By Ryan Brooks

Going to the gym for the first time should be an exciting experience. It is the start to a journey of achieving your goals and ultimately improving your overall health. But for many, it is often a scary time. Going to the gym for the first time, you might feel like you don’t know what you are doing. That okay, everyone starts out as a beginner. Here some simple tips to help you as you begin your journey to a healthier you.

1. Wear proper attire. You don’t want to wear any clothing that is offensive. You also want to wear clothing that is protective and allows for movement. Wear a shirt, close-toed shoes, athletic shorts, etc. Don’t wear your office attire, or clothing that is vulgar. (2)
2. Bring water. Hydration is very important while exercising. Most gyms will have a water fountain to fill up. Try not to hog the water fountain. If you need to full up, let others who just need a sip go first. (3)
3. Ask for a spot. If you think you might need help with completing a lift, ask someone for a spot. If no gym staff is present, ask someone else in between their lifting sets. Most people won’t mind. (2)
4. Clean equipment after using it. Most gym facilities have towels and disinfectant spray. This is for you to use. Once you are done with a piece of equipment, wipe off any sweat that may have accumulated. (2)
5. Re-rack your weight once you are done with them. You don’t want to leave weight out for someone else to have to put it up. If you are using a machine, then put the weight back to zero. Before moving one to another exercise, take a second to make sure you re-racked all your weight from the previous exercise. (1)
6. Ask someone if you don’t know something. If you don’t know how to do a lift or use a piece of equipment, just ask. Ask one of the facility’s trainer or one of the more experience lifters in the facility. When it comes to lifting, your health is what’s most important. (1)
7. Don’t use your cell phone. While you are at the gym, try not to be on your phone. Others are in the gym are trying to focus on improving their health as well. It can also be dangerous as you are taking your attention away from others around you. (3)

(1) http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/08/18/proper-gym-etiquette-how-to-not-be-a-newbie- in-the-gym/

(2) http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/exercise/10-tips-for-proper-gym-etiquette

(3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-s-brown/gym-etiquette_b_2398997.html

By Mark Darter

Whether you are new to working out or just getting back into the swing of things, there are a few things that you will notice as you go through your training program. Anyone who decides to exercise has already made a positive decision in their lives, and the benefits of exercise will be numerous, most of which you won’t be able to see immediately, but if you keep up with the work you will make progress and begin to see results.

There are numerous things that one can expect when beginning a routine, here are my top three:

1. Muscle soreness

Nobody wants to wake up in the morning and feel like they can’t dress themselves because their arms are sore from the workout the day before, but some muscle soreness is to be expected. When our muscles are put through strenuous exercises, they become stressed and are therefore sore the following day or two after the workouts as the muscle repairs itself. There’s no need to worry though, because as you work out, your muscles will begin to adapt to your workout regimen and will not be as sore as after the first workout.

2. Weight loss

Weight loss is a goal that most people have with their workout regimens. It would be great if it was possible to lose large amounts of weight (20+ pounds) in a small amount of time (5 weeks) but in reality, the healthy amount of weight to lose is about 1 to 2 pounds of weight per week. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t see any weight loss the first couple weeks, because progress takes time to show results. Many other adaptations are occurring early in a program that may help you lose weight in the long run.

3. Goals

When thinking about goal setting, most people may think of long term goals, such as being able to run a marathon, but let’s not forget the short term goals because those will keep us accountable and give us steps to achieving long term goals. Some good short term goal examples are to workout 2 days a week for 30 minutes or to improve my walk/run time by 30-45 seconds.

These are just a few things you can expect when starting your program, but just know that the soreness will become less of a problem as you exercise, the weight loss will come with time and hard work, and goals will be achieved and surpassed!

By Matt Prigge

Since you were a young child, you have heard how imperative consuming an adequate amount of water throughout the day is.  Whether it be for sports, exercise, or simply because Mother Nature turned up the thermostat, water is vital component to your day.  As much as people preach how vital water is, they never exactly say why.  The next few paragraphs will give you the skinny on why water is important, the symptoms of dehydration, and recommendations for how much water you should be consuming throughout the day.

The human body is made up of 50-70% of water, with that said, I just could just stop writing, but instead, let’s look into the importance of water [1].  As pointed out by the Mayoclinic, water: regulates body temperature, lubricates joints, flushes waste from the kidneys and liver, helps prevent constipation, helps to protect tissues and vital organs, and carries nutrients and oxygen to cells [2].  If that doesn’t have you headed to the water cooler, I don’t know what will.

Neglecting to refuel your tank with the H2O can lead to dehydration which can have some serious symptoms.  Fainting, dizziness, confusion, weakness, inability to sweat, palpitations, and a swollen tongue are not only some of the effects of listening to Nicki Minaj, but the symptoms of dehydration, too[3].

Whenever recommendations for water appear, the conventional line of “drink 8 glasses of water” is always is brought.  To be frank, that is a bunch of rubbish.  There are many factors that need to be taken into account.  For instance, your diet, how much you have been exercising, how hot it is outside, and pregnancy are key factors that need to be taken into account [1].  A more accurate rule of thumb is to listen to your body.  Excessive thirst is a sign of dehydration, and is a sign that you need to start drinking water.  Try and develop habits when it comes to drinking water.  For example, when you wake up, immediately drink 20-30 ounces of water.  So, if you are thirsty…start crushing water.  When you complete a workout…start crushing water.  After a long night out on the town…start crushing water.

All in all, water is the most important thing you will put into your body on a daily basis.  It is a necessity that you keep your body fueled up, healthy and happy.

[1] http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Water_a_vital_nutrient?open

[2] http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/multimedia/functions-of-water-in-the-body/img-20005799

[3] http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/dehydration-adults

By Faith Stewart

Labor Day is behind us, football season has started, and soon it will start getting cooler (maybe, you never know in Oklahoma), all of these are signs that summer is nearing the end. During the summer, many of our schedules were chaotic and unpredictable, but now things are finally getting back into a routine.

One of the hardest areas of our lives to get back on track can be our exercise schedule – how can we fit a workout in our new, often busy, routine?

Here are some tips that I’ve found helpful on getting back in the swing of things:

1.  Make a set schedule for physical activity.

If you can’t find an open hour in your schedule to visit the gym, try to incorporate a quick, in home workout into your day. Try jumping jacks and crunches before hopping in the shower, plank holds and leg lifts while watching TV, or lunges and squats while making dinner. These activities may not seem like much, but it allows you to get a small workout in without interfering with your day.

2.  Don’t skip a planned exercise.

If you let yourself to miss one exercise before you are really back into the routine, it becomes much easier to continue to skip until you stop altogether. Make it a point to do some sort of physical activity every day, even when you don’t feel like it.

3.  Set ATTAINABLE goals.

Most people, (myself included) can get burned out rather quickly when they set goals that can be difficult to reach in a short amount of time (ex: lose 15lbs in six weeks). If you start out with smaller goals (ex: workout three times a week for thirty minutes) it will be easier to stick with it and then reach your long term goal.

4.  Have an accountability partner.

This person can be your partner, your child, your best friend, or a coworker, but it needs to be someone that you are in contact with regularly. Tell this person what your goals are and ask them to check in with you on a daily or weekly basis (whichever fits your goals best). Having someone to check in on your workout can be a huge motivating factor to stick with the plan.

5.  Download an app on your phone.

Having a good app on your phone can help track your workouts for you and show you improvements over time. Some good choices are RunKeeper or Sworkit. These allow you to set goals in the app and can provide workout tips or exercises for you, as well as monitor your progress.

Remember, change doesn’t occur immediately, so don’t give up when you don’t see instant results. Stick with it and changes will come!

Happy exercising!