Merritt Clubs Blog

If you're maintaining a healthy lifestyle and want to keep reaching for your health and fitness goals, we're here to help.

Hitting the gym has some obvious physical benefits, of which almost everyone is aware. Exercising at the gym is the best way to get stronger and fitter. Workouts also help in losing weight and are critical in fighting aging and reducing risk for many unpleasant and serious diseases and conditions.

But guess what, hitting the gym isn't just about the body. In fact, exercise has as many benefits for mental health as it does for your physical form. It's even more important now with a pandemic that has affected many of us physically, socially and mentally.

Oh man, I am so excited to tell you about this class. I got to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a comic book character.

Hello Merritt friends! Last month I shared five key takeaways from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. Before I share five more takeaways, I’d like to tell you from personal experience that the concepts in this book really work. There’s no “magic” to them – they are largely common sense, and we still have to commit to the work. But sometimes we need someone to say something in different words, or to provide a different framework. Many words and concepts from this book have echoed in my mind over the past few months, and I’ve noticed massive shifts in my thoughts and habits – to the point that this way of thinking has become much more automatic for me. And while that’s not necessarily magic, it is pretty magical.

The time spent in quarantine was necessary to keep you safe and healthy--but that does not mean some of us did not slip into some unhealthy habits when it came to eating and exercising. According to a survey conducted by the American Psychological Association, about 61% of adults in the U.S. have experienced unwanted weight gain since the start of the pandemic.

Working out is hard. There's a reason why not everybody is consistent with their fitness lifestyle. Those who are understand that being consistent brings in the most results that are worth it. Why? Because fitness is a lifestyle, not some three-month rule book you follow and throw out after you finally got that six pack you wanted. It's a journey. Once you go on this path expect to be on it forever. That doesn't mean you won't falter, but as long as you stay on the path you will reap the rewards. Here are three tips to stay on that path and help soften the pavement along the way.

IT’S MY FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR – Pride month! What better way to celebrate than kicking it off with a 50-minute Beginner Step class with Rico? And boy did I kick it off.

Since we’re almost halfway through 2021, I thought it would be a good time to check in on your goals. How are you doing? Are you crushing it? Or do you need a swift kick in the (workout) pants? Maybe you fall somewhere in between?

We are creatures of community. We exist together. We break bread together. We build together. And, in the arena of fitness that matters, we sweat together. When it comes to group fitness, nothing can replace the camaraderie of tearing into a workout in a space filled with the energy of shared goals as people strive to become their healthier and stronger selves.

This month recognizes Asian Pacific American Heritage. In the continent of Asia and the Pacific islands, there is an immense variety of cultures and a multitude of different cuisines. Immigrants introduced dishes from their motherland to Americans and now we can see how varied the choices are whenever we want to go out to eat or even by just opening the UberEats app to get a delivery. So every time you get a craving for sushi, poke, pho, samosas, dim sum, or pad thai, say a silent “thank you” to those who brought the delicious meals to America.