Why Signing Up for a Cheap Gym Membership Might Not Be a Good Idea

If the New Year has made you want to reverse the effects of those never-ending Christmas cookies STAT, don’t rush off to join a gym just yet. While hefty discounts on annual memberships may make January seem like the perfect time to join, it’s often a waste of money.

That’s because as many as 67% of people who sign up for a gym membership never actually use it, according to Statistic Brain. This, unfortunately, is how gyms make money. They count on some members to pay and not show up, NPR reports, and these are their best customers, so to speak. (Watch the video above to learn more.)

If everyone who belonged to one fitness center actually tried to work out at the same time (which is often what a gym feels like in early January), there’s no way they would even fit in the building. Take Planet Fitness, for example. They have a very low membership cost ($10-$20 a month), and have 6,500 members per gym on average, even though most locations could probably only hold about 300 people at once, NPR reports.

RELATED: 25 Exercises You Can Do Anywhere
While some gyms see a 40% increase in usage in the days after January 1, traffic steadily drops throughout the rest of the year, according to Quartz. The people who continue to use the gym regularly are getting the best deal, at a price partially subsided by the well-meaning members who don’t go.

Gyms are even altering their layouts to make the space seem less intimidating to casual gym-goers interested in signing up. For example, instead of walking straight in to an open weight room, companies are installing juice bars and fancy lobbies, while the squat racks are hidden in the back.
So if you’re the kind of person who’s thinking about joining a gym in order to motivate yourself to work out—you’ve made a yearlong commitment!—try committing to a regular at-home routine first. If you’re still sticking with it after a few weeks, then signing on the dotted line is less likely to be a waste of your money.

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This Is What Happened When a Tourist Challenged Disney World’s Gaston to a Push-Up Contest

If you’ve seen Beauty and the Beast, you may remember Belle’s conceited suitor, Gaston. But judging from the character’s latest viral video, it seems like he wasn’t only boasting about one thing: Gaston really does have biceps to spare.

The burly guy was recently challenged to a push-up contest by a tourist visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. “Do you think you are stronger than me?” he taunts the challenger in the video, which has racked up nearly 3 million views on YouTube since being uploaded on January 2. (And, for the record, this isn’t Gaston’s first shot at Internet fame. Last month, the same character at the Florida theme park was told off by a little girl who wasn’t too fond of his trash talk about the Beast.)

RELATED: 11 Best Exercises to Get Strong, Toned Arms
According to the crowd, Gaston’s muscles won. He knocks out reps with impressive speed and and starts doing one-handed push-ups halfway through, daring to ask his challenger if he needs a hand. While it looks like all those eggs Gaston eats to help him “get large” are paying off, he could stand to lower himself a bit closer to the ground.
If watching this fitness face-off inspired you to do some push-ups, then check out this video to learn How to Do the Perfect Push-Up. When done properly, this move can work your arms, chest, shoulders, and core


RELATED: 11 Best Exercises to Get Strong, Toned Arms
According to the crowd, Gaston’s muscles won. He knocks out reps with impressive speed and and starts doing one-handed push-ups halfway through, daring to ask his challenger if he needs a hand. While it looks like all those eggs Gaston eats to help him “get large” are paying off, he could stand to lower himself a bit closer to the ground.
If watching this fitness face-off inspired you to do some push-ups, then check out this video to learn How to Do the Perfect Push-Up. When done properly, this move can work your arms, chest, shoulders, and core.

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7 Ways to Make Your Treadmill Runs More Effective

Photo: Getty Images

I don’t think it’s any secret that I despise the treadmill. If I had the choice between banging out a five-miler on that hamster wheel or slogging through a snowy Central Park, I’d definitely pick the latter. Personal preferences aside, the treadmill can actually be a pretty useful tool—There I said it)—if used correctly.

To help make my miles more manageable, and just get a better overall workout when I do find myself on the treadmill belt, I reached out to David Siik, a running coach and creator of Equinox’s treadmill training program Precision Running. I put his tips to the test, and actually enjoyed my last treadmill session. Read on the see if they help you tread right, too.

Plan ahead

Don’t just hop on and go. First of all, you’ll be incredibly bored and more likely to stop short of your goal. Instead, have a strategy—whether it’s speed intervals, incline intervals, or a combination of both. This will not only keep you engaged (and challenged!), but help you make real fitness strides, too. What’s more: You’ll probably end up logging even more miles in less time simply by varying your tempo.
RELATED: The Secret to Burning More Calories on Your Run

Take your hands off the rails during inclines

You probably see people doing this all the time. Heck, you may even do it yourself, but Siik says it’s a big no no. “Holding on isn’t good for your back, and it’s not helping you get any stronger either,” he explains. Feel the need to grip for dear life on? Chances are you’re going too fast for that particular incline. Siik’s suggestion: Slow your pace until you can climb without clinging on.

Step back from the display console

Running too close to the display causes you to shorten your stride and run with an unnatural posture, all of which means you aren’t running as efficiently as you could be. So inch back and give yourself some room. (Don’t worry, you probably won’t fall off the back of the treadmill, but you can always clip the emergency stop cord to your shirt for peace of mind.)
RELATED: 7 Running Injuries and How to Avoid Them

Stretch your arms and shoulders first

You may think your legs are doing all the work, but your upper body participates in your runs as well. “Your arms and shoulders play a crucial role in balancing forces created when running,” says Siik. They also help drive you forward, so make sure they’re warmed up and just as ready to work as your legs. Try this: Grab the ends of a towel with both hands, holding it taut behind your head. While maintaining tension in the towel, bend one arm, then the other, slowly moving the towel back and forth behind your neck.

Minimize arm swinging

Avoid swinging your arms across the center line of your body, advises Siik. The goal: “Keep them parallel to your legs to create a more stable running form and to work your core better.” Your hands should move up and down, not side to side.
RELATED: 15 Running Tips You Need to Know

Relax your face and hands

Yes, running can be tough, but try not to show the strain on your face by scrunching it all up when you’re doing intervals. Keep things loose and remember to breathe. Also important: Relax your hands. This will reduce tension in the body, creating a more smooth and relaxed running form, which will allow you do to more and hurt less.

Say ‘no’ to smartphones

These days, we all seem to be tethered to our iPhones or Androids. But the treadmill and these techy gadgets just don’t mix. One misstep caused by trying to shoot off a quick text while cruising at a 7.0 could leave you sidelined. Plus, research shows that people who spent more time on their smartphones were less physically fit than their lower-use counterparts. Limit your phone use to a rockin’ playlist.
RELATED: 10 Exercise Cheats That Blow Your Calorie Burn

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5 DIY Sports Drinks to Help Keep You Hydrated

Photo: Getty Images

When I was in college, I volunteered at the Los Angeles Marathon finish, directing the runners to the various tents. A woman came flying across the finish line, fell into my arms and said, “All I want is a Diet Coke.”

Yes, we runners have a variety of habits before, during, and after races to keep us going. But the one I could never get used to is slurping sports drinks. No matter what distance I’m tackling, I just can’t seem to stomach those electrolyte-replacement drinks. It’s plain water for me, thanks.

This is just fine for shorter distances: experts say that unless you’re very active for longer than 60 to 90 minutes, water is best for hydration. Plus, many sports drinks are loaded with sugar and dyes—not exactly what you want to put in your body after working so hard to get it into shape.
RELATED: 15 Running Tips You Need to Know
So, what about those times when you really do need a sports drink? Recently, while I was preparing for a half-marathon and wondering what to do about fueling during the race, a friend told me that she puts raw honey in little baggies and uses it instead of gels. That gave me an idea: Why not make my own sports drink, using honey?
I added 2 tablespoons of raw, local honey, the juice of ½ of a lemon, and a couple of pinches of sea salt to about 2 cups of water, and sipped on it all through the run. This worked perfectly for me, and I met my goal of breaking 2 hours for the 13.1-mile event.
Turns out I’m not the only one whipping up DIY sports drinks. Here are a few more to try when preparing for your next race, long bike ride, or other endurance event.

All natural lemon-lime sports drink

This drink by DIY Natural is similar to the one I made, but it incorporates lime juice as well as lemon.

DIY chia seed drink

If, like many runners, you’re passionate about chia seeds, then this thicker, more gelatinous drink from Mama Natural is for you. (Personally, I don’t care for this texture, so I use chia seeds in other ways.)
RELATED: The New Super Seed You Need to Try

DIY organic sports drink

Coconut water contains some of the electrolytes lost during a long workout, so a homemade sports drink that includes it is a good idea; plus, it adds a touch of natural sweetness. (Just be careful about what brand you buy, as some have more electrolytes than others.) This recipe from Consider Me Fit calls for the sweetener stevia, but it’s optional, and you can always drizzle in a little honey if you like it on the sweet side.

Healthy sports drink

This drink’s combo of chilled green tea, pomegranate juice, honey, and sea salt sounds so good, it makes me want to go out and run for 2 hours just for an excuse to drink it (well, sort of). Plus, it’s such a pretty color, and no food dyes in here. Hat tip to the Simple Roots Wellness blog.

Coconut and lime sports drink

Coconut and lime are a classic combo (go ahead, sing the song—we won’t judge), so naturally they go together in a sports drink, like this one from blogger Mommypotamus. Go ahead, “Put the lime in the coconut and drink them both down.”
RELATED: 7 Easy Ways to Drink More Water

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Meet the Adorable Dachshund Who Lost 43 Pounds

Shedding extra pounds always seems to top the list of ultimate New Year’s resolutions. That said, we know keeping up motivation to hit the gym and eat healthy for another 360-some days can be hard. Lucky for you, there’s one special dog whose major weight loss may just inspire you to stay fit in 2015—and beyond
.

RELATED: 12 Ways Pets Improve Your Health

Meet Dennis the Dachshund, quite possibly the most adorable source of fitspiration you’ll see this year. Though you couldn’t tell by looking at him now, this cutie from Ohio used to weigh 56 pounds, making him so large that his belly would glide across the floor as he walked.

But after more than a year of serious dieting and exercise (plus surgery to remove excess skin), the adorable canine is down to a slim 13 pounds, reports ABC News.

Dennis can thank his owner Brooklyn Burton for making the effort to get him back in shape. One of Brooklyn’s relatives was taking care of the dog before but fed him human food in addition to regular dog food, reports WSYX, an ABC affiliate station in Ohio. That’s one way to ensure a pooch packs on unwanted pounds.

RELATED: 15 Best Dog Breeds for Active People

The best part of his transformation is that Dennis can get around with ease. “He now can go up and down the steps he was never able to do that,” Burton told WSYX.

By the looks of this furry guy, it seems meeting your weight loss goals may not be too impossible after all. Humans, take note

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