There are a lot of reasons to tell yourself why you shouldn’t join a gym. But with the Answer is Fitness 6th Anniversary Special, you can cross the cost of a membership off of your list.

So let’s go through some other reasons:

You don’t have the energy to exercise. Well if you exercise you will have the energy. Exercising actually increases your energy level; sitting around doing nothing is exhausting.

You don’t have the time. Well, if you are exercising at home, even sporadically, you can find the time. But, more importantly, you need to find the time. You should make exercise part of your lifestyle so it becomes a habit. You should exercise like your life depends on it, it does!

You can exercise at home. In a gym, using cardio equipment, you can keep a track of your progress easily by seeing how long /what pace / what level you can sustain on different machines. It really gives you such a good feeling to see that you’ve made strides in the right direction.

You just don’t have the motivation. In a gym, when you are greeted by name and welcomed it feels good. There are other like-minded people there who are able to help motivate you. A gym becomes a community where you meet people you would not have otherwise met. Once you start going to exercise classes, you’ll get to know and become friends with others in the class.
 
Additionally, you may discover exercises that your really enjoy which you may have never discovered before. Finding a type of group exercise, like yoga or cycling, that you really enjoy, it is easy to get motivated.

Answer is Fitness has an extensive group exercise schedule, personal trainers to help you with a personalized training program specifically for you, and cardio equipment and weights.

Contact Answer is Fitness for more information on how we can help you help yourself become healthier, more physically fit, and lose weight. Together, we can help you meet your personal fitness goals.

Did you know that exercise will give you more energy? Are you tired of being tired at the end of the day? Let exercise energize you.

You just need to motivate yourself to take that first step out the door. You may think you’ll never make it, but chances are you’ll continue and you’ll notice a difference very quickly. Tired adults who exercise three times a week for 6 weeks, show a remarkable increase in energy levels. And those doing low-intensity exercises saw the most benefit!

Maybe your having troubles thinking about exercising because you think it isn’t fun. Researchers found that when people think about exercising they tend to think about the first few minutes, which is the hard part. After a workout, those participants rated exercising positively. So find a better way to start out, put your favorite songs at the beginning of the playlist, or grab a friend.

Many people don’t like to navigate a gym on their own. Sign up with a personal trainer. This way you’ll meet someone, get introduced to others and receive your own personal training program. Or, grab a buddy; everyone has more fun working out with a friend.

So many people are trying to figure out ways to stay healthy at work. If you have a family or other obligations after work, it is not always easy to make it the the gym at night. Exercising only on  the weekends isn't enough; it is very challenging for many to get in the required amount of strength training and cardio exercises in a week. The last frontier is trying to figure out some office exercises.

Last week we wrote a blog about some great exercises with a fitness or stability ball. Today, we have another exercise ball suggestion, and this one can help you all day long. We want to talk about the benefits of using an exercise ball as your home or office chair. Not only is it good for you, it is thoroughly enjoyable. Here are some of the benefits of using an exercise ball as your chair. Whether you spend your desk time at the office, or studying at home for that next exam, exercise ball chairs can help you in many ways.

Forces proper spine alignment - Because an exercise ball is not stable, your body needs to try to balance itself on it. The perfect spinal posture is coincidently the easiest to balance with.

Causes you to frequently change positions - This helps reduce damage caused by prolonged sitting in the same position.

Improve your balance - Sitting on an unstable surface all day will improve your sense of balance, and improve the reactions of your muscles.

Improves your circulation - Using an exercise ball will keep the blood flowing to all parts of your body, throughout the day.

So instead of trying to figure out exercises you can do at work while sitting at a desk, use an exercise ball as your office chair, and have fun while you improve your health.

You have probably seen stability balls (or exercise ball) in the gym. Have you wondered what to do with them? Actually, they are very versatile. They promote balance and stability and really work out your core. But the best part is, they are inexpensive, and versatile, so you can get a great workout with them, even at home. With a fitness ball you can get a great work out for your arms, core, chest, butt and thighs. Here are a few of our favorite exercises with a stability ball.

Push-up on a ball
Your arms and shoulders are the first to take the brunt of this exercise, but your chest and core feel it too.

• Lie with your abdomen on an exercise ball and walk your hands forward on the floor until the ball rests under your thighs.
• Pull your navel in toward your spine, bending your elbows.
• Lower your upper body to the floor. Hold this position for three seconds, and then push up so your elbows are straight but not locked. Keep your head in line with your spine and your abs engaged. Simulating a push up.
• Start with 5 reps, working up to 15. Once you've mastered 15 reps, rest for one minute and then do a second set.

• Place an exercise ball between the wall and the curve of your lower back.
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and lower 5 to 10 inches, keeping your shoulders level and your hips square. Hold this position for 3 seconds and then stand back up.
• Start with 5 reps and work up to 12. Rest for 30 seconds and do another set.

• Lie on your back holding an exercise ball and lift your feet so your shins are parallel to the floor. For a more intense workout, keep you legs straight in the air.
• Lift your head, neck, and shoulders, and place the ball between your legs.
• Now lower your legs and reach your arms back.
• Come back up and grab the ball.
• Continue to pass the ball back and forth from your hands to your legs 10 to 12 times.

The new guidelines for physical activity for ages 18-64 is at least 150 minutes/week.That's equivalent to working out for 30 minutes for 5 days a week. However, many people find it hard to stay motivated to exercise on a daily basis. Scheduling 30 minutes of your day aside to workout shouldn't be a problem for anyone so here's are 3 tips we feel can help you stay motivated to exercise and reaching your fitness goals.

1. Notebook and pen -Bring this with you whenever you go to the gym or exercising and log in your workout routines and progress in it. Its a great way to keep track of your exercises as well as your repetitions and sets. A good way to prepare yourself is to write down knowing what exercises your going to do that day prior to the workout. This notebook acts as an agenda for your workouts, and is a great little tool to help motivate you to reach your goals faster by jotting it down.

2. Mp3 player/ music gadget - Nothing feels better than listening to music while working out. Find songs that get you in your groove and gets you focused on yourself and your lifts. Listening to music is also a great way to avoid distractions in the gym.

3. Our Group Exercises - Getting involved in one of our group exercises is great because the members and instructor act as a boost of motivation. They can help support and spot you on your routines, provide guidance and fitness tips, and make it more fun and challenging.

Be sure to contact us today to learn more about fitness goals and work out routines. We have many fun and rewarding exercising programs, so be sure to check them out.

It's almost here; our widely popular winter blizzard bootcamp. Today is the start of a brand new month and in just four more days our session begins. Starting on February 5th through March 30th is our winter bootcamp special promo where we combine the excellence of working out with the fun that our gym has to offer. This special session goes on every Saturday from 7am to 8am and is for sex weeks. If you have been thinking about working out but don't think that you need to, then you are mistaken!

Regular physical activity helps stave off depression and greatly improves your mood. Exercise makes you feel better and relaxes your body, thanks to the brain chemical released during a workout. These "feel good" endorphins boost your mood. It encourages you to take steps to reduce stress through constant physical activity and a healthy food choices for the long-term. To cut to the chase, working out makes you happy.

Exercise is also a form of detoxification. It rids your body of unwanted toxins that constantly weigh you down and generally make your body feel as if you're carrying a big amount of lead. Working out makes you feel lighter and infinitely more comfortable with your own body. So what are you waiting for? Get moving!

>We guarantee you will be satisfied with our winter blizzard bootcamp. This is unlike anything we have through the entire year. Not only will you experience the above benefits of working out but you will see results in just 6 weeks. For more information contact us today or call 888-270-3640 or sign up at the front desk of our gym! We hope to see you all there!

While you are under a weight reducing diet, there are certain times of the day that are better for eating because the energy provided by food is better used by your body. The times of the day when is better to eat are not tied to specific hours, but to the kind of activities that you have. This means that for example it is not important that you always eat breakfast at exactly 7AM, but you should always eat breakfast in the morning.

The first time to eat during the day is in the morning. This is especially true if your workout routine is in the morning as well. About 30 mins before you workout is the best time to eat a good breakfast. It is important to eat a good breakfast, one that stops the urges of eating for several hours. The breakfast you eat should be balanced, because when you wake up all the nutrients in the blood are already depleted.

After working out is another good moment to eat. This is so because after you eat your metabolism is still accelerated, which makes it easier for your body to use the energy that comes with your food. This makes it less likely for your food to get deposited as fat in your body.

This is the same reason why it is recommended to eat a light dinner. Since while you sleep your body burns less calories, if you have a heavy dinner all the extra energy will get deposited as fat. A good advice is to eat your dinner at least three hours before going to sleep and to eat a light dinner. In that way you will give your body time to burn some calories while awake.

Staying on a fitness plan while eating healthy will not only help you lose weight but turn it into lean muscle. If it proves to be too difficult try doing group exercises such as the ones we offer  or use a personal trainer. Be sure to contact us should you have any questions regarding fitness and being healthy and we'll be happy to help.

Training your abs is a easy task. However its best to know which exercise is best and that there is a distinct difference between our abs and our core. Our "abs", or what we refer to as our abs is actually one muscle- our rectus abdominus muscle. It is one small part of the whole area between our rib cage and our pelvis that we know as our "core". For now let’s talk about that six-pack, or your abs. This may be the area of the body where most people make mistakes in training. So we will go through a few basic ground rules for training our abs:

• More is not better! Your rectus abdominus is made up of fast twitch muscle fibers. That means that it responds best to low reps such as 8-10 at a time. Your best bet is to do 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 crunches for your 6 pack. That's it. You can train your deeper core muscles after these surface ones are tired but that’s a whole discussion in itself.
• Abdominal training should always come LAST. Some people think that you should train your abs first while they are "fresh" in order to get the best results. It’s o.k. if that’s the only thing you are training that day, but if you are doing another body part- do that first. Your abs provide structural support for other exercises. If you tire them out, you will not be able to perform your best and may hurt yourself in the process.
• Remember diet is the key. No matter what you are doing in the gym, the only way to really get definition in your middle is by watching what you put in your mouth. Eating smaller meals often throughout the day will help turn your keg into a 6 pack!

Keeping your mind focused and making sure you stay consistent with your workout routine is the best way to get results fast. If you feel as though its a bit harder to get motivated then check out our excellent group exercise programs. They provide a lot of support and fun activities to get you into the spirit of working out. Contact us today to find out how you can join our gym and get started on being more healthy.

Getting into great shape isn't necessarily hard, it just requires a few fitness tips. A little discipline, a little motivation, and a little will to act. Once you have those, all you have to do is adjust your diet and change up your exercise routine and you're on your way to get into amazing shape. Of course, it always helps to have a little advantage, which is why we want to offer you 3 tips to help you get into amazing shape:

Don't get caught up in diet details. One of the biggest mistakes some people make is they get caught up in the details of their diet, and forget the overall goal of just plain losing weight (or gaining weight, for the muscle builders). Don't worry about whether your diet is low carb high fat or high fat low carb, just concentrate on caloric reduction. Eat 500 calories less than your maintenance amount per day, and you'll lose one pound of fat a week.

Have a support group. Using a support group of like minded people is a great way to get in amazing shape. It will help keep you motivated to know that there are people just like you going through the same kinds of challenges to meet their goals. A support group that we offer is called our group exercise program. We have many extensive exercise programs that a lot of our members are a part of.

Enjoy exercise. For instance, you might enjoy our group exercise Zumba dance or our martial art program more than doing a treadmill, so why not do it? These fitness tips may seem like common sense but sometimes people need to see how simple certain steps are to achieve fitness happiness. Contact us today to learn more about fitness routines or join our gym.

Cardiovascular exercise simply means that you are actively participating in something that will raise your heart rate to meet your target. Before you start a cardio routine, it is important to be aware of your personal target rate. This means that during your cardio routine, your heart rate should be within this zone. If it goes above the zone, you need to slow down. If it goes below the zone, you should pick up the pace. A simple tip to remember is that during your workout, you should be breathing heavier but still be able to have a conversation without stopping your exercise.

Cardio is very important for many reasons. First, it is a way to burn calories in a short amount of time and help you lose weight. It also helps you maintain your weight once you have reached your weight goal. Second, cardio strengthens your heart so it does not have to work as hard to pump blood in your body. Third, it increases your lung capacity. Fourth, it reduces the risks of heart disease, heart attacks, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. These are all health issues that affect so many men and women in American today. Just think, many of these cases could be prevented with some simple cardiovascular exercise. In addition to helping reduce risks of health problems, cardio also just simply makes you feel good, helps you sleep better, and reduces stress.

Contact us today to learn how you can become a part of our friendly gym. Membership is always available and we would be happy to answer and questions you may have. Be sure to check out our group exercise programs as well here!