By Kevin Mullaney
Posted Dec. 17, 2011 @ 12:01 am
Updated Dec 17, 2011 at 5:15 PM
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PROVINCETOWN
For Shirl Roccapriore, it was a slow weight gain that started after her hysterectomy six years ago. For Barry Cook, it was the realization that he qualifies for the free senior citizen town parking sticker next year.
Both of these life-altering events have shaken Cook and Roccapriore, causing them to take a hard look at the inevitable path of getting older. But instead of a deep depression, the two town residents have chosen to turn the aging process into a positive. Both have signed up for the second annual Provincetown Fitness Challenge, led by fitness trainer Denise Gaylord. Gaylord caught the town’s attention last winter when her fitness pilot program followed five local men as they tried to lose weight. Thanks to regular video installments on Provincetown Television, the town helped cheer the five men on as they collectively lost 98 pounds and 85 waistband inches.
This year Gaylord has expanded the program to include the entire Outer Cape community. The 12-week, $259 program runs from Jan. 16 through April 7. Registration, which will include a physical evaluation and fitness testing, takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7, at the Provincetown High School gym with a group orientation starting at 2 p.m. that day. Both Roccapriore and Cook say they will be there.
“Ever since my hysterectomy six years ago, I’ve been slowly gaining weight. It’s been harder and harder to get it off. And high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes run in my family. The writing is on the wall,” Roccapriore said about why she is joining the challenge.
“It’s been on my mind for awhile,” Cook said. “If I’m going to live a long time, I need to clean up my act.”
The fitness challenge is being expanded this time around. Instead of regular one-on-one sessions with Gaylord, she will meet with the group as a whole each Saturday at the Provincetown Community Center on Bradford Street. There will be physical competitions that day, such as who can hold “the plank,” a yoga-like pose where the person lies on the floor and lifts themselves onto their elbows and toes, the longest. A series of exercise instruction and classes such as yoga, zumba and body alignment will also be available to participants.
During the rest of the week, Gaylord and the challengers will be in communication through Facebook and a private blog. Participants will also be required to keep a daily journal and food diary.
“If Barry [Cook] has a question about food, I’ll respond on the blog so everyone can see the answer,” Gaylord explained. “Because so many businesses have jumped on board, there is a sense of being able to move around.”
The Provincetown Gym, Mussel Beach Health Club, Heart Core Fitness and Pilates, and the Beach Point Health and Swim Club are all offering specific free open days to fitness challenge participants. Other local businesses such as Far Land Provisions, Ptown Massage + Bodywork and 141 Bradford Natural Market are offering discounts to participants, as well.
“We want to get people into new places as part of a lifestyle change. It’s a great motivator,” Gaylord said.
“I’m looking forward to getting back to a lifestyle I used to lead that I dropped the ball on,” Roccapriore said.
“We’re pushing ourselves out of our box, expanding our limits,” added Cook. “I’m expanding my vision of what I can do.”
More information on the program can be found at www.provincetownfitnesschallenge.com