(ARA) - Now that the heat of summer has passed and winter is around the corner, it's time to hibernate, right? Wrong! It's the perfect time to get in shape. Conditions are pleasant for exercising, and with the kids back into their new school schedules, it's more convenient for families to fit in a regular daily workout.
Life Time Fitness, a national Healthy Way of Life Company, offers the following tips for involving the whole family in a new fitness routine:
1. Seize the moment: Time, or the lack of it, is often cited as the biggest challenge to sustaining an exercise regimen. When the kids return to school, what better way to use some of that precious time than getting in shape?
Your workout doesn't have to take a lot of time. Even a half hour walking your neighborhood pays off in increased energy and stamina. Most fitness center aerobics classes are just an hour long, yet offer big fitness dividends. Taking care of yourself is one of the best things you can do for your family.
2. Enjoy the year's most beautiful season: In many parts of the United States, autumn is a near-sacred season, with its warm, sunny days, cool evenings and postcard perfect colors. Get outside and enjoy the season by bicycling, walking, hiking, jogging, playing tennis, or any other outdoor activity.
Explore parks in your area; find a new bike path through the woods, take a walk around a lake. The time spent out in nature will do as much good for your mind as for your body.
3. Return to your club or gym: It takes 30 days to make fitness a habit, and supplementing outdoor exercise with increasingly frequent visits to your health club will help diversify your exercise regimen and set the stage for regular workouts once autumn's leaves have fallen.
A well-rounded fitness regimen is important. While aerobic activity such as running or bicycling is good for your heart, resistance training is also a critical component of a balanced program, so be sure to take advantage of your fitness center's weight lifting equipment.
4. Make it social: One of the great things about exercise is that it doesn't need to be done alone. By exercising together, family members can keep one another motivated, and it will be more fun.
5. An easy way to tackle these goals and be ready when winter comes is to join a health and fitness center. Life Time Fitness, with locations in Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona and Texas, offers the widest range of programs and activities for the whole family.
Offering spacious health and fitness centers with more than 110,000 square feet of space, a 1-plus acre workout area including more than 400 pieces of cardiovascular, resistance and free weight equipment, multiple group fitness studios offering hundreds of classes per week, a wide range of athletic leagues, rock climbing walls, kid's camps, and much, much more, Life Time Fitness provides something for everyone. The entire family also can enjoy indoor and outdoor aquatic centers which feature multiple water slides, children's play areas, lap pools, relaxing whirlpools, and complimentary towel services, along with swimming, diving, scuba and kayaking lessons for all ages and skill levels.
Have young kids? Life Time Fitness' large childcare centers offer a safe, fun environment for kids from three months to 12 years old. Facilities include a playmaze, children's theater, gym and computer center, and a dedicated area for infants. Better still, childcare is free to members.
"Since inception, Life Time Fitness has placed a unique emphasis on serving families," says Mike Brown, senior vice president of operations. "Serving families with kids is a priority, not an afterthought. Each of our centers is founded upon providing an unparalleled set of services and amenities that meet the health and fitness needs of the entire family."
For more information about Life Time Fitness, visit
www.lifetimefitness.com, or call (800) 430-5433.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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Courtesy of ARA Content
