Merritt Clubs Blog

It's important for everyone to warm up before a workout, and those minutes spent priming your mind and body to get moving are especially important for fitness for active agers. Learn how to make the most of them.

Hi there loyal followers! 'Tis I, the not-so-new-at-this-anymore fitness newbie! What class did I take this time you may ask? Well I took TWO! *Gasp* It’s getting crazy in here. Sorry, I’m just so awesome now that taking one new class wasn’t enough of a challenge.

Shawn Arent, director of the Rutgers University Center for Health and Human Preferences, addressed a long-time concern of people trying to get the most positive effect for their workouts. When is the best time to do cardio exercise? Is it better to do it in the morning or at night? Before or after resistance training?

For many years experts have warned the public about the dangers of consuming too much salt since the medical profession has linked it to such conditions as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, heart disease, and stroke. Salt contains sodium, an electrolyte necessary to sustain life. Another electrolyte that can help balance its negative effects is potassium.

Many folks believe that cardiovascular activities (such as running, cycling, the elliptical machine) are the best way to maximize workouts. However, balancing cardio with strength training is actually vital for boosting overall health and fitness!

The class I took this time was Les Mills BODYPUMP. I’ve been avoiding this class for a while. I knew it was a weight lifting class and I’ve seen people go in there and just know all the equipment you need to grab and it’s all just very intimidating! I didn’t know if I could commit to that knowing that I might look like a total idiot. But as far as I know, I didn’t look like an idiot!

Breakfast, they say, is the most important meal of the day and you should start off your day with a meal containing fiber, healthy fats and protein. One of these breakfast foods that’s protein-rich is Greek yogurt; but there are other great ways to serve this for breakfast than just mixed with granola. So here are two wonderful healthy recipes to get you going in the mornings!

The positive impacts of exercise on the body are visibly apparent: people who exercise frequently will watch their waistlines drop, their muscles tone, and their endurance improve. But just as significant are some of the hormonal effects that working out has on the brain, impacting stress management, appetite, and mood.

Before you engage in any type of physical activity, whether it involves playing sports, or lifting weights, it is necessary to warm up your body. Ever since we were little kids, teachers and coaches always told us to stretch before participating in a game or competition.

Holy dance moves Batman!

Okay, so maybe BODYATTACK isn’t really dancing, at least presumably not compared to Zumba or BODYJAM. But it is still a very fast-paced choreographed routine that I was not great at. And when I say not great, I mean everyone in the class was basically a professional and I just tried not to break my face.