You get educated for your job and you read instruction manuals for gadgets, so why wouldn’t you learn the correct way to improve your fitness? Improving your health involves many aspects so here are a few tips to go with your personal training.

If you are typically inactive or inconsistent in your exercise routine, start with a low-to-moderate intensity workout like walking or jogging. Increase your session evenly over time up to 30 minutes three days a week and after a few weeks you could see a weight loss of nearly four to five pounds. Make sure to control your portions in your diet.

Avoid crazy diets you see on TV or online. Cutting out nutrients like carbohydrates will only cause low energy and irritability. The best way to deal with your diet is to shrink your portion sizes. Eat roughly two-thirds of the amount you would normally eat. The best foods are, of course, fruits and vegetables – they are full of fiber and will satisfy your appetite. This doesn’t mean to completely cut out meats and grains, but remember to eat lean meats such as chicken and whole grain breads.

Strength training will also help immensely. Try adding weights to your exercise routine after a week or two. Just 20 minutes of basic exercises two days a week will help firm and tone your entire body. Strength training can also increase your metabolism, which will help you burn more calories – even at rest.

If you have a goal to improve a certain area of your body you will likely find that more difficult than you would expect. For example, just doing crunches or leg lifts will not give you “six pack” abs. Sticking to a healthy, balanced diet and holding to an exercise program will prove much more effective at shaping your body. And if you have questions you can ask one of our personal trainers for advice on where to start or improve your routine. That is, after all, what they are here for.

To the you that you want to be! From all of us at Foothill Athletic!

One of the key things to do is to drink more water! Drinking enough water even when not exercising is a key component of keeping your body in proper working order. Other important tips are eating more often, but in smaller portions. You should be eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with two healthy snacks in between. Your portions should be kept small, think not much bigger than your fist. This may seem crazy but you will become used to it and by eating roughly 5 times a day you will keep your metabolism working.

Replacing your carbohydrate foods with whole grain or whole wheat foods instead of white breads and pizza are a great. These are good carbohydrates that digest easier and contain more nutrients and their processed alternatives. You should also stay away from hydrogenated fat, high fructose corn syrup, sodium and sugar. None of them are good for you and will make it more difficult to stay healthy.

Eating more fruits, vegetables and lean proteins such as chicken or turkey are also important aspects of eating better. Fruits and vegetables provide many important vitamins and minerals that help your body function at its best. Some of these are Vitamin C which helps your body’s cells grow and stay healthy. Vitamin A helps your vision and protects against infection and Potassium is a mineral that helps control the fluid and mineral balance in and out of cells as well as normalizing blood pressure.

Lean proteins such as chicken and turkey are a great low-fat way of getting the protein your body needs. Proteins are broken down into amino acids that your body uses to build and repair the various parts of your body. This directly relates to working out because exercise builds muscles by breaking them down so your body can rebuild them and make them better than before. Reminds one of the saying “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”

Eating healthier also means eating higher quality foods. Organic foods use less or no chemicals in their production and are better for the environment. And these foods often contain higher concentrations of the nutrients you want. Processed foods such as candy and soda often contain little to no nutritional value and serve as little more than obstacles to leading a better, healthier and happier life.

Eating well and exercising at Foothill Athletic Club. Key ingredients in becoming a better you!

Gyms usually see a rise in activity during the beginning of the year, yet many of those who start will not continue throughout the year. They will go very regularly during the first month, and after that may only visit a few times a month or stop all together. When you ask these people why they do not go to the gym anymore, the reason that they will probably give you is that they do not have enough time. This may be true, yet they did have time earlier in the year? Now it sounds a little bit like an excuse.

Losing motivation is the most common obstacle people run into. This happens because they are either not yet confronted by the effects of not exercising regularly or they do not realize the benefits of regular exercise. Not exercising regularly can severely impair your health at a later stage of your life, while regular exercise will significantly improve your physical, emotional and mental health. By working out frequently you’ll be able to burn fat faster, increase your energy levels, boost your self-esteem and relieve stress. These are real benefits that will improve your life beyond just losing a few pounds. The best way to remain motivated is to set a goal for yourself, whether it is losing 5 pounds or running in 5K.

You need a plan, and the best way to develop a plan is to first decide what you need to do to achieve your goal. Speak to one of our personal trainers to achieve your goal; then design a workout routine that will help you to reach your goal and fit into your schedule. Be specific about what you need to do and how you will do it. Create a specific routine of when you will exercise. It will be much easier to commit to an exercise plan, if you know exactly when it needs to happen. This will help you to continue with your exercise program and achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.

When you do not enjoy something, you will need a lot of will power and energy to continue with it. Most people tend to stop if they do not enjoy something, or at least enjoy the benefits of it. The same is true of exercise. The key to continued exercise is, therefore, to find something that you enjoy doing or making the specific exercise you are doing fun. For instance, if you want to work on your fitness, but do not really like the treadmill, play some racquetball instead or take a swim in our lap pool. When you enjoy what you are doing, you will significantly increase the likelihood of continuing your exercise here at Foothill Athletic Club throughout the year.

We are here to help you meet your goals!

The #1 New Year’s resolution is losing weight and everyone at Foothill Athletic Club is ready to help you meet your goals. Did you know that obese Americans make up almost a quarter of the U.S. population? Obesity is responsible for a $40 billion jump in annual medical spending and those that are obese spend on average $1,400 more than people of normal weight. Your taxes, which help pay for Medicare and Medicaid, go towards $600 and $230 per patient, respectively, to help pay for obese patients. Reports attribute this spike to treatment for obesity-related ailments such as diabetes and heart disease. The total annual medical costs related to obesity is now estimated at $147 and is increasing at neatly 9% per year.

Obesity isn’t just a risk to your wallet; it’s a risk to your personal health as well. Being overweight increases the chances of heart problems even at an early age. Diabetes and all of the potential complications associated with the disease such as Stroke are reason enough to decrease your chances of getting the disease. Another health concern related to obesity is vision. Being obese can cause a number of conditions, which result in vision loss. Obesity can also reduce your lifespan.

Suddenly that hamburger and fries doesn’t sound like such a good deal, right? Eating right is a big part of leading a healthier life. But it isn’t enough. That’s why we want to ask everyone to take an active role in changing his or her lifestyle. And the best way to do that is to join us at Foothill Athletic Club. Getting a good workout is the healthiest way to lose weight and get fit.

We have plenty of workout classes as well as personal training available. Our Starter Aerobics are a great place to start losing weight. We have many other classes as well including STEP, Body Sculpting, and High-low impact aerobics. Check out our fitness schedule to find a class and time that fits your schedule. Our personal trainers are here to help you workout and get fit efficiently and effectively. And if working out in a class or using the machines isn’t something you are interested in we also have a heated lap pool as well as 3 racquetball courts to help you get a great workout.

We look forward to seeing you at Foothill Athletic Club very soon!

-Kevin

We felt like there was the time for a little face-lift, but it’s not only the design that has been changed. There is much more going on under the engine hood. We left behind the static era and embracing the web 2.0 possibilities, on the new, dynamic site now you can comment on articles, interact with each other, and sign up for the RSS feeds so that you will be informed about new articles immediately as they are published.

Our members’ opinion is highly appreciated. In the future there will be online polls so we can receive your feedback and make changes accordingly. You can also contact the management via e-mail if you have any questions or suggestions.

Some popular parts of the old site remain the same on the new one. You can still watch our fitness videos or access the updated group fitness schedule. (Both our membership agreement form and the group fitness schedule are in downloadable format for your convenience.) You can read more about each group exercise class as well as the available personal training options.

Even if your goal is losing weight, getting fit, building more muscles, or just living a healthier life, our facilities provide you many options. Don’t miss the chance to choose from the personalized training plans.

We look forward to seeing you here at Foothill Athletic Club!

Best wishes for the Holiday Season!

-Kevin