Spring shape-up: Local trainers offer tips for losing that winter weight

Turns out not even fitness instructors are immune from the dread of fitting into a swimsuit after a long winter. Susan Marek is the fitness coordinator for the Chaska Community Center and she admits that she recently delved into her swimsuit collection with some trepidation.

“I looked at last year’s suit wondering, ‘Should I wear this, should I get a new one or should I skip it all together?” she said.

Marek isn’t alone in worrying about how she will feel to don a swimsuit once again. As the weather begins showing signs of a spring warm-up, many hit the gym in the hopes of getting in shape before beach season arrives.

Marek thinks it’s great when people make a conscious decision to change their lives for the better. “Spring is a time of renewal,” she said.

But those heading to the gym to focus on one or two particular body parts could be setting themselves up for failure, she warns.

“Spot reduction doesn’t work,” she said.

“I prefer a holistic approach rather than piecemeal.”

Marek along with Snap Fitness personal trainer Ryan Miller offered some words of advice for those first-time exercisers as well as those first-time-in-a-long-time exercisers.

A plan

Miller said one common mistake a lot of people make is to begin to work out without formal direction.

“You can’t just jump into the gym with no plan of action,” he said in an e-mail. “People will spin their wheels forever if they don’t know exactly what to do in the gym before they step through those doors.”

Scheduling a session with a personal trainer can be one answer for those looking for a plan of attack.

Marek said there are typically three kinds of people they see scheduling personal training sessions at the community center – the person who knows nothing and is intimidated by the gym, the person who needs an appointment on their calendar in order to work out, and the person who wants to increase their fitness level.

For first-timers, a personal trainer can provide a good introduction to the gym environment as well as the equipment.

“The whole first meeting might be about touching the dumbbells or standing in front of the mirror in the free weights area - getting acclimated” she said. “It only takes about two sessions before they own the place.”

Having a sense of comfort where one works out is important, Marek said.

“I call it taking ownership,” she said. “They need to feel like they own that space to be comfortable.”

Once acclimated, Marek said she likes to take it slow with newcomers.

“We want to make sure it doesn’t feel so overwhelming,” she said. “Give the body time to accept this major lifestyle change.”

She usually prescribes four exercises to start – a cardio session to get the heart and lungs working, an exercise for whatever trouble spot the client wishes to work on, a core-strengthening exercise for the abdominals or back and an exercise focusing on the big leg muscles.

Marek recommends that newcomers devote at least one day a week in the gym and two days repeating the exercises at home. Give it three weeks and expect to feel different, she said.

“Establish a habit and pretty soon your body will be telling you it’s got to work out,” she added.

“I recommend similar programs to the newcomers that I do to the long timers,” said Miller. “Start slow, go light at first, take your cardio a little slower, and be sure to give yourself adequate recovery time from resistance training workouts.”

Pain and gain

While Marek aims to take things slow enough so that pain and soreness don’t derail the whole exercise regime, Miller says the old adage “no pain, no gain” is completely true.

“Yes, you’re going to be sore if you are doing things correctly,” he said. “Expect to be sore for a few days after an effective workout, especially the first few times.”

“Soreness means that you caused some stress to your muscles, which will in turn cause positive change during recovery,” he added.

Both Marek and Miller recommend incorporating strength training into a regular workout – even for women.

“Resistance training increases lean body mass, strength, cardiovascular health and bone density,” explained Miller. “If you want to be well-rounded in terms of health, you need to include resistance training in your workout regimen.”

Marek said strength training increases energy and posture. For women especially it can help maintain bone density and strength.

“Every decade we lose 1 to 2 percent of our strength,” she said.

The community center has started a specialized Women and Weights class to help encourage women that weights aren’t just for their male counterparts.

Variety

Marek said that one of the most important pieces of getting in shape is to find something that you enjoy doing.

“It’s all about the joy,” she said.

Marek likes to ask new clients what they like to do and then tailor their exercise plan to that. Even couch potatoes are no match for her.

“You like to sit on the couch and watch TV?” she asked. “I’ve got a recumbent bike with a TV. Let’s start there.”

At the community center, there are a variety of classes to help stave off boredom. From yoga and pilates to aerobics and 5K training, there is an opportunity for everyone to find their “joy” at their own individual ability level.

“Getting in shape doesn’t have to be hard,” agreed Miller. “You just need to focus on what works for real people, not what you see in a magazine.”’

For Marek, getting people to come in and take that first step toward better health is the hardest part.

“Once we get that start though, we have a real opportunity,” she said.

Tips for starting an exercise program

* Find something you enjoy doing

* Incorporate strength training

* Challenge yourself with something new every few weeks

* Don’t expect immediate results. With diligence, change will happen over time.

* Don’t focus on trying to improve trouble areas alone. Work the body as a whole.

 Common mistakes

* Exercising with no plan

* Always zoning out with books, TV, music instead of focusing on the exercise

* Blowing through strength training repetitions too fast and with too little weight

Sources: Susan Marek and Ryan Miller

Local fitness centers

Chaska Community Center

1661 Park Ridge Dr.

(952) 448-3176

www.chaskacommunitycenter.com

Snap Fitness

700 N. Chestnut St.

(952) 448-6500

www.snapfitness.com/chaska

Fitness First

115 E. Second St.

(952) 448-4322

www.fitness-first.org

Curves

2972 N. Chestnut Street

(952) 368-9090

www.curves.com

TELL US: Are you trying to get in shape for summer? Are you a trainer with tips for those starting an exercise regimen?