A Passion for Fitness

By Naperville Magazine
January 2025 View more Featured

By Jeff Banowetz

Finding a successful workout routine is about more than willpower. It means finding an activity—and community—that you love.

This time of year, the gyms are packed with people excited to get in shape. But for many, resolutions fade quickly. Fresh determination can only last so long. “You see it all the time, that the new year starts, and people are ready to join a gym,” says Nate Steele, the owner and lead trainer of CrossFit 630 in Naperville. “But typically, if there’s not a community of support, it can be pretty short-lived for a lot of people.”

The key to a sustainable fitness model isn’t forcing yourself to workout because it’s good for you. The eat-your-vegetables approach may get you started, but it won’t keep you coming back for more. Those who develop a fitness habit stick with it because they’ve found an activity they love. It’s a highlight of their day. They not only feel good after a workout, but they spend the day looking forward to it. It also tends to be a communal activity, in which they meet new people, learn new skills, and hold each other accountable when self-motivation starts to lag.

If you can’t find that spark of joy in your workouts, try something new. Here are several options with devout followers. That’s not to say you’ll be one of them. But if you’re looking to get serious about fitness this year, now’s a perfect time to discover something you love.

1. Take on CrossFit

Working with animals and protecting outdoor spaces appeals to a lot of people, so it’s no surprise that volunteer opportunities with the DuPage Forest Preserve District are quite popular.

The fervor of CrossFitters has become almost a cliché since the fitness regimen launched in the year 2000. In the last quarter century, it has become one of the most successful fitness practices in the world, with more than 13,000 gyms in 150 countries.

It focuses on whole-body fitness, with an emphasis on high-intensity training, weightlifting, plyometrics, and cardio. It has aided the popularity of functional fitness, which promotes using movement as you would in everyday life—like lifting or moving objects (ropes, tires) that engage a wide range of muscles to build strength, mobility, and flexibility.

The success of CrossFit makes it seem that it’s for the ultrafit. Yet newbies undoubtedly can benefit from the workouts as well. CrossFit 630 in Naperville features hourlong classes that are overseen by a trainer and customized for all fitness levels. “One of the biggest misnomers about CrossFit in general is you have to be fit to do it,” Steele says. “I think that couldn’t be any further from the truth. Someone from a beginner to an expert can all do the same class because it’s programmed for them. We’re working with each person individually to develop their plan.”

Another appeal of CrossFit is that nearly every class is unique, as it pulls from a wide variety of cardio and strength training exercises. “It’s got to be fun, right?” Steele says. “If it’s the same sequence of movements over and over and over all the time, it gets monotonous. And I think that’s why people lose focus on their own or maybe at a different place that just runs circuits.”

Steele took his first CrossFit class in 2008. “I was a high school and college athlete who graduated college and got out of shape,” he says. “A buddy of mine had started CrossFit and told me, ‘I found this thing that’s going to change the world.’ I kind of laughed at him, but I thought, all right, I’ll try it.” After an introductory class, he canceled his membership at a traditional gym. Six months later, he was getting certified to be a trainer, and a year after that, he opened his first gym. “It changed my life for sure.”

2. Pick a Fight

Few adults are interested in getting into the ring to fight—particularly if they’ve never done it before. But training for boxing, martial arts, or other combat sports can be an incredibly effective and entertaining way to get a great workout.

Coach Lynn Grant never expected to like it herself. She had been attending a strength-training class when the instructor said she was going to introduce some boxing to the classes. “I told her, ‘I’ll just skip the classes where you do that,’ ” Grant recalls. “But she convinced me to at least try it. And I liked it so much that it was basically all I did from then on.”

Grant’s now an ACE-certified personal trainer who leads her own boxing classes in the western suburbs, including at the UFC Gym in Lombard. For her classes, she combines work on a heavy bag with cardio movements to create a whole-body workout. “It’s always changing,” she says. “There’s different combinations and different movements. Plus, it’s a stress reliever because, you know, you’re punching something. There’s little impact on your joints because you’re basically rotating your body and pivoting your feet. There’s stepping forward or backward or side to side, so you’re not going to get injured once you know the correct form.”

A typical class for Grant starts with a seven-minute warm-up before a series of three-minute rounds in which she leads a series of combinations against the heavy bag. In between rounds she’ll focus on calisthenics or other cardio work. While most people come for strength training, they find boxing more of a total-body workout. “It’s a lot of abdominal work because you’re using your abdominal muscles to throw the punches,” she says. “People will start to notice the definition in their core.”

While she’s sparred in the ring, Grant doesn’t feel that it needs to be a component of training if that doesn’t interest you. “It’s a lot of adrenaline, which is fun, but I prefer the heavy bag,” she says. “It’s a little scary getting hit [in the ring]. And if you like it, great. But you can get all the benefits from the training, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s something that anyone can get into. We get people who’ve never done it before or are just starting to work out, and they can pick it up quickly.”

3. Join a Running Club

Running is one of the most popular—and inexpensive—forms of exercise. You don’t need to join a gym or purchase much equipment, and you can do it just about anywhere. And yet, running by yourself can become a chore. Joining a running group can provide motivation and make runs more enjoyable.

Most specialty running stores organize group runs to help connect people. Last May, the Naperville Running Company took things a step further, as it saw an opportunity when Paul Vandersteen retired as the cross-country/track coach at Neuqua Valley High School. “He’s a great friend of ours and a great friend of the store,” says Naperville Running Company’s Marissa Hird. “When he retired, he still wanted to stay active in the community. So we asked, ‘Do you want to coach with us?’ ”

Vandersteen was happy to oblige, and the Naperville Running Company Track Club was formed. The group trains year-round at the indoor and outdoor tracks at North Central College. Vandersteen designs the workouts along with several other coaches, including Hird, and the group quickly took off. “We have 210 active members right now—it’s pretty amazing,” Hird says. “We expected maybe 40 or 50 people when we started this. So it shows that people are interested in training with a group like this.”

Hird emphasized that the track workouts were for all levels of runners—anyone interested in improving is welcome to join the club. “We don’t care how fast you are—we just want to help you get faster,” she says. “We always say, we’ve got people who can run a 14-minute 5K and a 40-minute 5K. If your goal is to run a 35-minute 5K, we can help you do that. Nobody has to run alone because there is a pace group for everyone.”

But as much as the training tips can help, group dynamics are just as important in motivating people. “Obviously, I’m very biased, but it’s an incredibly supportive group,” Hird says. “There’s no judgment. We’re all cheering each other on no matter what you’re training for or how fast you’re running.”

4. Discover Pilates

While Pilates has gained popularity over the last few decades, the practice dates back more than a century. Joseph Pilates developed the exercise regime at a prisoner of war camp during World War I, focusing on a connection between the mind and the body. The method developed a strong following among dancers and others who sought both strength and flexibility before catching on with the general public in the 1990s and 2000s. “Pilates is a full-body workout that is meant to deepen core strength, increase flexibility, and enhance body awareness,” says Eric Smith, the owner of three Club Pilates locations in Naperville and Plainfield. “It’s a low-impact, functional, and adaptable kind of fitness method that can benefit almost anyone.”

Pilates has developed different branches, but most use traditional Pilates equipment, which typically includes a unique bench system known as a reformer. This frame consists of a sliding platform, springs, ropes, and pulleys to help produce resistance and create exercise to promote balance and flexibility. A chair and mat also can be used for some exercises. “I’d say that we feature a contemporary style of Pilates here; we use the classical foundations that Joseph Pilates identified, but we make it a bit more current with other kinds of fitness methods that have developed,” Smith says. “It’s such an incredible fitness routine, and I felt like we needed to bring this into our community, to make it more accessible and convenient.” Club Pilates uses a class-based program in which people work on their own equipment at the same time. “It’s kind of nice in that you have your own area and your own equipment that you can focus on, but an instructor is engaging with everyone and making sure they have the right form and are getting the most out of the exercise,” he says. “It also makes a difference that you’re doing it as part of a group, which fosters a really positive environment.”

5. Strike a Yoga Pose

Perhaps no fitness regime has grown more over the last two decades than yoga. Just about any health club, YMCA, or gym now offers some kind of yoga class. Theresa Wilson, the general manager of YogaSix in Naperville, discovered it herself about 15 years ago after an injury working out. “It was recommended that I try yoga, and at first, I was like, ‘Yoga, really?’ ” she says with a laugh. “But then I tried it, and you know what? It made me stronger and leaner, and it wasn’t wreaking havoc on my body.”

She continued with it, eventually taking a teacher training course, primarily so that she “could do the poses better.” But the more she learned, the more she got out of it. “People come for the physical benefits, but they end up staying because of all the physical benefits that they don’t realize are happening, or even possible.”

YogaSix incorporates six different styles of yoga classes. “You’re going to notice the physical benefits right away,” Wilson says. “You’re going to get stronger and gain more muscle. You’re going to feel leaner. But you also will find that it also works with so many other systems in the body that you start to feel better about yourself.”

The holistic elements of yoga also help bring people together. “People lift each other up,” Wilson says. “The yoga community is amazing. Nobody is really a new student because everybody is so friendly from the start. I think people are craving that community in their lives right now, and we’re lucky to have a group that supports each other.” Those who may be intimidated by the poses shouldn’t let that stop them from giving it a try. “Don’t think, ‘I could never do that,’ ” she says. “Everyone starts as a beginner, and you aren’t going to be asked to do things you can’t do. You can also surprise yourself with how much you can learn. It just takes time.”

6. Concentrate on Heart Rate

Using heart rate as a method to track exercise has been around since heart-rate monitors started popping up in the 1980s. It remained largely the domain of triathletes, runners, and other data-obsessed athletes as the technology got better and better. But Orangetheory Fitness has brought the concept to the mainstream, and it now has more than 1,500 studios across the country. “Orangetheory is one hour of heart-rate-based interval training in a group workout setting, designed to maximize your effort and results,” says Megan Vaccaro Bosson, head coach at Orangetheory Fitness in Naperville. “Each session is divided into three primary components: cardio, strength training, and rowing.”

Orangetheory coaches lead the workouts, and the participants wear heart-rate monitors to gauge their performances in real time. The goal is to spend 12 to 20 minutes in the “orange zone,” where the heart rate is at 84 to 91 percent of your maximum rate. “It’s not just a workout; it’s a personalized fitness experience,” Vaccaro Bosson says. “Unlike traditional gyms where you work independently, Orangetheory offers coach-led, science-backed group workouts. Our heart-rate-monitoring technology and max heart-rate algorithm allow members to see real-time feedback and track their progress during each session and over time.”

While technology is a big part of Orangetheory’s success, the group element provides a social component to the program. “From my very first class, I knew I wanted to be a part of this amazing community,” says Vaccaro Bosson, who has been coaching there for more than seven years. “It’s a place where members truly connect and support one another. What I love most is seeing people from all walks of life come together, each striving to become the best version of themselves.”

7. Get Wet

Many people learn to swim as kids, and then maybe it becomes a thing you do on vacation. However, swimming for exercise is highly underutilized, and swimmers find that it can provide a great workout without the pounding that comes with land-based routines. “People often forget about what a difference it makes being in the water,” says Alice Novotny, the adult aquatic supervisor at the Endeavor Health Fitness & Wellness Center—Seven Bridges in Woodridge. “And anyone can do it. We’ve got ages from 6 months to 90 using the pool right now.”

Adults who know how to swim can join a masters swim program with coached workouts and competitive meets. The Naperville Waves train at Novotny’s facility, and it’s become one of the most successful programs in the state. “If you’re looking to swim competitively, there’s no better way to do it,” she says. “Or if you want to work out with other swimmers and be part of a group, it’s a team environment that helps make it more fun.”

Most swimming facilities offer lessons as well as water exercise classes. “It can make a big difference for people who can’t make movements safely or struggle with balance,” she says. “The water also helps with recovery. You don’t get sore like you do on land.” But most of all, getting in the water is just more fun for some people.

“If you’re having a good time, you’re more likely to do it again.”

8. Focus on Functional

For Jay Curry, the head trainer at F45 Training in Naperville, the most important thing about his fitness center is its focus on the culture. “We’re like a family here,” he says. “Everyone is positive. We make sure we’re working hard, but we’re doing it in a way that makes everyone successful.”

F45 Fitness began in Australia before making its way to the United States. The “F” stands for functional, and it consists of 45-minute classes that combine high-intensity interval training with other elements of circuit training and cardio equipment.

“Everything in here translates to functional movement outside,” Curry says. “So the whole game plan is to work hard here to make life easier outside.”

Choose from four different styles of classes at F45, focusing on strength, cardio, hybrid, and recovery. A trainer will help you determine how to best meet your fitness goals through the program.

“When you first come in, I want to get to know you a little better,” Curry says. “You get to know me a little better. I’ll get to know if you have any injuries or limitations or if it’s your first time working out. And then I can come up with a game plan with you on how we modify different things.”

While a high-intensity 45-minute workout may sound scary at the start, Curry says that the focus is always on safety first. “That’s our job, to make sure that we’re doing things that get results in a safe way—no one benefits from an injury,” he says. “We get all kinds of people here, and they can adapt the workout to fit their abilities.”

He’s also confident that it doesn’t take long for people to start seeing the benefits.

“We work hard, and we all pull for each other,” he says. “That’s why we’ve developed such a close-knit group here.”

Join a Team

Working out doesn’t have to be a solo activity, and participating in team sports doesn’t have to end when you graduate high school. Playing a sport that you love is perhaps the best way to stay motivated about fitness.

Luckily, finding an adult league for all levels has never been easier. Chances are that your park district has multiple options for a sport that interests you. Soccer, volleyball, softball, basketball, and hockey are popular, but you’ll find groups organizing just about any sport if you look hard enough.

Another option is to try something completely new to you: martial arts, fencing, racket sports, or rock climbing, to name just a few. You’ll find passionate people happy to share their sport and welcoming of new participants. If there’s a sport you’ve always wanted to try, you’re likely to find a group somewhere in the area with a quick Google search. Be proactive to find your next sports passion.

• • •

7 Tips for Success

It’s easy to say you want to get in shape, but following through with a realistic plan is another thing entirely. Find an activity that truly works for you.

1. BE REALISTIC: Understand your starting point—and don’t make expectations too high. The quickest way to derail a fitness plan is to get injured, and that’s much more likely to happen when you’re pushing your body beyond its current capabilities.

2. PUT IT IN WRITING: Create a written plan for what you want to do, and be specific. “Go to the gym more” doesn’t help. “Attend the 7 a.m. spinning class on Tuesdays and Fridays” is better. Work with a trainer or coach to help you if you’re new to the activity.

3. FIND A GROUP: Exercise is more fun with other people, and it’s harder to skip a workout when other people are expecting you. Even if the majority of your workouts are solo, find a group, class, or friends to meet with once a week.

4. STICK TO A SCHEDULE: Treat exercise like you would any other appointment. Put it on your calendar and plan around it.

5. SET GOALS: Have both short-term and long-term goals. Start with simple time commitments that just require you to show up but soon move onto goals that measure progress. It’s fine for long-term goals to be ambitious but also include lots of short-term benchmarks that are within reach.

6. DON’T BE AFRAID TO QUIT: Too many people gut their way through a fitness program they dislike. That’s not sustainable. If you’re not enjoying it, move onto another activity. Find the right group, class, exercise, or sport that brings you joy.

7. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS: Smart watches are perfect for data nerds, but a simple exercise journal to record workouts is an excellent motivational tool and can help you can set better goals.

Illustration: Rami Niemi; Photos: RichLegg/iStock (Crossfit); Lynn Grant; alexsfoto/iStock (boxing gloves); Naperville Running Company; Photology1971/iStock (pilates); non exclusive/iStock (sport illustrations); AzmanJaka/istock (yoga); Orangetheory; Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock (swimming); F45 Training