Seven Tips to Getting in Shape

Although anyone can cover the basics (eat right and exercise), there are some things that we all learn through trial and error. Here are a few to share of those lesser known tips.

1) Exercise Daily

What’s easier, exercising three times a week or seven? It is far easier to make exercise a habit if it is a daily one. If you aren’t exercising at all,  start by exercising a half hour every day. When you only exercise a couple times per week, it is much easier to turn one day off into three days off, a week off or a month off. If you are already used to exercising, switching to three or four days to fit your schedule may be preferable, but it is a lot harder to maintain a habit you don’t do every day.
2) Duration Doesn’t Substitute for Intensity

Once you get into the habit of regular exercise, where do you go if you still aren’t reaching your goals? Most people will solve the problem by exercising for longer periods of time, turning forty minute workouts into two hour stretches. Not only does this drain your time, but it doesn’t work particularly well.

Exercise for periods longer than sixty to ninety minutes can change the chemical state in the body which destroys muscle and causes fat content to rise.

3) You Have a Set Point, Acknowledge It

Drugged up by no-limits, self-help philosophy, many people get frustrated when they plateau in their weight loss or muscle gaining goals. Everyone has an equilibrium and genetic set point where there body wants to remain. This doesn’t mean that you can’t achieve your fitness goals, but don’t be too hard on yourself if you are struggling to lose weight or put on muscle. Acknowledging a set point doesn’t mean giving up, but it does mean realizing the obstacles you face.

Expect to hit a plateau in your own fitness results. When you expect a plateau you can manage around it so you can continue your progress at a more realistic rate. When expectations meet reality you can avoid dietary crashes.

4) Eat Healthy, Not Just Food That Looks Healthy

Know what you eat. Don’t fuss over minutia like whether your getting enough Omega 3’s or tryptophan, but be aware of the big things. Look at the foods you eat regularly and figure out whether they are healthy or not. Don’t get fooled by the deceptively healthy snacks just pretending to be good for you.

The basic nutritional advice seems to be:

• Eat unprocessed
• Eat more veggies
• Use meat as a side dish, not a main course

5) Watch Out for Travel

Don’t let a four day holiday interfere with your attempts to get in shape. This doesn’t mean that you need to follow your diet and exercise plan without any excursion, but when you are in the first thirty to sixty days, still forming habits, be careful that a week long break doesn’t terminate your progress.

This is also true of schedule changes that leave you suddenly busy or make it difficult to exercise. Have a backup plan so you can be consistent, at least for the first month when you are forming habits.

6) Starting Slow is Better than Fast

Ever start an exercise plan by running ten miles and then puking your guts out? Maybe you aren’t that extreme, but burnout is common early on. Take your time, you have a lifetime to be healthy, so don’t try to go from couch potato to athletic superstar in a week.

If you are starting running, run less than you can to start. Lifting weights? Work with less weight than you could use. Increasing intensity and pushing yourself can come later when you are familiar with regular exercise.

7) People Can Lift OR Anchor

Should you have a workout partner? That depends. Workout partners can be great motivational boosts and make exercising more fun. But they can also stop you from reaching your goals. My suggestion would be to have a workout partner, but when you start to plateau (either in physical ability, weight loss/gain, or overall health) and you haven’t reached your goals, consider mixing things up a bit.

If you plateau, you may need to make changes to continue improvements. In this case it is important to talk to your workout partner about the changes you want to make, and if they don’t seem motivated to continue, offer a thirty day break where you both try different activities.

Most often guys working out together tend to match strength after a brief adjustment phase. Even if both are trying to improve, something seems to stall improvement once they reach a certain point. You will find that you will be able to lift as much as 30-50% more after taking a short break from my regular workout partner.

With the new year just around the corner, there is no better time than now to get a jump start on that resolution.  Check out the great membership specials we have to offer at www.mountainsidefitness.com

Keep Holiday Weight from Hanging On

 

At the meeting of one weight-loss club, a new member stood to tell her reason for joining. When she said she had been gaining two pounds a year, heavier members scoffed. Then she added … for the last 10 years.

Some health studies show that the average person gains four pounds in November and December of any given year. Eating less in January does away with two or three pounds, but all too often an extra pound or two hangs on. One pound a year sounds insignificant, but over time it adds up to 10 or 20 pounds. That’s a health problem. Good advice for avoiding holiday weight gain can be found everywhere:

Eat smaller portions, avoid high-fat foods, and don’t be hungry when you go to a holiday feast are among the instructions. Somehow, when people get to the table, the advice is lost in the aroma of the food. Try your best to remember it anyway.

Here are a couple of easy-to-take steps that could help.
♦ Don’t have a cocktail before dinner. It makes you want to eat more.
If drinks are offered after dinner, opt for dry wine or a mixed drink. Caution the host to go light on the alcohol. Water is the best drink.

 ♦ Instead of dishing up some of everything, choose only your favorites. Even those will add up fast, so take a smaller portion instead of what your appetite suggests. 

♦ Bring a healthy dish to dinner. Example: instead of traditional green bean casserole, make yours with chunks of potatoes instead of cream soup and top it with chopped almonds instead of fried onion rings.  

♦ Plan a new tradition. Invite everyone to take a holiday walk after dinner. The
joyful camaraderie and exercise are invigorating. 

♦ At home, eat healthy meals before and after the day of a big dinner party.
Don’t overeat just to get rid of attractive leftovers. Just get rid of them. 

♦ Keep the goodies out of sight. If you maintain a holiday table with cookies
and fancy candies, you’ll probably snag one every time you walk by.

Most importantly, enjoy the holidays and enjoy the treats…just don’t overindulge so that it brings you heartache when you step on the scale.

 

Using an Exercise Ball has its benefits

Fitness fads come and go (remember the Slide?) but, every now and then, a trend comes along that actually makes sense. One such trend is our new focus on core strength and functional training which involves

Using an exercise ball is great for building core strength and increasing your balance

strengthening the torso for better workouts and less injuries. One favorite tool for core strength is the exercise ball. Physical therapists have used them for years, but fitness experts now know it’s one of the best ways to strengthen the abs and back and increase stability. Here’s what you need to know about choosing and using an exercise ball.Choosing an Exercise Ball
Before you buy a ball, make sure it’s the right size for your height. To test it, sit on the ball and make sure your hips are level or just slightly higher than the knees :

55 cm – 4’11″ – 5’4″
65 cm – 5’5″ – 5’11″
75 cm – 6’0″ – 6′ 7″

If you’re overweight or obese, you might be wondering if you can use an exercise ball. Many companies sell burst-resistant balls that often hold 600 or more pounds. You can find exercise balls at most department stores (Target, Walmart, etc.), sporting goods stores or you can order it online. 

How To Use Your ExerciseBall
Exercise balls challenge by putting your body in an unstable environment. When you lie on the ball, your legs and abs immediately contract to keep you from falling off. Add an exercise to that (like a chest press or a crunch), and you’ve just increased the intensity of the movement. Bonus: Exercise balls are versatile enough to use for just about anything, including:

• Weight training. Use the stability ball as your new ‘weight bench’ to add difficulty to the movements and incorporate the muscles of your legs, butt and abs.
• Abdominal training. Doing crunches, twists and other traditional exercises on the ball adds difficulty to the movement by recruiting more muscles as in this
• Sitting around. Just sitting on an exercise ball can be a challenge and it’s a great way to improve your posture when sitting in front of a computer or watching television. Practice by sitting on it and raising one foot off the ground and balancing.
• Flexibility, yoga and pilates exercises. The ball is great for stretching and relaxing  
• Playing around. It’s a workout tool but, don’t forget, it’s also a ball. Your kids will love playing with it, just keep an eye on them so they don’t hurt themselves.

Exercise Ball Workouts
For a variety of workouts, from strength training to yoga, visit Mountainside Fitness.  Using the exercise ball has great benefits and our personal trainers will be happy to show you a variety of workouts that will build core strength, burn calories and increase your balance.

Sugar…America’s Favorite Poison

For years we have been told not to eat too much sugar. Everyone from our Mother to our Doctor tells us to be wary of too much sugar. Sugar is not good fuel, is filled with empty calories, is the fastest way to weight gain and is a sure way to get cavities. But these are just a few of the many reasons sugar should be cut out of your diet.

The health dangers associated with eating sugar on a habitual bases are certain. Researchers from the American Diabetic Association, have declared too much sugar consumption one of three major causes of degenerative disease. Because refined dietary sugars lack minerals and vitamins, they must draw upon the micronutrient stores in your body in order to be metabolized into your system. When these stores are depleted, you are at higher risk for obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and other associated disease. The root of every disease happens at the cellular level. If your cells are depleted of essential vitamins and minerals, your entire immune system is weakened and can not ward off disease. Sugar has been linked to asthma, diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, mood swings, depression, insomnia, gallstones and hypoglycemia.

In addition to the above mentioned, below are some other reasons to work to stave off those sugar cravings.

Sugar suppresses the immune system.
Sugar upsets the bodies vitamin and mineral balance.
Sugar is linked to obesity and too much body fat.
Sugar is easily metabolized into fat stores.
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides, and elevation of harmful cholesterol LDLs .
Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infections.
Sugar interferes with the absorption of calcium magnesium, vitamin C and fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.
Sugar can cause kidney damage.
Sugar can speed the aging process.
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
Sugar can cause liver damage.
Sugar can cause headaches.
Sugar can cause food allergies.
Sugar interferes with proper and efficient digestion.
Sugar causes free radical formation in the blood stream.

Of course moderation is important, but the average American consumes 40 lbs of sugar per year! Sugar is not just found in candy and sweets, if you are careful to check the back of food labels you will most likely be surprised at how many foods are loaded with sugar. Most salad dressings, ketchup, some meats, most boxed cereal, fruit drinks, most sauces and many packaged foods.

The bottom line is, if you want to live a happy and disease free life, educate yourself and fuel your body with “good for the cell” foods! For more information on nutrition and dietary guidance, be sure to contact one of our Mountainside Fitness certified trainers. Good health makes good sense…it’s time to get started!

How to Measure your BMI

Let Mountainside Fitness help you with all your fitness goals

 

 

You’ve probably heard people talk about their BMI or Body Mass Index. You body mass index is a calculation of what your weight should be based on your height. You can tell by the Body Mass Index scale whether or not your are considered overweight. What is your healthy weight? Take our body mass index (BMI) test and find out now.

1.  First you will need to know what your height is in inches. This is quite simple, just take your height and multiply it by 12 and add the inches. For example if your 6’2”, take 6 feet times 12 which is 72. Then add the 2 extra inches which is 74 inches. Simple enough. Write this number down.

2.  Next in figuring your BMI, you will need to know your weight in pounds. This can be done on any scale measured in pounds. Write this number down.

3.  Now we are ready to calculate. Take your height and multiply it by itself. So in the previous example, just mulitply 74 and 74, which is 5476. Now multiply that result by 703. This number is fixed. It’s always the same when calculating BMI. Continuing with our example we take 5476 x 703, which equals 3849628.

4.  Moving on, divide your weight by that result. So say the weight in pounds is 180. We take 180 / 3849628, which equals 4.6 lbs. So in this example, the person who is 6’2” and 180 lbs is overweight by 4.6 lbs. This is how you figure Body Mass Index. Of course you could always just use a simple online calculator, but now you know how to do it.

For the best results, come to Mountainside Fitness and let one of our personal trainers do a complete nutritional analysis on you, including a body fat composition.  Then we will set you up on a plan that is best for your goals.  With the holidays fast approaching, there is no better time than now to get a jump start on that weight loss New Year’s Resolution goal.  Come in and see us today, join this month and get the month for free!

How to NOT Gain Weight Over the Holidays!

Every year we tell ourselves that we won’t let the holiday pounds find their way to our tummies.  But each year, we seem to over indulge in the eight course holiday meals, tempting desserts, high calorie drinks and lets not forget the days of left-overs.  Yes, all of these are surrounding us from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, so how do we avoid the “Holiday 10″?  Well, here are a few simple tricks to prevent yourself from over indulging in food this holiday season and maybe … only gaining 2 or 3 pounds instead of 10!

1) Prepare ahead of time. Do not go to each gathering famished, this will only encourage you to over eat. Eat something healthy before you go. Maybe a bowl of oatmeal, some carrots and fat free ranch, celery and peanut butter etc…this will help you control yourself when you see the huge feast in front of you.

2)  Only take your favorite selections. There will likely be a large array of food at each gathering. Think about the food you are taking. Only pick your favorites and take about 1/2 what you actually want to take. Fill your plate but don’t over flow your plate. Once you have eaten all that food, if you are not full, you can get your next choices. Keep in mind, there may still be dessert and drinks to follow.

3) Eat slowly. Do not “stuff your face” with food. It takes your body about 20 minutes to actually know it is full. If you continually fill your mouth with food, you will be full before you body really gets the message, and you will over fill yourself in a hurry.

4)  Enjoy your company. Talk while you eat (not while your mouth is full of course!). Talking and engaging in conversation will help you eat less. If you are just sitting in a corner not socializing with anyone, you will eat far more than if you focus on the conversation instead of the food.

5)  Have some accountability. As silly as this sounds, have a friend or your spouse to be accountable to for what you are eating. This is not as a ‘punishment’ but just so you are aware of how much food you are consuming.

6)  Enjoy yourself. This is the holidays, don’t obsess about what you eat and how much you eat. Enjoy the food you choose to indulge in and don’t give into guilt. It is a festive and fun time and eating and enjoying food is a big part of the celebration.

7) Don’t forget your health.  While most of us our on vacation during the holidays, that doesn’t mean you get a vacation from your workouts too.  Keep your body moving indoors and outdoors.  A brisk walk, game of tag football, hiking, biking or running…whatever it is, just make sure you stay moving.  Exercise is a great way to not only increase your overall health, but definitely avoid the “Holiday 10.” 

If you have questions about what exercises are right for you, give one of our great personal trainers a call and let them help you.  At Mountainside Fitness, we are here to make sure you stay on track with your goals, enjoy life and be healthy. 
Happy Holidays!

HOT Winter Workouts

The weather is starting to cool down, it’s getting dark earlier and you’re trying to avoid putting on the extra holiday pounds that seem to pop up every year.  That’s a pretty good excuse to sit inside by the fire, snuggle up with a mug of hot chocolate, and watch the boob tube, right?

Wrong! While it’s tempting to turn into a couch potato in winter (30 percent of people don’t exercise at all during the winter months), it’s also a good time to take a deep breath, wrap up in warm clothes, summon your adventurous spirit, and get out into that crisp invigorating air. Exercise can help you shed those holiday pounds, while increasing your overall health and quality of life. And, keep in mind the winter bonus: you actually burn more calories exercising in winter because your body has to work hard to keep itself warm.

Here then is a quick rundown of winter sports that can keep you in top form– so that when you are snuggling by the fire, it’ll be as a reward after a fun outdoor workout.

Walking/Jogging
A regular walking or jogging program can benefit you by decreasing your blood pressure, resting heart rate, and cholesterol, while increasing your metabolic rate and ability to burn fat. Wind, snow, and cold needn’t slow you down if you dress appropriately with layers to keep you warm and reflective clothing to keep you visible on dark days. Be sure to stretch and warm up your muscles first, since cold temperatures make your body less flexible and more prone to injuries. Wear shoes with deep traction to prevent slipping on wet or icy roads. Finally, find yourself a workout buddy who’ll help keep you motivated—it’s a lot easier to roll out into the cold when you have a committed friend waiting.

Snow Hiking
A step up from walking or gentle jogging, walking around in snow, especially deep snow, can be great exercise, too. It requires more effort from legs and heart than simple walking, and the only additional equipment needed is good, insulated boots that will keep your feet dry and warm.

Snowboarding
Burning anywhere from 250-630 calories per hour, snowboarders are known for having tight abs. But balancing on this board also works the glutes, thighs, and even arms. Look for beginner packages that include lift pass, equipment rental, and lesson. Prices range from $99 for three days to $40 to $70 for each day, depending on your level and the day of the week. Renting equipment (snowboard and boots) can range $20 to $30; lift passes cost $35-$55. As with any vigorous activity, stretch before you start sliding.

Downhill Skiing
A power activity that helps improve muscle strength and endurance through high-intensity exercise, downhill skiing burns about 300 calories an hour and targets every muscle from your abs down. It’s a lot of fun, but pricier than most winter sports: lift ticket ($35-$55), boots ($200-$400), poles ($50) and skis with bindings ($400-$600). You’d be wise to rent equipment to start, and most hills offer daily rentals for all sizes. If you do decide to buy, check with used sports equipment stores. Ski fanatics often sell their equipment after only a year, so you can get the-almost-latest models at slashed prices.
 

Snowshoeing
With almost 5.9 million participants, this hybrid of running and cross-country skiing is one of the fastest growing winter sports! Exercisers of all fitness levels can work at their own intensity level, increasing stamina and toning leg muscles. There was a time when snowshoes looked like big tennis rackets, but times have changed. Easy to transport, the shoes pack away in much less space than skis or sleds, and provide a great aerobic workout — burning anywhere from 360 to 860 calories an hour, depending on your speed and the depth and packing of the snow.

Snowshoeing is a great way to condition for running. These movements are similar. Snowshoes add resistance, yet there is less impact on joints. In fact, research shows that runners who substitute snowshoeing for winter training improve their running fitness over those who choose running as their primary winter activity. As with any exercise, it’s important to stretch before you step out in the snow, particularly since snowshoeing may require a wider stance that can strain hip and groin muscles.

Other than the snowshoes themselves and a pair of waterproof hiking boots, no special equipment is necessary. You can rent snowshoes for around $20-$30 a day, or buy your own from about $100 to $260. If you expect to be a fairly regular user, it may be worth your while to invest in a pair.

Cross Country Skiing
Like snowshoeing, cross country skiing is an aerobic sport that works all body parts (especially your biceps, glutes, hamstrings, triceps and quads) without stressing your joints. Burn 560 calories hour or more with a brisk cross country ski excursion. You can ski almost anywhere: a trail, conservation area, local park, or even a farmer’s field. As with snowshoeing, you can make your workout gentle or vigorous, and you can rent equipment for less money until you’re sure you want to purchase (new skis, boots and poles average about $250).

No matter what you decide to do this winter, just be sure to get outside and exercise.  Enjoy the crisp weather, while burning those extra calories and preventing the extra holiday pounds from finding their way onto you.  Check out the latest activities Mountainside Fitness has available this winter at www.mountainsidefitness.com

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

For many people, holidays and family get togethers are a time for celebration. These celebrations often involve foods that are high in fat, sugar and calories and short on nutrition. With a few minor changes, however, special occasion foods can be both delicious and nutritious.  Here are a few tips from Mountainside Fitness that will save you the extra calories…and the extra pounds this holiday season.

Dairy Products … Many holiday foods include dairy products. Enjoy these foods during your celebrations, but use skimmed milk and other ‘low’ or ‘no’ fat dairy products in your recipes whenever possible. Look for the growing assortment of low fat cheeses, cheese slices and cheese spreads that are now available in your grocery store. For example, use light or ultra-light cream cheese or cheddar cheese with only 7% fat. If you use spreads or other products that are high in fat, such as butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, spread them very thinly or use only a small amount.

The meat dish …choose leaner cuts of meat for your holiday gatherings whenever possible. Turkey is one of the leanest types of meat. As a general rule, white meat is leaner than dark meat – so choose the breast meat of a chicken or turkey rather than the drumstick.  Trim the visible fat off of meats and remove skin from poultry. Choose fish more often, keeping in mind that cold water fatty fish such as tuna and salmon have ‘heart healthy’ types of fat in them. Prepare meats in ways that reduce the fat content, like broiling, stewing, or baking and always drain the excess fat off after cooking. Cooking meats on a rack will allow for the excess fat to drip away and when preparing soups, gravies and stews, cool them before serving and then remove the hardened fat that has collected at the top. Use vegetable cooking sprays to prevent foods from sticking.  

Vegetables … Fortunately, most vegetables contain little or no fat. It is what we add to the vegetables that increase their fat content. Avoid smothering your vegetables with thick creamy sauces or butter. Potatoes, for example, contain no fat. They also contain very little salt and are good sources of Vitamins B and C and potassium. Potato skins are a good source of fiber (fiber may help lower cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of colon cancer). Try leaving the skins on the potatoes when you mash them. When mashing potatoes, rather than adding butter or sour cream, try whipping the potatoes with skim or 1% milk or low/no fat sour cream or yogurt.

Feel free to include two or three vegetables with your meal as long as they have been prepared with little or no fat. This can often be done by steaming, baking or cooking them in the microwave. Flavor can be added by using seasonings such as spices and herbs. Dark green vegetables (such as broccoli) and bright orange vegetables (such as carrots and sweet potatoes) are high in the antioxidant vitamins, folic acid and fiber. Antioxidants (as Vitamins A, C, and E) can be protective agents against heart disease and cancer. Folic acid may play a role in helping to reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke. When choosing vegetables, pick the ones that are the darkest in color to ensure maximum nutrition.

Salads are a great addition to any holiday meal. Be sure to choose a low fat dressing or ask your host to let you add your own so that you can control the amount.

Cooking Tip: To prevent loss of flavor and vitamins when cooking vegetables, try steaming vegetables in less water or using a steaming rack. If you do boil vegetables in water, save the water to make gravy.

Stuffing…If you have stuffing with your meat dish and the recipe calls for meat or giblets, replace half of the meat with dried fruits such as cranberries, raisins or apricots. This turns an everyday recipe into a colorful and seasonal dish.

Cooking Tip: Rather than cooking stuffing inside of poultry or a roast, cook the stuffing in a casserole dish or aluminum foil in the oven. This will reduce the amount of fat in the stuffing considerably.

Gravy…Making gravy from a low fat broth rather than the drippings from poultry or a roast is a good way to reduce fat. If your gravy recipe calls for milk, make sure to use skim milk.

Cooking Tip: If you choose to use drippings for your gravy, pour or skim the fat off the top of the drippings before using. This can be done easily by letting the drippings get cold and, when the fat has become hard, take it off with a spoon. Or, when the drippings are cool, you can also add ice cubes, to which the fat will stick. Remove the ice cubes before making the gravy.

Cranberry Sauce …Cranberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C. Unfortunately, much of the Vitamin C content is lost in the canning process. Luckily homemade cranberry sauce is easy to prepare and the nutrients are retained. Try using cranberry sauce on your turkey instead of gravy.

Cooking Tip: When making cranberry sauce, add sugar after cooking the cranberries to maintain the tenderness of the skin. You may also want to substitute some artificial sweetener for some of the sugar in your cranberry sauce recipe.

Dessert… Dinner may be very filling, but what is a holiday feast without dessert? Here are some healthier suggestions:

Mix applesauce with mincemeat to reduce the amount of fat and serve with frozen low fat or fat free yogurt.

Angel food cake contains little or no fat and can make a great dessert when served with fruits such as strawberries, raspberries or a fresh fruit salad.

If making pumpkin pie – use evaporated skim milk and top with low fat or fat free ice cream or frozen yogurt. Also try our “crustless pumpkin pie”

Try to make ‘wise’ dessert choices rather than deny yourself, have a smaller portion and savor every mouthful when you have choices, opt for desserts that are lower in fat and sugar. For example, if faced with a plate of cookies, you may decide to choose the sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies over shortbread cookies as they tend to be lower in fat.

Beverages … mulled cider or lowfat eggnog are good alternatives to high fat eggnog. If you choose to have egg nog, have a smaller amount and dilute it with skim milk or use low fat or fat free egg nog. Diet carbonated sodas can make a very festive drink when added to your favorite fruit juice — try cranberry or grape juice with soda. Nonalcoholic or de-alcoholized wines are improving all the time and make a great alternative for the holidays.

Remember to enjoy the holidays and all that comes along with them – its about making the right decisions and doing what is best for your health.  The average weight gain from Thanksgiving to New Year’s is 12 pounds…don’t be a statistic.  Start with these easy alternatives that won’t sacrifice flavor or fun – but they will spare you from having to run those extra miles on the treadmill!

Winter Running and Workout Tips

Winter Running is not only great exercise, but a great way to burn extra calories.

Its getting cooler outside which makes a nice job much more bearable that it is in the dead heat of the AZ summer heat.  Running provides great health, great friends, incredible physical and mental strength, and a zest for life. However, during cold, dark winter mornings it sometimes is a bit harder to get the “spring” in your step. 

Here’s a simple guide to healthy winter exercise and making your winter runs or walks more fun..
Don’t overdress. You don’t want to be too warm when you leave the house. Aim for a balanced approach to dressing that will leave you warm, but not so hot that you start sweating a lot.

• Protect those extremities first. Keep your hands, ears, nose and for men, the genital area protected. The extremities are the most exposed to cold and wind and the most susceptible to frostbite.
• Become a well-dressed runner. In cold weather, the secret is to layer lightweight garments so the clothing works together to keep you dry and warm. High-tech materials like polypropylene and polar fleece are designed to keep body temperature steady, while wicking the moisture away from your skin to the surface layer of clothing. Because these fabrics “wick” rather than absorb moisture, your clothes don’t get soggy and heavy as you sweat. Obviously, this means you need to ditch that old pair of sweats and oversized cotton t-shirt.

Dress flexibly. Put on your hat and zip up your jacket when you’re heading into a cold wind. Take the hat off and partially zip down the jacket when the wind is behind you. The difference can be dramatic.

Your feet and legs are too busy to get cold. Your legs need much less protection than your torso. Cold feet usually occur at football games and before marriage, not when you’re pushing the pace.

Don’t take chances. Don’t tempt fate by trying to run hard and fast in difficult weather. Sometimes the ice and snow coupled with the dark can make for a deadly combination. Take your workout indoors at Mountainside Fitness, or simply take the day off.

Find a friend. It’s much safer and more fun to train with your friends in the winter. Everyone has trouble leaving a nice warm bed. But, if you know that someone is waiting for you, it’s much easier to get motivated. It is also much safer in case someone should get in trouble.

Cars. Remember, any weather that makes conditions more hazardous for cars makes things much more dangerous for you. When running in rain, snow, or ice, you must be especially alert and cautious. Be sure you wear reflective gear.

Enjoy the wonderful winter outside, dress warm and burn those extra calories.  Running is one of the greatest gifts you can do for your body, so enjoy every second on your trail.

Change the Way you Train with the TRX Suspension Training System

The TTC Mission Statement

The TRX Training Center is not your average gym.  We train you like athletes, pushing your limits and challenging you to “the core.”  We are committed to helping our members achieve peak physical condition.  We do this by giving you an exceptional training environmeent, a team of best in class coaches and teachers, and using cutting edge TRX focused training programs.   

Why the TRX Training Center?

TRX® Suspension Trainer™ exercises allows for the use of multiple planes of motion and works multiple muscles and joints simultaneously. Traditional weight training often only works one muscle at a time and the TRX forces you to use normal coordinated muscle effort, used to complete most everyday activities. Plus the TRX is fun and different and we promise you won’t be bored.

What is Suspension Training?

Suspension Training bodyweight exercise develops strength, balance, flexibility and core stability simultaneously. It requires the use of the TRX® Suspension Trainer™, a highly portable performance training tool that leverages gravity and the user’s body weight to enable hundreds of exercises for every fitness goal.

Mountainside Fitness is excited to introduce this powerful training system at our locations.  To find out more about TRX, stop into any one of our 8 Valley Locations.  We will see you soon!