Empowering Women Through Health and Fitness

As Colette Cole, MS , Female Focus Director at Cooper Fitness Center, begins her Tuesday morning Female Focus class, the room fills with laughter and excitement among women who have worked out together for years plus new faces. Cole has taught her Female Focus program for nearly 18 years and starts each class with a big smile and greets new students just like they have been coming for years. “Many of these women have become lifelong friends after having met in this program” says Cole.

This small group fitness program incorporates strength and flexibility training with Cole adjusting or recommending alternative positions or exercises based on individual needs or health conditions. Cole says, “women with all kinds of health implications like having low bone density, being overweight and even cancer have become healthier and stronger after joining the program.” The pathway to health and fitness isn’t one-size-fits-all, in fact, it can be as unique as the individual.

Female Focus offers women two programs to choose from:

1. Weight Loss : helping women lose weight healthfully through exercise, nutrition guidance and encouragement from other women who are striving for similar goals.
2. Disease Management : with individualized attention on health issues such as osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis/fibromyalgia, this group helps women learn how to manage their health and achieve their goals.

As the class continues, you see how these women are willing to open up about their lives and experiences while doing their workouts. Women have been taking part in the program for so many years that they have all become lifelong friends. During the class, one of the women spoke up and shared with the class that at her last doctor visit she received a perfect health report from her physician, a result she hasn’t received since her first pregnancy. She thanked Cole and her classmates for helping her reach her health goals and is grateful for the program.

While many may think once they’ve reached their desired health goals, they have reached the end of their Female Focus journey, but for most of these women, it has just begun. Their quest for lifelong health and wellness within a supportive and accountable group is just what the doctor ordered. After all, Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper , Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics, says, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination, you must continue for the rest of your life.” The average length of time these ladies have been attending Cole’s class is between 6 weeks to 10 years. Let that inspire you to join and become part of something bigger and healthier.

Both programs are 4–6 weeks long and include:

• Fitness assessments
• Consultation to create a personal fitness program
• Small group training sessions twice a week
• Weekly nutrition information with recipes

“The nutrition emails are a great way to get recipes and provide helpful and practical strategies to consider while cooking your next meal,” says Antoinette Davis, a Female Focus member for more than three years. For the Weight Loss program, you have the opportunity to speak with a Cooper Clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for an individual nutrition consultation. With an ever-evolving program like Female Focus, “tweaking the program based on participant needs has opened the door to help women with a multitude of different health conditions, needs and goals,” says Cole.

It’s important to note that Female Focus is not only a fitness program, but it has also become a place for women to make new and nurture existing friendships. These women have a close-knit bond, sharing their health journeys and inspiring/motivating others to keep up with their health. Laurie Hestwood, a participant of five years says, “I like the people and teachers, and most of all the accountability. If I miss a class, I get messages from the other women checking up on me and asking why I didn’t go to class that day.”

The program has evolved over the years since Cole founded it in 2006 to best help women come together and support each other. Cole says, “It goes deeper than just a six-week program for women. It’s not just the right exercises for physical benefit, there’s mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of the program that have carried for 18 years and continue to change women’s lives.”

For more information about the Female Focus program at Cooper Fitness Center, call 972.233.4832 or visit cooperfitfemale.com .