Christoph Podts in his new work Samen Fit in the center of Poti. † © Dirk Vertumen
The new sports and health center Samen Fit will open this weekend in downtown Poti. Christoph Podts, who has been active on Mechelen as a moving referral coach, wants to keep the exercise threshold as low as possible. “The experience I gained in my previous job is now very handy,” he says.
Stijn van de Sande
After physical education studies, Kristof Budts from Sint-Katelijne-Waver started working in a fitness center. There contact special physiotherapy devices that make it safer and easier to do sports. After that he started working as a moving referral coach at Mechelen. In this position, he directs patients who have been instructed by their physician to move more toward a healthier, more athletic lifestyle.
“Now I want to combine the experience I gained in those jobs with my own business,” says Kristof. “On the one hand, I want to work with the equipment that I have come to know about in fitness. On the other hand, as a moving referral coach, I have found that working out together can be very important. It lowers the threshold for people who are just starting to exercise. This is definitely the case With a little older people they are less likely to go to a traditional fitness center.”
Kristof Budts works with ships Nick Vercammen, who is testing one of the devices. † © Dirk Vertumen
This is why group lessons are only offered at Samen Fit. It appears to be a “very conscious choice to act in this way”. “I know that this requires a huge amount of commitment from the participants, because they always have to make an appointment in advance. But I am convinced that working in a group is very motivating. I expect athletes to continue in this way much longer than if they started it alone and without guidance.”
The new sports and health center is located at 9 Alice Nahonstraat in the center of Putte. The opening weekend will take place this weekend. “We start with guided tours and explanation of the different options and formats,” says Kristof. People can pre-register for this via the website. Immediately there was a lot of interest, but there were still a few places available. So anyone who wants to get to know us is welcome. From Monday, we will be flying the first group lessons.”
100% concentration
Over the next month and a half, Kristof will be combining his new job with his job as a moving referral coach. “But I will stop doing that in mid-March. From then on, I will be 100% focused on Samen Fit so I can help more people and guide them to a more sporty lifestyle. I look forward to starting this new chapter,” he says.
