19 Fitness Tips for your Exercise and Fitness Goals

"The following is a list of known power foods: almonds + other nuts, beans + legumes, spinach and other greens, oatmeal (without added sugar), eggs, turkey + other lean meats, dairy (fat free or low fat), peanut butter, olive oil, whole-grains, raspberries and other berries. The nutrients you get form these will help power up your natural fat burners, protect you from illness and injury, and keep you lean and fit for life!" -Stephanie Carrigo, Merritt Personal Trainer

"Weight training not only burns calories while you are working out but it also burns calories while you sleep. Building lean muscle can burn an extra 50-100 calories per pound per day! Plus, you can add cardio into your weight training workouts by keeping your rest time low (about 30 seconds btwn exercises), doing circuit training (a circuit of exercises without rest), or adding calorie-burning moves in btwn your strength exercises (like squat jumps, lunge jumps, stairs, push-ups, jumping jacks)." -Becky Conti, Merritt Personal Trainer

“Did you know that 1 lb of muscle burns on average 35 to 50 calories a day? Also, if you were to gain 5 lbs of muscle you would actually have an appearance of looking 5 – 10 lbs slimmer because muscle takes up less volume than fat.” –Ray Salas, Merritt Personal Trainer

“After the age of 25, the average adult will lose between .5 - 1.0% of total muscle mass each year! One of the best ways to prevent the loss of muscle mass is to engage in regular strength training at least twice a week.” -Kerri Rafferty, Merritt Personal Trainer

"The spirit of yoga can be sensed not only in the poses but in the space between the poses where movement and breath flow evenly from one to another. In each pose it is important to focus on entering, holding and exiting the pose." -Bob Mcdowell, Merritt Pilates Instructor

"I fill my coffee cup with water before I allow myself fill it with morning Joe. This way I get at least 8 ounces of water right at the start of my day." -Heather Jordan, Merritt Group Fitness Instructor

Here are Ten great Benefits to Strength Training to help keep you motivated.

1. Increase self-confidence & self esteem

2. Helps you sleep better

3. Give you more energy

4. Lose those unwanted inches

5. Tone & firms up your muscles

6. Reduce blood pressure

7. Reduces stress

8. You’re in control of your weight

9. Increase metabolic rate

10. Strengthens the heart

“Try breaking up workouts into multiple sessions a day. For example, do cardio/circuit training in the morning and strength/power training in the evening. It not only increases the number of training sessions per week and allows you to give more effort in each area, but the extra sessions will help keep your metabolism running high throughout the day/evening, burning more calories when you are resting/recovering.” -Matthew Volpe, Merritt (Former Wrestler in Division lll)

"Cold water sure can be refreshing when you are parched, but I find I am able to chug more water when it is room-temperature. Breaking the "gotta be ice cold" habit has helped me increase the amount of water I consume each day." –Heather Jordan, Merritt Group Fitness Instructor

"High Intensity Interval Training (aka HIIT) is a great way to burn a ton of calories in less time! HIIT involves repetitions of high intensity followed by recovery periods. For example, try running on the treadmill for2 minutes at a fast pace followed by 2 min of a moderate walk. Repeat this cycle for 20 minutes." -Becky Conti, Merritt Personal Trainer

Fat Burning Workout Tip - “Prolonged low or moderate intensity workouts are the key to optimal fat burning. Thirty to sixty minutes of aerobic activity each day, such as running, walking, swimming, cycle, Zumba, Body Pump or any other class, does the trick. The more often you do this, the faster you lose weight.” –Ray Salas, Merritt Personal Trainer

“Do not weigh yourself after a workout. You will only be measuring the amount of water weight you have lost. The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning.” -Kelly Whalen, Merritt Personal Trainer

"Warming up prepares the body for physical activity. Be sure to warm up for 5-10 minutes at a low-moderate intensity to help your body have a more efficient workout." -Flora Gamble, Merritt Lifestyle Consultant

"A great way to stay motivated is to train for something in particular. Pick something like a 5k and work towards that goal for the next few months." -Kerri Rafferty, Merritt Personal Trainer

Lose Weight Faster Tip - “Creating an after burn is important in order to continue burning calories even after your workout is complete. Intense workouts three times a week with low intensity workouts in between will help to keep your fat burning metabolism higher for a longer period of time.” –Ray Salas, Merritt Personal Trainer

"Using props, such as stability balls in Pilates, can be beneficial for increased intensity and enjoyment but only after you have set a solid foundation of the basic mat exercises. You may want to take several basic classes prior to incorporating props into your routine." -Bob Mcdowell, Merritt Pilates Instructor

"Try to eat 5-6 small meals instead of 2-3 big meals per day. This

will keep the metabolism running all day long and prevent blood sugar

spikes which lead to excess fat storage." -Becky Conti, Merritt Personal Trainer

"For maximum calorie burn during a resistance training workout make sure you perform exercises that utilize all or many of the larger muscle groups in one movement. For example, you will burn more calories performing a wall squat with a bicep curl than just performing a bicep curl by itself or even doing squats...and then bicep curls later." -Kelly Whalen, Merritt Personal Trainer

After Workout Snack Tip - “After a workout your body has depleted its energy source and needs more fuel in order to continue burning those calories. It is crucial to replenish your body with a protein rich snack within the first twenty minutes after a workout.” –Ray Salas, Merritt Personal Trainer