Excuses and exercises: The two words even sound similar. But many aspiring fitness buffs find the exercise of making excuses a whole lot easier than actually exercising.

We at the Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club make the experience easy by providing you with some simple and fun choices.

But before we begin our workout, here are some statistics from www.creditmonkey.com to exercise your mind:

• Eighty percent of people who join a gym quit after five months.
• February is the best time to join a gym.
• Women tend to ditch the gym more quickly than men.
• Only half of gym members actually attend.
• Gym owners actually expect members not to attend.
• Nearly half of gym members quit for financial reasons.
• The average gym member is a little more than 40 years old.
• California’s reputation for being No. 1 in personal fitness levels is incorrect. Colorado is tops. The Golden State is second place.
• Alabama ranked in last place. Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky ranked near the bottom as well.
• Proximity is the top reason (50 percent) over gym equipment for members’ choosing a particular gym.
• Forty-four percent of members exercise with others.
• About 12 percent of members use a personal trainer.
• Gyms are expanding their exercise offerings with trends toward more conventional forms, including group classes, zumba and kickboxing.
• Nearly a third of gym goers never break a sweat at the gym.
• Fifty-six percent of current gym goers dread the influx of new members.

Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club’s Fitness Center has numerous exercise options to suit your needs and surmount your challenges.

Here are four:

1. Water Aerobics:There are numerous applications to appeal to a variety of participants in shallow or deep water; it is a great cardio workout without the stress on spine and joints. The class is offered to members Mondays at 10:15 a.m.
2. Zumba: If you are ready to do your party dance, we invite you to join and have fun with this cardio-dance class. The class is offered complimentary to members every Monday and Friday at 2 p.m.
3. Pure Stretch: The class offers full-body stretching and deep breathing to reduce stress and improve flexibility. It is offered complimentary to members every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m.
4. Yoga: This class includes breath control, simple meditation and the use of specific bodily postures. It promotes health and relaxation. It is offered complimentary to members every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

The trainers at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club can help you with your program to keep you motivated and engaged. Signing up for a series of workouts will help you develop a disciplined pattern of fitness habits for a lifetime.

Stop by the Fitness Center today and get started on the new you!