At the Lakeshore Foundation, heart fitness isn’t one-size-fits-all: it’s a unique, personalized experience rooted in years of expertise and access to quality equipment.
For many of us, thinking about heart health can be overwhelming. Amid the pressures of daily life, squeezing in the American Heart Association’s recommended 150 minutes of exercise is often the last thing on our minds. The Lakeshore Foundation wants to change that.
“We want to give everyone a place to just be,” said Josh Van Zandt, Lakeshore’s Fitness Center Director. “We want to give them a place to take care of themselves and get back into health and fitness without having to worry about everyone else.”
Heart health is a personal mission for Van Zandt. After watching his grandparents struggle with heart attacks, he knew he was predisposed to heart disease. In his own life, he emphasizes cardio and keeping his heart rate up in his exercises. At work, he seeks to share his knowledge with those around him so that they can build better, healthier lives.
When new members join the fitness center, Van Zandt and his team create personalized, wide-ranging fitness plans to meet each individual’s unique needs.
“Our staff looks through their paperwork to see what’s going on – whether it’s a bypass, a heart attack. We take the time to find the best workouts, especially for people coming from cardiac rehab. We’ll contact their prior rehab and find out what they can and can’t do.”
Each person on staff at the center is degreed in a fitness field and holds nationally recognized fitness certifications. In addition to staff expertise, members also benefit from specialized equipment such as upper-body ergometers (“It’s a fancy name for an arm bike,” explained Van Zandt) and NuStep machines.
Van Zandt encourages anyone interested to stop by the fitness center and ask for a tour; staff can show them the equipment and share membership paperwork. Veterans and their households can join for free, and scholarships are also available for people facing financial barriers.
In addition to heart health, the Lakeshore Foundation builds community. After 22 years working at the fitness center,Van Zandt knows this firsthand.
“We get the life story of the people we work with,” he said. “We see people reach goals more than just their personal records. We see people learn how to walk again.”
