If you’re someone who travels often for work or leisure, you’ve probably spent a lot of time trying to come up with workouts you can do on the go and in small spaces. We post a lot of bodyweight workouts that can be done from anywhere, but sometimes it’s nice to get some tougher resistance training in even when you don’t have access to a full set of weights. Enter the resistance band.

These helpful tools come in a huge variety of strengths and sizes. We use a lot of Therabands in the gym for some of the tougher movements and heavier EliteFTS bands when we really want to work. They are easy to pack, take up virtually no space, and are useful for people at all fitness levels.

To get you started, here are a few of our favorite resistance band movements:

Band Row

Band Pallof Press 

Band-Resisted Push-ups 

Band Front Squat 

Band Overhead Press 

Being active comes with the risk of injury, but the possibility of injury shouldn’t mean avoiding activity, rather taking precaution and using sound judgement. Whether the injury is a sprained finger or one that requires reconstructive surgery, injury is always a learning experience that can show just how strong and dedicated you are to being better.

Recovering from an injury comes with a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions both positive and negative. Being stubborn, it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking the pain is all in your head. Not uncommonly do people train through pain, limit their full potential and risk re- injury. Giving your body the proper rest is by far the best recovery tactic.

Resting can be one of the hardest things to do especially if an injury happens when making progress. Injury constantly puts stress on the mind and body and how much rest depends on the type and severity of the injury. If it’s serious enough that it needs medical attention, see a doctor and get multiple opinions, but pay attention to your body and the level of pain that you are experiencing. If your pain is not decreasing on a weekly basis or actually increasing, research physical therapy facilities that are sports performance based. To prevent injury in the future, you should include rest days in your training plan.

Rehabbing injuries is another exceptionally important part of recovery. If you don’t rehab an injury properly, it will be extremely difficult to reach your maximum potential in the long term. Proper rehab can be the difference between a 4 month recovery and a 6 month recovery. This doesn’t mean doing rehab exercises once a week, but making extra time every day, scheduling soft tissue massages to work through scar tissue and using ice/heat therapy after workouts. Even if it is a small injury, like a sprained finger, it is important to first: move your finger throughout the day to increase your range of motion and second: rebuild strength to the injured area of the body. Rehab maintenance post injury should be a part of your workout to keep that once injured area healthy and strong.

Changing focus during your recovery period and taking time in other areas of your training will help keep you motivated and give you the ability to set short term goals. These short term goals will be the stepping stones to your long term goals after recovery. If an exercise increases your pain level in the injured area, do not do it. The long term reward outweighs the short term satisfaction of completing that exercise.

Staying positive does not mean that every second of every day you need to be happy and smiling. There is a difference between negative thoughts that inhibit confidence and negative thoughts that fuel your fire. Negative thoughts that inhibit confidence and decrease your athletic drive are when you tell yourself things like, “I’ll never be able to do anything again” or “I suck because I can’t perform”. Negative thoughts that fuel your fire to return stronger than you were are thoughts like, “It sucks being injured, but I’ll be back in the game if I stick to the plan”. As long as your outlook is more positive than negative, you will thrive in your recovery.

Surround yourself with people who support your recovery and push you to stay positive. Whether it’s friends, family, or one of the coaches here at Union Fitness, lean on them and remain open about your highs and lows. Know that all of the coaches here have dealt with nagging pains and injury, too, and we’re here to support you through it all!

Often, people talk about not having the motivation get to the gym and workout.  For some people, it can be the simple act of getting out of the house and getting yourself to the gym that is the hard part.  For others, the fear of failure or self-doubt can cripple you and make it hard to want to workout.  Still others have things they simply would rather be doing, such as going out with friends.

No matter the reason, motivation can be hard to come by.  This is especially true in the winter months when going home to curl up on the couch is more appealing than putting on shorts and getting active.  When I feel my motivation lacking, I let quotes, whether it be from a successful athlete or someone else, inspire me.

1. “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t. – Jerry Rice

2. “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle

3. No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch.” – Unknown

4. The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” – Tommy Lasorda

5. If you want something you’ve never had, you must be willing to do something you have never done.” – Thomas Jefferson

6. You are only one workout away from a good mood.” –Unknown

7. “The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides the champion from someone else who is not a champion. That’s what most people lack, having the guts to go on and just say they’ll go through the pain no matter what happens.” —Arnold Schwarzenegger

8. If you tired of starting over, stop giving up.” – Unknown

9. When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.” –Unknown

10. It’s going to be a journey. It’s not a spring to get in shape.” – Kerri Walsh Jenning

11. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.” – Tony Robbins

12. Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do and, at some point, you will.” – Venus Williams

13. We cannot start over. But we can begin now and make a new ending.” –Zig Zig

14. Think about where you could be if you had started when you first had the idea. Think about where you could be six months from now if you start now.” –Unknown

15. “Every day is another chance to get stronger, eat better, to live healthier, and to be the best version of you.” – Unknown

There are a lot of ways to utilize these quotes to your advantage and let them motivate you.  Your favorite ones can be put on post-it notes around your home or office to remind you of why you began your fitness journey and to help motivate you to get to the gym.  You could set one as the background of your phone or your computer to be a constant reminder.  You can even use them as a personal mantra when you are trying to push out the last set in the gym.

No matter how you use them, let these motivate you.  There is a reason you go the gym, whether it be for health, weight loss, or something else.  No matter what it is, when your motivation lessens, pump yourself back up.  If you have another quote that fuels your motivation, share it with us in the comments below!

As I’m writing this, it is 39 degrees outside and I’m wearing not one, but two jackets (and a scarf, but it’s October so that’s ok). The cold seemed to come on overnight and I wasn’t ready! I’m guessing you weren’t either. While this transition is a little bit hard to handle mentally, it also means it’s time to make some adjustments to our running schedule. Right now, temperatures are PERFECT for running: it’s a little bit chilly and breezy but still sunny, so you won’t lose nearly as much sweat as you do in the summer months. Fall running in Pittsburgh is the best. However, come December things will get a bit trickier as temperatures get below freezing and the snow starts accumulating. Here are a few tips to help keep you on track this winter:

1. Adjust your training expectations. As weather conditions deteriorate, it’s important to consider injury risk and safety when you’re out on the road. What this really means: slow down. Winter isn’t a great time to focus on speedwork when you’re running on the road. Use these few months as an opportunity to expand your cardio base with some long slow runs. You’ll warm up as you accumulate distance on those runs, making the whole experience more comfortable as well.

2. Gear up. I’m not normally fond of pushing people to buy new gear for training, but in the winter months it’s necessary. The key to staying warm on your runs in the winter is layering. Look for moisture-wicking materials to help pull the sweat off your body so it doesn’t freeze while you’re outside. You’ll also want to look for something to cover your ears and nice warm gloves – no one can run comfortably when their head or hands are cold! This is also the season to think about your visibility on the road. As the days grow shorter, the need for reflective clothing increases. Reflective vests are easy to come by and do the job really well. You may also consider something like Yak Trax to give your shoes some extra traction while running. I don’t love these for the road, but if you run a lot of trails, they’ll probably be a good fit.

3. Consider moving indoors. When the weather is really terrible, take it inside. We have lots of treadmills waiting for you in the gym! To change it up a bit, try treadmill sprints. After warming up, set the treadmill to a very fast pace for you. Every minute on the minute, you’ll hop on to sprint for 15-20 seconds. Jump off and rest for the duration of that minute. Start with just 4 minutes once per week. Increase by 1 minute every other week until you hit a full 10 minute workout.

4. Use your new schedule to prioritize some crosstraining. We are always encouraging our runners to add some strength training to their fitness regimen, and the winter months are really the best time to give that more focus. For most runners, working on core and glute strength are top priorities, followed by single-leg and upper back work. The stronger and more stable you are, the longer and faster you’ll be able to run once the weather warms back up!

5. Always run with friends! Our weekend run group is going strong all winter long. We’re pushing it back to Saturdays at 1pm to try to head out at the warmest time of day. When the weather really isn’t cooperating, we’ll do some incline and speed work on the treadmill. There’s always something to do, so come run with us!