If you have a gym membership, but don’t go very often, if at all, you’re in a lot of company. According to one estimate, 67 percent of gym memberships go underutilized or rarely used, and 4.6 percent never get used. Apparently the first 90 days are critical in forming early habits that last the distance. This is where having a personal trainer can make the difference between healthy lifelong gym habits, and see-sawing between brief periods of workout, followed by injury, or loss of motivation, falling out of shape, and then a return to the gym – only to repeat the cycle again.

While I certainly recognize in myself a revolving-door relationship with gyms, in my interview with local business owner and personal trainer John Perry, I began to understand that what I needed was a goal, a plan, regimentation, motivation and celebration of little accomplished milestones. What I need is personal training. In speaking with John, I learned that personal trainers are not just for gym dilettantes like myself, but help a wide range of peoples with diverse health challenges.

In 1999, Perry was asked to run a training studio that was originally part of Dream Weavers, at 34 North Front St. on the third floor. After 13 years in that location, the fitness studio purchased its current building at 33 North Front St.

According to John, "Signature Fitness is different from most gyms. We do have everything most box gyms have, just not multiples of them (other than cardio equipment). Each trainer runs their own business, and is the best in the areas they specialize in. For example, we have trainers that specialize in injuries that need pre/post-surgery, seniors strengthening (balance, range of motion, cardiac, etc.), kids and athletes from middle school playing in D1 sports, children on the spectrum, home schooled kids for physical activities, and of course weight loss, toning and overall health needs. One special program trainer, Michelle DeDominicis, runs our Rock Steady Boxing program for folks with Parkinson’s.”

Perry said some of his most popular requests are for "traditional strength training with overall health in mind. We have many folks with osteopenia, or osteoporosis that are also in need of endurance and flexibility.”

Having a personal trainer to encourage, push and motivate, especially when you least want to work out, is an essential part of effective training. "Most folks that come to Sig Fit have either tried to train on their own, but need accountability or a professional to make sure they don't hurt themselves again or at all,” John explains. "We also have clients that have worked out for years but want different workouts than what they are used to. Motivation comes in many ways and forms, and we as trainers at Sig Fit find the positive in all clients.”

Having a personal trainer can help with assessing your current fitness. Since everyone’s body is different, personal trainers create custom routines tailored around your specific needs, and create step-by-step goals and a plan. They also help teach proper form and posture during lifts and stretches to prevent harm. This can be especially helpful as we age and recovery is slower. Importantly, trainers help you to learn and understand. They advise, consult and encourage each client on body anatomy – how different muscles work and why certain movements are important; nutrition – advising on healthy eating, portion control, and meal planning; and growing healthy habits, like stacking healthy routines into your normal day, like stretching while watching TV.

A remarkable story Perry shared is of a young man and his father who walked into Signature Fitness one day. Diagnosed with a severe neurological condition, his family had been told years earlier that he wouldn't live past 13. Referred by a therapist, the boy had a determination to defy every medical prognosis he’d ever been given. “We didn't train for aesthetics or PRs on a barbell,” Perry said. “We trained for real life, building functional strength around goals that meant everything to him: being able to carry his own backpack on his shoulders, stepping up firmly onto the school bus without assistance and hauling a full scuba tank from the shore down to the water’s edge.”

“In every session” Perry continued, “through every awkward movement or grueling adaptation, he never once complained. Not a single negative word ever crossed his lips. He possessed a quiet, radiant resilience – a genuine joy for simply being capable of trying. Watching him grow over the years, both in physical capacity and spirit, was one of the greatest privileges of my career. When he turned 16, he went in for his annual comprehensive scans and tests. The results left his medical team stunned. His condition hadn't just stabilized – it had visually altered on the scans, improving to the point where he was completely out of the high-risk zone that threatened his life. His body had adapted and healed in ways science couldn't fully explain. Last we spoke he was in college, pursuing his dream of becoming a marine biologist.” While it was the young man’s accomplishment, Perry takes pride and happiness in being instrumental in his client’s road to wellness.

Today, Perry says business is good and Signature Fitness is thriving. They currently have 10 trainers, and now with Pilates, they hope to add a few more. Although trends in the business come and go, especially with philosophies, techniques and technologies, John says that in the end "a dumbbell is [still] a dumbbell.” Signature Fitness’ successes have also been built primarily through word of mouth. "I literally have built a business on an amazing community and group of trainers that need no other form of advertising,” John said. “I believe that speaks volumes.”

For years, Perry’s been a community booster. When he opened his business, Uptown Kingston was a very different place. "I became involved in many community boards and committees [like Kingston Uptown Business Association], spending years helping Kingston. Much of that time was when the city was not nearly as popular as now. As a local business owner, I and many others saw that revitalization of Kingston was essential for our own fortunes. Just opening the doors doesn't guarantee success – sometimes you have to literally be a part of developing a community.”

Perry has all the appearances of being a self-disciplined individual, and that is also reflected in how he manages his business. “I'm at the studio by 4:45 a.m., Monday through Friday, and 6:30 a.m. on Saturday,” John said. “I'm blessed to have the best clients, and to work in a healthy environment with trainers who have the same love to help others. When you do something that you love, and can pay your bills doing it, it's a blessing!” Amen! As for offering advice to any would-be entrepreneur or business owner, he advises to “listen, learn, research, and be the first person up and the last person out. Over time as your business grows, you’ll have to determine what your next goal/s are. Achieve small and grow big!"

For more on Signature Fitness and personal training, visit signaturefitness.org.