We all know how it can be in the morning. You're cranky, tired, stressed about the day ahead and feel like you have no energy, or time. You planned to work out, but now it's the last thing you want to do. In other words, not a great way to start your day at all. And studies have shown that the morning hours can be our freshest and most energetic – ha!

There are a variety of ways you may be sabotaging your morning workout and the benefits that come with it, though. But there are also a variety of things you can do to prevent that from happening, and instead get your day off on the right foot by exercising.

1. Plan Your Workout The Night Before

If you wake up and aren't sure what workout you want to do, the greater the chance that you'll skip it altogether. Eliminate this issue by planning what workout you’ll do (and for how long) the night before. Think over your exercise strategy before you turn in for the night.

2. Eat Something

Not eating before your workout can slow you down because you need fuel for your workout. That doesn't mean you should eat a big breakfast; instead, have something small, like a banana or piece of toast.

3. Evaluate Your Routine

Before you roll over and decide to stay in bed, ask yourself how much you've exercised during the week, and whether you can afford to skip a workout. Will skipping it have a negative impact on your goals? Skipping workouts easily become a habit.

4. No TV, No Internet

Turning on the television or going online the minute you wake up can become lethal distractions to your workout regime. Five minutes online can quickly turn into an hour.

5. Recognize the Benefits

If you want to have a good day, it's always best to start it with something positive. Getting your workout in first thing is an excellent kick-start for the rest of the day.

6. Have Your Clothes Ready

Have all of your workout gear handy and ready to use the minute you wake up. Don't kill time looking for a piece of clothing you'll need. Better yet, sleep in your workout gear; one less thing to do in the morning, right?

7. Warm Up

Wake up your brain and warm up your muscles by taking a few minutes to stretch, walk or jog briefly.

By following the above suggestions, as well as consulting with the trainers at the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo, you can overcome those morning blahs and hit the ground running. Check out one of our morning group fitness classes for motivation.

Keeping up with your fitness routine is difficult enough without the added stress that the school year brings. For parents, back to school means extracurricular activities, carpools, homework and expectations. With all those responsibilities, it can be easy to neglect your own health and fitness. Here are five tips to keep that from happening, and to keep up with your fitness routine during the back-to-school madness.

Make a Schedule and Stick to It - As Best as Possible

Let’s face it, you’re not a free-spirited college student anymore. You have a job, kids, and other obligations. If you want to get or stay in shape, you’ve got to make exercise a priority. The best way to do this? By working it into your schedule. Jotting down a specific time each day to work out helps keep you motivated, even if you don’t manage to fit your sweat sesh in at the exact scheduled time.

Just remember, don’t stress out if something comes up and you miss a session once in a while. Life happens. Simply pick your routine back up the next day.

Implement Activity In Your Daily Life

Opting for the stairs instead of the elevator is just one of the ways you can get some exercise in your normal, everyday life. Taking small steps toward fitness in this way may not seem like much, but it actually makes an impact on your overall health. It also keeps you from feeling too guilty on those days you simply can’t fit in an hour-long workout session.

Get Your Kids Involved

In the midst of all the sports, algebra, sleepovers, and pep rallies, it’s important to spend quality time with your kids. These are the years that influence the rest of their lives, so be a part of them. Make exercising together fun – go for a hike, go rollerblading, throw the football around, or anything else your kids might be interested in.

Find Something You Enjoy

If you don’t enjoy working out, you won’t be motivated to fit it into your busy schedule during the school year. If you enjoy running, for example, wake up half an hour earlier in the morning to get in a quick run around your neighborhood. If group fitness is more your thing, check out some classes at a local gym. There are even classes that let you dance to burn calories, if that’s your thing.

Don’t let back-to-school madness keep you from making fitness a priority. When you’re ready to take charge of your health, check out the Downtown Athletic Club. We offer several group classes at varying times to fit into your busy schedule. Reach out to us today!

The squat is a powerful exercise, providing both aerobic and strengthening benefits. To enjoy the benefits from doing squats, you must maintain proper form throughout. The right form will produce better results while also being easier on your knees, hips, and back.

Using Proper Form

When performing a squat, your feet should be about hip’s distance apart and directly in line with your shoulders. Your feet should also be facing forward, with your heels planted firmly on the ground. Pull your shoulders down and back, but not so far down or back that holding them in that position becomes uncomfortable. Hold your abdominal muscles in, and keep your head and eyes facing forward.

Performing The Squat

Keep these things in mind while performing your squat:

• Keep your lower back slightly arched, and lower your body as a single unit.
  
  
• Go as low as you can comfortably, without allowing your knees to extend beyond your toes.
  
  
• Do not allow your knees to collapse inward while going down, as this can result in alignment problems.
  
  
• Press your buttocks into the ground as you lower your body.
  
  
• On the way up, lift your body as a single unit, paying close attention to your spinal alignment.
  
  

While performing your squat, keep the bulk of your weight on your heels and not the ball of your foot or the toes. This not only forces your muscles to work harder but also helps you maintain proper alignment.

Squats should also be performed at a slow, even pace rather than being done very quickly. Doing repetitions slowly will make it easier for you to maintain the proper form from start to finish.

Breathing

Breathing is just as important when doing squats as it is when performing any other type of exercise. For best results, you should exhale on the exertion, which is on the way up while doing squats. Breathe in slowly on the way down, hold for a second or two, and then breathe out slowly while you return to the starting position. If you pay careful attention to your breathing, you should notice you are able to perform more repetitions without getting tired.

Squats can be an important part of any fitness routine, but should not be your only form of exercise. Here at Downtown Athletic Club, we offer personal and group fitness training sessions that will allow you to increase your level of physical fitness in a safe and fun atmosphere. Call or drop by today to find out more.

You know you like the way muscles define your body, but what are the other reasons you should work on building and toning your muscles? Turns out there are plenty reasons other than aesthetics why you should work on weight lifting and other exercises that build up muscle mass.

Body Benefits

Of course, it goes without saying that strength training can improve your cardiovascular system and rev up your metabolism, but there are other benefits, too. Building muscle not only creates muscle mass, but it also strengthens your bones. This can help you later in life when it comes to diseases like osteoporosis.

Lifting weights can also help alleviate depression, diabetes, give you better cognitive functions as you get older, and increase your good cholesterol numbers. For women who lose bone mass after menopause, weight lifting can be a great resource. Also, strength training creates lean muscle and reduces fat, which can give you a longer, healthier lifespan.

Brain Benefits

Did you know working out gives your brain exercise, too? Doctors believe that regular strength training can improve the brain's growth, which means that as we get older and lose some of our function, regular weight lifting can prevent that from happening as it normally does.

Health Benefits

Muscle training keeps your muscles toned, which means that any chance of injury is significantly reduced. All of the portions of your muscles become stronger, including ligaments and tendons, so you can say goodbye to inconveniences like a sprained ankle. Strong muscles keep your body stable and reduce the chances of injury.

Exercise has many benefits, but one of the main ones is more energy. Many people who have little energy find exercising difficult, but once you begin and the endorphins kick in, you'll never turn back. Strength training builds you up and gives  you the "get up and go" you are missing, keeping you active and healthy.

Strength training also gives a boost to your immune system. You may notice a reduction in common colds or other minor illnesses. Through weight lifting and training, you are building up your immunity and creating a stronger body that won’t get sick at every turn. If you do happen to get ill, you may notice your healing time is faster than it used to be.

Interested in reaping the benefits from a strength training program but don't know where to start? Head to the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo to find out more about what types of strength training equipment and personal training sessions we offer to help you meet your muscle building goals.

When it comes to working out, you want to get the most bang for your buck. In other words, the most calories burned for the least amount of work. No one wants to bust it at the gym day after day and see no improvement. While any exercise is better than no exercise, there's an actual science behind the best ways to burn calories, lose fat and get fit. Take a look at these four types of workouts that yield the best results for your effort.

Lower Body Exercises

Believe it or not, working your lower body helps decrease your entire body fat percentage. Think of it this way: your largest muscles are in your lower body, so by working them the most, you create more of those muscle tears that require your body to spend calories repairing. You get much more calorie-burn bang for your buck with lower versus upper body work. That’s not to say you should never work your upper body, but be sure you’re getting in that leg work – and stand while you work your arms.  

Interval Training

Interval training is all the rage these days, and for good reason. Recent studies have found that women who incorporated interval training – alternating between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and longer periods of lower-intensity work – three times a week actually saw better results than those who spent more time doing steady-state exercise (such as jogging). The good news is that you can fit interval training into anything you’re already doing. If you love the elliptical, for example, simply amp up the speed to your max level for brief periods during your session.

Heavy Weights

Women are especially guilty of opting for more reps instead of heavier weights. You figure the more you do, the more calories you’ll burn, right? Wrong. To really grow your muscles, you need to challenge them. Stronger muscles equals higher metabolism, which helps you burn more calories. Using heavier weights for fewer reps builds muscle more effectively than lifting lighter weights more times.

Group Fitness

Everybody loves to workout with a friend. It passes the time and keeps you interested. But did you know it’s actually been proven to help you burn more calories? It’s for the very reasons mentioned here. Having that distraction allows you to spend more time exercising, and burn more calories as a result. Joining a group fitness class is a great way to get motivated.

At Downtown Athletic Club, we offer several group fitness classes to help you get in shape with friends. To learn more about these classes, personal training, and other ways we can assist your fitness goals, give us a call today.

Do you feel like you spend a lot of time at the gym but you aren't getting much accomplished? Did you know that there are certain pieces of equipment and exercises that aren't going to get you anywhere? If you want to see results, streamline and focus your workouts and avoid time wasters that won't get you the results you want. Here are a few exercise to skip and a few to opt for instead; make every minute you spend at the gym count so you get the body you want.

Leg Presses

You may think leg presses are a must. However, leg presses are a time waster. This is due to the fact that leg presses are a single-plane exercise, which means your body isn't getting the full range of movement it needs to truly make a difference. If you want to work on your legs, leave leg presses behind and opt for squats. Squats get more of your joints involved for a fuller workout and better results.

Kettlebell Swings

Using the kettlebell to do swings is a very common exercise. However, it's not a very good one. Kettlebell swings aren't doing enough to define your muscles. Get rid of the kettlebell and focus on your entire body by combining lunges with dumbbell front raises for a more effective workout.

Crunches

Think crunches are the best way to get a flat stomach? Think again. Crunches just aren't as effective as many people think. Instead of crunching, try doing planks. Planks use more of your core muscles, creating a more intense experience and sculpting and defining your abdomen more efficiently.

Abduction Machine

Touted as a thigh toner, abduction machines aren't really doing much at all to help you. Since the machines are isolating specific parts of your body, they aren't providing the overall workout you need. Instead of using an abduction machine, try old-fashioned squats or lunges to get the leg and thigh definition you seek.

Weighted Side Bend

Want to work on your obliques? Skip the weighted side bend, which puts undue stress on your lower spine and creates a thicker middle. Instead, hold a dumbbell and do woodchoppers, which creates a slimmer silhouette.

Leg Hover

It feels like it works, but the leg hover isn't anything fab for your abs. Instead of doing this painful exercise that is hurting your back, opt for a 90-degree toe touch, which gives you the results you need without the strain.

Looking for a personal trainer to keep you on task? Head to the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo to talk to one of our personal trainers about designing a personal workout just for you.

Many of us are obsessed with stepping on the scale to chronicle our weight loss and health. However, the numbers that come up aren't always the best representation or indicator of our overall well-being. Since muscle weighs more than fat, intense workouts could bring higher numbers that may seem disappointing, when in reality they mean you're toning and tightening.

Step away from the scale and take inventory of your body in other ways that may be more rewarding and productive.

• How do you feel? Frequently when you incorporate exercise into your life, you begin to feel refreshed, rejuvenated and energetic. These are much better indicators of health than the number on the scale.

• Put on your clothes. Many people choose to focus on how they feel in their clothes rather than the scale. If your favorite pair of jeans is starting to get loose, you're losing weight. If they tighten up, you could have put on a pound or two. Measure your weight by how your clothes fit and feel for a more precise look at your health and fitness – and a less stressful one than weighing yourself.

• Daily activities may feel different as you begin to lose weight and get in better shape. Did you used to run out of breath running up the stairs and now you don't? Maybe you needed help lifting heavy items and now you have the strength to lift them yourself, or parking far away from the supermarket doesn't seem as daunting as it used to be. Consider the small changes that fitness has made in your life as a barometer of success.
  
  
• Snap a selfie. Document your progress in pictures and you'll be able to see what the scale doesn't tell you about how your weight loss and exercise regimen is improving your body (and your self-esteem).
  

• Sleep it off. Frequently, we tend to sleep badly when we are out of shape. We may snore, toss and turn, or our bad habits (caffeine, alcohol, late night snacking) keep us awake at night. Good nights of sleep are a good way to measure health. 
  

Need some help putting the perfect workout together so you can become a success story, too? Head over to the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo, which offers everything from personal training to group fitness classes.

The thought of joining a gym for the first time (or even switching to a new gym) can be intimidating for many people. Joining a gym is like trying any new thing – it can be a little overwhelming at first, but in time it becomes second nature and you forget what your fear was about in the first place.

In the meantime, there are a variety of things you can do to ease your adjustment period and help you feel at home in no time.

Don't Compare Yourselves To Others

There's no doubt you're going to see a lot of fit men and women at the gym. People older than you may be keeping up a pace on the treadmill that makes you feel agonizingly slow.

But consider this: It's doubtful those people looked like that, and performed at that pace, during their first visit to the gym. It took time and effort to get there. Like you, they had to start somewhere.

Train With A Friend

Joining a gym with a friend can ease those feelings of self-consciousness and intimidation. You'll both learn together, have fun, and be a source of support for each other. And in time, you'll be comfortable enough to go on your own.

Don't Fear Failure

Again, everyone starts somewhere. You may think that everyone else in the gym knows how to do things correctly, but at some point they were exactly where you are, the beginning. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Take A Class

Most gyms offer a variety of classes to target a wide range of needs. Joining one is a great opportunity to be with others, and to ease the monotony of doing the same workout routine every day.

Music Is Your Friend

Not only can music help take your workouts to the next level, it also enables you to “hide” (behind a set of headphones) if you're still feeling a little shy about the experience.

Wear Comfortable Clothes

Don't wear workout clothes that may be in style but that you aren't comfortable wearing during workouts. Always be as comfortable as possible so you can focus on getting the most out of each workout.

Again, it's perfectly natural to feel uncomfortable when joining a gym for the first time. But following the above tips, and asking for the help of trainers and staff like those at the Downtown Athletic Club in Amarillo, can make the transition easy.