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We all know it’s great exercise, but how many calories does walking burn? Read on to learn more about walking calories from your friends at Jack City Fitness — we’re experts!

Are Calories Burned by Walking?

For most of us, walking is a daily activity, whether it’s around the house, around town, or as a form of exercise. If you are interested in fitness, you might wonder about calories burned from walking and whether walking itself has any benefits. 

We have great news for you: walking is a fantastic way to get your blood flowing and even clear your head. It’s also a great way to promote joint health and leg strength. And while it’s less intensive than some forms of exercise (like running or HIIT), it’s a bonafide calorie burner! 

That said, walking is not a “one size fits all” type of workout. The number of calories you burn on a walk will depend on many factors, like your own body weight, the pace or speed you maintain, and the amount of time or distance spent moving. Specific stats, like calories burned per mile walking, will depend on these factors.

Time and Activity: How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking?

As we mentioned above, there is not just one answer to the question. Everybody has different paces and circumstances that affect their calorie-burning rate while walking. However, you can find a ballpark number if you crunch a few numbers; there are lots of apps and athletic calculators that show how many calories you burn on a miles-per-hour basis. Your fitness coach will also be able to help you figure this out. 

In the meantime, consider the following example as a guideline:

Let’s say you weigh 140 pounds. You go for a three-mile walk to your friend’s house and it takes you an hour. You’ll burn four calories a minute during this stroll, or 224 in an hour. However, that same walk would burn more calories if you weighed 200 pounds. In that case, at five calories per minute, you’d burn upwards of 300 by the time you got to your friend’s place. 

How Many Calories Do You Burn Walking a Mile?

So, how many calories can you burn walking a mile? 

As with determining your walking calories per hour, the rate at which you burn while walking will depend on your weight and pace. It’s also important to remember that outdoor walks vary greatly in terms of terrain and weather! An hour’s walk through the hilly streets of San Francisco will use far more calories than a level stroll through downtown Denver, just like trekking upwind through the snow against a heavy wind is going to be a much more physical experience than an hour at the mall. All of these elements make an enormous difference to calories burned by walking a mile. 

Curious about how to learn your exact number? If you downloaded an app to calculate your overall calorie-burning rate, you can use that to determine a general rate per mile. And remember, if you have any questions, we’re here to help!

Does Walking in Place Burn Calories?

With all this talk of mileage, it makes sense that many athletes wonder whether they can burn calories while walking in place, like on a treadmill or elliptical machine. After all, not everybody loves the unpredictable nature of outdoor exercise—especially during the height of a humid summer or icy winter! 

Fear not—while outdoor walks are great tools for calorie burning, they aren’t the only ways. Plenty of athletes prefer to do their walking indoors on a piece of equipment or utilize a combination of the two.

A few reasons why so many athletes prefer indoor walking (or a hybrid):

Several external elements affect calories burned from walking. By walking on a piece of fitness equipment rather than outdoors, you are giving yourself a more controlled environment to work out and burn calories. Things like wind and weather, incline, or type of terrain won’t play into the experience, making it easier for you to create a solid routine with results you can count on. 

An enormous plus of workout machines: they’re machines! Unlike rugged outdoor terrain, workout machines were designed to suit thousands of different athletic abilities and needs. Most walking machines, like the treadmill or elliptical, allow athletes to enter their weight, choose a difficulty level, or even input their heart rate using sensors. These options allow athletes to create a workout experience that suits their own unique needs. 

Indoor exercise is weatherproof—and that suits most athletes. Sure, some diehard runners or walkers will happily hit the road during a thunderstorm, heatwave, or blizzard. However, many of us don’t feel that way—and that’s okay! Inclement weather is a perfectly valid reason for not wanting to take a walk outside. Indoor walking machines like treadmills give athletes another option, even if their go-to is generally outside.  

how many calories does walking burn

What’s The Most Effective Piece of Equipment for Peak Walking Calories?

While much of this still comes down to specific circumstances, we can’t write a whole article about walking calories without mentioning our personal favorite: the Woodway treadmill. Benefits of this particular machine, known for its unique curved shape, are tenfold: 

How many calories can you burn walking on a Woodway treadmill? According to its creators, a lot! They report that their treadmill helps athletes burn up to 30% more calories than they would on similar pieces of equipment. This is due to the intense, full-body workout its curved bottom offers. 

As we mentioned above, the Woodway features a special curved design. This unique shape both encourages proper form for walking and running too. In fact, some physical therapy centers use these machines for rehabilitation. 

One of the coolest things about the Woodway treadmill is that you don’t need to press any buttons or choose any complicated programs. Instead, the machine works with the athlete; the belt will slow down if your pace does, and it will ramp up if you go faster. That means it grows with you as your athletic prowess soars!

If you’re hoping to burn some extra calories, High-Intensity Interval Training activities, or HIIT, might be a way to reach your goals. The Woodway can help with this! Its ability to match athletic speed makes it a great choice for the short, intense bursts of exercise that define HIIT. 

Just because you want to work out inside doesn’t mean you don’t love nature. If you care about keeping green, the Woodway is a great piece of equipment to use. After all, it doesn’t require any electricity!

Are There Any Boise Gyms With Woodway Treadmills?

You bet! At Jack City Fitness, Woodway treadmills are among the many innovative and popular pieces of workout equipment on offer. We know our athletes deserve the very best. 

Will I Lose Weight from Walking?

Sure. However, for healthy and long lasting weight loss, it’s important to think of things on a “long-term” scale. The best way to do this? By developing and keeping healthy changes to your lifestyle: exercise, nutrition, the whole shebang! We recommend working with a dedicated fitness coach and/or nutritional counselor to find the appropriate tools for your unique goals, fitness level, and background. A professional will help you stay accountable, safe, and confident as you move forward with your fitness journey. 

Ready to start that fitness journey? We’re waiting for you at Jack City Fitness! We’d love to have you over for a FREE fitness consultation—and we’re more than happy to let you jump onto one of our Woodways to see what the fuss is all about. While you’re here, you’re also welcome to peek into one of our classes, chat with our coaches, and ask us any questions. We have everything that a Boise athlete needs to succeed and meet their goals, whether it’s more calories burned from walking, a new outlook on nutrition, accountability buddies, or first-class equipment!

To get started, call us at (208) 999-1111. We can’t wait to show you our gym and help you smash those goals!

At Jack City, we’re superfans of barefoot running shoes—and we bet you will be, too. Wearing minimalist footwear (like barefoot athletic shoes) can help improve posture and alignment, and that’s only the beginning. Check out our guide to the benefits of barefoot shoes today!

If the best part of your day is removing your shoes, this blog is for you. Minimalist footwear has become increasingly accessible here in the United States; several brands have even developed their own lines of “barefoot shoes.” These low-key kicks are well-loved in many circles, but they’ve become especially popular amongst athletes—our own Jack City coaches included! We spoke to our team about their own relationships with minimalist barefoot footwear, and they were happy to share their thoughts with you all.

First of All, What Is Minimalist Footwear?

The term “minimalist” gets a lot of traction these days, but it has a very specific meaning when referring to athletic footwear. In fact, the concept of minimalist footwear has actually been a somewhat contentious one in the athletic community. As it’s gained popularity, many have argued over what defines a minimalist shoe.

Rather than leave it ambiguous, a team of pros at Laval University worked with 42 experts from around the globe to clear up this question of definition. The results, which were published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, showed a comprehensive index of criteria that revolved around five important aspects:

Technicalities aside, minimalist footwear is generally recognized by one major aspect: it allows you to enjoy a feeling of being “barefoot” despite wearing shoes. These shoes are designed to include less cushioning than regular footwear; they also feature a roomier toe box and thinner soles. They are often used for athletic walking or running.

Are Barefoot Shoes Good for Your Feet?

Lots of professional athletes swear by their minimalist running footwear—our team members included! These days, the Jack City crew is frequently discussing the many benefits of barefoot shoes.

Our own Tim Perry explained it to us perfectly, saying, “A few years ago, I started walking around barefoot as much as possible to increase the small muscles of my feet and it has benefited them tremendously. After getting advice on barefoot shoes and making the switch my feet have felt great and I have not dealt with lower back pain. It’s hard to ever want to go back…If I were to go back in time and teach myself, I would tell myself to go barefoot whenever I could and invest in barefoot minimalist shoes.”

Some of our favorite benefits of barefoot shoes include:

Our own Preston Grayem can speak to this experience personally. As he accounts, “It was during this first year that I had noticed my other shoes were starting to not fit anymore, not just in width, but in length. Later when trying to buy new “normal” shoes, I had grown in almost two shoe sizes.”

Says our own Rachel Weber, “I now work out barefoot 90% of the time. I love gripping the floor and feeling all the bones and joints in my ankle and feet when I’m doing any movement. There is something really empowering about it.”

Matt Nader agrees, saying, “The human foot contains 33 joints. Modern footwear is essentially a cast that immobilizes many of these joints, eventually fusing them together. People’s feet are becoming narrower and less mobile, which is inhibiting their ability to generate force through their feet. I like to do as many workouts as I can barefoot. When that is not possible, a minimalist-style shoe paired with toe socks is the next best thing.”

What Are the Best Minimalist Footwear Brands?

As more athletes become interested in wearing minimalist running footwear, an increasing amount of brands have developed their own lines of barefoot shoes. Our favorite is by far VIVOBAREFOOT!

VIVOBAREFOOT has been making minimalist footwear for nearly a decade. Today, they ship their beloved barefoot shoes worldwide and have several lines for athletes to choose from. We love their high-quality products and extensive collections; customers can choose from Outdoor, Active, and Everyday shoes. They even feature a fully vegan shoe line.

Our Jack City coaches agree—several of our crew members rock VIVOs on the regular! Says Alicia Parker, “I am a huge fan of VIVOBAREFOOT as I believe the shoe wears like iron. VIVOBAREFOOT sells a wide range of shoes from hiking [and] running [to] casual shoes, making it a one-stop shop to find all footwear. Besides the products, VIVOBAREFOOT provides amazing content and education in regard to foot health, sustainability, events, and more. Not opposed to trying another brand…but I love the brand Vivobarefoot has created.”

Put Your Minimalist Running Footwear to Good Use!

Ready to try your own barefoot workout? You’ll be in great company at Jack City. Our crew is always here to talk fitness, athletic footwear, and goals—and we’re waiting for you to join the party. All you need to do is sign up to become a partner. To do that, simply ring (208) 999-1111 or shoot us a message online. We’ll invite you to our Boise gym for a FREE fitness consultation with our team. You can also use this time to explore our site, meet our stellar coaches, and even peek into one of our famous classes. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have instant 24/7 access to our entire facility.

We can’t wait to see you and help you meet your goals!

 

SOURCES:
https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a20850550/what-is-a-minimalist-shoe/
https://jfootankleres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13047-015-0094-5
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalist_shoe

Looking to add something new to your daily workout routine? Resistance band workouts are some of the most popular out there—and for good reason. Read on to learn why the Jack City team swears by resistance band training—and how they can help you step up your athletic game.

What Do Resistance Bands Do?

Resistance training is highly regarded in the athletic community, thanks to its ability to hone athletic skill and increase athletic power. It’s also popular for its sheer flexibility: this is not a workout that requires loads of fancy equipment. Resistance workouts focus on working your body against a physical force, and though this force can range from machinery to body weight, many athletes choose to use resistance bands.

Though size, strength, and length will differ, resistance bands are generally made from a thick rubber material. They are used in both athletic and therapeutic exercises.

The way that resistance bands work is relatively straightforward: when a resisting force comes up against your workout, your body uses more muscles to complete your actions. This helps strengthen your bones and muscles. Many athletes choose resistance bands over other weighted forces for several reasons:

Do Resistance Bands Build Muscle?

They sure do! Regardless of what type of resistance band training you engage in, you’re going to be giving your muscles a great workout. Plenty of athletes rely on resistance band workouts to target and build their muscle strength. Many specialized workouts target specific muscle groups and areas, and all of them rely on a resistance band.

Unsure of how to use resistance bands? There are countless exercises and varieties for you to choose from. It helps to think about which muscle groups you wish to strengthen or target and then work with a coach on performing resistance exercises that utilize these areas. To get you started, we’ve listed a few of our favorites:

Which Muscles Do You Want to Target?

I Want to Work My: Back
Why Not Try: Resistance Band Deadlifts
How-To: To perform a basic resistance band deadlift, begin by looping the handles of your resistance band around each foot, and then planting yourself into a nice wide stance. Arch your back, stick out your bottom, and use the band to pull yourself up to a standing position. Keep your back in that arched position, rather than bent forward, as you rise up—this is important!

I Want to Work My: Arms
Why Not Try: Bow and Arrow
How-To: To perform a bow and arrow, begin with one side of your band in each hand, an engaged core and your feet planted hip-width apart. Bring your hands up to the height of your chest. Extend your left arm out to the side. Bring your right elbow back toward your right side, as if you were actually pulling a bowstring. Repeat on the other side.

I Want to Work My: Legs
Why Not Try: Hip Bridges
How-To: This exercise works both your hamstrings and your glutes. To perform, begin by laying on your back with your resistance band looped just above your knees or below your thighs. Keep your feet planted on the ground. Engage your core and use your heels to lift your body off the floor, starting with the pelvis. You should end up with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. While you do this, push your knees into the resistance band—this will keep them in the right position. Then bring yourself back to the floor.

I Want to Work My: Core
Why Not Try: Knee Pulls
How-To: A strong core will make all your other workouts just that much easier! Begin by climbing into the same position you would use to do a push-up. One end of your resistance band should be in each hand, and the middle bit should be looped around your right foot. Engage your core, and then bring your right knee up towards your chest with the heel pressed back. When you do this, round your back upwards. Bring your foot down to your starting position. Repeat with the other leg.

How Effective Are Resistance Band Workouts?

Most athletes find that resistance band workouts are highly effective and produce excellent results. Combined with a dedicated workout routine, realistic goals for results, and the drive to succeed, a simple resistance band can take an athlete far.

To make the most out of your resistance band workout, we recommend that you take a strength training class or work with a fitness coach. This will allow you to develop a routine that works with your unique set of strengths and skills while ensuring that you always use proper form and technique!

Do Resistance Bands Work for Everyone?

Some fitness beginners shy away from resistance band training, assuming that it requires years of experience to use.

Resistance band training is actually an excellent form of exercise for beginners, though seasoned athletes also benefit from these routines. Resistance bands lend themselves to many activities and exercises. Whether you want to include resistance bands in your daily HIIT routine as your preferred method of training on the go, or you want to target specific muscle groups, this straightforward piece of equipment will help you meet your goals.

Resistance Band Strength Training at Jack City Fitness

Resistance bands are only some of the many pieces of athletic equipment offered to our partners at Jack City Fitness. Our athletes can work with a selection of the latest fitness machinery, from Woodway treadmills to special resistance bands. Better still, they also have the chance to work with elite athletes from all across Boise—all of whom are pros when it comes to resistance band training and techniques. Our fitness coaches are well-versed in many fitness theories, techniques, and styles, from strength training to nutrition coaching and everything in between.

We also offer an always-growing selection of dynamic athletic classes, where fitness lovers of all levels can learn new skills, hone old ones, and meet like-minded peers. Some of our most popular classes include a women’s-only Ladies HIIT Squad, Kinstretch classes for increased range of motion, and an exclusive Faith and Fitness class, which combines spiritual and physical well-being! We also offer custom classes and training sessions for those who can’t make it to our gym in-person or who want to organize private training sessions for a group.

If you’re ready to hone your athletic game, Jack City Fitness is the place to be. Get in touch with our team today by calling (208) 999-1111 or sending us a message online. We’ll invite you to our Boise fitness center for a full tour of our facility and a FREE fitness consultation! While you’re here, you’re welcome to come and check out a class, meet our team, and see what we’re all about! Once you decide to become a partner, we’ll get you signed up right away—that way, you’ll be able to immediately access all of our amenities. Jack City partners are allowed 24/7 access to our gym facility and can choose from many training and class options.

Come and join us today! We can’t wait to support you and see you grow as an athlete.

 

SOURCES:

If you’re struggling to find the motivation to get fit, you’re not alone. Overcoming workout burnout can be tricky business—but we’re here to help. With your Jack City Fitness friends at your side, you can learn how to stay motivated to work out as well as learn to spot the telltale workout burnout symptoms. We’re here to help you become the best athlete you can be!

Why Am I Struggling with Fitness Motivation?

Working out is fun, it’s good for you, and it’s something that enhances the lives of millions of people…but motivation is a tricky thing. There are plenty of things that we enjoy and know are beneficial for us, but have trouble pushing ourselves to do sometimes. Some activities, like working out, cooking, seeing friends, or even reading—all acts of pleasure—can feel overwhelming when you’re experiencing a sensation called “burnout.” Once an activity becomes overwhelming and causes burnout, it can be difficult to scrounge up the motivation to actually perform that task, even if it’s something you usually enjoy.

When it comes to fitness, burnout is entirely possible. After all, working out and exercising is healthy, but an excessive amount can lead to both physical and mental exhaustion. Though it might seem like a good idea to push oneself beyond the physical limit, working out in this manner can certainly cause exhaustion and burnout. When that happens, your hard work almost becomes counterintuitive; you end up tapping out. But how does one find the balance between working hard and overworking?

What Are Some Workout Burnout Symptoms?

If you’ve been struggling with a workout routine you previously adored, you might be suffering from workout burnout. Do any of these symptoms sound familiar to you?

How Do I Regain My Workout Motivation?

If you think you are suffering from workout burnout, fear not! This is not a lifelong problem. You just need some time to focus on self-care so you can heal from your burnout and regain your workout motivation. Wondering how to do that? We’ve got you covered with some of our top tips on banishing burnout and finding fitness motivation:

Does the Jack City Team Have Any Workout Motivation Tips?

We sure do. Every coach on our team has their own unique viewpoint and set of skills that have helped hundreds of Jack City partners get motivated! After all, our coaches are here because they love fitness and have a deep passion for sharing their skills and knowledge with our partners.

Partners? Don’t You Mean “Members!?”

Nope! We’ve always thought the term “members” felt a bit dismissive toward gymgoers. After all, this isn’t a club. We aren’t exclusive here. In the true spirit of sportsmanship, we believe that a gym is a haven for everybody. That’s why, when a new athlete decides to come work out with us, we make them an official Jack City Partner. That way, there’s no “us” or “them.” Instead, we’re all in this together to support one another, help each other find motivation, and learn more about what unites us: fitness!

If you’re ready to meet our amazing coaches and see why Boise athletes LOVE Jack City Fitness, give us a call today. We’ll invite you over to our fitness center for a FREE fitness consultation and tour, as well as the chance to pop into our classes and meet our staff. Whether you want to try working with a nutritional counselor, a fitness coach, or just enjoy our 24-7 facility, we’re here to make that happen. Let’s get motivated together!

 

There are plenty of articles and techniques out there to help people quit a habit, whether it’s smoking, biting nails, swearing, or incessantly apologizing. However, there are far fewer resources detailing how to establish a new habit. Perhaps this is because the “bad habits” we listed above seem to happen effortlessly. If only the same could be said for healthy habits, like drinking water, eating well, and exercising.

 

Looking after your health feels good, but it can also be a lot of work. The world we live in is partially to blame: modern society has made bad habits feel a lot easier to access than good ones. Take food, for instance. Cooking takes time, but pizza is instant – and as a result, picking up takeout after work becomes a habit. The same goes for commuting. Sure, you can walk, but taking an Uber will give you an extra hour of sleep; soon it becomes your routine. These simple fixes make life easier in the moment but can lead to poor health, which isn’t easy to live with at all. 

 

When it comes to working out, many people face this same dilemma: they enjoy exercise and its results, but struggle to incorporate it into their routine. Days, weeks, and even months can go by without a gym visit or a dedicated day of exercise. 

 

When you finally do exercise, you wonder why you waited this long. The answer is, of course, is that you haven’t made it into a habit.

 

Creating a Healthy Habit

If you’d like to make your next “hard to break habit” a healthy one, working out and looking after your physical health is a great idea. But before we delve into some ideas for creating healthy workout habits, let’s talk about the actual process of developing a routine. 

 

The scientific world has seen a significant amount of discussion about this very topic – for a long time, folks said that any habit could be built in 21 days. That may be true for some small habits, but for larger ones, 21 days might just be the jumping-off point. More recent studies suggest that a more realistic number would be 66 days – that’s just over two months.

 

We recently watched a Netflix series where a character tries to start jogging in order to improve his life. Another runner notices him struggling and tells him, “It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day. That’s the hard part. But it does get easier.”  

 

We love this quote because it can apply to so many things in life. It’s very true – and it certainly applies to what we’re covering today. Building a habit takes dedication, but since you’re here, we know you have plenty of that!

 

Here are a few tips for developing healthy habitual workout habits – and getting into the right mindset to do so. 

 

 

 

Everybody needs goals. Whether they’re beginning a fitness journey, starting a new job, beginning a new project, or even embarking on a new relationship, having a vision and goal to work for will give order and direction to your process. 

 

You already have one goal: making exercise a habit, not a chore or an extra activity. You want to seamlessly thread it into your life, right? That’s a fantastic start. Now, let’s set a few more goals to help make that happen.

 

If you’re unsure of which fitness goals to set, that’s okay. Take some time to reflect. Imagine yourself in the future, working out every day as effortlessly as you feed your cat or make your morning coffee. Maybe you see yourself, super fit, in yoga clothes – perhaps your goal can be to master five poses by the end of the year. Or, maybe you see pecs and barbells – your goal can be lifting a certain amount of weight. Eventually, it will become a habit, you’ll be in amazing shape, and everything will be worth it. 

 

Your Mindset Mantra: There is a future that I want, and I can take steps to make it happen.

 

 

 

Working with a buddy or a coach can be a great way to make working out a habit. Be very clear about which goals you’ve established and let them know that it’s crucial for you to make your workout routine a habit. On days that you don’t feel like hitting the gym, or want to blow it off for other plans, you’ll need to answer to them! This will hold you more accountable for your workout, leading you to cancel only when it’s really necessary.

 

Your Mindset Mantra: Cancelling gym plans won’t only affect me – my actions have power.

 

 

 

If working out is new or intimidating to you, that’s completely okay. It’s still something you can make into a habit! The key is to set goals that are realistic for you. 

 

Don’t push yourself into something you’re not ready for – start small. You can build your way up to longer hours, more reps, and more intensive workouts down the line. For now, focus on laying down the foundation, nailing technique, and building the habits.

 

Your Mindset Mantra: I am building the foundation of my future.

 

 

 

You keep hearing that swimming laps is a great way to work your body, but you detest the smell of chlorine, hate the feeling of your hair being wet, and have a slight (and totally legit) fear of a shark snapping at your foot while you work. Just because swimming is good for you doesn’t mean it’s the right workout for you. If you don’t enjoy your workout – or even dread it – it’s never going to become a habit. 

 

Choose a workout that excites you, makes you feel great, and meshes with your body and lifestyle. That could mean one-on-one training sessions, joining a sports team or activity club, taking a class, or embarking on a solo workout journey. 

 

This is also an excellent opportunity to reflect. Think back; are there any forms of movement or sport that you find interesting? What sports did you like as a child? If you spent your childhood fascinated by ballet performances, perhaps a dance class in order. If you lived and breathed soccer, maybe it’s time to join an intramural team. Remember, no matter what you choose, a good fitness center will have staff members to help you train or get in shape for most of those activities.

 

Your Mindset Mantra: I am working out because I enjoy the activity.

 

  1. Stick With It

Let’s say that your first habit goal is to do a half-hour of yoga stretches every morning before you start your day. That’s your new rule, so don’t let yourself be flexible about it unless you have a legitimate reason. That might mean not snoozing your alarm some mornings, even if you want to. Holding yourself accountable and refusing to make excuses will lead you to make healthier choices in other aspects of your life, too. 

 

If you wake up feeling grouchy one morning but still do your stretches, it probably won’t be the most enjoyable workout of your life, but you’ll likely feel a little better after you’re done. The next day, when you wake up in a better mood, you’ll be glad that you didn’t break your streak. 

 

Your Mindset Mantra: I will not listen to the voice in my head telling me to be lazy.

 

 

 

By now, you’re probably seeing why our very first tip was “set a goal.” It plays a role in all of our other suggestions. Aren’t you glad you took the time to think of some for yourself?

 

When you set those goals, you visualized a healthier version of yourself. On the days where you don’t feel like working out, reflect on that visualization and goal. It will likely inspire you to get moving – and will hopefully remind you that you’ve already made strides.

 

Your Mindset Mantra: The person I want to become is waiting for me in the future – I can do this!

 

 

 

Social media is filled with “fitspiration” content. Whether you feel like following  fitness influencers, pinning your favorite activewear, or watching your favorite YouTube athlete, you’ll be bound to find new ideas to try and goals for yourself. You might even want to make yourself a vision board to look back on when you need an extra push. 

 

Your Mindset Mantra: People just like me have hit their goals, and so can I.

 

 

 

For some of us, everything’s better with company. If you prefer to have a friend by your side while you go about your daily routine – whether that’s walking your dog or grocery shopping – you might find that a workout buddy suits you. As we spoke of earlier, there’s the accountability factor, but that’s not all. Exercising with a friend opens the entire experience for you!

 

Working out with a friend can make the experience more enjoyable and encourage you to engage with more enthusiasm. You can take a class together, hit the gym at the same time, or start hiking or biking as a pair. This gives you a support system, which will in turn allow you to try new things in an environment that makes you feel safe. You can also turn to each other for advice, emotional support, or send each other funny workout memes, too – at its core, this is a friendship that evolved from a shared fitness goal. 

 

Here’s an idea we love: create a fun “post-workout” habit with your gym buddy. Maybe that means enjoying a protein shake at your favorite cafe after sessions. Maybe you head to your place together to watch an episode of a shared show. Whatever you choose, having a fun post-workout plan with your bud will make your gym sesh all the more enticing. 

 

Your Mindset Mantra: Working out with my friend is a highlight of my week.

 

 

 

It’s midnight on a Friday night.  You’ve decided that tomorrow, you’re going to be healthier. You pat yourself on the back and go to bed, convinced that you will wake up on time, exercise, eat a healthy breakfast, do errands, clean, catch up with a friend, and cook a nourishing dinner all before making a cup of herbal tea and diving into an award-winning novel before a 10 p.m. bedtime. The morning comes and none of that happens. Not even the gym. 

 

Break the “skip the gym” habit by creating new ones and planning in advance. Write your plans down. Be tough on yourself. You can handle it. Set multiple alarms so you cannot snooze. Set your gym clothes out. Tell your coach to expect you at the gym at a particular time. Buy the ingredients for your healthy meals – you won’t want to waste them. Even invite someone over for dinner, so you can’t make excuses to not cook.

 

  Plan. You might not keep all of them, but you’re likely to keep more.

 

Your Mindset Mantra: Once my plans are made, I cannot break them unless it’s an emergency.

 

 

 

A support network is the most important gift you can give yourself during any major journey, whether that’s your personal fitness, learning a new skill, moving somewhere new, or anything else that you choose to do with your life.

 

At Jack City Fitness, we’re here to be your fitness circle. With a team of passionate fitness and nutrition coaches, supportive teachers, and a network of friendly partners to work out with, Jack City is Boise’s number one spot to make fitness a lifelong habit. 

 

With us, gym-goers become our partners – and they get all sorts of perks. Gym access is 24/7 at Jack City Fitness, so whether you want to hit the treadmill before your morning commute or lift weights after your 3 a.m. shift finishes, we’ll be waiting for you. You also have access to engaging classes, coaching options, and brand-new equipment to ensure that your fitness journey is an excellent one. 

 

Ready to make some new healthy habits? Get in touch with our team today by calling (208) 999-1111 and we’ll invite you to our Boise facility to see what we’re all about. You can even try a free fitness consultation – it might inspire you to peek into one of our classes or meet a few of our coaches. 

Your Mindset Mantra: At Jack City, I always have a safe space to work on my health.

Let’s think back to this past December. Whether you rang in the New Year by popping champagne bottles at the club or cooking an elegant meal for an intimate dinner party, the same, universal New Years’ topic was likely discussed—resolutions.

Everyone’s resolutions are entirely different, as they depend on you and your personal goals. For some, 2019 was going to be a year of learning something new, like a foreign language, musical instrument, or useful skill. For others, a new year is an opportunity to drop a “bad habit,” like nail biting, smoking, or swearing. Meanwhile, others spend their New Years Eves making nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle changes to make the coming year the healthiest yet. Did you make any resolutions? If yes, what were they?

Now, let’s fast forward back to today. The sun is shining, the flowers are in full bloom, and those winter nights of late 2018 feel like another lifetime. However, it’s 2019—how are those resolutions going?

If your honest answer is “not so well,” you’re certainly not alone. Resolutions may sound simple to accomplish amidst the giddy excitement of a midnight countdown and rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne, but in application they take a lot of work. After all, we don’t live in a perfect world—things happen, and executing New Year’s resolutions don’t always take priority.

Even if you’ve made it halfway through the year without working on your resolutions, there’s no reason to leave them behind. It’s not too late to get back on track and stick to those promises you made to yourself back in December.

Take Small Steps Daily

Any goal can feel overwhelming if you’re looking at it as a whole. By breaking your resolution down into small, manageable steps, you’ll find it much easier to tackle.

What did you resolve to do this year?

To Learn a New Skill

Did you go into 2019 with grand dreams of mastering a skill? Whether you were hoping to speak French like a Parisian, drive a manual car, or do a perfect set of push-ups, it’s entirely possible to achieve in small steps daily—even if you haven’t done much about it yet. That’s fine—you can get started today!


For any new skill, the key to success is in repetition. This is something that can be—and should be—accomplished in manageable, small steps daily.

A few tips?

We’re nearing the end of an incredible decade. Over the past ten years, we’ve seen technology advance in leaps and bounds. These incredible advances are helpful in countless ways—seriously, can you even remember what it what like trying to navigate a city before having GPS on your phone?

For language learning, there are plenty of applications that allow users to practice small amounts of words and phrases on a daily basis, like Duolingo. For those looking to hone their fitness skills, there are high-quality programs that can be done online.

Let’s say your resolution was to be able to do a perfect rep of 50 push-ups. On day one of your resolution work, you might be tempted to test your endurance and try all 30 in one go. You might succeed, but that could actually hinder your progress.

Why’s that? If you start your work towards your perfect push-up set at full-blast, you might find yourself skipping a crucial step—honing your first push-up. This goes for any skill, but it’s especially important for fitness goals. Quality is so much more important than quantity here. Once you are confident about performing a push-up safely and correctly, then you can work towards doing large and impressive sets.

Routine is so important. Once you get into the habit of practicing anything on a daily basis, whether it’s driving a car, working out, or playing the guitar, it will become a part of your routine, like brushing your teeth or making coffee. After a while, you won’t even need to think about it, you’ll just do it—and you’ll improve every single time.

To Get Into Better Shape and be Healthier

When you made your resolution, switching to a healthier and more active lifestyle seemed easy. Maybe you even wanted to hit a certain fitness or weight goal by summertime. You were going to start a new, healthy nutrition plan, find a good gym (and coach), and start crafting your dream body. However, it was a long winter. Now, you haven’t been staying on track at all— and you’re nowhere near your goal. Don’t you worry—it’s easy to get back into the right pace, but it helps with these handy tips:

If you’re planning to start a new fitness regime, it’s okay to take it slow when you begin. Sure, plenty of people are able to dedicate hours to their workout—but they have likely been training for quite some time. It’s perfectly reasonable to start out by doing shorter periods of exercise on a daily basis. Soon enough, you’ll find longer stretches of workout time will come to you much more naturally.

If a stressful or busy event causes you to accidentally miss your daily workout, that’s okay. Many people take this as a “sign” that their new fitness routine is too difficult to maintain, or they use it as an excuse to also let their healthy eating habits fall to the wayside.

Alternately, eating something that you’ve been avoiding for health reasons, whether that’s sugar or processed food, is not a reason to throw your entire nutrition plan down the toilet. It’s not going to ruin all your progress if you slip up every now and again—but it will if you let that stop your routine.

Explore Instagram and other social media platforms for fitness and nutrition experts that inspire you. They often post about their daily routines and hacks that help them stay on track, even in little ways. It’s a great way to personalize your own routine—just pick and mix all your favorite tips!

Remind Yourself Why You Decided to Make this Resolution

Maybe you wanted to get in shape to walk down the aisle at your own wedding this summer. Perhaps you were hoping to learn guitar so you can finally put those lyrics you’ve been writing to music. Chances are, your goals for the year come from a deeper reason.

Whether your New Year’s resolution was to stop swearing (around your toddler, who is newly repeating and saying everything), find a job that you love (after quitting your previous, slightly soul-sucking one for moral reasons), or finally kicking your smoking habit (per the gentle request of a concerned partner), you chose to go for it because its results were important to you.

To help yourself stay inspired and motivated, it can help to make yourself a physical reminder of your goals. A few ways to do this?

If your resolution was to eat healthier and find a better fitness routine, what results did you have in mind? Many of us are hoping to look their best in their summer wardrobes and bathing suits. Some people like to visualize these goals by making physical “vision boards.” These could include photographs or some bathing suits and summer outfits you’d like to wear, and beaches you’d like to visit.

Why did you choose your goal? Instead of just thinking about the reasons, physically list out all of the things that you’ll be able to do once you complete your goal. Instead of just reading it, however, use it as a checklist. Every time you do one of these things for the first time (like have an entire conversation in French, drive on a highway by yourself, or run a mile without feeling stopping), you can check it off and feel proud of yourself.

Chances are, somebody has embarked on a similar path to you and had common goals. Do a bit of research about some articles, books, interviews, or quotes from these people—you might find yourself especially inspired to continue on.

Find an Accountability Buddy

If there’s somebody else who knows about your intentions, you’re more likely to follow through with them. This is doubly true if you actually ask them to hold you accountable—and it’s even better if they are working on similar goals, so you can do the same for them.

A few ideas?

If your accountability buddy lives in the same city as you, it helps to work on your goals in tandem. For instance, if both you and your pal are hoping to treat your bodies better and enhance your fitness and self-confidence, it makes sense to hit the gym together. Some fitness centers even offer special team coaching sessions.

Have a no-nonsense friend who always tells it like it is? They’re the perfect person to go to if you want to help kick a habit. Have them take fifty cents from you every time you swear, bite your nails, or perform another habit you’re trying to kick. Just don’t avoid them in order to indulge the habit!

You don’t need to live in the same place as your friend to hold each other accountable. A daily text message asking for and sharing progress can be an incredible motivator.

Set Deadlines

If you perform well under pressure, this tip is especially well-suited for you. Setting deadlines for your goals might feel a bit demanding, but it pays off when it increases your motivation instead of letting your efforts drop off. This can work in quite a few ways:

Have an upcoming wedding, festival, party, or other social event? Use that to your advantage— it can help you accomplish your goals. That can mean fitting into a dress or tux in your goal size, having finished a project that you can then tell others about at the event, or being able to say that you went through the entire festival without a cigarette.

Many resolutions are lifelong goals. It’s a nice idea to “check in” with yourself as the seasons change.

You’ve worked hard, and you definitely deserve some self-care that reflects everything you’ve done to achieve your goals and resolutions. So, if you’ve spent months working out to sculpt your dream body, bring yourself on vacation to show it off. If you finally quit ciggies, get a nice new haircut and outfit to celebrate that they won’t smell like smoke. If you finished your novel, throw yourself a party! You deserve to reflect on your hard work and feel rewarded for it.

Just Show Up

It might seem almost too simple, but the easiest step of accomplishing any goal is simply showing up. Come to the gym, even when it’s raining. Do your language homework, or go to rehearsal, or keep on studying. Show up, don’t give up, and eventually, your goals will feel closer and closer.
Your goals have never been more within reach at Jack City Fitness. With both in-house and online courses, our partnerships offer a healthier lifestyle for anybody—not just Boise locals. Our passionate coaches run an impressive array of services, from personal training to nutrition skills to group classes. It’s our goal to help you maintain your goals and completely nail your resolutions—no matter what time of year it may be. We’re open 24 hours, and we’re always here for you—winter, spring, summer, or fall. Get in touch with us today about partnering up with our unique fitness center—we can’t wait to help you find the best routine to meet your goals!

Imagine an Olympic runner on the biggest stage of his career, getting ready, comfortable in his blocks and focusing on the race ahead of him. He’s looking around at his competition; he’s beat them all before. He’s trained long and hard and feels ready for this moment. The race is called to the line. READY, SET…BANG!! The gun goes off and the runners explode out of their starting positions. This particular runner executes a fantastic start and pushes as hard as he can, and though all his effort is exhausted, he comes to a 3rd place finish just .08 seconds from taking the Olympic Gold Medal. This exact same situation happens to some of the greatest runners and athletes across the world. The smallest margin can create the difference between complete success or failure.

 

What’s the difference between those margins? Athletes at such a high level of conditioning and strength put in hours and hours of training and work to achieve their physical abilities. What could they possibly do more to get the advantage over their competition. Is it just luck from day to day? Is it just moments of greatness that they have no control over?

 

The difference is the coach. The importance a coach has to these athletes is beyond what many truly appreciate.

 

A coach brings a variety of benefits to an athlete’s performance, and when properly applied to physical practice, improvements come in a variety of ways. They bring an extra pair of eyes and perspective to the athlete’s technique. They bring analytical expertise to the athletes strategy, experience in tactical and training components to the sport, accountability, and educated advice in strengthening weaknesses.

 

The advantages a coach brings can be scaled down to even the most novice of fitness enthusiasts. Someone who is just beginning their journey to being stronger is going to benefit greatly from someone with more experience adding to their training. Proper coaching from beginning to elite level fitness creates a greater possibility of constant progression, helping avoid plateaus in performance. It is also important for athletes to find coaches that work well with their goals. People respond to certain types of coaching differently. A coach, personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, or martial arts master are all teachers and teach their philosophies in a variety of forms. Though coaches are not meant to be a best friend, people should get along with them, be able to converse about personal issues, stress, accomplishments, and have a professional, yet personal, relationship with them so the type of training can be developed to the needs of the athlete.

 

A coach’s most basic purpose is to teach; they are educators of physical fitness and exercise. A qualified coach has undergone certification classes, college degrees, and other educational experiences that enhance the specialty of the coach. There are many different specialties that coaches can learn about: speed, strength, elderly populations, disease management, weight loss, sports skills, physical therapy, and many others! When you find the right coach, they will teach and educate you about their specialty to help you progress and perfect it.  The education a coach can bring to athletes is a tremendous benefit to progression.

 

Simply said, everyone needs a coach. The benefits they provide come in the form of an outside perspective, an analytical approach to competition and training, their own experiences, and education. All of these things are something that ANYONE can benefit from.

 

Every Day… A Little Stronger

 

Sam Winston,

Strength and Performance Coach