In just a month or two, New Jersey beaches will be packed with day trippers and vacationers intent on enjoying a little fun in the sun. If you’re panicking at the thought of sharing your less-the-svelte body with the entire beach, it’s not too late to do something about it, especially if you live at an apartment community with its own gym or fitness center.
Regular workout sessions at your apartment community’s gym can help you drop those extra pounds, tone your physique and fit into your trunks or suit comfortably. These four tips will help you ensure that you enjoy the maximum benefit from your fitness facility.
Choose a Prime Workout Time
Does 6 or 7 p.m. sound like the perfect time to work out? Your neighbors may also find those hours ideal. In fact, it may be difficult to find a free machine if you visit shortly after everyone returns from work.
If you don’t want to have to wait for machines, visit a little later in the night or early in the morning. Although some of your fellow tenants will undoubtedly want to work out before work, the gym will probably be less crowded in the morning versus after-work hours. A 5 or 6 a.m. workout session is ideal if you’re a morning person.
Although you might think that skipping an hour or two of sleep to work out would affect your energy level during the day, the opposite is actually true. A University of Georgia analysis of 70 clinical trials discovered that regular exercise boosts energy levels and helps keep fatigue at bay.
If you work from home or have a non-traditional work schedule, you’ll have even more options for workout times particularly if the gym in your community is open round-the clock. In fact, you may have the gym to yourself if you visit during mid-day hours or at 3 a.m.
Allow Time for a Full Warm Up
Warming up is essential no matter where you exercise. Warm ups that include stretching and gradual increase in activity keep your muscles warm and limber, reducing the chance of injury, according to the American Heart Association. Increasing your heart rate by riding an exercise bicycle or spending a little time on the elliptical reduces strain on your heart.
Depending on the size of the gym, floor space for stretching may be limited. If there’s nowhere to stretch in your gym, take a few moments to limber up in your apartment before heading for the fitness center or go for a short jog on around the complex.
Alternate Strength and Cardio Workouts
Most apartment gyms offer a variety of exercise equipment, including stair climbers, treadmills, cross trainers and exercise bikes for cardio, and free weights and strength training machines for toning. Toning may by your beach goal, but you’ll probably experience better results if you alternative strength and cardio workouts.
Although strength training helps burn calories, the workouts cause tiny tears in muscles. If you don’t allow adequate time for recovery, those small tears may increase the risk of a strain or other injury. Limiting strength training to three days a week will help you tone your body without causing an injury.
Bring a Neighbor
Everything’s better when you do it with a friend, including exercising. You and your workout partner can encourage each other when you feel like giving up, act as spotters, and share exercise strategies and tips. If you tend to slack off at the gym, working out with a friend who’s particularly dedicated to exercise can actually help improve your fitness level. In fact, college students who worked out with a high fit companion worked harder than those paired with a low fit partner in one study.
Working out with a friend also helps you stick to your workout schedule. It’s a lot harder to forget about the gym when you know your neighbor expects to see you on the stair climber at 6:30 a.m.
Is a community gym high on the list of amenities you want for your next apartment? Fairway 28, a Country Classics Rental Community offers a 24/7 fitness center with Wi-Fi, luxurious one- and two-bedroom apartments with gourmet kitchens, tiled bathrooms and private garages (for an additional fee). Contact us for information about available apartments.
Sources:
Science Daily: Regular Exercise Plays a Consistent Role in Reducing Fatigue
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/11/061101151005.htm
Research Gate: Effects of Perceived Fitness Level of Exercise Partner on Intensity of Exertion
American Heart Association: Warm Up Cool Down
https://healthyforgood.heart.org/move-more/articles/warm-up-cool-down
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