because parking isn't a problem, and it allows them to work out as hard as they want," she said.

At other gyms, there is usually a high price for members to have a personal trainer. When a woman joins Curves she gets all the free help she needs from any of the employees.

This assistance includes getting weighed and measured every month, which is recorded on the member's personal chart, and demonstrations on the machines. Before a member joins, she is given a free, week-long membership with all the perks.

Women also find other advantages at Curves compared to larger gyms.

"I find it very encouraging every time I workout because of the friendly, intimate environment; everyone is so encouraging," Teel said.

Members can also go to any of the Curves in the United States to workout. A travel pass is required from the member's home gym to do so at no extra cost.

Teel said she enjoys being able to go home to Houston and continue her workout at a Curves there.

Regardless of age, race or appearance, women are in the same boat when it comes to their body image. They all want to look good and feel good.

Teel said she believes Curves provides a place where women can come together based on this bond and leave with high self-esteem and confidence about their bodies.