Merritt Clubs Blog

Variety As The Spice of a Healthy Life

Posted by RaySa

Apr 30, 2013

Feeling bored in your usual workout routine? The cold winter months are a great time to investigate variety as the spice of a healthy life.

According to researchers at the University of Florida, “One of the main reasons people stop exercising is that they get bored.” Adding variety to your exercise routine is a way to avoid boredom and continue your commitment to healthy living.

Adding variety to your workout routine is most simply done through your choice of exercise mode. Some examples of exercise modes include cardiovascular exercise (such as walking, running, cycling, or swimming), interval training (such as circuit training), and strength training (such as kettle bell exercises or traditional weight lifting exercises). These options and many more are available to you at Merritt Clubs! Friendly and knowledgeable staff members are ready to assist you as you search for new workout options to add to your routine.

As you try new kinds of exercise, make sure to take note of the amount of fun you are having! With so many options available to you, there is no need to stick to a monotonous routine that leaves you dreading every trip to the gym. Find activities you enjoy and keep them part of your routine! For example, if strength training is your preferred mode of exercise, you can add variety through the equipment used in your workouts. A dumbbell workout can be alternated with a TRX workout; or a kettlebell workout can alternate with a workout of body weight exercises.

So remember, variety is the spice of a healthy life! There is no limit to the creativity and variety one can enjoy while pursuing a healthy, balanced life.

Merritt Athletic Clubs is the largest fitness center operation in the Baltimore area with several 24 hour gyms to fit your lifestyle. These include the 24 HR Downtown Athletic Club, 24 HR Buckingham, 24 HR Canton, and 24 HR Cranbrook facilities (Eldersburg, Fort Avenue, Owings Mills, Security, & Towson). Contact us to learn more.

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Summer Camps 2013 At Merritt Athletic Clubs

Posted by RaySa

Mar 6, 2013

Merritt Athletic Clubs offers a wide variety of summer camps at several different locations. Check out our camps so you can plan a summer filled with loads of activity, learning, and fun for your children!

VIEW CAMPS:

24 HR Canton | Eldersburg | Towson

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24 Hour Gyms May Help You Sleep Better

Posted by RaySa

Feb 11, 2013

Exercise and rest are both vital to your wellbeing, and 24 hour gyms may help you sleep better. If you’re tossing and turning because your schedule doesn’t match the nine to five world, maybe you need a new fitness club.

You’ve probably heard advice about not exercising vigorously right before bed, but you may not have known why. It’s based on the theory that intense aerobic exercise increases stimulating hormones like adrenalin in your blood and raises your body’s core temperature slightly. Once elevated, your body temperature stays higher for a while and then falls to a temperature a bit lower than normal about six hours later. That cooling off makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.

This is all great if you get off work at 5, squeeze in a kickboxing class and loll around for several hours before bed. If you travel extensively or have a schedule that varies due to shift work or different classes each semester, it gets a lot more difficult.

A 24 hour gym will let you work out whenever is ideal for you. In addition to avoiding intense activity before bed, you may also want to work out as soon as you wake up no matter what time that happens to be. Some studies show that people burn more fat during workouts before breakfast or anytime their stomachs are empty.

We should mention that some experts think that working out regularly is the important thing and don’t attach much importance to the time of day so experiment to find what works for you. Almost everyone does agree that reducing your exposure to light for a couple of hours before you retire promotes better rest. That’s because TVs, computer screens and other sources of light trigger your brain to stay alert making this another good reason to visit a fitness club earlier in your day or evening.

Merritt Athletic Clubs is the largest fitness center operation in the Baltimore area with several 24 hour gyms to fit your lifestyle. These include the 24 HR Downtown Athletic Club, Buckingham, Canton, and Cranbrook facilities. Contact us to learn more.

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BEST Gym in Baltimore 2012 WINNER!!

Posted by RaySa

Aug 16, 2012

Topics: Merritt Athletics, the perfect workout, health goals, Weight Loss, fitness reviews, gym and health clubs, best health clubs, fitness centers, Baltimore fitness, Member Success Stories, real life stories, best gyms, merrittclubs.com

Lifestyle Change Program: Phil Kaplan’s A.L.I.V.E.

Posted by RaySa

Jul 19, 2011

Skeptical, anxious, excited, nervous, curious, hopeful. These were just some of the feelings I experienced while going through 12 weeks of training to become one of the few A.L.I.V.E. trainers at Merritt Athletic Clubs. Is there really a protocol that can reduce body fat, increase energy, cure dis-ease, reverse the physical signs of aging, and get people off of medications? How is this possible when this protocol is challenging some of the fundamental elements of health and fitness programs? How is this possible in just 8 weeks, starting out with only 6 minutes of cardio per day?? Phil Kaplan was making some bold statements about this program, and I was willing to keep an open mind and an open heart and jump in with both feet. If this program was even half as successful as Phil claimed, I could be saving lives!

As our pilot group of A.L.I.V.E. participants completes week 8 of the program I couldn't be more excited and proud! Here are just SOME of the results achieved from our group: dramatic weight loss WITHOUT restricting calories or cutting carbohydrates, increased strength and endurance, decreased blood pressure, relief from migraines, decreased blood sugar levels, increased energy, sleep better, cured of intestinal issues. Do you or anyone you know take medications daily? Have you been on every fad diet and extreme exercise program only to have all of the weight come back? What are you waiting for? Please don’t use time as an excuse… if you don’t make time for yourself, you won’t be around to enjoy the fruits of your labor!

A.L.I.V.E. is an 8 week program designed to coach you through a lifestyle change… this is only the beginning!

To learn more about A.L.I.V.E. visit: http://merrittclubs.com/alive

Topics: life style fitness, health clubs, fitness training, fitness centers, program for fitness, A.L.I.V.E., fitness gyms, Personal trainer, fitness classes, weight loss programs, weight programs