Tag Archive for 'Mullica Hill'

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Lift Your Way to Fitness with Weight Training for Every Body

Published on September 26, 2012 in Fit News, Future Fitness Programs & Classes and Healthy Steps for Fitness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

So you look at your fellow fitness club members who pump serious iron and think that it’s a fine workout regimen for them, but it really isn’t for you. Well, think again! Almost everyone can incorporate some type of weight training into his or her fitness program. Weight training provides many benefits, including increased muscle mass (which decreases with age), joint flexibility, increased bone density and better management of your body weight.

No less of an authority than the Mayo Clinic recommends weight training, which, according to its article on MayoClinic.com, “… challenges your muscles by providing a stress to the muscle that causes it to adapt and get stronger, similar to the way aerobic conditioning strengthens your heart.”

There are many options to weight training. You can use free weights – such as barbells, dumbbells or kettle bells – or weight machines. Short training sessions of 20 or 30 minutes performed two or three times a week are more practical and just as effective as extended daily workouts in producing a significant improvement in strength.

Use caution when starting a weight training program, as improper technique or starting with weights that are too heavy can cause injury. Future Fitness members have access to the fitness industry’s best, most experienced instructors, so be sure to get their advice in planning your program. Or check out one of our weight training classes. You’ll find one that offers the right training program for your fitness level and fitness goals!

Here’s some advice from the Mayo Clinic for beginners in weight training:

  • Learn proper technique – even experienced athletes may need to revise their form occasionally.
  • Do a single set of repetitions – a single set of 12 repetitions with the proper weight can build muscle efficiently in most people, and can be as effective as three sets of the same exercise.
  • Use the proper weight – which should be heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 to 15 repetitions.
  • Start slowly – don’t be discouraged if you can lift only a few pounds at first. Once you can easily do 12 repetitions with a particular weight, you can gradually increase.
  • Take time to rest – one full day between exercising each specific muscle group is recommended. For example, you may work the major muscle groups at a single session two or three times a week, or plan daily sessions for specific muscle groups – arms and shoulders on Monday, legs on Tuesday, etc.

 

Reach the Next Level of Fitness with Cross Training

Published on September 20, 2012 in Future Fitness Programs & Classes and Healthy Steps for Fitness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Ready to take your workout program to the next level? Cross training can produce numerous significant benefits ranging from preventing burnout to improving overall fitness.

Cross training refers to a training routine that includes several different forms of exercise. It’s common to settle on one particular workout program when you begin a fitness regimen, but a lack of variation over time can lead to boredom (which means you may lose interest and stop exercising), and causes you to plateau at a certain fitness level.

Cross training allows you to vary the stress placed on certain muscles – as well as your cardiovascular system. This limits the stress that occurs on a specific muscle group because different activities use muscles in somewhat different ways. It also helps reduce the risk of injury from repetitive strain or overuse.

Other benefits of cross training include:

  • Flexibility in accommodating your training needs and plans
  • Produces a higher level of overall conditioning
  • Works some muscles while others rest and recover
  • Increases your basal metabolic rate
  • Improves your agility and balance

There are basic types of exercise that make up a good cross training routine:

  • Cardiovascular
  • Strength training
  • Calisthenics
  • Flexibility (stretching, yoga)
  • Speed, agility and balance drills
  • Circuit training, sprinting and other kinds of skill conditioning

A convenient way to get a total cross training workout that meets your needs and will help best achieve your fitness goals is to check out the classes at your favorite Future Fitness location. Our experienced instructors will lead you through a series of routines utilizing a variety of exercises and exercise equipment. You can achieve all the advantages that cross training provides in one convenient place!

 

 

Add More Life to Your Later Years with Exercise

Published on September 11, 2012 in Fit News, Future Fitness Programs & Classes and Healthy Steps for Fitness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

People are living well into their eighth or ninth decade, but not necessarily in the good health they assumed advances in medical science would make possible. Fortunately, a recent study has found that starting an exercise program in mid-life can help you stay healthier and more fit through old age, so you can really enjoy those additional years.

Published in Archives of Internal Medicine, the study indicates that becoming fit in middle age delays the onset of debilitating chronic illnesses and physical decline for a much longer period than being sedentary – or compounding a fondness for the couch with poor nutritional choices. According to the study, middle-age people who work out regularly can expect to live with chronic disease for only the last five years of their life – instead of the final 10 to 20 years of those who don’t.

The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Cooper Institute in Dallas. The researchers gathered medical records for 18,670 middle-age men and women who had visited the Cooper Clinic (the medical division of the Cooper Institute) for a standard physical exam in 1970.

The subjects had an average age of 49, and were healthy and free of chronic illness. All had taken a treadmill test to determine their aerobic fitness. Based on the results, the group was divided into five fitness categories. From the years 1999 through 2009 – when most participants were in their 70s or 80s – researches checked their Medicare claim records (study participants gave permission).

Their findings: People who had been the least fit at the time the study began were the most likely to have developed serious or chronic conditions – such as heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s – early in the aging process. Those who had been the most aerobically fit did not experience such illnesses until much later, resulting in a higher quality of life.

So don’t assume it’s too late to start a fitness program because you remember when phones had a rotary dial. Future Fitness members have access to the fitness industry’s leading personal trainers, who can plan a workout program that will allow you to build muscle tone, strength and stamina in a safe manner. Plunging into an exercise program by doing too much too soon is a common cause of injury – which is definitely counterproductive.

Our excellent fitness classes and programs appeal to a wide range of interests, and offer something for people at every level of fitness. You’re sure to find an exercise routine you enjoy!

Just remember fitness icon Jack LaLanne’s famous declaration that he’d rather wear out than rust out. Although he passed earlier this year at age 96, no one could say he broke down. LaLanne lived every day to the fullest, remaining active and enthusiastic. We should all do the same to not only live as long as LaLanne, but as well.

 

From Swimsuits to Snowsuits Already – Keeping Fit Through the Holiday Season

Published on August 29, 2012 in Future Fitness Programs & Classes and Healthy Steps for Fitness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

It seems we were just gearing up our workout routine for swimsuit season, and now summer is ending. Because the holiday season seems to start earlier every year, it isn’t too soon to make a plan for keeping fit during the fall/winter festival of food and over-indulgence. Fortunately, if you’re a Future Fitness member, our instructors can give you the best advice in the industry on modifying your schedule to accommodate extra demands on your time, and recommending new exercises to help you continue achieving great results.

While most articles about keeping fit through months of temptation and extra socializing focus on diet, staying on your fitness schedule is equally important. Here’s why:

Routines get disrupted during the holidays for many reasons. When family comes to visit, and/or you’re running all over town, attending social gatherings, sports events, and other activities, it can be easy to skip your workout program. Like the TV commercial in which one small event leads to a quickly escalating series of disasters, you’re more likely to let other things slide when you quit visiting the fitness center on a regular basis. For example, you’re less likely to say “no” to that extra serving or slice. After all, it’s a(n):

1.    Major feast day

2.    Family gathering

3.    Office party

4.    Block party

5.    Tailgate party

6.    Bowl party

7.    Group of old friends in town

8.    Party for kid’s school, team, etc.

9.    Etc.

Even if you’re vigilant about enjoying holiday goodies in moderation, however, missing workouts can have detrimental effects. Common end-of-the-year activities tend to produce stress. The energy, stamina and strength you get from following a regular exercise schedule give you the resources to meet the season’s extra demands. When your body isn’t stressed, you’re also less likely to catch a cold or come down with the flu.

Another good reason for keeping up your exercise routine is the fact that getting back into it after an absence is more difficult. In order to avoid injury, it may be necessary to cut back reps or use lighter weights until your muscles build up again.

So how can you stay on schedule during the long holiday season? It helps to plan with a smartphone or old-school calendar. Make note of the dates when special or extra activities will occur, and work out time for the fitness center accordingly. You’ll be less likely to dismiss it or put if off if you’re looking at specific blocks of time.

If you do have to miss at least one week of working out at the fitness center, do something else that provides aerobic benefits – like walking or cycling. If you have family visiting, go out for a walk together through the neighborhood, park or nature trails. Taking a brisk walk through the mall is a good alternative during inclement weather – just be sure to keep up a good pace, and don’t browse. Of course, use your home fitness equipment to stay toned.

But make sure to come back as soon as possible. There may be no place like home, but home doesn’t have the state-of-the-art facilities, equipment or the invigorating, inspiring classes and workout programs of your favorite Future Fitness location! Have fun and be fit all through the holidays with us, and get a great start on 2013!

 

Make Working Out a Reason to Party with Zumba Fitness

Published on August 20, 2012 in Fit News, Fitness Fun, Future Fitness Programs & Classes and Healthy Steps for Fitness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

A great exercise program that’s more like a party than work seems too good to be true. But those who’ve discovered the Zumba Fitness® phenomenon enjoy numerous health and fitness benefits – while thoroughly enjoying themselves in the process!

Developed by Alberto “Beto” Perez in the mid-‘90s, this Latin-inspired dance-fitness program blends Latin and world-music beats, choreographed to allow people of any fitness level or dance experience to get a beneficial workout they’ll love. The Zumba program has grown to become the world’s largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program, with weekly classes held in more 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries.

Although it may initially look like a typical aerobics class, Zumba has a distinctly party vibe, from the coin-bangled hip skirts to the Latin and hip-hop dance club music and the high-energy instructors who lead the festivities.

This fun and effective program uses interval training that combines fast and slow rhythms for an effective aerobic workout, while at the same time targeting your legs, abs, glutes and arms. The dance moves aid in strengthening the core muscles of the abdomen, while also strengthening pelvic muscles – which helps prevent back pain.

As with any cardiovascular workout, the benefits of Zumba can include calorie burn, increased aerobic threshold, more stamina, increased bone density, improved balance and muscle tone, less body fat, and lower blood pressure.

As a fat-buster, Zumba is choreographed to provide alternating intervals of low and high intensity levels in both the pace of music and type of movements. This helps you burn more calories in each workout – typically 400 to 600 per hour, depending on individual physical factors. Fitness moves are also incorporated in Zumba classes, so you could find yourself moving from a fast merengue beat to a slow set of push-ups on the wall.  To promote flexibility and reduce muscle strain, warm-ups and cool-downs are a regular part of the Zumba program.

But Zumba’s fun factor is what keeps people coming back week after week. The lively music and upbeat mood encourage participants to forget their inhibitions and get caught up in the moment. Zumba’s inclusive spirit is another big appeal, with specialty sessions geared toward baby boomers, and Aqua Zumba for those who favor a low-impact workout with a pool-party atmosphere.

The best way to find out what Zumba is all about is to experience it for yourself. Sign up today for a free Zumba class at your favorite Future Fitness location. In this case, what seems too good to be true really IS true!