by Megan Carthel
The walls of Koko FitClub, located at 6231 E. 14th Ave. in Mayfair, aren’t lined with mirrors and weight racks. Instead, a simple layout with a handful of elliptical, treadmill and weight machines fill out the small space. In fact, no mirrors will be found in this gym, and that’s just the point. “It’s not about being skinny or weighing 120 pounds,” franchise owner Jennifer Mercado said. “It’s about being strong.”
It’s no secret that Americans aren’t the trimmest. The National Institute of Health estimates nearly 70 percent of Americans ages 20 and up are overweight or obese. Mercado and her husband, Kevin, along with Koko Fitness, are trying to make that statistic smaller. After he suffered a heart attack at age 39, the Mercados knew they needed to change their lifestyle.
At Koko FitClub, technology is the personal trainer. It’s a marriage of both computers and fitness — a metaphorical match to the Mercados. Kevin, a software engineer, and Jennifer, a runner and formerly from a corporate environment, blend with the gym. “For me,” Mercado said, “it seems like one of the smartest ways technology can be there to help people get better and improve their life.”
So how is technology helping people lose weight? The answer is much like a game. Each member has their own website and USB drive that retains all of their information, such as height, weight, BMI, workouts and nutrition. Each workout is pre-planned and tailored to each member. Every part of the experience is tracked and designed to motivate. Club members carry their USB flash drives on colored lanyards correlated to the amount of time they’ve been training at the gym. Mercado said it’s a way for members to show pride in their progress.
A screen in the middle of the gym proudly flaunts member names on a “leader board” for perfect workouts. While burning calories, club members can have their pick of scenic routes and keep up with a pacemaker. At the end of each workout, members are rewarded with points. A perfect workout gets a member a free
T-shirt and their name on the leader board. Think of a gold star sticker, but for adults.
“It makes it a little fun, but it’s a great workout,” said club member Daniel Kraus, 29. Kraus said he’s never been a fanatic of gyms, but the streamlined ease of Koko is a perfect fit for him.
Kathy Adams, a 70-year-old member, said she checks the leader board every time she works out. This was a surprise to Adams who said she has always been a “do-it-yourselfer.” This simple work-for-reward technique seems to be one of the key motivational points for Koko FitClub. “It is that feeling, I think,” Mercado said, “that people just want to be recognized for working hard and feeling good about it.”
And, in a world of instant gratification, instant results can undoubtedly be motivational — and that’s what the technology at Koko FitClub can provide people. It’s real time data showing real time results. “The numbers don’t lie,” Adams said. “That in itself is very motivating. You can start seeing improvement. You don’t think you’re getting better, you know on paper you’re getting better and stronger.”
Mercado said many people quit trying to get healthy and lose weight because they don’t see results. The “smart trainer,” as it’s called, keeps track of the improvement each member makes during their workouts and shares the data instantly as well as on a personalized website. Koko FitClub seems to have found a way to simplify a very complicated thing. When club members come into the gym, everything is mapped out for them, from weight to reps.
Nutrition isn’t spared, either. Recipes and meal guidelines are part of each member’s website — something that Nel Lenhart, 50, a club member, said has made a positive impact on her family. The gym itself gives off a family feeling. Lenhart describes the atmosphere as “encouraging” and “comfortable.” Mercado said when people go into a large gym environment, they can sometimes be intimidated and uncomfortable asking for help, the exact opposite of what Mercado 
and the Koko FitClub conveys. “You get the sense that people are glad I’m here, and they’re proud of me for showing up,” Lenhart said.
Because the workouts are easy to follow, the fear of being “that person” at the gym is basically eliminated. “You don’t have to worry about the whole gym thing, going in with all these people, not knowing what you’re doing or waiting for this machine or that machine,” Kraus said. Koko FitClub supports a friendly environment and pushes the goal of health, not just quick weight loss. “We are the life prescription keeping people healthy,” Mercado said.
For more information call 303-872-8380 or visit kokodenver.com.