Danielle Smith, Author at NW Women's Fitness

Why Going to the Gym is Better Than Working Out at Home

August 15, 2018 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

If you are trying to get back into shape gaining some weight, having a child, or simply trying to be healthy, it can be daunting to go back to the gym.

Workout machines can be intimidating as well if you don’t know how to use them.

If you are thinking of trying to get back into the workout groove by exercising at home, think again. It can be a lot harder to motivate yourself in the comfort of your own house.

Going to the gym has numerous benefits in addition to losing weight. Here are five reasons you should exercise at a professional studio or workout facility instead of at home.

1. Positive Peer Pressure

You may be surprised that many others feel the same trepidation about entering a gym that you do. The truth is, once you find a buddy or two who has the same fitness goals, you are likely to get more accomplished and be better at sticking to a routine than if you try to lose weight on your own.

If you grew up playing sports on a league or in middle school, you understand the power of motivation behind positive peer pressure.

If you take fitness classes with other women, you encourage each other. When you see someone in spandex every day, you know when they have lost some weight and you compliment them!

You are also accountable: if you miss a class, someone may ask where you were. Gyms get you to show up!

2. Professional Guidance

Personal trainers and gym supervisors can tell you if you are using a piece of equipment incorrectly. They can prevent you from hurting yourself by overdoing it with heavy weights, for example.

They are educated in weight loss and fitness and should possess industry certifications. They can help you set up an effective program of progressive difficulty which will allow you to improve your performance over time without burning you out.

3.Latest in Fitness Equipment

A good gym will be up to date on the latest equipment, which is often too expensive to own at home. Having access to ellipticals and treadmills is also great for bad weather when it is harder to get outside or a run.

At some gyms, you can treat yourself to a massage or a sauna, a nice reward after working out (and good for your muscles too).

4. Variety of Options

An important factor in maintaining a consistent exercise program is variety. It gets boring if you do the same thing every day.

Going to the gym exposes you to a wider range of activities that you will find at home. You can try classes like pilates or yoga. You may even be able to take a swim or try boxing if your gym has these options.

5. Childcare

Working out at home is hard if you are constantly interrupted by the pitter patter of little feet. Another advantage of going to the gym is that many will offer childcare.

Childcare at the gym gives you an hour of interrupted “me time,” which becomes so precious when you are raising children. That’s another great reason for going to the gym!

Plus, interactions with other kids is a positive experience for your children as well.

Going to the Gym: A Fun Way to Get Out of the House, An Effective Way to Get into Shape

Getting out of the house and going to the gym has so many benefits, in addition to the obvious advantage of physical exercise.

You and your kids can make friends. You can learn all sort of ways to get healthy. You can maintain your motivation to keep working out, even when it seems challenging.

For more information on getting fit and fitting exercise into your busy life, check us out.

5 Fun Outdoor Workouts

March 15, 2018 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year again! The weather is getting warmer, the skies are less cloudy, and the sun is breaking out its beautiful rays of sunshine! After work or during your weekend breaks, it’ll definitely lift your winter blues if you can do your workouts outside while soaking in some vitamin D!

Here are some of our favorite outdoor workouts:

Bootcamps

If you’re looking for a total body workout – this is the right class for you to target all muscle groups! Whether you are looking to lose weight, get stronger, or shape up, the workout is a great challenge for strength & endurance. Modeled after old-school military training, these classes generally include a fairly intense mix of strength training and aerobic elements. Depending on the class, you can expect to do lots of calisthenics such as pushups, lunges, burpees – usually in interval training. Check our website for our latest Bootcamp class.

Make Your Own HIIT Class

Have an outdoor basketball court nearby? Grab a friend and use it as your own personal outdoor gym!

Here are some workouts to practice:

(The cool part is you can do it alone or with a friend!)

Sprints (5): Sprint from one end of the court to the other, running forward and then jogging backward. Repeat 5 times total.
Side Shuffles (6): Do side shuffles the full distance of the court and back. Repeat 6 times total
Lounges (3): Do lounges (switching right vs left legs first) there and back three times.
Lateral Hops (30): Jump over and then back along the full court line, facing forward the whole time. Do 30 hops total.
Squats: Do three sets of 20 squats each

BALL OUT!

Did you know playing sports can be a total-body strength and cardio workout? Playing sports is one of the best workouts because especially in soccer, basketball, or tennis, you are not only endurance training with an hour of cardio, but you’re also targeting specific muscles you may not with your usual weight training. Even with a regular arm routine, after playing tennis you’ll be sure to feel the burn in your forearms the next day!

Make your own Outdoor Crossfit

Here’s an example:

Workout #1 (Five rounds)

5 pushups
10 sit-ups
15 squats
8 burpees

Workout #2 (5 Rounds)

20 Bench Jumps
20 push ups
40 Squats
25 Lunges

Go For A Run on a Trail or in a Park

Tired of running on a treadmill and monotonously staring at a wall or TV screen blaring politics that are putting you to sleep? Well then you’ll be happy to know summer is around the corner! Running in the park can spice up your usual treadmill jogs and give you more fresh air and visual stimulation to keep you going! There are also great running apps that can track your mileage, speed, and even calorie burn (for running and bike rides).

If you want to boost your calorie burn without having to run way longer, you can also give running on a rougher terrain, like a trail in the Portland area, a try! Your body has to work harder with every step because of the uneven terrain and more distinct turns/shifting. Trail running is usually a more intense and effective workout than just pounding pavement.

If you’re looking for some motivation to workout or even some personal training, contact NW Women’s Fitness today! We’d love to have you!

Modern-Day Portland Moving Checklist

February 15, 2018 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

Moving to a new city in the 21^st century is a completely different experience than it used to be. You’re no Christopher Columbus, but it can sometimes be difficult to explore a new ‘territory’ and find your favorite places that make you feel like home.

Aside from the basic moving checklist with your general reminders of things you might need like a welcome mat or closet hangers, it’s also important to establish your new lifestyle in your new city. Here are some of the staples we value highly when moving to Portland:

Supermarket.

Whether you’re a one-stop shop kind of gal or you prefer to be more selective, everyone has their go-to grocery stores. If you’re looking for organic fruits and veggies or the best prices for quinoa, it’s important to scope out all of your options and explore what Portland has to offer in your neighborhood.

Fitness Center.

When moving to a new city, it can be stressful to acclimate to the new environment and adjust to the new city you now call home. Exercising is a physical as well as mental activity, so it’s important to workout somewhere you feel comfortable. A women’s only fitness club provides a safe, ideal space to workout that is free of judgment and loud grunting men. NW Women’s fitness can feel like a home away from home, where women can meet new people in our small, intimate classes or even pamper themselves with the spa-like amenities. Our group fitness schedule ranges from peaceful yoga classes to upbeat Zumba dance classes. There is something for everyone!

Parks and Trails.

Portland is one of the greenest cities in America. There are endless amounts of hikes to discover and parks to picnic in. When a new city is unfamiliar it’s common to be nervous about stepping out of your comfort zone. Having a go-to park for your morning jog or meet friends for picnics will help you establish your new life and look forward to things during the week! The top 7 hikes in Portland don’t even begin to scratch the surface of all there is to do outdoors, but it’s a start. Try to do a new hike per month and you’ll be discovering why everyone loves Portland so much in no time!

Restaurants.

What brings people together better than a love of food? Whether you consider yourself a foodie and are trying to add to your latest food Instagram with a blend of cultures and flavors, or you simply want to find a place to enjoy a warm cup of coffee and read your book, Portland has more options than you’ll ever be able to explore. If you’re lucky, you’ll have some delicious options near your home that you can walk or bike to. Nutrition and Exercise – two birds one stone!

Everyone’s priorities and hobbies differ from one another, but you can’t deny a love for great food, staying fit with exercise and the beautiful outdoors of Portland. If you’re new to Portland, or just looking to explore your options in the Portland area, check out NW Women’s Fitness for a comfortable exercise environment that feels like a home away from home!

How to Make Fitness a Priority

August 26, 2016 By Danielle Smith 1 Comment

We all know that exercise is beneficial to us, but making it a priority in our lives can be challenging. Research shows that it only takes 20 minutes of physical activity per day for you to start to see the benefits. Furthermore, the links between aging and fitness are so strong that it’s a no-brainer to make it part of your daily routine. So here are the top things that you can do to make fitness a priority in your life:

Accountability partner: it is much harder to skip exercise when you have an accountability partner that is waiting for you at the gym. You’ll see that it’s much easier to do the exercise than to face the shame of telling your partner that you are too tired to turn up.
Fun factor: to tilt the odds of success in your favor come up with can exercise plan that’s fun. If you hate jogging then don’t do it just because most people in your office are doing it. Try out a few sports or take up swimming – the point is to do something fun because it increases the likelihood of sticking to it.
Schedule: regardless of how busy your weekly schedule is if you try hard enough you can easily fit in three 20-minute sessions of exercise. Consider eliminating activities like TV and video games, or reduce the number of trips to the supermarket to once a week.

Looking to get your exercise routine started? Check out our great personal training classes!

Ideas for Making Extra Time for Exercise

July 12, 2016 By Danielle Smith 1 Comment

Do you feel like you don’t have enough time for exercise? This is the number one excuse that’s used by people to avoid exercising altogether. It might be the case that some people really do have such hectic lives that fitness has to be on the backburner. However, for most people there are strategies to make time for fitness and here are a few of them:

• Reduce TV time: you’ll be amazed when you count up all the hours that you spend in front of the TV during the week. Cutting a few hours is all it takes to have a fitness-rich lifestyle.

• Earn shower time: challenge yourself to only have a shower when you have actually earned it by getting sweaty as a result of physical activity. By developing this positive habit you’ll improve your level of fitness in no time at all.

• Examine how you spend your time: by taking a careful look at how you spend time can help discover ways of squeezing some fitness into your weekly schedule. For example, you could reduce the number of trips you make to buy groceries to once a week.

• Create a fitness plan and stick to it: whatever time you set aside for fitness make sure it’s used effectively. Don’t do something else during your weekly “fitness hours” because you might be feeling tired or lazy. Stick to the set timetable at all costs.