Tag Archive for 'Zumba'

Get in the Swim with Aquatic Fitness Training

Published on October 10, 2012 in Future Fitness Programs & Classes and Healthy Steps for Fitness. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Aquatic exercise is all the rage as a new generation of fitness enthusiasts discovers its numerous benefits. Whether your goal is to improve your cardiovascular endurance, muscle tone, muscle strength, flexibility, blood circulation – or even your social life – following an aquatic workout program can help you achieve great results.

Also known as aquatic aerobics, aquatic exercise is ideal for the following:

  • Active baby boomers wishing to avoid further wear-and-tear on their joints through low-impact exercise
  • Those who have been inactive over the years but want to begin a fitness program
  • Those who have rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or orthopedic disorders
  • Those who are unable to walk far enough to burn the necessary calories for losing weight

How it works: The buoyancy of water supports about 50 percent of body weight for a person immersed waist-deep, and 90 percent of body weight for a person immersed up to the neck. For this reason, aquatic exercise puts very little stress on bones, joints and soft tissues while still allowing for high levels of energy expenditure.

Also, water is a thicker medium than air. By moving in the water, the amount of resistance can range from 4 to 44 times that of air. This resistance can help in developing muscular strength and endurance for those who have been inactive, as well as helping to maintain strength for those who are currently active.

Other aquatic exercise benefits include:

  • Massaging effect – The hydrostatic pressure of the water on your body, joints, muscles and internal organs “massages” you while your exercise, greatly reducing the feelings of fatigue
  • Cooling effect – Because you’re immersed in cool water, you never feel overheated and sweaty
  • Social effect – Typically held in classes, aquatic exercise programs promote camaraderie among participants
  • Relaxation effect – Working out in water promotes a sense of general relaxation that eases the stress of daily life

Members of Future Fitness Centers can join one of our four fun aquatic workout classes. Experience for yourself the big difference that water exercise can make in your fitness level and sense of well-being. Any time is the right time for getting in the swim!

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!

 

When Vanity Isn’t a Deadly Sin

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

Vanity may be one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but if it motivates you to start and maintain a fitness routine, it could help prolong your life. So says Gordon Patzer, a professor of business administration at Chicago’s Roosevelt University, and the author of six books on the physical attractiveness phenomenon.

According to Patzer, the desire to improve one’s physical appearance often is as strong a motivator to hit the gym as the desire to improve one’s overall health and fitness. The rewards for being physically attractive are tangible. Patzer notes that on average, good-looking people earn 5 percent more than average-looking people. This preference isn’t a recent development. The observation, “Personal beauty is a greater recommendation than any letter of reference,” was made 2,000 years ago by Aristotle.

So with all of human history weighing on the side of vanity, starting an exercise program to lose weight, flatten those abs and firm that rear are all legitimate goals in and of themselves. That they produce health benefits may even seem secondary. But once people start feeling as good as they look, the incentive to continue gains momentum and usually perpetuates itself.

However, Patzer also notes that vanity as a motivator can become deadly if taken too far. “It can cross a line where we get into anorexia and bulimia, or people who do too much exercise and cause injury,” he said in an interview for the Los Angeles Times. As with any other endeavor, avoiding obsession is essential to maintaining balance and achieving the full range of benefits that working out offers – regardless of your reason for starting.

Taking vanity into account, ask yourself what aesthetic results you want your exercise routine to achieve, and build a program designed to reach your goals. Certified strength and conditioning specialist James Fell assesses the “vanity goals” of his new clients. In the same Los Angeles Times article as Patzer’s interview, Fell wrote: “Some are embarrassed to admit that they want to do things like lose belly fat or tighten up their butts, but I tell them it’s OK to embrace those feelings, as long as it’s in a manner that also improves health and increases physical performance.”

If you’re contemplating the ways you’d like to make heads turn – and achieve a healthier lifestyle – check out the classes and programs at your nearby Future Fitness Center! There’s truly something for everybody to make vanity a lively virtue!

Get Fit for Success

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

You’ve heard of dressing for success, but do you know that succeeding at work depends a great deal upon your level of health and fitness? According to experts, looking the part of a go-getter helps only to a certain point. The real key to career achievement is the mind-body balance that exercise and a healthy lifestyle bring about – especially for those who work at a desk.

Initially, it may not be clear why an office worker needs to be as fit as someone whose job involves intense, sustained physical activity. However, performance psychologist Jim Loehr has a good explanation in his book, The Power of Full Engagement.

According to Loehr, “The importance of physical energy seems obvious for athletes, construction workers, and farmers. Because the rest of us are evaluated more by what we do with our minds than with our bodies, we tend to discount the role that physical energy plays in performance. In most jobs, the physical body has been completely cut off from the performance equation.

“In reality, physical energy is the most fundamental source of fuel, even if our work is almost completely sedentary. It not only lies at the heart of alertness and vitality but also affects our ability to manage our emotions, sustain concentration, think creatively, and even maintain our commitment to whatever mission we are on.”

Also on board with this observation is Keld Jensen, international authority on corporate communications and negotiations. Jensen explored the connection between health and fitness and performance on the job in a recent article on forbes.com.

Jensen calls the connection BQ, or body intelligence, which reflects what you know about your body, how you feel about it and take care of it. BQ is the third element of what he claims are the three aspects of achieving success that are even more important than your IQ – with the other two being EQ (emotional intelligence – your ability to connect with others) and MQ (moral intelligence – your trustworthiness and reliability).

As Jensen wrote, “Your body is constantly telling you things; are you listening to the signals or ignoring them? Are you eating energy-giving or energy-draining foods on a daily basis? Are you getting enough rest? Do you exercise and take care of your body? It may seem like these matters are unrelated to business performance, but your body intelligence absolutely affects your work because it largely determines your feelings, thoughts, self-confidence, state of mind, and energy level.”

Jensen’s advice is as follows: “At least once a day, listen to the messages your body is sending you about your health. Actively monitor these signals instead of going on autopilot. Good nutrition, regular exercise, and adequate rest are all key aspects of having a high BQ. Monitoring your weight, practicing moderation with alcohol, and making sure you have down time can dramatically benefit the functioning of your brain and the way you perform at work.”

What being fit can do for your performance – the proof is in the numbers:

  • A Purdue University study of 80 executives found that those who exercised improved their ability to make complex decisions by 70 percent, as compared with non-exercisers.
  • NASA found that participants in their corporate exercise program experienced improved stamina, work performance, enhanced concentration and decision-making powers. Among them, 40 percent reported sounder sleep, 60 percent were successful at weight loss, 50 percent said they paid more attention to their diets, and many reported quitting or cutting down on smoking.
  • The Canada Life Assurance Company reported that 47 percent of participants in their fitness program were more alert, had better rapport with co-workers and supervisors, and enjoyed work more than those who did not participate. Of the participants, 63 percent indicated that they were more relaxed, more patient, and less tired during the workday.

So now when you think of dressing for success, include workout gear in your wardrobe – and wear it in good health at your nearby Future Fitness Center!

 

Beat the Rush – The Best Time to Join a Gym Is December

Published on December 8, 2011 in Future Fitness Programs & Classes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

New Year’s resolution time is right around the corner! Which is why the best time to join a gym is… well, today! Join a gym in December and you will likely get the best membership deal of the year.

Why is December the best time to join a gym?

While most health clubs and fitness centers are ramping up for the January rush, they still have year-end goals and numbers they want to hit. Just like any other business that sells products and services, they want to finish each year with strong numbers and new members – which makes it a great time to negotiate the best price on a gym membership.

Not to mention you’ll be able to take advantage of all of its amenities and services BEFORE the New Year’s Resolution-ists arrive!  At Future Fitness Centers, we have to admit, with all of the hustle and bustle that comes with the holidays, December can be a pretty slow month on the fitness floor. It’s not uncommon for many of our regular members to postpone their regular workouts to make room for shopping, baking, socializing and all of the other activities that come with the winter season.

This makes December a perfect time to:

  • Get a head start on your fitness goals. Whether you want to lose weight, strengthen your core, train for a future athletic event, or simply tone up, enjoy the opportunity to spin, swim, and sweat to your heart’s content without dealing with the crowds.
  • Try something new. Want to try Zumba, but, are afraid you might feel awkward? Curious about yoga, but can barely touch your toes? Think Pilates is only for girls? Now is the perfect time to break from the norm, venture out and try a group exercise class or experiment with a new fitness routine. You just might discover that you love it – and your body will, too!
  • Work one-to-one with a fitness expert. Take advantage of the slow period by making an appointment with a personal trainer or participating in one of Future Fitness’ special programs such as Pilates reformer, TRX training, or Fusion cross-training.
  • Get a great deal. Future Fitness is currently offering one of its most competitive membership deals ever. Through the end of the year, you can join for $1 down and $10 a month.  It’s an offer that can’t be beat.

Think you don’t have time to start a new fitness routine? Check out our earlier post, for Fun & Festive Tips for getting the most out of your workout during the holiday season.

Healthy holidays – we’ll see you at the gym!