September is here which means the kids are back in school and everyone is getting back into their routine. This is the perfect time of year to get back into your fitness routine as well! We wanted to give you a few tips on how to accomplish this as easily and as safely as possible.

Consistency is Key
Whenever you talk about fitness, always remember that consistency is key. Walking into a fitness center once every six months isn’t going to do much for health! Build a workout routine into your schedule and create a habit.

Create a Workout Plan Suited for YOU
Everyone has unique fitness goals, so your work out plan should be suited to help you reach them. Break down your work outs based on your goals and decide what it is exactly that you want to accomplish. Some common ways to break down work outs are:

  • By Muscle Group – Work out your biceps and back one day, Chest and Triceps another, and Legs and abs another. This helps to give muscle groups rest periods so you can get a more intense work out targeted towards a specific area of the body!
  • Cardio/Weight Training – Set specific days of the week where you will focus on weight training and others where you will do pure cardio.
  • By Body Zone – Alternate days working out your upper body and lower body to allow your muscles to rest. This will allow you to work more days on whichever part of your body you are most concerned with improving.
  • Light/Heavy days – Set your schedule to train intense on certain days with days of low intensity work outs in between.

How Often Should I Work Out?
Listen, we all know it isn’t possible to be in the fitness center every single day. Figure out how many days you will spend in the fitness center based on your specific goals. Want to just improve your cardiovascular ability? Maybe 3-4 days a week on the treadmill or elliptical is ideal for you. Are you in peak training mode for a sport or trying to get in the best shape of your life? Maybe 5-6 days is a better option.

Recovery is Essential!
The mistake many people make is trying to go too intense too quickly. Sometimes our body needs to recover! Remember to always include rest days in your schedule. Also, don’t think your first time in the fitness center that you will be out-lifting an Olympic body builder. Everyone has their own pace and progresses at different rates. Going too intense too quickly can lead to soreness or injury that can end up having negative effects.

Practice the Buddy System
Working out can be a lot more fun when you bring someone along. Having a workout buddy can have many positive effects, especially if one of you has more fitness knowledge than the other. Workout partners are great motivators too! They’ll help to encourage your goals and give you the extra push you need on those days when you just don’t feel like going.

Practice Proper Nutrition
Your body needs to recover with more than just rest. Make sure you’re feeding it the right nutrients to reap the full benefits of fitness! Remember to hydrate while in the gym with water, and trade off those unhealthy snacks for some fruits or veggies. Your body will thank you!

At OCSC, we want to encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle. We hope that these tips are helpful in getting you back into your routine and back on track to accomplishing your fitness goals. If you have any questions, feel free to stop by the front desk or speak to one of our fitness trainers for more information!