Merritt Clubs Blog

When people talk about health and wellness, the conversation generally turns to diet and exercise. And yes, what you put into your body and how you move your body are important. But have you ever considered how important sleep is to your overall well-being? We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, and sleep is vital to overall body health, regulation, and restoration. Lack of sleep not only affects mood, productivity, and performance, but also can increase your risk for high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, irregular hormonal function, and obesity.

Frequently, parents sign their kids up for swim classes just to give them something to do, expend energy, and keep them busy. Swimming lessons are a great way to make kids safer around the water and prepare them for involvement in water sports and recreation. However, one of the most important benefits that swimming can offer to kids is boosting confidence and self-esteem.

Running isn't easy. If it were, everyone would do it. However, with the right mindset, dedication, and determination, anyone can start running. Check out these five sure-fire tips below to help you become a runner.

And it's about our lifestyle choices.

We all know the saying; April showers brings May flowers. Well along with those flowers (and the unfortunate resulting allergies), May brings us National Salad Month. There is no better time than now to seek out local farmers markets, produce stands, and grocery stores to grab ingredients to put together a healthy, filling, and delicious salad. Below you will find some tips and recipes to bulk up your salads that will have the whole family eating those leafy greens all the way into the cooler months ahead. 

There was a discussion this morning in one of my Facebook groups about asking for help. A new member had taken a class and was reluctant to tell the instructor that she was having difficulty with some of the moves. The discussion made me think about asking for help in general. Why is it so hard for us as humans to reach out when we need help? Is it fear of embarrassment, of not seeming competent, being perceived as “less than”? Do we think asking for help makes others think we are weak? Or, do we simply not want to burden anyone else with our problems?

Boxing is a great way to get in shape, shed fat, build lean muscle mass, and learn real boxing technique. Combining short and long bursts of intensity, our boxing sessions will push you to reach your next level of fitness in a safe and controlled environment. And best of all, it's fun!

We all want to have strong bodies -- strong legs, strong glutes, a strong core, a strong upper body, and strong arms – but what we also have to focus on is having a strong mind.  A healthy and strong mindset is what will ultimately help us strengthen our bodies in a sustainable manner. 

We all know the dreaded feeling when we can barely button our pants, our belly is so distended that we look far into our second trimester of pregnancy, and we’re terrified to leave the comforts of home in fear of gastrointestinal distress. I’m talking about belly bloating.

Whether we are conscious of it or not, our lives have rhythm. We hear the tick-tock of the clock on the wall. When we walk or run, our gait has a certain tempo. There’s rhythm in our daily patterns, the way we move, the changing colors of the traffic lights, the drip of a faucet. As many studies have shown, a certain rhythm can make people walk, run, swim, paddle, or pedal faster.