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Resolve to stop exercising in 2024

You read that headline right. I’m here to tell you that 2023 can be the year you resolve, once and for all, to stop exercising. That’s because “exercise” – or at least what most people think of when they hear the word “exercise” is a chore.

Let me explain. Exercise is something many people don’t enjoy. Exercise takes time – at least three to six hours a week. It is tedious. It requires you to put on work-out clothes and go to places where you are forced to sweat in front of people you don’t know – or worse, people you DO know. And when you’re exercising, you’re never sure if you’re doing it correctly or safely.

But because they know it’s “good for them,” many people resolve to exercise on January 1 each year. A month later, when they’re tired, or busy, or haven’t seen the results they hoped for, they quit.

The truth is, most of us don’t really want to exercise as much as we want the benefits that exercise delivers:  We want to be strong and physically fit. We want to slow the aging process and lower our risk of disease. We want a good self-image.

What we really want, in other words, is MUSCLE

Doctors now believe that, next to quitting smoking, the single most important thing an adult can do to live a longer, healthier, pain-free life is to build their strength.

Muscle, it turns out, is the body’s master switch, the gatekeeper for long-term health. The good news is, you can build muscle without exercising – at least in the traditional sense. A scientifically based strength-building method known as slow cadence weight training makes it possible to achieve in one 20-minute session what might otherwise require three hours or more in the gym a week.

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness reports that slow cadence training results in a 50 percent greater strength gain than conventional weightlifting. It’s proven to build muscle better than aerobics, jogging, walking, biking and other traditional forms of exercise. In St. Louis, Sarasota and Tampa, this form of strength building is available at 20 Minutes to Fitness, a medically based center for people of all ages and fitness levels.

Build strength in just 20 minutes, just once a week

Depending on which studio you visit, you could train with a physical therapist or physical therapy assistant, an exercise physiologist or an experienced/certified personal coach. 20 Minutes to Fitness uses top-of-the-line MedX physical therapy equipment and safe, scientifically based training methods. There is no sweating, no workout clothes and no competition with the people who go to gyms to show off their physiques. And, again, all it takes is ONE 20-minute session a week. Your own trainer stays with you from start to finish.

When making your New Year’s Resolutions for 2024, don’t resolve to exercise. Resolve to get fit the smart way instead.

Contributed by Casey Schulte, P.T.  Casey is a physical therapist and general manager for 20 Minutes to Fitness in St. Louis.

20 years of 20 Minutes to Fitness!

When Paul and Laura Miller first read in Newsweek about a 20-minute, once-a-week fitness regimen, they were skeptical.

The 2001 article, which described a safe way to lift weight in super-slow motion, seemed too good to be true.

But University of Florida Medical School research found the regimen improved strength, bone density and overall functionality in people of all ages and fitness levels. Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes was a fan. So was Barbara Walters. Both trained at InForm Fitness, a New York City studio founded by fitness guru Adam Zickerman.

“For 20 minutes, I can do anything”

“I hate to exercise,” Walters admitted on The View, after demonstrating the techniques to viewers in 2002. “But for 20 minutes, I can do anything.”

Intrigued, the Millers traveled to New York to experience the workout firsthand. Soon they were hooked.

Later that year, they opened 20 Minutes to Fitness in Clayton. It was the first studio of its kind in the St. Louis area. Staffed by physical therapists and other professionals, it offered a safe, efficient way to build muscle.

Because the workout takes just 20 minutes, it also freed clients to spend the remaining 10,060 minutes in their week doing anything OTHER than think about exercise.

Early converts included Dick Smothers and pro and amateur golfers

Betty Cuniberti, a former Post-Dispatch columnist and breast cancer-survivor, was an early convert. Writing about her experience, she effused over the workout’s many benefits, concluding, “I never dreamed at age 55, I’d hit a golf ball so far or wear a skirt so short.”

KMOX radio’s Charlie Brennan has trained at 20 Minutes to Fitness since 2006 because “20 minutes, once a week is something I can stick with. Plus, it has the added benefit of working great.” Pro golfer Jay Delsing credits the workout with helping him build the strength needed to rejoin the PGA Champions tour after back surgery.

20 Minutes to Fitness today has locations in Chesterfield and Clayton, along with Tampa and Sarasota, Florida, where Dick Smothers of Smothers Brothers-fame trained, claiming the workout helped him get in “THE BEST SHAPE OF (HIS) LIFE.”

Builds bone density, improves your golf game

Since its founding, 20 Minutes to Fitness has trained countless doctors. Other clients include a former Olympic ice dancer, high school football players, grandmothers seeking to build bone density, busy corporate executives, avid cyclists, father-daughter duos and thousands of ordinary people just trying to live their fittest and best lives.

All say they appreciate the one-on-one, by-appointment-only training. They like that it requires no memberships or long-term commitments. Most importantly, they love the results.

As 20 Minutes to Fitness celebrates its 20th year, the Millers, general manager Casey Breslin, PT, and their staff still meet people who are skeptical of a 20-minute, once-a-week workout. They understand. They suggest you do the same thing they did.  Try it.

Your first workout, along with a health screening and consultation, is free.


A COVID UPDATE FOR OUR ST. LOUIS AREA FRIENDS

You may have heard that St. Louis County Executive Sam Page has announced new COVID-related restrictions for the County, effective Tuesday 11/17. These restrictions affect gyms, which are now limited to 25% of their capacity.

The good news is, you can rest assured that 20 Minutes to Fitness in Clayton and Chesterfield is (and has always been!) working well UNDER 25% of our maximum occupancy.

In Clayton’s 3,000 square foot studio, 25% capacity means 25 people or fewer at a time. In Chesterfield’s 2,700 square foot facility, that means 22 people or fewer.

Since the pandemic began, we have allowed no more than 10 people on the floor at a time. (Even with the short overlap when clients are coming and going, we are still below the 25% limit.)

We also continue to follow CDC protocols for face coverings for trainers and clients, and we sanitize every piece of equipment after every use.

Our 20-minute, once-a-week workout is tailormade for this time when we must all limit our social contact.

Please continue to stay safe and rest assured that we are doing what we can to provide a safe and efficient place to build strength and stay fit!

Joyce Wright at 20 Minutes to Fitness in Chesterfield

By adding a special back exercise to her 20 Minutes to Fitness routine, Joyce increased her spinal bone density by 9 points in less than a year.

Joyce Wright began training at 20 Minutes to Fitness in Chesterfield in 2010 with two goals in mind: (1) to increase her overall fitness level and (2) to improve her bone density. Here is her story:

“I have been receiving Prolia injections for osteoporosis in my spin and hips from 2008 to the present. I get a bone scan each year. Since taking Prolia, my bone density increased slightly each year — until 2018, when it stayed the same.

“I explained this to Casey, my trainer at 20 MTF, and she added a back exercise to my weekly workout. At my yearly bone scan in 2019, the bone density in my spine increased by 9 points.

“Since I made no other changes in calcium, vitamin D3 or other medications or exercise routines, I attribute this gain to 20 MTF — and the added back exercise in particular.

“My doctor was very pleased and said to keep doing whatever I had been doing, which means continuing Prolia and 20 MTF. She (my doctor) added very positive comments about 20 MTF.”

Are you over 50 and at risk of osteoporosis? If so, please let us help. Our regimen can not only help improve bone density, it provides a host of other health benefits as well!


Shirley Jorgenson of St. Louis celebrated a major health win this year: a 2% increase in her bone density, which she achieved WITHOUT prescription medication.

The news came just 2 years after her doctor initially diagnosed her with osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.

The secret to her success? Once-a-week strength training at 20 Minutes to Fitness, along with over-the-counter calcium supplements.

“After weekly workouts with Cathy at 20 Minutes to Fitness, it was confirmed to me that this workout produces results,” said Joregenson. “My doctor told me, keep doing what you’re doing!”

Joregenson’s results confirm what research from Harvard Medical School and others has said all along: strong muscles lead to strong bones.

Most of us know that weight-bearing and resistance exercises build muscle mass and strength, but few understand what’s happening inside of our bones. Like muscles, our bones are living tissue that require exercise to become stronger, and numerous studies support that strength training plays a crucial role in slowing bone loss.

According to a Harvard Medical School Special Health Report, “Activities that put stress on bones can nudge bone-forming cells into action–the result is stronger, denser bones.” Strong bones can help minimize the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis.

After the age of 30, we lose more bone mass than we gain. A combination of age, sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition deplete bone mass, leaving us fragile and at-risk for fracture. Harvard Medical School reports that an estimated 8 million women and 2 million men in the United States now have osteoporosis.  As the number of people with osteoporosis rises, so does the number of osteoporosis-related fractures.

These numbers point to an epidemic that requires life-long intervention. Once-a-week strength training at 20 Minutes to Fitness is just that.  Performed under the watchful eye of a physical therapist or personal trainer, workouts are safe for all ages — including people in their 80s and 90s.

Our medically based, load-bearing workouts help prevent osteoporosis by reducing bone loss and increasing bone density. Offsetting age-related decline in bone mass encourages power and balance and enhances strength and stability. They provide a host of other health benefits as well.

The proof is in our results.  Just ask Shirley.

To schedule a free consultation and first workout, find a location near you at 20MinutesToFitness.com

Gerry Hempstead celebrates six years of building strength at 20 Minutes to Fitness.

This is Gerry. You’ll find him photographed at various spots on the 20 Minutes to Fitness website.

Gerry — like everyone you’ll see on our website and in our ads — is a real person, not some fancy fitness model. We tell the stories of real people because 20 Minutes to Fitness delivers real results. And all it takes is working out once a week for 20 minutes.

We know it sounds too good to be true. But this is one case where it is not. Here you’ll train safely on physical therapy equipment under the direct supervision of a personal coach who handles all the details and makes sure you use proper form. We’re not saying it is easy. But it is efficient, effective and fun. It helps your mind and body feel better. Don’t believe us?

Just ask Gerry.

You can’t REALLY get fit by training just 20 minutes, once-a-week, can you?

We’ve been asked that questions hundreds of times over the years — 15 to be exact. And our answer is always the same.  Yes, it IS possible to build strength and get fit by training at 20 Minutes to Fitness  just 20 minutes a week. Study after study has demonstrated the effectiveness of our medically based training method, which involves taking each major muscle group to failure while  using safe MedX physical therapy equipment.

But, if you STILL don’t believe us, here is yet another study that backs us up.  You can find it in the New York Times, or read it here:

From the article:

Here’s some good news for anyone who does not have the time or inclination to linger in the gym and grunt through repeated, hourslong sets of various weight-training exercises in order to build muscular strength.

An inspiring new study of how much — or little — weight training is needed to improve muscles’ strength and size finds that we may be able to gain almost the same muscular benefits with a single, brief set of each exercise.

The catch is, that set has to be draining.

Read the rest here.

ATTENTION St. Louis-area friends: Save the date: OCT. 13!

And that’s not all! Join us on Sunday, Oct. 13 and you’ll also:

  • Learn about our Physical Therapy and Movement & Mobility services
  • Check out our Styku Body Scanner
  • Find out how massage therapy can help speed the healing process
  • Ask about our Golf and Cycling fitness programs
  • Win cool 20 Minutes to Fitness gear!

Got questions?  Call us at 314-863-7836! We’d love to tell you more.

St. Louis Magazine reporter Jeannette Cooperman visited 20 Minutes to Fitness’ studio in Clayton and tried about our 20-minute, once-a-week strength training workout herself.  Then she wrote an article about what she experienced.

You can read it all here. Or here. Or here.  It’s all the same. We just don’t want you to miss it!

20 Minutes, Once a Week. It works for Dave!

Dave Behnen has been training at 20 Minutes to Fitness in Chesterfield for seven years. He’s not only gotten stronger and improved his golf game, the shoulder pain that once kept him from working out is gone. If you don’t believe us, watch Dave tell his story here!