Empowering Strong Women With Curves®

Dr. Bitner had a very special Let’s Chat Collaboration this week with Krishea Holloway, president of Curves®, and vice president Amanda Merriam! It was so thrilling to have these ladies as guests because we’re united in a common goal: helping women become happier, healthier versions of themselves. Krishea talks about how she fell in love with the concept of women-only gyms and how it’s evolved.

How Curves® Began

Curves® was started as a sanctuary where women could go to work out without feeling judged (or without worrying about being hit on by strangers). It’s a place that’s welcoming for every age, filled with women who have similar body types. There’s no room for intimidation, just an accepting community willing to cheer you on in all your goals. There’s also an option for online workout sessions, for those who’d rather partake virtually and from the comfort of their home. We all know how it feels to not be up to speed with other people in a workout routine, so that takes away the worry.

Another benefit of Curves is it perfectly suits women with a busy lifestyle. If you can in just a fifteen-minute workout, that’s okay! A short workout is better than no workout, as Dr. Bitner says. So, what does a Curves workout look like? It consists of interval training involving aerobic and strength training. Strength training is essential to building muscle mass, and that’s important in maintaining bone density. Some women think building muscle will make them less feminine and bulkier, but that’s simply not true. Muscle is necessary for burning calories and losing fat! There are five components of a Curves workout: warm-ups, strength training, cardio, cooling down and stretching.

Takeaway Tips

Dr. B. gave us five takeaway tips and discussed with the ladies of Curves how it’s implemented in their program. The first is to set a goal, specifically a picture of self for your health journey, like being able to keep up with family when hiking. The second is that exercise is a vital part of SEEDS®. Tip number three, muscle mass is key for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and mobility! Our fourth tip is to remember that Curves has online classes, and lastly, the sooner women start working out, the better!

As always, Dr. Bitner provided five questions to ask our physicians that are relevant to the topic of fitness.

• What stage of ovarian aging are you in? It matters in terms of symptoms and fitness, and how easy it is to build muscle.
• How do hormones affect your muscle mass? Testosterone decreases with age and impacts muscle mass.
• What are your risks for heart disease and diabetes, and what can you do to minimize risk?
• How is your bone health? Bone density loss and osteoporosis take a lot of women by surprise. Strength training can restore bone density in women who’ve experienced bone loss.
• What is your muscle mass and body fat mass? These figures are so much more important than your weight! Muscle weighs more than fat.

The impedance scale at true. answers some of these questions! Fitness is so important, and getting started can be hard, but when you have a supportive and encouraging community that lets you go at your own pace, it makes things much easier. We loved getting to talk to the brilliant minds behind Curves and discuss their approach to women’s health, and hopefully, there will be more collaboration to come! Come to us with any questions you have about ways to get more active. Also, watch the live stream for a link to a free trial at Curves for a week!