by Jan Fields

Diane Hartman doesn’t look like the typical fitness trainer. She’s struggled with her weight for most of her life. But that’s the idea behind Curves For Women, reaching out to women who don’t want to go to a gym. Diane is the owner of Curves on Cemetery Road in Hilliard. “Curves is unique,” she says. “It was actually designed to be a fitness club for women who are so uncomfortable with their weight they don’t want to go into a traditional gym setting.”

Diane has worked as a massage therapist and electrologist in the Hilliard area for 17 years. She saw an ad for Curves and decided to join after the birth of her son, Joey, in 2002. She bought the Hilliard club in November 2005. “I liked the environment. This is something I want to be part of, helping women who normally would not come into a gym. I can feel what they feel because I’ve been there.”

“Curves has grown from the original design of just getting the couch potatoes off the couch. It appeals to busy women, who want fitness but don’t have time to go to a traditional gym. Curves caters to busy women, stay-at-home moms, all fitness levels, all age groups, all walks of life,” she says.

The variety of women is the best part of my fitness club, Diane says. “I love the different things that each woman brings to the club. I love getting to know women that ordinarily I’d never have the opportunity to meet. Women come in and share so much with each other. It’s a good support system. Curves is more than the run of the mill fitness club. We’re definitely a community, a Curves community.”

She gives credit to her employees for helping foster that feeling of community. “I’d been self employed for 14 years before I bought the club. I was used to being my own boss, but not supervising others. Making that transition was probably the hardest part in the beginning.  However, I have some of the most incredible employees in the world. They look after each other and do an incredible job of looking after our members. I am very blessed.”

Curves International has a registered nutritionist and dietician on staff. They’ve designed a weight management program that is free for members and for nonmembers. Women can get information on the program by calling Diane or visiting curves.com. She encourages women to give Curves a try by coming to the Hilliard Curves for a free workout.

“Meeting women who normally feel so intimidated by gyms and helping them with fitness and health concerns has been amazing,” she says. “When some women first come in, they can barely make it around the circuit once. After just a  few weeks, they can go around twice. That just excites me, watching them lose weight and get more fit. Owning the club has made me so aware of how important exercise is in everyone’s life. It has definitely helped me stay more active as I’m getting older. I was 40 when my son was born. I definitely knew exercise needed to be part of my life.”

Hilliard Curves
Diane Hartman
4519 Cemetery Rd
Hilliard, OH
Phone: 6614-534-0002
Email: dmfoxhartman@yahoo.com