“Ugh, I hate working out.  It’s such a pain.”

 

This is what one of my close friends said recently when we were talking about going to the gym for a quick workout.  It surprised me that she could make such a blanket statement about working out when there are so many different varieties and types of exercise to choose from.  After talking for a while, I discovered that she did not hate working out, she hated the workout she had been doing.

 

Too often, however, this is the negative mindset people have when it comes to fitness and time spent exercising.  If you are struggling to enjoy your workout, stop for a moment to consider why.  Is it boring? Too time consuming? Would you rather workout with friends than alone?

 

The majority of people who view working out as a chore simply have not found the right type of workout to suit their individual preferences.  Like anything else, some people are more prone to enjoy a certain type of workout.  Just because your best friend goes nuts for her spin class does not mean it’s right for you.  You may enjoy something more strength oriented, like a fatbell class, or even an individualized session with a personal trainer.  Some people favor kayaking or hiking outside instead of going to a gym.  It often doesn’t occur to people that working out can cover many different types of activities.

 

Different types of workouts are designed to target different parts of the body, but that doesn’t necessarily make one superior to the other.  Although some workouts may specifically target different goals, like fat loss or flexibility, that does not mean it is the only way to accomplish that goal.

 

If there is a certain kind of workout you love, embrace it.  The odds of you sticking to it and making long term progress are far greater than if you force yourself to a few classes of something you do not enjoy.

 

Don’t be afraid to try new exercises or a different type of workout class because once you find the workout that clicks with you, exercise can be the highlight of your day instead of a dreaded chore.

 

At Union Fitness, we offer a diverse variety of classes for you to try.  We have:

 

• Spin classes
• Yoga classes (for people of all levels)
• Bootcamp
• Fatbell classes
• Strength classes (for people of all levels)

 

If you frequently say you hate exercise and avoid the gym, or just want to change up your routine, come in a check out a class.  They are offered daily and our instructors are happy to work with you to find a workout you are passionate about.  In addition to the classes, there are outdoor programs like Running Club on Sundays that can add even more variety to your options.

Few movements we perform in the gym are as controversial as the deadlift. It is held in high esteem in the strength training community but feared by many medical and fitness professionals. I’ve had a physical therapist tell me to never deadlift again after an unrelated injury. That’s a hard line to respond to when you think about how useful it is to be able to pick objects up off the floor!

 

In essence, that’s what a deadlift is: picking an inert object up off the ground. In the gym, that’s usually with a barbell, but it doesn’t have to be. Do you pick up your children, your pets, or your groceries? You’re deadlifting! Working on that movement pattern as part of your regular strength training routine means that those everyday tasks you perform without thinking will only get easier.

 

There are myriad other benefits to performing deadlifts. They help correct common muscular imbalances between the muscles in the front and the back of the body. Most people who sit through most of the day (pretty much everyone) have overly tight hip flexors and overly stretched glute muscles. This creates postural issues and often low back back pain. To fix this issue, we utilize hip hinging movements – like the deadlift! These work to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back, bringing them up to match your stronger quads and hip flexors. This will help straighten up your posture, and decrease your everyday pain.

 

For endurance athletes, deadlifting may seem like overkill, when it’s really quite the opposite! Every runner has heard that they need to strengthen their core and glutes, and there are few exercises that do a better job. In order to keep a flat back posture throughout the movement, you’ll learn to properly brace your core. This increase in strength directly translates to your running – you’ll be able to hold good posture longer, even when you’re pushing for faster times.

 

The benefits only continue from there. Deadlifts are great at building up your grip (so that obstacle course race you’re eyeing will be a LOT easier), building all over mass from the upper back to the lower body for those looking to get bigger, and working on the frequently ignored stabilizer muscles in your core.

 

At this point, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that we encourage our members to deadlift if they are able. It can be an intimidating movement if you’re only exposure to deadlifting is the World’s Strongest Man, but there are deadlifting options for everyone. We deadlift with kettlebells, barbells, medballs, Fatbells, the trap bar. Sometimes we will elevate the weight to work on good positioning, and sometimes have members deadlift from a deficit to increase the stimulus. There are single leg variations, weighted and unweighted variations, walking variations. The list is almost endless, and helps keep training interesting!

 

You do need to keep in mind that there is a risk to deadlifting incorrectly. This is why we encourage everyone to utilize a good coach, like the ones we have here at UF. Our personal trainers are all equipped to teach the deadlift, and will take you through the steps to perfect the movement for your body. For more information, visit our website here!

 

So the next time you worry that you can’t deadlift because it’s “bad for your back,” remember that you pick things up all the time! Let’s work on perfecting that everyday movement by practicing together at the gym.

Everyone is striving to find the “secret” to a happier life. If you were to say otherwise, I wouldn’t believe you. There is nothing wrong with attributing happiness to food, in fact, we should be happy as well as grateful to live in a world that we can easily provide our bodies nourishment.

 

This poses the question: How much and why do you connect food to happiness? 

Beginning from a young age in western culture it is not uncommon to give food to children as a reward for good behavior or as a means to correct bad behavior.

 

“If you stop crying, you can have a cookie”
“If you get an ‘A’ on your test, we can get ice cream after school” 

Often times, it doesn’t end in childhood. This behavior becomes ingrained in our subconscious and as we get older, we go to food when we are sad, anxious, or think we “deserve it”. I don’t know which example is worse, but what I do know is that they all instill positive reinforcement of food as a source of comfort and approval.

 

Have we become conditioned to believe that happiness is derived from food? 

When we see food in this way, it removes the importance of its intrinsic nutritive elements. Rather than seeing food as fuel for our bodies giving us energy to function regularly in our daily lives, we see it only as a source of pleasure.

 

We as humans need to indulge at times. We would psychologically burn out if we never allowed ourselves a break to let go and enjoy food purely for the sake of taste or aesthetic appeal.

 

With this indulgence, however, there is diminishing return. Have you ever noticed how amazing the first bite of a piece of chocolate is? What about the 5th? Or the 10th? If you’ve ever even had that much chocolate at once, you’d know it’s pretty nauseating.

 

The idea that all things can and should be eaten in moderation is a false notion. Eating foods that compromise health and promote disease ‘in moderation’ is never better than avoiding it all together. You can have junk food in moderation, but be aware that you will also be getting clogged arteries ‘in moderation’. This is why it’s so important to make consistent conscious decisions about what you’re putting in your mouth, with the overwhelming amount of your food choices being healthy.

 

Think of it this way: If you were to eat only pizza every day for several days, weeks, or months, would you be very healthy or very sick? What about if you ate sweet potatoes every day for several days, weeks, or months? You might be bored of the sweet potato, but you would most certainly be reversing chronic disease by eating the sweet potato as opposed to inducing it from the pizza.

 

Finally, don’t rely on food to fill your happiness. Look for other ways to feel full and content in your mind and heart rather than your stomach, because, although it may be a hard truth to accept, every bite you take is either fighting disease or feeding it.

We all know running is one of the most popular exercises for many reasons. It burns calories fast, improves health and relieves stress, but it also causes many injuries that take away the enjoyment of running. Every runner knows what I’m talking about… the shin splints, blisters and knee pains are really a pain. And while you may think avoiding those injuries is inevitable, I’m here to tell you you’re wrong. Some of the most common running injuries have easy to follow tips to help avoid them:

 

Achilles Tendinitis

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the human body. It connects the calve muscle to the heel bone and is used to walk, run, and jump. Achilles Tendinitis occurs when the Achilles tendon becomes inflamed. This is caused by overuse and degeneration. Symptoms include pain, irritation, and swelling.

 

How to Prevent Achilles Tendinitis

• Choose sensible footwear: You want to wear comfortable shoes that provide cushion and support for your feet. Your shoes should also have firm arch support.
• Don’t Overdo It: Avoid activities that put strain on your tendon, like inclined running… and the moment you feel any kind of unusual pain, STOP and take it easy.
• Stretch Daily: Stretch before and after your workout. This will prevent muscle strain and will improve flexibility.
• Strengthen Your Calves: Do calve raises frequently to keep them strong. A stronger calve muscle will help prevent any kind of strain or inflammation.

 

 

Plantar Fasciitis

The most common cause of heel pain. This occurs when the plantar fascia (the ligament that connects your heel bone to your toes) is strained. Pain, Stiffness, and swelling usually occur.

 

How to Prevent Plantar Fasciitis

• Choose Sensible Footwear: Wear shoes with good arch and heel support… not just for running, but for everyday activities as well.
• Stretch Your Achilles Tendon: Just as I mentioned before, Stretch before and after your workout.
• Alternate Running with Other Sports that will not Cause Heel Pain: Try some HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts. These workouts burn calories and increase heart rate just as running does. There are plenty of different variations that won’t put strain on your heel. Do research on HIIT workouts, find some that work well for you and get going!

 

 

Shin Splints

We all know about shin splints… the dreaded pain along our shinbones. This is usually caused by recent higher intensified workouts or a change in a regular workout routine.

 

How to Prevent Shin Splints:

• Don’t Increase Mileage Too Quickly: Set mileage goals for yourself, but take your time reaching them.
• Don’t Run Through he Pain: It’s okay to take a couple days off to give your body a rest. Overdoing your workouts is the main cause of injuries. Treat your body well and rest when necessary.
• Run on Soft Surfaces when Possible: Running on hard surfaces increases stress on your muscles, joints and bones. If possible, find a grassy area to run on to prevent the pain.
• Strengthen Your Calves: Heel and toe raises are a good way stretch and strengthen your calves and shins. Keep them strong!

 

 

Blisters

Blisters may just be the most aggravating injury. These are caused by friction and can happen when anything rubs your feet or ankles the wrong way. You are more prone to getting blisters when doing any kind of physical activity because sweat causes the skin to get softer; therefore any kind of rubbing can cause a blister.

 

How to Prevent Blisters

• Break In Your Shoes: DO NOT workout in a brand new pair of shoes without breaking them in. Walk around in them first. Do some short workouts to really break them in.
• Wear Thick Socks: The thicker the sock, the better! You want to wear the right kind of sock that will prevent rubbing from happening. Find a sock that fits well with your shoes.
• Lubricate Your Feet: Lubrication will cause your feet to slide, instead of rub. Apply a small layer of lubrication before putting your socks on. You’ll definitely notice a difference!

 

Chafing

This is one of the most common issues that runner experience. We all know about it, and the majority of us have probably experienced it. The constant rubbing of one thigh against the other, causes itching and irritation that no runner wants to deal with during a run.

 

How to Prevent Chafing

• Avoid Cotton: Cotton absorbs sweat and keeps it. Ditch the cotton and go for a lighter material like dri-fit.
• Wear Compression Shorts or Spandex: Cover your thighs with a tighter material to keep the sweat trapped.
• Lubrication: Apply lubrication, like Vaseline, before you start your run.
• Wear Clothes that Fit Well: Be sure to wear the right size. Anything too tight causes chafing.

 

All of these injuries are common and, unfortunately, runners are prone to them, but they can be prevented. Be smarter about your workout and take care of your body. Follow these tips and do your own research. Find what works best for your body and do what you can to stay healthy! Union Fitness also offers running clubs to prepare for races and to educate runners on the nature running. Join today to be one step closer to taking care of your body the right way!

 

 

 

What are the perks of group fitness classes, you ask?  Besides learning new things everyday, perfecting your form/technique, getting a rockin’ bod, getting some stress relief, strengthening your cardiovascular system and keeping your workouts varied & fun?? Well, yes, ALL of those things are major perks.  However, there is one benefit in particular that I think takes the fitness cake: the Community.

 

Think back to when you were younger, just a wee tot.  Your parents probably organized play dates for you to hangout with other kids, to have fun and let loose.  Think back to when you were a teenager, just a wee pimply lad or lady. You probably couldn’t wait to get to the mall food court to chill with your other pimply friends. Now as adults, it can be difficult to escape the work world and family obligations.  Even if you do/can, how hard is it to make new friends as we age? Nearly impossible, right?

 

With group classes, there is a built in community of new friends. And there’s nothing like simultaneously sweating with someone to really solidify a friendship. We’ve had members here start as strangers and transform into lifting partners, sweat sisters, bench buddies and some have even managed to find love (Awwww!)

 

As if making new friends wasn’t a perky enough of a perk but there’s the added bonus of personal accountability and motivation.  Ever find yourself mentally struggling with the idea of working out or trudging away all by your lonesome on the treadmill? These new friends, I promise, will cheer you on through every last rep and even text you before class something along the lines of “YOU BETTER BE AT CLASS TODAY, or else…”  Because the community will always be there for you, encouraging you to be & build the better you.

 

Here at Union Fitness, you are not a number scanned into our computer.  We are not robots sitting at the front desk or leading you through classes.  If you couldn’t tell, we really really REALLY love our jobs here. It’s not just a gym or a place to sweat but a true community of like-minded people.  Our members here are some of the kindest, encouraging and kickass people we know.  There’s always a place to learn, grow & build here for you too.  Come join our awesome community here at Union Fitness!

 

Go ahead and find your newest fitness friends here: https://unionfitness.com/schedule/

 

Ahhh, yoga!  It’s that time again for me to express my undying love for the practice of yoga.  Really, it’s a topic I could write about endlessly.  If you come to one of my yoga classes, you’re guaranteed to hear me spout off a list of all the many great, wonderful, fabulous, fantastic things there are about it.

 

I was asked recently by one of my newer students about what happens when you practice consistently over a period of months and even years. There are multitudes of short term benefits of yoga.  Just check out my previous blog post: https://unionfitness.com/why-yoga-will-become-your-best-friend/ .  But what are the long term benefits of a yoga practice?

 

The thing though about long term vs. short term benefits of yoga is that they are nearly one in the same.  Most of the long term benefits can actually be seen or experienced quite early.  I’m not even making this up, there’s empirical research to back up these claims! One study found that a single yoga class (YES, ONE CLASS!!) reduced tension, anxiety, depression, anger, hostility and fatigue for inpatients at a psychiatric hospital.  Besides clinical studies, there have been real life “experiments” with the practice of yoga and meditation, with astounding results.  One elementary school in Baltimore replaced their school detention program with a “Mindful Moment Room”.  Instead of being disciplined or scolded these young children practice mindful meditation and breathing exercises, with a chance to practice yoga before and after school.  And what were the results of this experiment?  Since the creation of this room, there have been zero suspensions and less disciplinary issues across the school.

 

I feel very confident saying that after just one class you can reap the many benefits of yoga: less anxiety, less tension, increased energy, decreased blood pressure, etc.  So if you can enjoy these benefits after just one class, what exactly happens when you commit to practicing consistently and more often?  For an inspirational story, check out this amazing guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448 !

 

There is no “one size fits all” approach to the long term benefits of yoga.  The beautiful thing about your yoga practice is that it becomes tailored to your individual needs, physical and emotional.  These needs may change over time and so, thus, does your yoga practice.  Whether you practice for 10 minutes or 90 or whether you practice once a day or once a month, there are benefits to be had!  Join us for a good dose of these benefits in one of our yoga classes here at Union Fitness!

 

Fall is officially here with its changing colors and crunchy leaves, perfect outdoor running weather! Running is pretty straightforward, move your legs, move your arms… it’s something we’ve done since we could walk. Properly fueling for a long run, however, isn’t always as easy. Here are some tips to make your run optimal from start to finish.

 

Pre- Workout

The main fuel source during a workout is coming from stored carbohydrates 2-3 hours before exercise (food that’s had time to be digested and absorbed by muscle). Some people will need a little more time than this for food to digest, but several hours should be sufficient.

 

What to eat pre-workout?

 

Have a meal containing vegetables, protein, carbohydrates, and fat

 

If you prefer to eat closer to your workout (within an hour or so), avoid fats (i.e. a peanut butter sandwich) until after working out

 

Eating fats too close to training means your body will be working hard to digest, when the primary focus should be on muscle recruitment in exercise

 

It’s optimal to fuel a workout with carbohydrates, particularly easily digestible ones such as fruit or a goo gel

 

Drink water: hydration tends to be overlooked as a method to fueling workouts prior to stepping foot on the treadmill or on the pavement

 

You shouldn’t feel like you have to chug water during a workout, and the goal should be to sip throughout, consuming around 32oz per hour

 

How much water should you be drinking each day?

 

Water intake depends on height, weight, and activity levels, but in general:

 

Men: 125oz (about a gallon)

Women:  96oz (¾ of a gallon)

 

Intra-workout

Incorporating a fuel source during exercise will depend on exercise duration, intensity, and energy output. The last thing you want during a long run is your energy levels to plummet when peak performance is necessary. Coming prepared could make all the difference in your workouts or assist in a win on competition day.

 

What to eat intra-workout?

 

Fast digesting carbs or protein: fruit (banana, apple), granola bar, protein bar, protein shake

 

 

Post- Workout

Within 40-60 mins after exercise (this is not a rigid timeframe, there’s no specific time you must eat after exercise, it’s simply a suggestion to prevent excessive hunger and overeating). The focus should include protein for muscle recovery, and a majority of your carbohydrates should be eaten after working out to refuel your muscles, preparing you for your next workout!

 

What kind of protein and carbohydrates to eat?

 

Protein powder or a bar is fine if you’re in a rush, but whole foods in their simplest form such as lean meats, eggs, greek yogurt, beans, for protein and slow digesting carbohydrates such as potatoes, quinoa, or rice are going to be the best options

Sometimes after training you might not feel hungry. If you don’t feel like eating, you can go with liquid nutrition such as a shake or just wait until your stomach is settled

 

2-3 hours after last meal

 

Have another balanced meal of protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and fats

 

Later in the day is a great time to get more of your fats in, again, they are slower to digest, and will keep you feeling full longer

 

 

 

Being in pain is a pain. Going for too long without a break lowers our body’s ability to properly recover and suppresses the body’s immune response and at times leads to a breaking point forcing us to slow down. No one wants to be restricted from normal daily activities and it can be frustrating having to nurse an injury and put training progress on the back burner but pain is the body’s way of signaling us that something is wrong and it’s time to pay attention.

 

“Injury is not just a process of recovery, it’s a process of discovery”

 

Take this time to slow down and focus your attention into recovering the same way you would focus on your training, learning about your weaknesses to make them your strengths. This is a valuable time to incorporate other outlets into your life. An injury doesn’t mean to stop moving, you should continue to be active while being more conscious of limitations.

 

If you’re recovering from an injury and cleared to begin rehabilitating, spin is a great low impact, low intensity exercise option to ease back into a routine. Spin provides an awesome, motivational community where you’re able to follow the class at your own pace. Even if the class  you take is intended to be higher intensity, you can chat with your instructor and let them know how you feel and what you want out of your ride and go at whatever cadence (revolutions per minute) feels best to you.

 

Make the experience your own. The beauty of pedaling and not moving is that no one knows or cares how fast you’re going because it doesn’t impact them. It allows you to observe the form of some more advanced spinners alongside you.

 

Spin classes include both endurance and cardiovascular training with the benefits of heart health and increased lung capacity. It will help you learn to work on controlled breathing, which can also help with anxiety, lowering the heart rate for situations where physical exertion begins to take the breath away. Allow the physical exertion to become a catharsis for releasing pent-up emotions.

 

Get your week started and ending on the right note Monday and Friday morning’s with Union Fitness’ Steel Revolution at 6:45am.

Looking for the peanut butter to your jelly? Or the bacon to your eggs?  Or searching for a donut to dunk in your coffee?  Maybe even the perfect lime to your tequila?  Look no further, YOGA to the rescue.  Yoga can be the missing piece in the puzzle of life.  The second pea to your pod, if you will.

 

We all have that one go-to person in life, a best friend that you can call any time of day for any reason and they will be there.  Well, yoga can metaphorically be that person for you too, providing you unconditional support and love. I already know why & how I love yoga, after all I practice often and teach it for a living.  So how do I explain to other people how & why they should love yoga too?

 

Love can be a hard thing to explain, especially when you’re talking about the practice of yoga.  Yoga is a lot of things.  It’s much more than just the physical poses after all. Yoga is an expression. Yoga is a state of being.  Yoga is a way of life, a spiritual experience or even a religion to some.  There are literally hundreds of health benefits to practicing yoga like improved athletic performance, increased flexibility, better bone & joint health, increased energy, improved respiration, reduction in the risk of heart disease, boosted immunity and decreased blood pressure.  And that list is merely just the tip of the iceberg of health benefits. SO WHY DON’T MORE PEOPLE PRACTICE YOGA?

 

Yes, yoga is all of these great things but it can also be wildly intimidating. And it’s not just the balancing on your head or bending into weird contortions part that’s the most daunting.  It’s the mental and emotional part of yoga that can be overwhelming.  It’s the silence, the practice of sitting with yourself and the obstacle of discovering yourself deeper that is the scariest part. But just like a best friend would never dare judge you, neither does yoga.  Yoga gives you the gift of acceptance— acceptance of who you are right now, at this exact moment, not who you’re striving to be but who you actually are right now.

 

Yoga can make you laugh, make you cry, make you smile, make you think and make you not think all at the same time.  Yoga can take you from dark places to lighter ones. It is a journey that changes with each time you practice.  Yoga is a beautiful gift that you can give to yourself.  I don’t want this to become some sort of love sonnet to yoga. Because yoga itself is not what’s actually so great about yoga, but it’s the people that do it.  It’s about who you become after you practice yoga.  Yoga will love you when you forget to love yourself. It is a path to a greater you, offering you support and guidance through each step.  And just like a best friend, yoga will see you at your worst and still think you’re the best!

 

Come find your next best friend with us here at Union Fitness!

 

Monday: Vinyasa Flow @ 6pm

Wednesday: Yoga Foundations @ 6:45am & Slow Flow Recovery @ 6pm

Thursday: Vinyasa Flow @ 6:45am

Friday: Happy Hour Yoga @ 5:30pm

Saturday: Community Yoga @ 10am

We hear a familiar story from a lot of members that are having trouble reaching their fitness or body composition goals: “I do great during the week, but once the weekend hits, all bets are off.” Logging 5 “perfect” days – hard daily workouts, healthy eating in appropriate portions, regular sleep – is all well and good, but it’s really easy to throw that all off if you drop your routine completely from 5pm on Friday to 10pm on Sunday!

 

The number one most important aspect to succeeding in anything – weight loss, strength gains, lifestyle change – is consistency. Unfortunately, it’s just not enough to be super strict during the work week; you need to keep your goals in mind and continue with your healthy habits (most of the time, see below) on the weekends too. There are a ton of ways to make this easier, so here are just a few:

 

• Don’t over-extend during the week

It can be really tempting to drastically restrict your food, or do hours and hours of cardio during the week to “make up for” the weekends. That then turns into a cyclical pattern of restricting and then binge eating on the weekends, partially because you “earned it,” partially because you’re actually really hungry! If you’ve found yourself in this pattern, consistency across the entire week is the solution. Choose a food goal that you can reasonably meet every single day. That probably means letting yourself eat foods you actually like during the week, and that’s okay. You can build heartier meals and fun snacks into every day life by choosing lighter foods other times of day. When the next weekend comes around, you likely won’t feel as desperate to go nuts on sweets!

 

• Keep your habits consistent

I would bet you’ve heard that catching up on sleep on the weekends isn’t actually a good thing. Try to apply that idea to every part of your lifestyle. Like I said in the previous point, staying consistent all week long is the way to go, both for eating and for everything else! Try to go to bed and wake up around the same times each day, and strive to get some movement in daily as well!

 

• Take advantage of weekend fitness opportunities

This is where we can really help! Pittsburgh is full of weekend fitness opportunities. Here at UF, we offer a free community yoga class every Saturday at 10am to get your weekend started. We also now have a Sunday run group that meets at the gym on Sundays at 10am. But don’t stop there – get outside! Enjoy the end of summer in our beautiful parks and on the rivers. Hiking opportunities in and around the city are abundant. Kayaking here is also an amazing experience. Our run group will be heading out for some kayaking on the river this Sunday, August 27 at 11am. We encourage everyone, runner or not, to come give it a try