fitness goals - Excel Fitness

New Year’s resolution season is behind us. For many people that means the fitness resolutions we were so committed to at the beginning of the year are beginning to fall by the wayside as life gets more hectic and time-management priorities favor the responsibilities that keep us stressed rather than make us healthy.

Excel Fitness is teaming up with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital this February to help motivate our clients while simultaneously raising money for juvenile cancer research. Our goal is to raise $1,000 for the organization, with 100% of proceeds going to St. Jude’s. Whatever your fitness goals are, pick one, and ask your friends/family/co-workers/etc. to sponsor your goal with a dollar amount per measurable accomplishment. For example, my goal is to attend 3 power yoga classes for the week; my friends have agreed to donate $10/yoga class attended. Your goal can be anything you’re trying to accomplish and could use some extra support and motivation with. Other examples include: number of miles walked, time spent on the treadmill or other cardio equipment, number of times at the gym, or even amount of weight lifted. The possibilities are endless, and should reflect a personal goal in addition to the goal of raising money for a good cause!

The Workout for St. Jude Pledge-a-Thon will be held Monday, February 11^th-Sunday, February 17^th. Participants can pick up a sponsor pledge form at Excel Fitness. There is no obligation to be an Excel Fitness member or use Excel Fitness as the location for your fitness activity. For more information contact Ilicia at (860) 523-8167 or visit: https://www.stjude.org/stjude/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=83716f9523e70110VgnVCM1000001e0215acRCRD

By Ilicia Balaban, C.P.T

The trainers here at Excel Fitness offer various services including exercise instruction, fitness consultation, computerized diet analysis, wellness evaluation, and fitness testing.

Fitness tests may include body composition, cardiovascular, flexibility, strength, and endurance testing. Power, speed and agility evaluations may be provided for certain athletes. Fitness tests are designed to monitor progress and to assist in the development of your fitness program. For example, regular body composition testing will allow you to track changes of fat and lean body weight (e.g. muscle). Body composition testing can discriminate bodily changes much more effectively than weight alone. This may be of particular interest to those who are interested in monitoring fat loss as well as those interested in tracking muscular development.

Regular fitness testing can objectively measure the effectiveness of your program and can possibly save you months or even years of hard work. If progress is not significant, immediate changes can be made to your program. Your fitness coach can help you decide the tests most compatible with your fitness goals and how often you should test.

Your fitness coach may redesign your program or simply make a few suggestions for continued progress.. These services are a great way to enhance your current fitness program or just get you started on a new workout in a safe and effective manner. Your fitness coach may encourage you to get a comprehensive fitness tests performed every 3 to 6 months. Body composition tests may be performed more often; once every month or two; once every two weeks if significant dietary changes are made.

For more information on how fitness testing can improve your results or to set up an appointment, contact the trainers at Excel Fitness in West Hartford, CT (860) 523-8167.

By Heather Claflin-Coy, C.P.T