What Do You Need to Get in Shape?

Do you find yourself wishing there was an easy path to fitness?  If there was one path to fitness that we could each follow it might seem less intimidating to get started.  While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to having your healthiest year yet, FitClub has five key tips for creating your own path to fitness this year.

• Smart goals. New Year’s Resolutions like “lose weight” and “get in shape” are difficult to keep because there’s no easy way to track progress or know when you’ve achieved your goal.  Instead, make this year different by making specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented goals.  Your resolution should be specific enough that you can easily measure your progress and recognize when you’ve hit a plateau or reached your goal.  Resolutions that shoot for a specific percentage of fat loss, level of aerobic conditioning or lifting a certain number of reps, keep you moving towards your goal than vague promises you make to yourself.
• A plan. Once you have a smart goal, you’ll need a plan that realistically meets the demands of your lifestyle and keeps you on track.  If you’re just getting started, your resolution might be to step into FitClub three or four times each week.  A plan will tell you what you need to do when you get there.  Are you working on cardio, strength, balance, or flexibility?  Which order do you prefer to complete your workout?  The plan might be different for everyone, but for most people cardiovascular training and strength training should both be components of your well-balanced plan no matter what your goals are for 2019.
• Group exercise class schedule. Working out with others is a proven way to maximize your efforts and hit your fitness goals.  FitClub has a huge variety of group exercise classesand varying times to meet the changing demands of your schedule. Trying a new class is a commitment-free way to experiment with fitness and find the workout that you’ll stick with for the journey.
• If there’s a magic weight loss drink on the market, it’s water.  The more you’re exercising the more water you need.  Just because winter is here and you’re not sweating as much as you might on warm summer day, doesn’t mean your body isn’t losing water throughout the day.  Staying hydrated and drinking water continuously throughout the day also helps to moderate your appetite and crush sugar cravings that arise from time to time.
• Rest days. No matter your fitness level, every body needs a day of rest in the training schedule to allow tired muscles to repair and rebuild stronger than before. Incorporating a rest day into your routine also allows you a mental break and can rebuild your motivation while you rebuild your muscles.  Using your rest days to stay active by taking a walk, assessing the quality of your sleep, and reevaluating your goals and progress is part of a complete healthy lifestyle.

What do you need to get and stay fit?