The recent snow storm in the Northwest caused many people to experience a big setback to any health and fitness goals they may have set on January 1^st! You may have decided to start training for a 5k or 10k and then found you couldn’t run with the streets covered in snow and ice. Or maybe you decided to start lifting weights and then the gym was closed or you couldn’t make it there. Or perhaps, you enrolled in the new specialty studio classes only to find classes were cancelled all week.

So now what?! Sometimes it’s challenging to get fired up again so here’s some ideas to refocus and get right back on track! Just remember, don’t let setbacks set you back! 

Read more on Re-Finding Your Motivation…

Since many join a gym and resolve to get fit at this time of year, it’s probably a good idea to examine some of the reasons why someone quits long before they’ve achieved their goals. If you’ve ever joined a fitness club and soon after found yourself wondering why you ever signed on the dotted line in the first place, well, you’re not alone. In fact, more than 35% of people who join a fitness club quit each year.

The most frequently reported reasons for not renewing a membership are as follows:

• Couldn’t afford the expense 30%
• Overcrowded facility 27%
• New demands made on my time 26%
• Inconvenient club location 18%
• Lost interest/motivation 17%
• Moved/relocated 16%
• Switched to outdoor exercise 15%

Not surprisingly, concerns about price and time were among the three most commonly cited reasons for quitting a club. While lack of adequate disposable income or time are certainly legitimate explanations for leaving a club, it’s likely that a significant percentage of the ex-members surveyed hadn’t been successful in making fitness or exercise a priority in their life. If your fitness level and health are very high priorities, you’ll find the money or the time to commit. But, if you never use your gym membership, it becomes harder and harder to rationalize paying for it.  Conversely, regular usage yields greater satisfaction and more benefits, making it easier to identify the value received, and understand the cost and time requirements. So, if you want to actually use your new membership, you’ll have to figure out what you need to do to actually commit to your exercise program.  A consistent, committed effort will make a club membership worth the investment.

Read more on Don’t Be A Quitter…

January can be tough for a lot of people. Credit card bills are arriving highlighting the additional holiday spending making everyone feel a little more stressed. But many also are feeling out of shape and ready to tackle their New Year’s Resolutions and get back into good shape. It’s cold, wet and dark and all of this coupled together can lead to feelings of depression.

So what do you do went you want to achieve your New Year’s fitness resolutions, feel better and battle the bulge even though your wallet is skinny?

Let’s put first things first. The problem with stressful and cash starved times like these is that it’s very easy to give up on making time and the budget for fitness. But fitness should be the last area of your life to put on the back burner and trim from the budget as it’s the very thing that is going to give you the energy and stamina to deal with any struggles. If you don’t make time for fitness then plan on being forced to make the time for being sick and tired on top of everything else. Unwanted medical bills, prescription co-pays, and lost income due to illness, stress and injury are very costly alternatives to investing in YOU! Read more on Low Cost Fitness…

Variety is the spice of life so as many of us launch a fitness program to help us get in better shape for the New Year, perhaps trying something new will keep us motivated and committed. It’s always a good idea to step out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself and meet new people. You probably won’t love every new activity you try but you also might be exposed to an activity that you absolutely fall in love with!

Barre Classes

Multiple Barre specialty studios have surfaced all over Vancouver. The low-impact, muscle shaking, body sculpting format has resulted in its growing popularity causing Barre studios to be the cool place to workout.

Hot Yoga

If you enjoy the heat, sweating profusely while you stretch, lengthen and hold various limbering poses, you’ll love this workout – especially in these cold winter months! Read more on New Fitness Activities To Try In 2017…