Unique health facility opens in Oak Park
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SHAKIN'- Clients get a workout on the TurboSonics at the new Hesed Wellness Center in Oak Park.

A new health center in Oak Park has only been open one month but clients are already saying they can tell a difference in the way they feel and look.

The Hesed Wellness Center, which officially opened Sept. 19 in the Oak Park Shopping Center, features equipment such as TurboSonic vibration therapy trainers, a far infrared sauna, a body composition analyzer and a ROM (range of motion) universal-type exercise machine.

Natural vitamins, minerals, hormones and energy boosters are offered for nutritional balancing.

The concept is a holistic approach to health, according to Chris and Suzanne Kim, the Thousand Oaks husband and wife who run the facility.

On a recent morning the Kims were at the center overseeing several clients using the futuristiclooking equipment. One of them, Oak Park resident Paige Apar, said she used to dread going to the gym because of the "threshold of pain and exertion." After coming to Hesed three to four times a week for the past two weeks, Apar has lost a pound of fat and noticed an improvement in her skin.

"This is not a traditional workout but I'm willing to give it a try," said Apar, 37. "I'm interested in the detoxification aspect. I feel more toned and optimistic."

Another client, Janet Lim, had done the Hesed program every day for a week.

"I have chronic back pain and I feel my back loosening up so it's much easier for me to move around. I have less pain," said Lim, 42, of Thousand Oaks.

The Kims tried the program themselves last year and saw tremendous results. Suzanne Kim lost 15 pounds and her husband lost 30.

"I was on another diet but I got weak and used to have to nap at lunchtime," Suzanne Kim said. "After doing this program I had more strength, more power. You lose weight but you don't lose minerals, muscles or water, so the weight stays off."

The program can help with various ailments including Parkinson's disease and the effects of stroke, she added.

"The goal is to help the body heal itself," Suzanne Kim said.

Each piece of equipment complements the other, according to Chris Kim. A body composition analysis is completed first, using a modern-looking computerized scale that measures height, weight, fat, muscle and water levels.

Clients spend time standing on the TurboSonic machines while their bodies vibrate, burning fat and breaking up cells to release toxins. The machine, which causes muscles to flex and relax, was created by Russian scientists for astronauts to exercise while in space, Chris Kim said.

"All the debris and waste is broken up and released into your bloodstream," Chris Kim said. "Your liver and kidneys will take out some of it but it's like cleaning dust. It goes up but comes back again. You have to do as much as possible to take it out."

The infrared sauna helps remove toxins through sweat using light instead of air to create warmth and penetrate the skin, he added.

The ROM cardiovascular machine features a variety of different muscle building and tightening exercises such as a stepper and chest pull. Done for four minutes, the ROM exercises are the equivalent of an hour in a conventional gym, Chris Kim said.

The facility also features flatscreen televisions that depict equipment demonstrations, and men's and women's locker rooms and a lounge area.

Based in Irvine, the twoyear-old company is owned by Phillip Yoon, a friend of the Kims. There are also locations in Irvine and Buena Park, and the Kims are looking into opening additional branches in the Conejo Valley.

The facility's name, Hesed, comes from the Hebrew word for "love of God," and came about at the suggestion of Yoon's pastor, who lost weight and lowered his blood pressure after going through the Irvine center's program.

Several membership options are available, including monthto-month or an eight-week diet program. For those who would like to try the program, a free one-day trial is offered.

Center hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

For information, call (818) 879-0245.