Club Blog

It really doesn’t matter what activity is performed during a fitness program as long as the activity is able to produce the desired results. There’s a host of methods available to achieve many fitness goals. There are so many varied programs available today that everyone is bound to find some aspect that is appealing to them and will lead to improving their fitness level, and these activities are fun too! Try some of these ideas if you are looking to add an element of fun and variety to your fitness program.

Hiking: with the many parks and preserves situated around the country today hiking at any level is a very enjoyable fitness activity. If you add the element of photography or bird watching to the routine it may not seem like exercise at all. With the graduated hikes and cliffs hiking can offer a challenge for anyone at any fitness level.

Walking: There’s a lot of very beautiful parks and scenery where walkers are enjoying an environment which hardly seems like exercise. The visual stimulation and fresh air provide many health benefits for the participant. If you can find a partner or two to join you on regular walks you can add friendly conversation while you walk as well.

Bicycling: The amount of leg and cardio-vascular exercise offered from bicycling is substantial for anyone looking to improve their fitness in these areas. When you add the excitement of the open road and the scenery to be enjoyed the hours will pass and you won’t even realize how much work you have put into exercising.

Recent studies have shown that one of the best ways to stay fit is to take your pooch for a daily walk. Because you’re doing all that exercise for your dog, and not just for yourself, you stay committed to your fitness program long after other people have given up on their gym memberships or hidden their home exercise equipment in the garage.

You’ll keep on having fun for years, without spending a lot of money. All the equipment you need will cost less than a month at a gym. And the activity you’ll both be engaged in – walking – has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to get fit and stay fit.

If you don’t currently have a dog, and if you have a hard time forcing yourself out of the house because of chronic pain or depression, it may be time to “prescribe” yourself a canine walking partner. Many doctors around the country are discovering the healing power of pets.

In short, walking improves your fitness while your dog helps you stay with your program. Walking regularly also gives your dog the exercise he needs to stay healthy and happy.

Walking doesn’t just improve your fitness and health by burning off calories. Scientists have found that walking elevates your serotonin, a chemical in your brain. An increase in your serotonin puts you in a better mood, helps you sleep better, and controls your appetite.

In fact, walking can boost your serotonin levels by up to 47 percent, which could curb your appetite as much as 29 percent for six hours after you walk.

Starting an exercise program and sticking with it may not always be easy. Most of the time we exercise because we feel like we have to. We know it is good for our health, it can improve our moods, and assist us in losing those last 5-10 pounds we are always trying to take off. It always starts out well and then somehow plummets midway through. What can you do if this happens to you? Use the following 10 tips to re-motivate yourself to keep your routine in tact.

1. Create a plan. Sit down and figure out how many days you are willing to commit to exercise, what you are going to do on those days and for how long. Be realistic. If you are not working out at all, having the commitment of 6 days a week is unrealistic.

2. Create your own support system. There is nothing better than rallying your girls up for some exercise fun. If you have other people involved, it is most likely you will stick it out because you don’t want to disappoint that person or group.

3. Change it up. If you are anything like me, you get bored extremely fast. Changing your routine often is a great way to subside this. You will also see that your body responds faster if you are constantly confusing it.

4. Try something new. Take a class you always wanted to participate in but were afraid to try.

5. Hire a trainer. Get the undivided attention you need to kick your butt into gear. You will also feel committed to follow through with suggestions they offer because one, you don’t want to disappoint and two, you are paying them.

Here are some ideas for ways you can reward yourself for reaching your exercise goals:

1. A Day at the Spa: Everyone deserves a little pampering, especially after reaching such a tremendous goal of sticking to your exercise goals. A day of massages, saunas, or other spa treatments may be just what you need to reward yourself.

2. A Mini-Vacation: Many people do not have it within their means to plan a full blown vacation each month, but you can give yourself a day for a special trip somewhere. Maybe there is an art exhibit you’ve been wanting to see, or a day at a lake or beach. Traveling to places that are just an hour or two away can be a fun way to give yourself a mini-vacation.

3. A New Book: If you enjoy reading, buying a new book for yourself can be a real treat. It can also be inexpensive – there are many great books available out there for less than $10!

4. Music: Do you enjoy exercising to music? Downloading a few new songs can be a great way to reward yourself and keep motivated for your exercise routine.

5. New Shoes: Buying shoes is a great way to reward yourself for exercising, and best of all as you continue to exercise and lose weight, they will more than likely still fit! You can decide on a new pair of exercise shoes, or a pair of shoes for special occasions.

Nothing can add a needed dynamic to a fitness regime then a workout partner. If you are use to doing your fitness routine alone get a friend involved and you can add a level of fun to your workouts not experienced before. A workout partner can offer encouragement and reinforcement only possible when you have someone there during your training. You can also help them by encouraging them to set goals, stay committed and enjoy your time together. When you go through those tough times and motivation is low a workout partner can be a lifesaver that provides the necessary motivation to continue with the workout.

Maybe you can add some sound advice for your partner also by providing motivation when it is needed most. Sometimes working out with a partner adds the right atmosphere to push your routine to the next level of accomplishment and have someone there to share your achievement. Working out with a partner offers a level of camaraderie not available when you train alone.

You might consider setting up a home gym and getting the whole family involved in a circuit course training regime. Many home gyms are suitable for constructing a customized training routine or you can choose from a number of pre-designed routines. Either way you can get the whole family involved by setting individual fitness goals and working together to achieve them. A progress chart can be created which is posted on the wall and updated after each workout. You can include stars for achievements and even award special privileges for consistent work and results.

Many different kinds of equipment are available for purchase also which can make exercising more fun. Here are a few:

Heavy Hoops: These pieces of equipment are simply weighted hula hoops. This type of activity can be a great deal of fun especially in the beginning when you are first learning the proper technique to keep the hoop in motion. It offers both a challenge and exercise at the same time with progressive weights for improvement.

Medicine Balls: Going back to a time when exercise was less sophisticated the medicine ball was used to develop upper body strength and improve overall health conditions. The balls come in sizes which vary also in weight. There are many different techniques that can be used for tossing the medicine balls which can subsequently provide a workout which improves strength, flexibility and coordination.

Some of the advantages of joining a San Diego fitness center

• Regular work out sessions

By joining a gym you can make sure that you work out regularly. Working out regularly enables you to maintain a fit body and keep away from those health aliments. Once you realize that you have paid for joining a gym, you will make sure that you do not skip your work out sessions. Also make sure that your fitness center is near your house or workplace, so that it is easier for you to visit your gym regularly.

• Environment and motivation

Just being in a gym, can make you feel motivated. As you begin to work out regularly, you come across so many people in the fitness center who are committed to working out and being healthy. This also encourages you to stay committed and motivated towards your fitness regime. Believe it or not, studies have shown that being around people pursuing the goal as yours can also motivate you to keep going. Being in a healthy and friendly environment also proves to be one of the motivating factors.

• Knowledge about latest equipments

Another important benefit of joining a fitness center is that most of us will stay aware about the latest and best technology equipments. Most of the gyms in San Diego use the latest technology equipments which enable us to include variety of exercises in our exercise routine. It is almost impossible for someone to afford a workout session at home with the latest technology equipments as compared to the workout sessions at a gym.

Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

 Fitness Psychologist

The Sporting Club

 Ever wish your telomere was longer?  What’s that, you don’t know what your telomere is?  No fear, most people probably don’t know either.  But don’t spend too much time in the locker room looking for it.  You won’t see them.  Telomeres are protective strips of DNA that cap the ends of your chromosomes and stop them from unraveling.  They are a bit like the little plastic tips of your shoelaces.

So why care if your telomeres are long or short?  The length of your telomere is thought to be a biological marker of life’s stresses, the wear and tear of living on your body.  In other words, short telomeres may result in cellular aging and illness. 

Aging? Nobody likes that word.  So what can you do about it?  Plastic surgery doesn’t make you any younger though you may look a bit more “refreshed.”

If you want to truly keep your cells from prematurely aging and stay healthy for as long as possible, there is plenty you can do about it.  Scientists at the University of California at San Francisco recently published a paper that points to a simple antidote:  EXERCISE.

That’s right.  The Sporting Club is an ideal place to lengthen, or at least prevent shortening, your telomeres, keep your cells young, beat back stress of everyday life and stay healthy.  All under one roof.

The researchers found that even a moderate amount of vigorous exercise provides a critical amount of protection for your all-important telomeres.  There continues to be growing data that short telomeres are linked to several illness including diabetes and coronary heart disease, and early death. 

How much exercise is enough? According to 2009 Nobel Laureate Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn, one of the study’s authors, even as little as 42 minutes of vigorous exercise, getting your heart and sweat rates up, over a 3-day period may protect you from the effects of stress by reducing its effect on telomere length.  So if you are a regular at The Sporting Club, think just how much you are doing for your cellular aging and overall health.

The study’s lead author Dr Eli Puterman, a psychologist in the UCSF Department of Psychiatry, pointed out that this study showed yet another link between life stress and the dynamics of how cells—your body—may age.

Fortunately, there are things that we can do about it and we’d be foolish if we don’t increase our exercise levels to prevent the effects that psychological stress can have on our well-being—and aging!

Once again, this proves my adage that mind IS body.

Exercising not only keeps the physical elements of your body healthy but it will also help to relieve any tension and depression that you have in your life, it works to improve physically and mentally. When you start to exercise it is important to make sure that you start slow and build the intensity if it up slowly. Exercise at a high rate too quickly can cause strain on not only your muscles and joints but also so your lungs and heart. Remember if you have any doubts or concerns about exercise make sure that you consult your doctor before exercising. Let’s have a look at a couple simple and effective ways of exercising.

Running/Jogging

Running and jogging is a great way to keep your body in shape, it is the most natural form of exercise and is impossible to do without raising your heart rate. One of the advantages of running over any other exercise is that you do not need anything to do it, you can choose when and where to run and all you have to do is just get outside and do it. Just to note here as with any exercises that it is important to warm up and warm down with stretchers. Running 3 times a week for about 20 minutes each will be a sure way to help keep your body in good working order and that your lungs and heart are staying healthy

Cycling

As with running when you cycle you want to make sure that it becomes an event by where you do it 2 or 3 times per week. There is no point cycling once here and once there every few week, that is not enough. If you are going to cycle you want to make sure that you do it regularly doing the week and cycle for about 3 to 6 miles depending on how good you are at it. If you are aiming for a time to cycle in I would say that you want to aim for about 20 to 30 minutes cycling hard and building up a slight sweat, don’t cycle too hard however this can cause illness or make you feel pain.