Merritt Clubs Blog

Healthy eating can be challenging, especially during the holiday season. Lots of heavy food, alcohol, desserts; throw in some family drama, and it is the perfect recipe for overindulging and making meal choices you might regret.

Thankfully, there are some great (and DELICIOUS) alternatives to otherwise unhealthy dishes.

Dying to get outside and soak up the last bit of non-freezing weather? Try a 30-minute Beginner Pilates class with Kimm Kerr! You can learn this cute new stretch called puppy pose, which of course I had to do with my puppy, while she destroyed her favorite toy and got slobber all over my workout area. She’s so cute!

Our bodies will never stop needing exercise. Everyone knows you either use it or you lose it. Many benefits include helping with flexibility, posture, joint mobility, maintaining and building muscle mass and keeping us heart healthy. As we age, we do still need exercise, but many of us become more limited to what we can do.

Looking for a heart-pumping, sweat-inducing, full-body exercise that will tone you from the inside out? The notorious burpee is an all-in-one, time-effective exercise that boosts cardiorespiratory health, lowers blood pressure, and challenges the entire body. Because burpees are simple, versatile, and deviously effective, they're a fantastic addition to almost any workout regimen. If you're not doing them already, you'll definitely want to begin incorporating burpees into your workouts to begin reaping their bevy of health-promoting benefits.

It seems that out of nowhere, we woke up to chilly mornings, football-packed Sundays, Halloween candy galore, and pumpkin-spiced everything. Although many of us long for the crisp weather, turning leaves, and excuse to curl up in sweats, some may not be feeling so warm and fuzzy about the seasons changing. This can be referred to as “Autumn Anxiety.”

Core?! Who ever thought that could be its OWN, separate class? Apparently, it is. And you know what else? It’s great!

Finding the time and energy to sneak a workout into our busy, daily schedules can feel daunting at the best of times. However, that doesn't have to mean that it's impossible. Finding fun, new exercise routines can help spice up your physical fitness and get you excited to work it into your daily habits. One kind of cool workout is barre. 

We all know the benefits of cardio exercise and how it can enhance our lives, both now and as we get older, but let's face it—sometimes it can feel more like a chore than an enjoyable part of our day. When even a new pair of sneakers or a killer playlist can't pump you up, it might be time to get out of your rut and mix up your routine. Many gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts overlook the rowing machine, and they're missing out! Incorporating the rower into your workout is a great way to get your heart rate up and target muscles all over your body.

A new season brings new opportunities and as quickly as summer came, it’s now on its way out. As Fall creeps its way in, we are faced with new routines, new schedules, and new responsibilities, which drops additional stress upon our already busy and demanding lives. Although we know how helpful exercise, meditation, and journaling can be to manage stress and our emotions, in a pinch, one of our easiest and go-to methods of relief is to reach for food. This is, my friends, what we call emotional eating, and it is a common habit most of us have found ourselves practicing.

“I want you to feel strong, powerful, and flexible.”

That’s how Sherri started this 60-minute Power Yoga class, and I think it is the perfect representation of what the class does for you.