Running 101: Health Benefits, Tips, & More!

June 15, 2020 By Diana Fernandez 1 Comment

Benefits of Running

If you’re looking to shake up your daily exercise routine, consider adding a nice run. Along with several physical health benefits, running is also good for your mind and mental health. Discover even more benefits of running, and then lace up those running shoes and head out for your own excursion.

Running Can Help You Lose Weight

You probably already know that any exercise you do will burn calories and help you lose weight, but running is particularly effective. In fact, it’s one of the best exercises for burning calories, a leading factor in weight loss. On average, a 160-pound person can burn more than 850 calories with one hour of running.

Running Helps With Depression

Runners often talk about “runner’s high,” and for good reason. When you go for a run, your brain releases a flood of feel-good hormones called endocannabinoids. In fact, researchers have found that just 30 minutes of exercise can help instantly lift your mood. So even if the last thing you feel like doing today is going for a run, remember that you’ll feel better when you’re done.

Running Helps Prevent Certain Diseases

Running can also help you fight or even prevent certain diseases. For people in the early stages osteoporosis, diabetes, or high blood pressure, many doctors recommend a running regimen. Running has also shown to help reduce the risk of a heart attack. One large study showed a link between regular exercise, such as running, and a lower risk of certain cancers.

Running Strengthens Muscles and Joints

For years, people believed that running might be bad for your knees. However, new studies actually suggest that running may improve the health of your knees. Researchers are beginning to believe that running stimulates the cartilage to repair minor damage to the knee joints.

4 Tips For Running at Night

If you’re like most women in America, you probably lead a very busy life. It can be hard to find the time to work out during the day, which is why many women have turned to exercising at night.

At NW Women’s Fitness, we understand that you have a busy schedule, and we offer a number of group fitness classes that start as early as 5 a.m. and as late as 8 p.m. Read on for four women’s health and fitness tips if you can’t seem to find time to work out during the day.

1. Skip The Music

If you’re planning on running outside in the evenings, leave your ear buds at home. Though studies have demonstrated that music can improve your effort and endurance while working out, it also serves as a distraction.

You can’t assume that all drivers are paying attention, which means you need to be extra vigilant at assessing your surroundings. Keeping an ear out while you run at night is one way to ensure that you’re safe.

2. Reflective Gear

Stick to fluorescent colors and reflective gear when you run at night, so drivers are more likely to see you as they pass. However, don’t just assume that all drivers can see you because you’re wearing reflective gear.

It’s important to pay attention to the road yourself, and take note of the cars heading in your direction.

3. Pair Up

Countless studies have shown the benefits of enlisting a workout buddy, and two sets of eyes are always better than one. If you can only spare time in the evenings to run, ask a friend to join you.

You’ll be more visible as a pair, as well as less of a target to potential muggers.

4. Bring Your ID and Phone

Though it might seem cumbersome, you should always bring an ID and cell phone with you when you go running, especially at night. There’s a lot of different workout gear that you can buy to carry all of your necessities, from shorts with zippered pockets to discrete fanny packs.

Tips to Run Smarter

1. Avoid striking pavement with your heels

2. Land on your forefoot (rather than your heels) allowing your muscles to catch the weight of your body

3. Do not LEAP forward, instead, stand tall and LEAN forward

4. Take short effective strides

5. Don’t wear shoes that are too comfortable – running shoes are supposed to be supportive!

6. Don’t run as hard as you can – slow down and train your body to learn how to run farther faster

7. Work up to running farther, faster

8. Don’t get stuck on the odometer! Track the amount of time it takes you and monitor your intensity using a heart rate monitor

9. Run for time – try to cover the same distance in less time

10. Don’t give up! Running is not an easy feat, especially for those who are not runners. Train your body and mind and you will be able to run the distance you set your mind to!

Don’t Forget to Scope Out Fitness Centers in Downtown Portland

Working out at a gym is much safer than running alone outside, especially in the evenings. Many fitness centers in downtown Portland have flexible hours, but few of them offer as many amenities as NW Women’s Fitness does.

From fitness trainers and group classes to spa services and a sauna, we’ve got all of your gym needs in one place. We care about women’s health and fitness and provide our clients with a pristine, unintimidating atmosphere.

Kick Off the New Year with Health and Fitness

January 9, 2020 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

2020 is finally here! This new year is the perfect time to start your new health and fitness journey. Make your new year’s resolution to be a healthier you. At Northwest Women’s Fitness we can help you reach your new year goals and more with our new Balanced Habits Nutrition Program- KICK START!

Balanced Habits Nutrition Program- KICK START

NW Women’s Fitness is thrilled to announce that they will be partnering with Balanced Habits, a nutrition company, with their 28 day Balanced Habits Kick Start. This program will aid you in becoming your best self for the new year.

For nearly 30 years, Balanced Habits, headquartered in Southern California, has helped many people across the nation reach their health and fitness goals, educating them on how to eat healthy foods in the right portions. With a very hands-on customized approach, Balanced Habits is not your regular “diet industry”.

KICK START will create a customized program tailored to you. This program will provide you will all the tools you need to be a healthier you and will give you the chance to win awesome prizes along the way! You will receive:

4 weekly menus that include: healthy, family-friendly recipes
Grocery lists
Exact portions customized for each participant
Exercise recommendations
Weekly weigh-ins with your own KICK START food journal checks
Accountability, motivation, education, and guidance
A daily KICK START App to manage everything for you throughout the entire 28 day program, ensuring your success.

When completing the 28 day KICK-START program, we are here to help! The Certified Food Coaches at NW Women’s Fitness will continue to guide, educate, and empower you to help you stay on track with a customized approach.

KICK-START Program Pricing:

Member Early Bird Price: $199, Reg. $249
Non-Member Price: $259 and includes a one month membership

*Early Bird pricing extended through January 12^th, 2020

Stop by NW Women’s Fitness, give us a call, or visit our website for more information on our new partnership with Balanced Habits Nutrition Program.

Tips on Feeling Healthy Over Thanksgiving Break

November 15, 2019 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

Tips on Feeling Healthy Over Thanksgiving Break

46 million turkeys are eaten by Americans on Thanksgiving Day every year. And with those turkeys come mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, and dozens of other delicious foods.

While there are healthy Thanksgiving ingredients, such as green beans, brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables, there are unhealthy foods made with heavy butter, fat, carbs, and loads of sugar.

This can mean trouble for people who have spent the past few months working hard to achieve a healthy lifestyle. You don’t want it to all come crumbling down after Thanksgiving break.

But it’s entirely possible to have a healthy Thanksgiving without giving up delicious foods. Let’s explore healthy tips so you won’t end up in a food coma this Thanksgiving break!

Bring a Dish

Thanksgiving is full of dishes packed with unhealthy carbs, sugars, and fats. Even small portions of the particularly unhealthy dishes can make for an unhealthy Thanksgiving.

Consider offering to bring your own healthy alternative dish to the meal to replace the unhealthy dishes. For example, instead of having mashed potatoes made of whole milk, sour cream, and butter, bring a nice cauliflower mashed potato dish. Trader Joe’s has loads of amazing cauliflower alternatives ranging from cauliflower mash to cauliflower rice or even gnocchi!!

Delicious Snacks from Thanksgiving Leftovers

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, all we can think about are the delicious leftovers we will have waiting to be eaten for days upon days following the feast. Below are simple and health-conscious ways to keep enjoying your Thanksgiving leftovers for days into Black Friday and beyond!

Pumpkin Pie Toast – Scoop a heap of pumpkin pie filling right out from the pie and spread it on a piece of whole wheat toast and top it off with granny smith apple slices and chopped walnuts. This will bring your taste buds back to Thanksgiving dinner while staying healthy at the same time!
Source: Pumpkin Pie Toast
Cranberry Yogurt – A healthy and delicious snack that could not get any easier to make; mix a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce into your favorite yogurt and voila a delicious snack awaits your arrival!

Thanksgiving Leftover Snacks - Cranberry Yogurt

Source: Cranberry Yogurt

Turkey Lettuce Wraps – Buy some lettuce and wrap your leftover turkey, gravy and whatever else sounds appealing into a wrap until the last Tupperware container full of leftovers is gone!

Thanksgiving Leftover Snacks - Turkey Lettuce Wrap

Source: Turkey Lettuce Wrap

Everything in Moderation

Everyone has their weakness when it comes to Thanksgiving meals. It may be decadent desserts, alcoholic beverages, or mashed potatoes. Whatever your vice may be, know that it’s okay to indulge a little bit, as long as you don’t get carried away.

For example, try to limit how much alcohol you drink to one or two glasses. Or if you’re craving some pumpkin pie, ask for a sliver of a piece instead of indulging in a huge piece that way you still satisfy your craving but don’t over-do it.

Go Easy on Alcohol

Alcohol comes along with Thanksgiving celebrations, but you must remember alcohol calories add up quickly. Have a glass or two of wine and stay hydrated by drinking water so that way you are limiting your alcohol calories and staying sober.

Savor Every Bite

It’s easy to consume all your food at Thanksgiving dinner because it’s all so delicious. But the faster you eat, the less you’ll enjoy it, and you might end up eating a lot more than you need to.

This leads to that death-like feeling you have when you’ve eaten three plates of Thanksgiving food and you need to unbutton your pants.

Instead of consuming the food all at once, practice mindful eating and take your time to savor each bite. Not only will you enjoy your food more, but you’ll eat a lot less.

Stay Active

When you’re on vacation, it’s common to neglect your daily workout regimen and routine. But falling out of a routine, even while on vacation, can carry over into your everyday life.

Try not to miss a beat and continue to stay active even while on vacation. If you need to take a day off for Thanksgiving, that’s okay! Just try to be active the day before and the day after so you can stay fit and healthy.

Whether you go for a nice walk with a family member or quickly hit the gym for thirty minutes while everyone else is napping, a little bit of movement is better than none and will likely make you feel better!

Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what you have, and one of the things you have that matters the most is your health. So, show yourself how thankful you are by having a healthy Thanksgiving this year!

And make sure to contact NW Women’s Fitness about guest passes if you have family heading your way this year. Learn more about our classes to help you stay fit this Thanksgiving break!

Growing Tired of Repeat Workout Routines? Try Group Fitness Workouts!

February 15, 2019 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

Did you make a New Year’s resolution to get fit?

If you’re already struggling to stick to your resolution, try group fitness workouts.

Instructors keep things fun and varied with different routines. They also provide the motivation and inspiration you need to blast through every workout.

Read on to see what’s on offer at NW Women’s Fitness

Group Fitness Workouts to Get You in Shape

No matter what your fitness goals are, there’s a class for you.

Strength

Looking to build muscles and improve strength? These are the classes you should be joining.

Barbell Cardio – Use the barbell to perform basic lifts, combining them with cardio exercises for strength and stamina.
WOW (Women on Weights) – Learn how to use machines, barbells and free weights so that you can walk into the weight room with confidence.

Cardio

Burn calories and lose fat in these high-energy cardio workouts.

Indoor Cycling – Burn 450 calories in just 30 minutes. Bike n’ Buff and Bike n’ Butts classes add strength work to target your glutes.
Cardio & Strength Circuit – Use weights, steps, resistance bands, kettlebells and other equipment to give you a high-intensity workout. These are ideal fitness classes for beginners.
Cardio Party – An interval class using 20-60-second bursts of exercise for a full-body workout.
HIIT, HIIT Circuit, HIIT & Core – HIIT workouts are some of the most fun and effective ways to train, using high-intensity workouts with short rests.
Pure Energy Step -Challenge your coordination while burning calories in an intense aerobic workout.
Step n’ Strength – Use the step to do intervals of cardio and bodyweight exercises.
Metabolic Resistance Training – A circuit training class for intermediate and advanced gym members.

Martial Arts

Whether you want to learn some self-defense, reduce stress or just have a fun workout, these martial arts classes will do the trick.

Nia – A mixture of martial arts and dance moves to develop strength and improve cardio.
Qi Gong – An ancient Chinese art that allows you to focus on your breathing while performing slow, controlled movements.
Turbo Kickboxing – Learn how to punch and kick with shadowboxing and pad work.
Moving to Heal – A combination of yoga and Tai Chi set to relaxing, rhythmic music.

Flexibility

These classes will help you to prevent injury by balancing, stretching and rehabilitating your muscles.

Yoga – Poses and routines to challenge all fitness levels. Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Kripalu and Yin yoga are available.
Pilates– Sculpt your core while improving flexibility and balance.
willPower&grace – A barefoot workout that focuses on functional movements, building muscle strength and flexibility.
Essentrics -Dynamic stretching exercises to help you to increase your range of motion.
MELT – Learn how to use foam rollers to stretch and balance the body, helping your muscles to recover.

Dance

With these classes, you’ll have so much fun that you’ll forget you’re working out!

Zumba – Zumba has taken the fitness world by storm, using moves from various types of dance to get you sweating. There’s also Zumba Gold for older adults.
Barre – Use the ballet barre to stretch and strengthen your muscles, with a combination of yoga, Pilates and ballet dance moves.
Boomers Cardio & Strength – Fun choreography gets you moving along with the music with strength-building bodyweight exercises.

Fuel Your Body

With a whole range of group fitness workouts at your fingertips, you can whip your body into shape in no time.

However, that’s only if you make sure you’re eating right, too. After all, abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

If you need some extra guidance, we’re here to help. See what our nutrition counseling can do for you.

Tips For Turning New Year’s Resolutions Into Healthy Habits in 2019

January 15, 2019 By Danielle Smith Leave a Comment

Although we are always changing and growing throughout the year, the start of the new year is a great time to sort out some resolutions to motivate you and get you closer to your goals.

Chances are, you’ve already made plenty of resolutions. Following through can be tricky when life gets complicated and schedules get tight with work and family. Don’t feel bad; you’re not alone. Only about 8 percent of those who make resolutions stick to them all 12 months of the year, so let’s use this as a motivator to fulfill our 2019 goals!

Don’t give up. This coming year can be different. You just need realistic goals and a new approach. Learn how to make your resolutions into lasting habits.

A great way to start a New Years’ workout regimen is with a personal trainer or in a group fitness class – both help to keep you motivated and it always helps to have a support team to keep you accountable!

The important thing is that you are part of a community that you feel comfortable and free to be yourself in!

Make Small Changes

What’s your typical resolution for the New Year?

If you’re like most people, you think up a few lofty goals and attempt to hold yourself accountable:

I’ll stop eating sweets
I’ll work out at least once a day
I will work harder at my business
I won’t binge on Netflix every weeknight

It’s great that you want to make positive changes, but keep in mind that small specific changes make way for accomplishing a larger overarching goal!

Start with small, attainable changes. Then, you can gradually tackle the bigger goals. For instance, if you say you’ll hit the gym 3-5 times a week, you’re more likely to follow through with that than a major goal of 7 days a week.

Once you reach your smaller goals, you can form a habit that can be taken farther. After a while, you will be used to making time in your schedule to work out.

Everyone and their situations are different so forming a habit may take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, but the point is to start with realistic goals that can be achieved. Slow and steady wins the race, right? In due time, you will find it easier to set higher expectations for your frequency and duration at the gym once you’ve adapted to a smaller change first.

Make Specific New Year’s resolutions

How elaborate are your New Year goals?

People tend to make vague resolutions. The best New Year’s resolution is one that’s made with a lot of forethought.

The more specific your goals, the more likely you are to complete them. This is because you aren’t overwhelmed with defining and interpreting a vague goal with no timeline or “measurable” outcome.

For example, if you are setting a goal to improve your health with exercise and diet, create a specific plan to follow with meals, amount of workout sessions per week, and have an ultimate goal! Whether that’s to extend your duration on the treadmill to 5 miles or to feel more confident in your favorite jeans, the important thing is to do it healthily and with an attainable goal.

We all know it’s unlikely to stick to a New Years’ resolution of “No carbs or sweets and working out 7 times a week.” Start out with a goal you can realistically manage and you’re more likely to stay healthy and happy in your journey to fulfill your goals!

Find a Friend or Community to Hold You Accountable

There are many people to help you stick to your New Years’ Resolutions! Here are a few suggestions:

Friends – Hit the gym with a pal and you will probably find it more enjoyable and find yourself more committed to your gym sessions. No one wants a flakey friend!
Personal Trainers – Accommodating to your schedule, you can set up appointments for a variety of fitness experiences catered to your needs and financial budget.
Group Fitness – When you sign up for group fitness classes, you are more likely to attend your sessions than if you are going alone. Fitness classes make working out fun and provide a great opportunity to make friends who you can look forward to seeing every week!

Are You Ready to Make Healthy Resolutions?

Regardless of your health and fitness goals, the most important thing is to find a gym you feel comfortable and safe.

At NW Women’s Fitness, we provide a friendly, non-intimidating, ideal space to workout, without the ogling and distraction that is often associated with co-ed facilities.

If you’re looking for a new gym in Portland, come check out our facility! If you’re already a member, contact us for information on the many ways we can help you meet your New Years health goals!