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Healthy attitude: Get fit for the New Year
  
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By KEVIN KOLOIAN
Local fitness trainers are finding that those who sign up for exercise classes tend to stick with a workout program longer.
Offering more than 30 different classes, the Lake Houston Family YMCA in Kingwood always sees a spike in sign-ups after New Year’s as part of people’s newfound quest to get fit. Unfortunately, for many that quest is short-lived.
“Generally we find at the beginning of the year that there’s always New Year’s resolution people,” said Jeannie Cooke, fitness coordinator, who teaches everything at the YMCA but yoga and Zumba. “We usually see about 20 percent of them stay on. Others go for awhile and drop out.”
She said people set themselves up for failure by doing too much at once.
“Rather than trying to get in shape slowly, they want to do it in a day or a week. It didn’t take a day or a week to get out of shape, so you’re not going to get in shape in a day or a week,” Cooke explained.
By taking a slow and gradual approach, people are more likely to maintain their fitness routine, Cooke said. That way, there’s little room for hurting oneself and beating up one’s joints.
“People start to see the changes in 60 or 90 days, which is right about the time when they say to themselves, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Cooke said.
For serious weight loss results, she recommends getting 45 minutes of exercise five days a week.
“You don’t want to frustrate yourself and say, ‘I can’t go when they tell me to go, so why should I go at all.’ Anything you do is better than nothing, but from a cardiovascaular/strength building standpoint it is really important to keep up a steady regimen,” she said.
For the timid, spinning classes are a good way to begin exercising because you can go at your own pace and it is low impact, Cooke said.
“With classes it’s easier to motivate myself to come to the gym. Even though I’m inconsistent with my workout the support of the knowledgeable staff will keep me coming,” said Margie Egan, of Kingwood, who stopped working out as soon as she got pregnant with her now 7-month-old child.
There are many new and exciting classes offered at the YMCA aimed at keeping people challenged and engaged.
To develop range of motion as well as strength, Bodyflow is the way to go. It is an exercise-to-music class that uses three main disciplines: tai chi, yoga and Pilates. This class is intended to leave people feeling long, strong, calm and centered while improving flexibility, balance.
Body Combat is a noncontact martial arts-based fitness program which borrows moves from karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, kickboxing, Muay Thai and tai chi. This hour-long class is choreographed to popular music for exercise aimed at delivering ultra-fast results.
Using free weights like barbells, Bodypump is a weightlifting class set to music that targets every muscle in an hour’s span. It uses high repetitions to create an intense muscular endurance workout, which is ideal for a cross training compliment to a traditional weightlifting program.
Denise Foster, of Kingwood, ran a triathlon but stopped hitting the gym soon thereafter in August. She signed up for the Bodypump class and believes this year will be different.
“By meeting people and becoming friends with people in class, I think I’ll be more motivated to come,” said Foster.
There’s a class for everyone. Popular among men, the Power Punch class involves two-and-a-half-minute intervals of boxing, muscle conditioning, abdominal and cardio training. There are 15 different stations with targets for hitting and kicking.
It’s never too late to get in shape. There are even classes for senior citizens like Seniorcise, which is a 60-minute class designed for older adults to improve circulation, flexibility, stamina and strength.
There’s also Silversneakers, which focuses on muscular strength and range of movement for those seniors who are fit as well as those who are sedentary, unfamiliar with exercise or entering a post-rehabilitation program. The class uses handheld weights, elastic tubing and a ball for resistance.
Then there’s the Silversneakers Cardio Circuit for a more aerobic workout.
No matter what your age, group exercising is especially important for newcomers.
“People usually find that when they take classes it keeps them more motivated,” Cooke said. “There is a higher energy level. You make friends and it keeps you going longer. I know personally, I don’t work out anywhere near the level of intensity of when I’m teaching a class or taking a class with friends.”
It is common for people to start challenging and encouraging each other in classes.
“There is a camaraderie that you develop,” said Lisa Albrecht, of Kingwood, a stay-at-home mom who takes multiple classes at the YMCA. “It is much more enjoyable to be around people who are doing the same things you like to do.”
Albrecht has seen the role support plays in keeping her fellow classmates staying on track in the lifelong commitment to fitness.
“People will stick to their plans more by taking a class because there are people there who are looking for you and will hold you accountable when you don’t show up,” Albrecht said.
FITNESS CLASSES
To find about the times and types of fitness classes in your area, go to www.ymcahouston.org.
Offering more than 30 different classes, the Lake Houston Family YMCA in Kingwood always sees a spike in sign-ups after New Year’s as part of people’s newfound quest to get fit. Unfortunately, for many that quest is short-lived.
“Generally we find at the beginning of the year that there’s always New Year’s resolution people,” said Jeannie Cooke, fitness coordinator, who teaches everything at the YMCA but yoga and Zumba. “We usually see about 20 percent of them stay on. Others go for awhile and drop out.”
She said people set themselves up for failure by doing too much at once.
“Rather than trying to get in shape slowly, they want to do it in a day or a week. It didn’t take a day or a week to get out of shape, so you’re not going to get in shape in a day or a week,” Cooke explained.
By taking a slow and gradual approach, people are more likely to maintain their fitness routine, Cooke said. That way, there’s little room for hurting oneself and beating up one’s joints.
“People start to see the changes in 60 or 90 days, which is right about the time when they say to themselves, ‘Why am I doing this?’” Cooke said.
For serious weight loss results, she recommends getting 45 minutes of exercise five days a week.
“You don’t want to frustrate yourself and say, ‘I can’t go when they tell me to go, so why should I go at all.’ Anything you do is better than nothing, but from a cardiovascaular/strength building standpoint it is really important to keep up a steady regimen,” she said.
For the timid, spinning classes are a good way to begin exercising because you can go at your own pace and it is low impact, Cooke said.
“With classes it’s easier to motivate myself to come to the gym. Even though I’m inconsistent with my workout the support of the knowledgeable staff will keep me coming,” said Margie Egan, of Kingwood, who stopped working out as soon as she got pregnant with her now 7-month-old child.
There are many new and exciting classes offered at the YMCA aimed at keeping people challenged and engaged.
To develop range of motion as well as strength, Bodyflow is the way to go. It is an exercise-to-music class that uses three main disciplines: tai chi, yoga and Pilates. This class is intended to leave people feeling long, strong, calm and centered while improving flexibility, balance.
Body Combat is a noncontact martial arts-based fitness program which borrows moves from karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, kickboxing, Muay Thai and tai chi. This hour-long class is choreographed to popular music for exercise aimed at delivering ultra-fast results.
Using free weights like barbells, Bodypump is a weightlifting class set to music that targets every muscle in an hour’s span. It uses high repetitions to create an intense muscular endurance workout, which is ideal for a cross training compliment to a traditional weightlifting program.
Denise Foster, of Kingwood, ran a triathlon but stopped hitting the gym soon thereafter in August. She signed up for the Bodypump class and believes this year will be different.
“By meeting people and becoming friends with people in class, I think I’ll be more motivated to come,” said Foster.
There’s a class for everyone. Popular among men, the Power Punch class involves two-and-a-half-minute intervals of boxing, muscle conditioning, abdominal and cardio training. There are 15 different stations with targets for hitting and kicking.
It’s never too late to get in shape. There are even classes for senior citizens like Seniorcise, which is a 60-minute class designed for older adults to improve circulation, flexibility, stamina and strength.
There’s also Silversneakers, which focuses on muscular strength and range of movement for those seniors who are fit as well as those who are sedentary, unfamiliar with exercise or entering a post-rehabilitation program. The class uses handheld weights, elastic tubing and a ball for resistance.
Then there’s the Silversneakers Cardio Circuit for a more aerobic workout.
No matter what your age, group exercising is especially important for newcomers.
“People usually find that when they take classes it keeps them more motivated,” Cooke said. “There is a higher energy level. You make friends and it keeps you going longer. I know personally, I don’t work out anywhere near the level of intensity of when I’m teaching a class or taking a class with friends.”
It is common for people to start challenging and encouraging each other in classes.
“There is a camaraderie that you develop,” said Lisa Albrecht, of Kingwood, a stay-at-home mom who takes multiple classes at the YMCA. “It is much more enjoyable to be around people who are doing the same things you like to do.”
Albrecht has seen the role support plays in keeping her fellow classmates staying on track in the lifelong commitment to fitness.
“People will stick to their plans more by taking a class because there are people there who are looking for you and will hold you accountable when you don’t show up,” Albrecht said.
FITNESS CLASSES
To find about the times and types of fitness classes in your area, go to www.ymcahouston.org.
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