Health and Wellness by Erin Forsyth, www.fitwork.ca
condominium
owners
We Should Exercise Every Day, So Why Don’t We? Chances are, your condo gym offers something for everyone
Gym memberships, for instance, can be expensive - even the more affordable ones add up quickly, especially if more than one
membership is required for a particular household. Living in a condominium with a gym facility can negate this potentially expensive additional monthly cost and provide many, if not the same, benefits other off site gym facilities offer. You may even find greater benefits as parking, travel time, ease of access and location is ideal. I like to ask my clients if other family members are supportive of their fitness goals, and many times I find my clients that participate in physical activities without the stress of related additional cost tend to gain this support more readily. Considering that recommended guidelines of physical activity for most healthy individuals is to accumulate approximately 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise activity or 150 minutes of vigorousintensity exercise activity per week and at least three days per week is recommended for strength training, we should exercise almost every day. Having access to a gym where no travel is required can also help save the additional daily cost of extra gas
required to get to and from an offsite gym or the additional transit fare, on top of gym membership costs. Exercise machines and equipment for strength and cardiovascular training tend to be very large, take up an expansive amount of space and this applies even more so with multiple pieces. The average household consumer would not necessarily purchase this equipment for regular in home use or have the amount of space required for the use of multiple machines. Most condominium gyms will usually offer a number of machines for strength training, a set of free weights, together with cardiovascular and/or endurance training machines such as treadmills, elliptical machines and various stationary bikes catering to all fitness levels. There may even be the additional perks of a swimming pool and sauna. Whether you are a beginner or an avid gym goer, there is most always something for everyone. If you are unsure about how to use a parCONDOVOICE FALL 2016
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ILLUSTRATION BY JAMIE BENNET
As a certified personal trainer, I am committed to assisting individuals wishing to pursue a healthy lifestyle and achieve specific fitness goals. Often times, individuals may be prevented from achieving a more healthy lifestyle and reaching these goals due to specific challenges which first need to be overcome. These challenges may be due to finances and the extra expense of gym memberships, or may be simply the lack of access to exercise equipment. Most often however, time constraints due to a busy career, children and other commitments play a substantial part in preventing even the most motivated individual from reaching a particular fitness goal. Living in a condominium that offers a gym facility to exercise in may, in fact, solve almost all of these challenges and allow for optimal daily physical activity while promoting a more positive outlook on making healthier goals a reality.