Sunday, August 24, 2008
Life, Health + Fitness

Get in the game

Writer Colleen Oakley exercising with Day Adeogba and Siddeeq Shabazz (right)

By Colleen Oakley

It isn’t often that I stumble upon a completely unique fitness experience, but I did last week. I checked out Your Day Extraordinary Transformation Center, a new gym and spa rolled into one very awesome building.

Your Day was created by Day Adeogba (brother of former Atlanta Falcon Siddeeq Shabazz), who is one of the most enthusiastic gym owners I have ever met. Actually, he would be mad at me for calling him a “gym” owner. He refers to his gym as the “stadium,” members are “athletes,” and he and the other trainers are “coaches.” When you come into Your Day, you’re practicing and training to get better at the game of life. How? By getting fit and healthy and having six-pack abs, you will inevitably be a better employer, parent, friend, spouse, etc. (Well, I don’t know if the six-pack abs actually help, but Day let me feel his, and that made me a happier person.)

This concept isn’t a new one—if you’re healthy and balanced, it makes sense that you’re able to contribute more in life—but Day’s execution is totally unique. Putting the stadium and a holistic spa side-by-side really gives members the whole-body transformation treatment. The focus isn’t just on personal training and eating right, but on detoxifying, therapeutic massage, foot ionization (more on that later) and colonics (kind of gross, but all the rage in Hollywood).

I spent a couple of hours at the Center and tried out a few of the many components it offers to members. I started with Pilates, where I got a one-on-one session with Tyron. We worked on the reformer machines, which I could actually feel reforming my body (I hope that’s what was happening, anyway.)

Then Brooke, the nutritionist, swept me into her office for an eating consultation. Results: I eat poorly. She did a quick quiz to find out my metabolic type and then sent me a personal e-mail with tips that’ll help me eat healthier for my body.

After that, I had a training session with Day and his brother Siddeeq. I was totally tag-teamed by these two rippled, muscled men (my fiancé was so not thrilled when I told him that later). They took me through a lot of core-strengthening exercises—squats on the Bosu balance ball, hamstring planks and a challenging handstand exercise (with the help of nylon suspension ropes). After I had broken a sweat and played out every imaginable hot fantasy in mind, it was time for the spa.

I was introduced to foot ionization—a foot bath where the water is ionized in order to draw toxins out of your body. After about 20 minutes, the once-clear water was brown and there were yeast particles floating on top (ew!). I had no idea my body was so toxic, but Madison, the spa therapist, kindly explained everything that I was looking at and told me about different cleansing routines I should try and foods I should steer clear of (basically all the good ones) in order to help flush my system.

My day at Your Day was fun and informative; it's a place I would definitely go back to, if I had the money. That’s the only drawback to the center—it’s pretty expensive. But you get what you pay for, and if you have the extra cash flow, Your Day is a worthy investment. SP 

Colleen Oakley is a freelance writer in Atlanta and the former editor of Women’s Health & Fitness magazine. Got a fitness challenge for her? E-mail her at colleen@sundaypaper.com.