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  Secrets to a Successful Gym Membership

*Consider exercise a lifestyle. Make it a priority. Realizing that it's about your health and well-being, will make you even more committed.

*Always pick an exercise or physical activity you enjoy. There's no sense in running if you're not able to or, simply dislike the activity.   You are more likely to be consistent if you find it pleasurable.

*Go to the gym with a friend or family member who is in the same or similar shape as you. It will keep you motivated and inspired.

*Combine a variety of exercises to prevent boredom (it's also better for the body). Trainers are here to help to keep it fresh.   It is important to change up your workout routine every couple of month because your body adapts to what you have been doing and you become less effective.

*Don't overdo it. Go to the gym two to three times per week for the first month and gradually work your way up to four to six times after the two-month mark -- as time permits. 

*A visit of 30 to 40 minutes per visit is sufficient for the first month. Choose a light cardiovascular exercise like riding a bike or walking on a treadmill.  Or join an aerobics class, exercising in a group is always more fun. Instructors can motivate you, and the time will go quickly when in a group.  After you have your first month it is important to start increasing you time if possible and push your self to a higher level.

*Lifting weights is one of the quickest ways to tone muscles and skin.  In addition to giving you a toned body in a short time, weights are also one of the best ways to increase energy and boost metabolism.  Women in their 40’s and men in their 50’s lose muscle strength at a rate of about 12% a decade.  So, the older we get the more important strength training becomes.  2 month of resistance training (at appropriate intensity) can increase strength by 40% and reverse 2 decades of loss.  Trainers are available if you need help to lift correctly.

*Stretching is an important part of exercise.  Stretching not only feels good, it lengthens the muscles and can help prevent injury.

*It is very important to take a multi- vitamin every day, especially when you start to work out and your body is craving more nutrients.  Be sure to take vitamins that are bio-available and with safe levels. We can help if you don’t know which vitamins to choose.

*Eat throughout the day  -  Eat three meals and two snacks daily to keep your metabolism in full gear and your energy high. Research clearly shows that "breakfast skippers" are more prone to weight gain than those who eat a sensible breakfast. Eat within 15 to 30 minutes of getting out of bed. If you wait too long for breakfast after rising, even if you're not hungry, you burn fewer calories. Through the night, calorie-burning capacity is slower. Eating a balanced breakfast boosts your metabolism, so if you go hours without eating breakfast, you've missed an opportunity to burn more calories. Going too long without eating can signal a shortage of food for your body and lead to a greater likelihood of storing fat.

*Pick whole grain and whole food -  When possible choose 100% whole grains and food in it’s most natural form.  Try to avoid high fructose corn syrups, trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Much to the delights of carbohydrate lovers, low carbohydrate diets are officially out! In fact, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating whole grain breads and pastas helps facilitate weight loss.  Carbs are needed to burn fat.

*Make a plan  -  Eating the "wrong" (high fat, high sugar or processed) foods often results from poor planning and lack of time. Instead of grabbing the closest and quickest carbohydrate fix such as a muffin or cookie, prepare your food at home to save on costs and calories. No-fuss options that promote weight-loss include: plain yogurt with berries, healthy trail mix, hard-boiled eggs, vegetable-based soups or stews, vegetables (i.e. cut up peppers, celery, cucumbers).

*Make healthier substitutions -  Giving up high-fat foods does not mean giving up taste. In fact, some of your favorite foods can be substituted with tastier and lower-calorie options. For example, instead of sugary soda, try a mixture of sparkling water and natural juice. Colorful berries drizzled with dark chocolate is also a wonderful alternative to fat- and calorie-laden desserts.

* Drink plenty of water every day. While drinking water is not a magical elixir for weight loss, being low on fluids may impair your ability to lose weight. Thirst can sometimes be mistaken for hunger. Just think of how appealing a juicy orange is when you're thirsty. Then think of the same orange after having two glasses of water. Not that an orange is bad, but you need to key into what it is your body is really craving. One of the best methods to clean out the "pipes" of digestion and flatten your stomach is to increase your water intake to six to eight glasses per day.

*It all comes down to Calories in – Calories out.  You must burn more than you eat.  You will be hungrier when you start working out, but don’t defeat yourself by eating to little or too much.  Once you find the balance that maintains your weight, then make small changes and you will see the pounds drop.

*Don’t get discouraged when you don’t see the scale changing after a few weeks into your new program.  Muscle takes up more room then fat and you will definitely be gaining muscle, so if you judge only by the scale you may not think that you are being successful.  How your clothes fit is a better indicator of your progress than the numbers on a scale.  Don’t worry!  That muscle will kick in and help you lose more and keep it off down the road at little.

Top 5 Mistakes Gym Members Make

1.Not warming up properly:  People who start their workouts full-force are likely candidates for injury and or exhaustion.  Warming up gets the blood flowing and gives muscles time to adapt.

2.Not exercising intensely enough: Picking up the pace after you have built a cardio base will help you achieve changes you may not be experiencing.  If your work out isn’t challenging, then the lack of results can be discouraging.

3.Bad posture:  People should never slouch or slump when either using machines or participating in a group exercise class.  Proper posture can prevent back injuries.

4.Using momentum, rather than muscles, to lift weights:  Slow, controlled movements are what build muscle strength.

5.Lifting too much weight: If complete range of motion is not possible, then most likely the weight is too heavy.  More is not necessarily better.

6.Not stretching:  Stretching helps reduce injuries and increases muscle length and mobility, if done properly.

7.Skipping a cool down:  Cooling down after a workout will lower the heart rate and prevent dizziness.

8.Not consuming a nutritious “meal” within 45 minutes of workout:  The optimal time for consuming a combination of protein and carbohydrates is immediately following an intense workout session, This “window of opportunity” is imperative to the recovery of the body.  The optimal choice is a fruit smoothie containing at least 23 grams of protein.

9.Not drinking enough water:  In exercise, the key is hydration, hydration, hydration!

10.Not taking a multi- vitamin:  When exercising your uses up your nutritional stores.  It is important to replace them with a good multi-vitamin.