Healthy Start

Get Fit with

 

   

MAC's Healthy Start program is designed for the beginner exerciser or anyone who has been away from exercise for some time. It's a 60 day program, with lots of supervision to help you get fit. Here's what you'll get:

• Supervised exercise (meet with a fitness specialist 2x/week)
• Oversight from our staff RN
• Full use of the entire facility during your 60 days
• $60 for 60 days
*Healthy Start is not available for student/summer memberships.





ENROLLING IN HEALTHY START
There are several ways to get started:
• Simply come to the club and ask a representative to enroll you in Healthy Start
• If you're a member, refer someone to our Healthy Start program
• Get your physician to prescribe the program for you.
Click here to enroll in Healthy Start now.
*Healthy Start is not available for student/summer memberships.


PHYSICIAN PRESCRIBED
This program is ideal for physicians prescribing exercise to their patients. Doctors can feel confident that MAC's highly trained team will help their patients get on a path to fitness, in a safe and effective manner.

Why Prescribe Exercise?
• 65% of patients would be more likely to exercise if advised by their doctor and given additional resources
• 25% of patients say that their doctor would be the first person they would turn to for advice on exercise
• 4 out of 10 physicians talk to their patients about the importance of exercise but don’t always offer suggestions as to how to be active
• More than 50% of Healthy Start participants continue to exercise at MAC on their own


"1 hour of exercise equals 1.95 added hour of life."
                    - New England Journal of Medicine

"If we had a pill that contained all the benefits of exercise, it would be the most widely prescribed drug in the world."
                    - Ronald M. Davis, M.D., AMA President
 

If you are a physician and would like to hear more about our program, click here to request information from our medical liaison, Maria Yanson.


According to Dr. Mark Saba, an internist at St. Joseph’s Medical Center, “I began prescribing the Healthy start program at the MAC to many of my patients. I was comfortable with their program, the safety protocols in place and a knowledgable team of fitness specialists and a staff RN. My patients are doing well, feeling better and making exercise a part of their lives, as everyone should.”


EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Are you working out because your doctor prescribed exercise for a specific health issue? If so, you will be happy to know that your physician-prescribed exercise program can now be considered a tax-deductible "qualified medical expense" by the IRS.*

In order for your program to qualify, you must have an exercise prescription for a specific health issue such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, etc. The items that can be deducted include personal training and other exercise programs (Nutrition/LEAN, BURN, Pilates); monthly health club dues cannot be deducted.


Healthy Start session times at MAC Timonium:
Monday-Friday: 11am, 11:30am, & 12pm
Monday & Wednesday: 5pm, 5:30pm, & 6pm
Tuesday & Thursday: 7pm & 7:30pm


Healthy Start session times at MAC Harbor East:
Monday: 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm & 6:30pm
Tuesday: 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm & 7:00pm
Wednesday: 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:00pm & 6:30pm
Thursday: 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm & 7:00pm
Friday: 12:00pm & 12:30pm

Getting Fit TESTIMONIALS

"The Healthy Start Program has reduced my stress level. I am getting deep, better quality of sleep. I am losing some weight and have gone down one size in jeans. It was an easy way to get moving again after years of being a couch potato. I had a lot of misconceptions about health clubs and working out. I would recommend this program to anyone who has any health issues. You learn to exercise the right way and to get the most benefits from your efforts. I found I actually love it and hate to miss a session."
- Joanne Ebert, Healthy Start Graduate, MAC Member



"The thought of starting an exercise program at a gym was very intimidating to me.  I cringed at the thought of all the hard core workout people (such as 70 year old men who ride bikes over 150 miles up hill)  and the girls with nice spandexed bodies.

How would I fit in?  where would I start?   How far could I go?  What would happen if I got dizzy, or couldn't catch my breath?

You have created such a place for me and many others who are beyond rehab and not ready for a regular gym.  I feel safe and in good hands with the trainers, or coaches that are in this program.  They are compassionate, and give you a feeling that they truely care, and you are their only customer.  They remember your name and are full of gentle encouragement and share in your triumphs.

In only 3 weeks I feel stronger, my joints don't creek and squeak, I am more alert, my memory is better, I am more mobile, digest food better. But most importantly I have hope. Hope that I can do it, hope that I can once again be in a healthy state of mind and body. There are many doctors that I see during the year and most of them I will be seeing within the next month, I can't wait to tell them about my progress and let them know of this great program that is available."
- Sharon Hare