Maintaining a workout regimen through the New Year is difficult. With the added burden of the holidays, more people need to work later hours, cook family meals and travel to family homes. The end-of-year festivities are undoubtedly fun, but they tend to take away from time spent in the gym. Every minute of a December workout counts for a little bit more with time stretched so thin.
Here are a few habits to cut out this month and in the new year to keep your regimen lean and mean.
Static Stretching
Theoretically, any stretch is a good stretch. However, static stretching may not be very beneficial. Static stretching is the act of relaxing the body and focusing on increasing the flexibility of one particular area by stressing it for a few seconds at a time. Studies have shown that dynamic stretching can be much more effective in warming up muscles, increasing stable flexibility and decreasing the effects of delayed onset muscle soreness. Instead of wasting 10-20 minutes on static stretching, try some dynamic stretching and light cardio before a workout.
Focusing On One Realm of Fitness
Whether you’ve been attending our yoga classes near Haddonfield, NJ or you’ve been lifting weights at our gym in Cherry Hill, NJ, you probably know that it’s more advantageous to have a fitness plan that incorporates various types of exercise. For some, the prospect of doing cardio before or after a lift seems like asking too much; for others, getting in a light lift after a spin class can be a burden. Improving your fitness level in a meaningful way requires that you do more than one type of exercise. Mix in cardio, lift a little more or add a yoga class to your weekly routine and surpass your goals in 2017.
Going Alone
If you’ve fallen into a routine and subsequently plateaued, it can feel like you aren’t getting a lot out of your workouts. A personal trainer can help guide your exercises to be more effective so that you can spend the same amount of time in the gym, but maximize your results.
Not Having The Data
It’s no longer necessary to guess about what exercises you need to focus on to achieve your fitness goals. Our nutritionists and nurses can help you understand where your weaknesses and strengths lie on your road to fitness. There are also a number of fitness wearables out there that can help you monitor your progress.
If you’re looking for more ways to maximize your workouts, stop by the front desk of one of our six South Jersey locations and ask about receiving a free personal training session.