Hitting the gym? Here's how to succeed at those 2017 fitness resolutions

As hordes of Calgarians clamour to the gym hoping to work off holiday indulgences, fitness experts say there's a method to the madness.    

Chris Fansher, fitness manager at Beacon Hill Goodlife shared some of the latest fitness dos and don'ts with the Calgary Eyeopener on Tuesday.

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Make it a sustainable habit.

Fansher says it's important not to bite off more than you can chew.

"You get a lot of people that come in and they have very lofty goals. Some people want to lose 30 lbs in two weeks and that's not very realistic."

Making small lifestyle changes that can be made right away are ways to ensure habits are sustainable.

Going "full tilt" right away often leads to people falling off track, Fansher says. 

Effective workouts

High intensity interval training or HIT training is still considered to be the best way to get results.

"People realize that staying on a treadmill or elliptical is not going to get them anywhere."

For weight-training Fansher recommends going hard for 30 seconds then taking a break for 60. The same process applies to running outside or on a treadmill.

Total Resistance eXercise (TRX) training bands remain popular, according to Fansher.

"A lot of people take it on their vacation. They can hang it from a tree and be able to work out and stay on a program."

Sense of adventure

Adventure races lead the pack for exercise trends.

"I remember coming into the industry and five-kilometre races being the big thing that people were training for."

"Now it's Tough Mudder and Spartan races. We are running boot camps that get people prepared for this."

Fansher figures it has maintained its appeal because it empowers those who race in them.

"Especially older individuals that might not have thought about doing this a few years ago." 

Balls out

Large rubber balls aren't likely to bring you any closer to your fitness goals, says Fansher.

"How often in life are we balancing on balls?"

He expects those balls will likely be left to side of the gym room floor.

He's also predicting people would rather not drop down for the "bear crawl," but says, "people are starting to see your body needs to move."

Keep on coming

Signing up for a gym membership provides more than just a place to sweat.

"It's a sense of community and a sense of having someone there to support you or having multiple people there to support you help make those changes because it's not an easy journey for a lot of people," Fansher said.

The high-tech devices also help entice people to come back.

Fitbits are synched with apps allowing people to compete with others working out in the gym.

Fansher also recommends regularly shaking it up, by changing the program every four to eight weeks. 

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener