Gyms, apps offer workout options

For busy executives, getting fit in the New Year doesn’t have to mean a heavy commitment to strenuous activity requiring lots of hours.

Exercise can be as lengthy as 60 minutes or squeezed in for high intensity bursts of cardio or strength-building activity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. That can include 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week, 20 to 60 minutes of vigorous exercise three times a week, or one continuous session or multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes to add up cumulatively.

No matter how they want to put in the time, executives have lots of options that foster an active lifestyle. They can go to an athletic club, a fitness center, a recreation center, a convenience 24-hour gym, or a boutique studio that specializes in one particular exercise, like cycling, yoga or cross-fit training. They might pay for access to a basic gym with weights and cardio equipment or have additional amenities like racquetball and basketball courts, a swimming pool and an indoor track.

The facilities may charge monthly, semiannual or annual membership fees, and places like city recreation centers might offer one-use passes for the day or punch cards with a certain number of visits. There may be a low entry fee with additional fees to take specialized classes, engage in small group training sessions or hire a personal trainer for individualized training.

Some of the facilities also may offer virtual fitness classes when an instructor isn’t on site and provide facility-branded fitness apps with workout-from-home options. Additional home workouts are available on independent fitness apps and websites that provide routines and track distance, time, pace, calories burned and goal achievement. Home workouts may not require any weights or equipment to make them easier to do at home or in a hotel, such as aerobics or body weight training, doing things like pushups and squats following a walk.

“There’s an app for everything,” said Sherri Goering, fitness and wellness coordinator and a personal trainer at the Chilson Recreation Center in Loveland, pointing out Strava, a social fitness network that tracks cycling and running, and the Garmin fitness tracker as popular options. “The drawback of apps is no one is watching your form. No one is encouraging you.”

Two other popular fitness apps are the Map My Fitness mobile app, which tracks gym and running workouts and measures things like distance, pace and calorie burn, and MyFitnessPal, a mobile app and website that tracks diet and exercise for optimal caloric intake and nutrients, said Rachel Southard, director of personal training operations for Anytime Fitness LLC, based in Woodbury, Minn. Fitbits, wearable wireless devices that measure steps, heart rate and other fitness metrics, and Apple Watches also help with determining fitness data, she said.

“That is so important just to move your body. A 20- to 30-minute walk every day is a great first step to getting more active,” Southard said. “The Anytime Fitness app has workouts you can do at home. … The app connects to a coach, who will send workouts you can do on your own.”

Anytime Fitness is a full-service, 24-hour gym with free weights, weight machines and cardio equipment and 4,000 locations worldwide that members have access to if they pay a monthly fee. Most locations are 4,000 to 5,000 square feet and see an average of 800 to 1,000 members each day. The facilities offer small group and team training, as well as personal training, at an extra cost, so members do not have to pay for services they do not need if they want to come in and simply workout, Southard said.

“We have a little bit of everything no matter what your goals or interests are,” Southard said.

Memberships average $40 to $50 a month with some special discounts, and training is added on to that cost. Small group and team training provides a personal trainer in a group setting, while personal training is individualized to develop a workout plan that can account for fitness goals, any illnesses and injuries, and the need for corrective exercises for muscle imbalances, Southard said.

In January, Anytime Fitness will offer a New Year’s special of $1 to join that covers the costs of enrollment and the jumpstart training program, valued at $100, which includes a fitness consultation and a couple of training sessions.

“Get a coach because most people who join a gym or fitness program in January, more than half of them, aren’t coming back in February,” Southard said.

The idea of personal and group training is to provide accountability and motivation, as well as to avoid overdoing the exercises and address any plateaus as the body adjusts to the routine with little result, Southard said.

“With our team workouts and small group training, it’s always changing. You never know what you’ll get,” Southard said.

Working with a trainer helps ensure goals are realistic and achievable and on a good timeline, said Loni Good, director of sales and training for Anytime Fitness in Firestone and Milliken and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor.

“When people are making New Year’s resolutions, make sure it’s informed, even if you’re not hiring a trainer,” Good said. “Map out a plan, start out at a pace you’re able to do and keep it up, instead of a short-term, New Year’s one-month rush that dwindles away.”

At the Chilson Recreation Center, daily passes are $5.25 for adults and membership can be monthly, semiannually or annually. Some of the classes, such as specialty yoga, tai chi, boot camp and high intensity interval training, or HIIT, along with personal training, nutrition and rossiter coaching, carry an extra fee. Hiring a personal trainer costs $50 for one hour and $32 for a half-hour with rates lowered for individual sessions in six- and 10-session packages. New clients can take advantage of a yearlong special of three one-hour training sessions for $99.

“They don’t have to train for an hour. They can get a lot done in a half-hour,” Goering said. “We take them through an exercise program, see how it feels and the intensity they want. …. We give them good instruction to perform the exercise correctly then do their own thing. We want to make sure they exercise safely, so they don’t get injured.”

The Chilson offers more than 70 classes that are part of the cost of membership or the daily pass, said LeAnn Williams, recreation manager for the city of Loveland. The classes that carry a fee are smaller and more specialized, presenting exercises not available in the regular classes, she said.

“You’re getting a higher level of instruction,” Williams said. “You can get more out of the class. That small group creates a personal community, and you become gym friends … and root for each other.”

Hiring a trainer is even more personalized to set goals and develop a personalized plan to meet those goals, Williams said. Small, manageable and measureable goals based on individual fitness levels are better than unrealistic goals that can be harder to achieve, she said. She likes to see, for example, a specific goal of getting more fit or becoming stronger instead of simply wanting to lose weight, because as muscle is built and body fat is lost, the body will reshape itself, she said.

“They’re going to be there to keep you accountable to your goals,” Williams said. “They’re invested in your success. It’s that person who’s going to meet you at the gym, who’s going to call you if you don’t come and get you there to achieve results. … Be consistent and be committed and set manageable goals and have fun doing it.”

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