A balanced fitness program should include a cardio (aerobic) component, strength training and flexibility training and there are so many ways to mix it up that, knowing what you’re doing, it would be very difficult to get bored (a complaint many have after a few months of going to the gym).

Here’s a small sample of what could be done to keep the spice going in your regular workouts:

CARDIO FITNESS - Now, you could keep doing the machines for cardio fitness or you could take the advice of Rudi Marashlian, veteran fitness coach and author who recommends choosing an activity you like to do for fun (soccer, basketball, roller blading, running, tennis, dancing, aerobic class – the list goes on and on) and doing that at least three times a week to improve cardio fitness.

STRENGTH - Instead of spending an hour on the cardio machines, use them to do a 10-minute warm-up then get into some strength training (absolutely essential for long-term muscle-mass maintenance; did you know people lose about 10% of their muscle mass each decade after the age of 30 if they don’t do activities that increase muscle?). What activities constitute strength training? Try using the weight training machines, free weights or even your own body weight with exercises like chin-ups, push-ups, lunges, squats and so on. It’s usually a good idea to get expert coaching to make sure your form is correct (you don’t want to be doing strength exercises improperly because then you risk injury).

FLEXIBILITY - Once you’ve done your strength (and even during the strength part of your training session) you can add in some stretches. This is an often neglected part of fitness but critical to eliminating those tight spots and making sure you can still reach down and tie your shoelaces or look over your shoulder to reverse your car no matter how old you are. Again, a good idea is to get expert help to make sure you are doing your stretches correctly (poor form in this part of fitness can also cause injuries). You can, alternatively, take a yoga or pilates class – both excellent methods of increasing flexibility.

Why not make 2012 the year you change out your workout routine and make all that time spent in the gym more interesting and more profitable for your overall fitness and health?

Tracey Thatcher

Writer for www.gofitnow.com

Unfortunately, however, a lot of people give up on going to the gym regularly after about a month. At the start, they’re very diligent and work out at least an hour every second day (some work out for two or more hours every day), they sweat, eat better (sometimes) but… no supermodel body appears in the mirror and this can be disheartening – the change from frumpy to fabulous is often way too slow.

Could there be a reason many people don’t lose much fat, change shape or get ripped and buff despite religiously going to the gym and working out? Yes, there is. It comes down to WHAT is being done at the gym. WHAT is being done is actually more important than how long it’s done for. In other words, QUALITY is more important than QUANTITY (although quantity certainly does come into it – having a great workout once a month isn’t going to do much). There are people spending maybe 15 to 30 minutes a day working out and getting better results (burning more fat, losing weight, sculpting and toning) than other people who work out for a couple of hours at a time every day of the week.

It’s possible that the people spending less time but getting great results might be doing what’s known as high intensity interval training. It’s been around since 1937 but up until now, has been used primarily by athletes and not regular people. There are lots of ways to do it and a good personal trainer is probably your best bet at getting the most out of it but the idea is that you exercise at a very high intensity (if you’re running, you’d sprint as fast as you can) for between 30 seconds to a minute then you’d slow it down (jog) until you recover a bit, but not all the way, then you’d up the intensity again.

You could try it next time you’re on the stationary bike, stepper or treadmill – instead of sitting on a set speed, try playing with the effort and speed levels – increasing then decreasing, increasing then decreasing and so on. If you do it right you can fast-track your fitness. Remember, it IS intense, so make sure you have a doctor’s OK before adding it to your routine.

Tracey Thatcher

Personal Trainer

www.gofitnow.com

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