21 Oct Are You Living In a Fitness Desert?
Are You Living In a Fitness Desert?
You have to admit it – in the greater St. Louis area, we’re all a bit spoiled when it comes to nearby fitness centers. From weight lifting gyms to yoga studios, from 24-hour GloboGyms to group personal training gyms, from CrossFit boxes to wellness centers…fitness options seem to be at nearly every corner.
But for some of us, that’s not the case. For some of us, working out isn’t as simple as popping in at the gym. What about that person who doesn’t have a fitness club nearby? Well luckily, all is not lost. We’ve got a few pointers for you.
Find Your Closest Gym and Make it Work.
Okay, this may sound a bit harsh, especially for our very first entry, but a solid workout routine is VERY important. If you don’t have a set schedule, trainers waiting for you to arrive, or gym buddies who will razz you for not showing up – how well do you think you’ll stick to your fitness plan? If you’re like most people…not very well.
Bottom line – if you want to get fit and STAY fit, but there isn’t a fitness club near you, you may just have to deal with the distance.
Now let’s try to find your closest exercise outlet. Go ahead and Google ‘Fitness Center Near Me’,’Closest Fitness Center’, or ‘Closest Gym’. What kind of options do you see within a reasonable distance from your home? Do these centers, gyms, or studios match up with your fitness goals?
If you don’t have any luck searching online, ask around! A word-of-mouth recommendation can make a world of difference when it comes to the right exercise routine.
Look For a Work-Centric Option.
So maybe you’re nowhere close to a fitness center, and you’re not too keen on the idea of driving out of your way to the gym every week. What about finding a gym near your place of work? With this option, the only hassle you’ll experience is bringing a workout bag with you every morning, and packing your bag the night before ensures you’re ready bright and early.
Make Your Commute Your Workout!
Do you have a bike or a pair of running shoes? Then you’re all set! This little life hack seems obvious, but it’s amazing how few people in St. Louis opt for the self-propelled commute, even when they live very close to their place of work.
Biking or running to work is the ultimate in functional fitness! The movements (right leg up, right leg down, left leg up, left leg down – repeat) are used every single day, and the more you flex those star muscles the better they will perform.
The commute workout works two ways. Biking or running to work can replace your everyday or few-times-a-week routine, or it can supplement your commute to the gym. There’s something really bothersome about getting back into your car after you’ve finally made it home from a tiring day at work – but replace that vehicle with a bicycle or a brisk run, and the irritation dissipates. You’re bridging the distance between home and the gym closest to you with another workout! Now that’s dedication!
Public Transportation Can Take You There.
Again, a structured fitness routine is very, very important. Important enough that before letting your lazy side (don’t worry, we all have one) prevail, you should consider letting public transportation take you to the closest gym.
Yes, this could get expensive, but can you really put a price tag on your health? Plus, the answer doesn’t always need to be a pricey taxi or Uber ride. What about the bus or MetroLink? Once you get your routine down, just factor the bus pass or Metro pass into your monthly workout budget or allowance, and you’ll never need to think about it again.
The Workday Workout Hustle.
Believe it or not, you can get in a workout while at work (although we cannot guarantee that your co-workers won’t start to talk about the funny noises coming from your office). Here are just a few ideas of things you can do during your workday to get your heart rate up and your muscles working:
- Lunges and squats during calls. And try to see how long you can hold a wall sit if you’re put on hold!
- Deliver internal documents and info in person. Forget sending things digitally if the final destination is within walking distance.
- Take your meetings on the go. You can discuss projects while walking around the block just as easily as you can seated in the stuffy conference room.
- Smokers get 15-minute smoke breaks, so why shouldn’t walkers? Give yourself a mental and physical break every now and again throughout the day and take a walk! If the weather conditions aren’t in your favor, try out the stairs. This option is really great for the glutes.
The best thing about this tip is without the use of weights or machines, just about any movement you can pull off during the day will help you with your functional fitness. Just think about it – squats help you sit down and get up again, and lunges help you run, walk, even dance.
Also, you can make your workday routine whatever you want it to be. If you get crafty enough, you can even turn your workday into a workout-day. Runners can find obstacle-free paths and take to the streets with gusto! Yoga enthusiasts can turn their offices, cubicles, or break rooms into makeshift studios, even if it’s just for a few minutes (there’s no such thing as a wasted downward-facing dog). Lifters can step up and offer to move things around the office, again…and again…and again.
Choose Faster Fitness
Regular exercise improves your quality of life. Period.
Here at Faster Fitness, our fingers are always crossed that when you finally find the right gym or fitness center for you that you’ll end up walking through our doors. With morning and evening classes, our schedule is flexible, giving you more options when it comes to choosing a training time. Also, our group personal training sessions are tailored to unlock hidden performance, and the nutrition coaching that goes along with them really helps to maximize benefits. To put it simply, our classes pack a punch!
But even if you decide the fitness desert you live in is too difficult to escape from, it brings us a little peace of mind knowing we’ve shown you other ways to get healthy and stay healthy. If you’re still on the fence, we’d love to talk. Just give us a call at (314) 962-2255, and we’ll help you weigh your options and find out what fitness strategy works best for you and the life you live.
