Merritt Clubs Blog

When I teach classes that have squats in them, and that’s pretty much most of the classes I teach, people will often come up to me afterwards (or before) and tell me they can’t squat. “I can’t do squats. It bothers my knees.” “I don’t like squats, so during the squat track I’m just going to work abs, ok?” “Why do we do so many squats?” In reality, squats, and their many variations, are probably the one exercise everyone should do every day. According to Dr. Christopher Stepien, sports therapist and chronic pain expert, performing 50 squats a day will help your health and well-being. “Daily squats will help you mentally and will even give you better yearly checkups with your primary physician.”

Pull-ups are a total body exercise that offer numerous health and physique benefits. Just about everybody knows what a pull-up is...grip the bar so your body is suspended by your hands and pull yourself up. Pull-ups are simple, though that does not mean they are easy. The challenge is well worth it: not many movements work so many muscles at once.

Happy Halloween! This is it! The kids have changed their minds about costumes no less than 5 times, the pumpkins are carved and lit, and all that’s left is the magical night of trick or treating. Halloween is beyond exciting for kids (and some adults!). They’re hyper, distracted, and determined to stay up and eat as much candy as possible.

It’s hard to believe, but Halloween is next week. And, it’s not a far leap to see Thanksgiving and the December holidays just around the corner. Depending on how you look at it, Halloween could very well be the start of a season-long fight against the lure of comfort foods, sweets, and festive meals, or, it could be a practice run for the big food holidays that are soon to follow. Here are some easy ways to stay on the wellness path through this frightful time of year.

As the saying goes, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." Among the world’s most popular fruit, there’s a lot of truth to this old adage. Apples are high in fiber, Vitamin C, potassium, and antioxidants. They are filling and can be used in a variety of ways: sweet recipes, savory recipes, juices, sauces, drinks…the list goes on and on.

It’s a joke in my family that whenever someone asks, “How are you?”, the answer is always “I’m fine.” When I was young and would call my grandparents, they were always fine, and so were we. When my Dad was sick, and even until the day before he passed, friends, family, and doctors asked him how he was and he always said, “I’m fine.” And even now, when I’m feeling stress and anxiety (and lately there’s been a lot of that for me), people ask, “How are you?” and my answer is always (and will continue to be) “I’m fine.”

In 1997, my grandmother lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 73. Since I was so young, most of my memories of her consist of how magnanimous she was, that she inspired my love of sewing, and the little blue pillow she carried around to make herself more comfortable.

Staying active and fit is not just for the top athletes in prime shape. Whether you have a physical limitation which reduces the amount of time you can walk or a recent or chronic injury preventing you from moving at your max, there are still ways for you to squeeze in those walks. The key to exercising when you have a limitation or injury is to not overdo anything. Stay within your limitations by taking short walks and listening to your body. By heeding to the following suggestions, you will be able to stay fit and active through your recovery by taking short walks throughout the day. 

School hasn’t even been back in session for a full month, and yet, do you find yourself already bored packing the same lunches day after day? Does that PB&J look a little lackluster? Are you stumped for ideas of how to spice up both you and your kids’ lunch boxes? Look no further for a little inspiration to keep lunches not only fun and different, but healthy and full of essential nutrients to power your family through school and work, and to keep them energized through after-school activities, sports, and gym time.

Public schools started last week, and classes are now in full swing. Time to focus on improving students’ performance in the classroom. Most people agree that physical activity is essential for healthy growth and development of the body. But did you know physical activity also has positive effects on the brain and on school performance?