Liz Unruh (Host): Hello, listeners, and thanks for tuning in to the Well Within Reach podcast brought to you by Riverside Healthcare. I'm your host, Liz Unruh. And joining me today is Casey Babinski, who's a fitness specialist at the Riverside Health Fitness Center. Thanks for joining us today.

Casey Babinski: Thanks for having me.

Host: So, we are here to talk about the big celebration Riverside, the Health Fitness Center, is having. It's 25 years that the fitness center has been in the community. But before we jump into that, Casey, can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Casey Babinski: Sure. I've been here at the fitness center for probably about 19 years overall. A few in the beginning, gone for a couple, and back for quite a few. I've got a degree in fitness from Northern Illinois University. I'm a local guy, so it's just been easy just to be here and know a lot of people that are in the gym and whatnot, and just done a lot of different roles, a lot of different titles over the years.

Host: Yeah, it sounds like you must've liked it if you came back.

Casey Babinski: Yeah. No, it's worked out really well for me.

Host: Yeah. And we're here on location recording in yoga studio today. And it just seems like a very calming and great environment to work out in. So, can you share a little bit of insight? I know you said you've been here for a while. Can you share some insights on how fitness centers like the Riverside Health Fitness Center operated back, like when you first started in fitness compared to today? Are there any notable differences?

Casey Babinski: Well, definitely back in the early 2000s, it seemed like there was more of a focus on cardiovascular health more than strength, especially for females. And then, over the years, there's been more strength incorporated. Definitely when we first opened and early on, yoga wasn't as common and even was looked at negatively by some populations. Professional massage therapy was not really happening in the area either. We were one of the really the first places to have massage therapy on an ongoing basis.

Host: Wow, those are two things that are pretty common now. You see yoga a lot of places. I know there's a number of places in town that do yoga, but we were one of the first right here, the fitness center.

Casey Babinski: We were a trailblazer.

Host: Yeah. Have advances in technology impacted the way that fitness centers operate and the services that can be provided?

Casey Babinski: Oh, definitely. I mean, there's been advancements in just equipment overall. If it's electronics, whether it be activity trackers, smart watches, smartphones with videos, apps. You know, we've got our fitness center app that our members use for a handful of things, scheduling, lap lanes, and tracking different things. Even if it is with the fitness testing, we've got even our most recent body composition tester, is just a newer one and a better technology than what we've had in the past, so definitely. And even like virtual programming, especially, I mean, during COVID and if not after, we've actually got a virtual platform that's going to be introduced in the very near future.

Host: I think it's definitely interesting to see the technology that's come through and changed our lives in so many ways. I couldn't imagine growing up that I'd be watching a virtual workout and be able to work out even in the gym, following someone else. Not to say Peloton, but like that kind of mentality, you can watch it and do it in real time at your pace. I think that's really, really big. Knowing that technology has changed fitness centers elaborately with the different ways that you can schedule, are the designs and layouts, have they changed? Like the equipment layout, are there different rooms for things now?

Casey Babinski: The facility definitely evolved from its infancy. The free weight area expanded multiple times just to kind of incorporate just that increased participation in strength training. Over in the early 2000s, 2010s or so, half the basketball court got converted into a functional training area, just with that becoming more popular with exercise and not as many team sports being played.

Host: those are definitely some interesting changes. I know people used to play racquetball and now more like pickleball is more popular. I think that's an interesting shift too. So as we start adapting all these things, is there a way that the fitness centers have adapted to cater to a wider range of demographics? So, the women now doing more weightlifting, like different age groups doing fitness classes.

Casey Babinski: So, one of nice things that we've always done as a medically-based fitness center is we've catered to all the groups all the time. whether it be, if it is, women on weights or teaching people their individualized programs, if it is senior programming, if people come in, whether they're tall or short or young or old or thin or not so thin, you know, we can kind of customize to them, but even with medical conditions and whatnot. So, we've always been able to handle about anyone who comes in.

Host: That's definitely one of the big benefits of being a health system-associated fitness center is that you do have that knowledge base of being able to cater to those groups. You may have noticed a shift in classes and like the programs that are offered. Have you personally seen any type of shift? Are there some of the more popular things that are happening now might not have happened back at the beginning?

Casey Babinski: For sure, I have. In those early 2000s, I mean, most of the classes were more cardio based, like step classes and step aerobics. And the clothes was different, too. They were wearing their leg warmers and their headbands and whatnot. So, that's changed in time. But nowadays, there tends to be more classes that are dealing more with what's called HIIT, H-I-I-T. That stands for high intensity interval training. One of the nice things about HIIT types of classes is that it covers some muscular conditioning as well as it elevates the heart rate. That makes HIIT like a really efficient, effective workout.

Host: Definitely, I've seen that a lot just on the influencers online talking more about HIIT, compared to the step aerobics now. And time for a quick break.

For 25 years, the Riverside Health Fitness Center has helped residents of the Kankakee area achieve their fitness goals. The Riverside Health Fitness Center is a medically-based facility deploying the highest standards to help participants manage and prevent chronic conditions through physical activity, nutrition, and health education to enhance their quality of life. Make Riverside Health Fitness Center your fitness center. Learn more about what the Riverside Health Fitness Center has to offer by visiting riversidehealthfitness.com.

And we're back. So, Casey, can you tell me some of the reason that someone would consider joining a medical-based fitness center over a commercial gym?

Casey Babinski: Well, with our facility, like I said earlier, everybody fits. But especially being medically-based one, I mean, we've got some different programming for special populations. Like with MyFitRx program, it's a physician referral program. It helps people maybe who haven't been in the gym get them started. And it could be specialized toward whatever medical condition they're bringing. One of the nice things too about our facility is that all of our fitness specialists are degreed in a fitness-related field. Our personal trainers and our group exercise instructors are all certified through national bodies. We've got our therapy pool. It's warmer water and it just makes it easier on aching joints, whether it be for people in classes or in their individual workouts. We've got a Rock Steady Boxing Program, which is great for folks with Parkinson's. They do a great job with helping folks with managing that. So, I mean, that's, I guess, about 10 or 11 or 12 good reasons why.

Host: Yes, I'm sure your list could go on for a long time too. Kind of with that, are there resources that are available at Riverside Health Fitness Center specifically?

Casey Babinski: Definitely. For all of our members, we have what we call wellness management, where our members can sit down with a fitness specialist to have an assessment or go over any exercises, and that's included with their membership. We do have personal training if people want to pay a little more to have more one on one time with a professional, just to see them and help them progress through their workouts and have eyes on them all the time. We've got classes that are available to our members, whether they're on land or in water or on a bike; massage therapy. We've got our pools, like a regular lap pool and the therapy pool. For those who may need, we have child care. So that way, their kids can be watched while they're exercising. In the locker room, some people really enjoy our spa services, the whirlpool, the steam room, the sauna. Some people we do, they call it an executive workout. They might just come in and just soak in steam a little bit. But if that's what they need, that's what they do. We offer towels/ we have our boxing studio, and our basketball, pickleball courts, and even like a walking track.

Host: Yeah, those are all really great things. And I imagine a lot of your members enjoy a lot of those aspects. So if you had someone that was sitting in front of you, for example, myself, and you were trying to convince me to join the Riverside Health Fitness Center, what would be your elevator pitch?

Casey Babinski: So basically, I would say, once again that you'd fit right in with anybody else and we'd be there to help you out every step of the way if it is getting you started, if it is following up through your journey, if it is to during the ups and downs, however it be. we definitely have ways that we can customize it to you. Whether you're a beginner or a fitness expert, I would help you out personally. I'll guarantee that.

Host: Yeah. Well, I appreciate all the great information you have given us today, Casey. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Casey Babinski: If you wanted to reach out for any information at the fitness center, you could call us at 815-929-1200, or the website again is riversidehealthfitness.com. But other than that, I just appreciate you guys having me.

Host: Yeah. And thank you for joining us today, Casey. And thank you for tuning in to the Well Within Reach podcast with Casey Babinski, who is a fitness specialist at the Riverside Health Fitness Center, and your host, Liz Unruh. To learn more and to make Riverside Health Fitness Center your fitness center, visit riversidehealthfitness.com.