Merritt Clubs Blog

And just like that, Thanksgiving is upon us. Group chats are alive with plans of potlucks. Home cooks are browsing for recipes and the ingredients they need to buy. Foodies scroll through the ‘Gram and TikTok to get ideas and inspo.

This month of March is Women's History Month and Merritt Clubs celebrates the talent, hard work and genius of its female staff members and the women who came before us and blazed a trail.

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.

Spring is here! The promise of warmer days and cleaner homes. Now’s the time when we break out the vacuum cleaner and eliminate those dust bunnies. It takes work to deep clean our living space, so why not kill two birds with one stone by turning it into a workout?

It’s common knowledge that the heart is an extremely important organ in the body. Taking care of it is vital in overall health which is why every February the whole country observes heart health awareness with American Heart Month. And in 2021, it is even more important. Those who suffer from heart disease have an increased risk of severe illness from the COVID-19 virus.

To help keep you heart healthy and happy, here are a few tips:

Suffice it to say, this year’s holiday season will have its limitations. And it’s common knowledge that this year has been a difficult and challenging one for everybody. Some of us have lost loved ones. Some of us have gotten sick. We have made adjustments to what used to be our regular lives. The new normal has become uncomfortable, inconvenient, and just plain hard. But we adapt to help keep each other safe and to hope for that light at the end of the tunnel, or at least some fancy new twinkle lights to help us find our holiday spirits.

Did you know February is American Heart Month? While maintaining a healthy heart should not be restricted to just this month, we do want to use this time to help you prevent heart disease. Here are some workout tips we gathered after we spoke with Merritt Clubs Fort Avenue Fitness Director Heidi Shaneybrook.

Hello 2019! With every new year, we hear about new resolutions, new goals, new plans. We see that with gyms being packed in the month of January. Everybody is eager to start a new journey and to get results.

"Our bodies are made to move."

Such are the words of Merritt Clubs Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach Janelle Duttenhoffer as she spoke about fitness for all ages. Whether it be for a playful 4 year-old, a sedentary 30 year-old with a desk job, or a retired 75 year-old, being active is important in having a high quality of life. 

Read on as Janelle talks about her personal experience with getting fit and healthy, the importance of educating yourself about fitness and nutrition (check your resources though!), and why active agers need strength training.

Then, see what holiday fitness and nutrition tips Janelle has in store!

People who exercise regularly know very well that stretching is vital when working out. It reduces the chances of injury and will help their overall performance. In this blog we previously talked about Dynamic Stretches vs. Static Stretches.