“There have been days where I really didn’t want to attend a class, but I convinced myself the reward was worth the effort”
Henry has been a member at LA Fitness for the last 10 months, and if you’re not sure how to take advantage of what the gym has to offer, then his story may be just what you need to read today.
Henry’s Story
“I had a regular fitness routine that included 6am brisk walks with weights, followed by various sit-up/push-up exercises. While this regimen kept my heart in good shape, the rest of the body was ‘soft’.
I did monitor my weight but stopped getting on the scale when I saw the number 215 pounds. This was about the time I separated from my wife of 20+ years, so I used this event as the beginning of the ‘transformation’.
I changed my eating habits and met a wonderful woman who was an LA Fitness member. She convinced me to ‘try the gym for a week’ to see how I would like it.
I was very skeptical at first, I mean, I knew how to work out so what benefit would a gym bring to me? We started with a daily exercise class routine, from Body Works Plus Abs, to Power Circuit, to Cardio Jam, to Boot Camp Conditioning. After the first week, I signed up for the annual membership and have been very active since. We have now added yoga to our routine and attend a class 6 days a week. My current weight is 165 pounds, and I feel fantastic!”
Like Henry, many people who want to make changes to their health and fitness don’t know how to navigate all that the gym offers. For him, what worked was to pretty much try everything! He eventually found a routine he enjoyed and customized his workout schedule to include his favorite exercises or classes.
The other major influence was the support of his gym companion. Having someone to attend class with can be a great motivator, can help keep you accountable, and can help push you through the last 5 minutes when your body would much rather quit.
What’s Next for Henry?
“The only next step is to maintain what we have built. Perhaps a role as a motivational speaker at LA Fitness?”
Henry, you may be closer than you think! Just by sharing your story, others who aren’t sure where to begin can look to your success story.
A Piece of Advice
If Henry could offer you a piece of advice from what he learned along his journey, he wants to emphasize discipline.
“My dad was an MP at a Marine air base, so I knew the meaning of discipline from a young age. As I have gotten older, this has become necessary to maintain the routine. There have been days where I really didn’t want to attend a class, but I convinced myself the reward was worth the effort. My wonderful woman agrees!”
Closing Thoughts
The major takeaways from Henry’s story are:
Do you have an inspirational story you’d like to share with us? Email us at blog@lafitness.com for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post!
For length and clarity, minor edits – none of which alter the original or intended meaning – have been made to the quotes provided.
Over the course of a year, the average American spends about 293 hours behind the wheel and about 4,380 hours sitting down. That’s a lot of sedentary time! While it’s not always avoidable, leaving your car behind is one great way to get more active. Read on to learn how you can take opportunities today, and every day, to spend less time in the car and more time moving your body.
Some places, you simply can’t walk to. Not unless you’re planning on an extended backpacking trip. However, if you’re taking the kids to the park or making a run to the store for an item or two, going by foot may be perfect! Grab the sunscreen (rain or shine), put on some comfortable shoes, and bring a hat or umbrella if you think you might need it.
Remember that bike you bought a while back? The one gathering dust in storage or slowly becoming one with the grass in the yard? It’s time to find your helmet. Wherever is too far to travel on foot, is probably accessible by bicycling!
If you already spend a lot of time driving, when it’s time to do something fun for yourself or with the family, see if you can find some local events to attend. Maybe there’s a farmer’s market, a carnival, or a music festival nearby. If you know you’re going to drive anyway, choose something close to home so you can spend less time on the road and more time enjoying what you want!
You might live in a state with some serious weather, or because of some other factors, being without your car is nearly impossible. We have some tips for you too! If your health and ability permit, incorporating any amount of activity into your day will always be better than doing nothing at all. Take a look at some of these options for adding movement to your day:
Take the time you spend waiting – waiting in line at the coffee shop, waiting to use the copy machine, waiting for your lunch order – to do some simple exercises. Done right, calf raises can set your legs on fire (in a good way), and they are subtle enough to do while standing in one place.
Every so often, take a moment to stretch. Stretching will increase your blood circulation and give your muscles a break from whatever position you’ve been holding them in during the day. If your responsibilities require you to sit, hunch over, stand, or type all day, your body will thank you when you give it the opportunity to do something different.
Set an alarm on your watch, phone, or computer to remind you to move. You can go up and down the stairs a few times, walk around the block, or even around your desk a few times. If none of those are good options, do some exercises from your seat. You can try some seated crunches, arm or ankle rotations, or simply tighten and release your muscles to improve blood flow.
To learn more about how activity enhances your health, read our post on the Benefits of Living an Active Lifestyle, or get some nutrition tips by listening to our podcast on Fast Food and Your Body. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!
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Hello LA Fitness! It seems a lot of people are mentioning Chronic Kidney Disease. I hear that this can be from a number of reasons, including consuming too much protein. If you’re on a renal diet, or have kidney disease, or want to avoid getting CKD, how much protein is too much?
– Darque O.
Whether you need to restrict protein or not should be determined by your nephrologist, depending on the stage of your renal disease. Note that the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) states “Low protein and calorie intake is an important cause of malnutrition in chronic kidney disease1” and “There is insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine prescription of dietary protein restriction to slow progression of chronic kidney disease.1”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that protein in the urine is a risk factor for developing kidney disease2. While one might assume that dietary protein load is the culprit, it’s more likely from impaired kidney filtration due to diabetes. The CDC recommends two dietary improvements: eating more fruits and vegetables while eating foods lower in salt2.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, preventing diabetes and high blood pressure helps to protect your kidneys from chronic kidney disease (CKD)3. The organization advises cutting back on salt and added sugars and suggests a DASH eating plan3. Protein is not mentioned.
References:
1) National Kidney Foundation. K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines for chronic kidney disease: evaluation, classification, and stratification. American Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2002; 39(2 suppl 1):S1–266. https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/docs/ckd_evaluation_classification_stratification.pdf Accessed 9.3.2019
2) Prevention and Risk Management. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/prevention-risk.html December 21, 2017. Accessed 9.3.2019
3) Preventing Chronic Kidney Disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/prevention October 2016. Accessed 9.3.2019
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
LA Fitness will be open for Independence Day and Canada Day! Modified clubs hours are below!Holiday Hours (U.S.) Monday, July 4th: 8AM - 4PM Tuesday, July 5th: Normal Hours Holiday Hours (Canada) Friday, July 1st: 8AM - 4PM Saturday, July 2nd: Normal Hours ...
LA Fitness will be open for parts of the Holiday Season! Modified clubs hours are below!Holiday Hours (U.S.) Friday, December 24th: 8AM - Noon Saturday, December 25th: Closed Friday, December 31st: 8AM - 6PM Saturday, January 1st: 8AM - 6PM Holiday Hours...
Today is the 3rd Anniversary of the Living Healthy Podcast, presented by LA Fitness. Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a quick update on what is going on with the show. We are trying to plan out 3 LIVE podcast episodes covering Exercise, Nutrition, and Sleep...
Getting motivated to hit the gym isn’t always as easy as it looks. Even if you manage to get through the doors, you might find yourself reasoning your way out of your least favorite exercises.
We’re here to talk about what you can do to pull yourself out of that funk and either start working out for the first time or reignite the motivation that’s slipping away.
01.
Adjust Your Goals and Make Them Achievable
Your goals can make or break you. If you set unattainable goals, you will find a lot of frustration along the way. Break down your larger goals into small steps. The completion of each step will be a victory in itself because it means you are progressing towards your major goal.
Suppose your major goal is to lose an inch off your waist before your cousin’s wedding in a few months. With the guidance of your doctor, trainer, or nutritionist, you will know to what extent you can task your body while still losing weight healthily.
For example, you might add 20 minutes of a new exercise to your weekly routine or adjust your diet by choosing water over soda. Making micro-changes is much more achievable than attempting to adopt multiple changes at once. For more helpful tips, listen to our Goals vs. Resolutions Podcast to hear from Personal Training Director, Tristen Alleman, who shares his thoughts on how members can successfully achieve their goals.
02.
Make It Easy to Get Started
Depending on the other responsibilities in your schedule, you may not have much control over the time of day you have available to work out. What you can control, is how easily you can get started when the time comes.
Make sure your workout clothes are clean and accessible. Have your duffel bag equipped with everything you might need to work out already inside. Make it as easy as possible to start your routine and you’ll find that, with fewer obstacles between you and the gym, you may actually make it through those doors.
03.
Change How Often You Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress can mean logging changes in your weight, taking your measurements, evaluating changes in your overall cardiac health, assessing changes in your strength or flexibility, and more. Taking note of these different stats can sometimes be a huge motivation killer if we are looking for consistent improvement but getting fluctuating numbers instead.
The key to staying motivated as you track your progress is to space out how often you measure change. For example, try measuring your weight weekly or even monthly instead of daily. Because of the way weight naturally fluctuates from day to day, you’ll get a more accurate (and less anxiety inducing) picture of your overall progress.
04.
Stay Future Focused
Keep your eyes on the prize! If you can focus on how amazing you know you’re going to feel once you’ve accomplished what you started, you can help push away the feelings of doubt that eat away at your motivation.
We know how hard it can be to keep focused on the future. It’s unpredictable, it’s always changing, and it’s nearly impossible to know how each choice we make will impact tomorrow. There may even be a complete shift in what your goals are.
The main idea here is to be open to all the uncertainties. You might hit a plateau and need to switch up your routine or find that an exercise is too hard on your body and need to scale things back. The more comfortable you are with change, the easier it will be to focus on your goal rather than on the setbacks or difficulties you encounter along the way.
05.
Remember That the Gym Is a Supportive Community
Having the support of others is a huge game-changer, and here at LA Fitness we crave your success! You can join our Online Community and connect with other members who are also working towards their fitness goals, and even track your workout schedule. We are so excited for your success that we want you to tell your story to motivate others and share your achievement. You can read about members who have changed their lives on our Member Spotlight feature.
For more motivation boosts, read our blog on Muscle Building and Fat Burning Myths or our Meal Prepping Guide for tips and tricks to get you through your meal preps. To access our monthly blog post highlights, subscribe to our newsletter today!
I have begun Menopause and have been gaining weight and having bad hot flashes. Is there anything you can suggest I do?
Thanks,
– Lisa D.
Every woman will eventually reach the stage of menopause and the ovaries cease production of estrogen. (sigh) The transitional time, termed perimenopause, may take several years. Nutritionally, managing these stages involves responding to changing hormones and influencing energy balance.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recommends a low-fat, vegetarian diet for women who are experiencing hot flashes. EndocrineWeb encourages “filling your meals with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.” Adequate protein is needed to support muscle-protein synthesis, with intake spread across the day. In regards to supplements, WebMD indicates that black cohosh, St John’s wort and flaxseed may help manage menopause symptoms.
Creating an energy deficit is necessary for weight loss, which can come from curbing caloric intake or boosting output. Regular exercise to the tune of 60 minutes daily also helps, particularly if it includes strength training to retain lean body mass.
Resources:
M Jacobsen. Midlife Nutrition — Helping Women Over 40 Overcome Nutrition Challenges, Today’s Dietitian March 2014 Issue Vol. 16 No. 3 P. 30
Pinkerton, JoAnn. “MenoPause Blog.” MenoPause, 2018, www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-take-time-to-think-about-it. Accessed 8/27/2019.
– Debbie J., MS, RD
This article should not replace any exercise program or restrictions, any dietary supplements or restrictions, or any other medical recommendations from your primary care physician. Before starting any exercise program or diet, make sure it is approved by your doctor.
Some questions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Have a nutrition question? Our registered dietitian is ready to help!
Email nutrition@lafitness.com or submit your question below and it may be featured in an upcoming article!
LA Fitness will be open for Independence Day and Canada Day! Modified clubs hours are below!Holiday Hours (U.S.) Monday, July 4th: 8AM - 4PM Tuesday, July 5th: Normal Hours Holiday Hours (Canada) Friday, July 1st: 8AM - 4PM Saturday, July 2nd: Normal Hours ...
LA Fitness will be open for parts of the Holiday Season! Modified clubs hours are below!Holiday Hours (U.S.) Friday, December 24th: 8AM - Noon Saturday, December 25th: Closed Friday, December 31st: 8AM - 6PM Saturday, January 1st: 8AM - 6PM Holiday Hours...
Today is the 3rd Anniversary of the Living Healthy Podcast, presented by LA Fitness. Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a quick update on what is going on with the show. We are trying to plan out 3 LIVE podcast episodes covering Exercise, Nutrition, and Sleep...
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