Guide to pick and choose the right gym

Picking a gym or a health club is an important decision, since it can be the reason to make or break your fitness goals. Many of us have experienced it where we’ve signed up for a gym/health club or a class and never really been able to take advantage of it. So, here is a guide on how to pick and choose the right gym

Location: Very much like real estate, location is key! The location of the gym should be close to your routine locations. What I mean is, if you plan to go to the gym from home, then the closer it is to your home, the lower the chances of you skipping the gym. Whenever we choose a gym that is even a 10 min drive from our house, finding excuses to skip the gym only becomes easier. I personally prefer a gym close to home even if its not as fancy. As long as I make it to the gym regularly, it’s far better than barely going to the fancy gym.

Timings: Timing is the second most important factor. Think about the time of the day, that you work out, or when you would be able to work out, and ensure that the gym provides you adequate cushioning. So, if you hit the gym after work at 8 p.m., then the gym should be open till at least 10 p.m. That way, if you’re late to the gym, you don’t get kicked out at closing time, even though you’re only half way through your workout. Also, check their weekend timings. Some people like working out on the weekends, so they prefer gyms that are open on Sunday also.

Equipment: There are many things to consider in equipment. First, check the condition of the equipment. You don’t need the really fancy equipment, but what is important that the gym equipment (dumbbells, barbells, weights, machines, benches) should be in good shape. Rusted, dirty, old or ill-maintained equipment can cause injuries. Smelly equipment will not exactly motivate you to go to the gym.

Also, consider what kind of equipment you like to use or would like to use. Say you like to use the treadmill and the elliptical. Try them once to ensure that you would enjoy using them. If you use weights, check that they carry the kind of weights you like. If you need 1-3 kg (2-7 lb) dumbbells or barbells, check that they have enough of those, or you’ll be fighting other gym members for them. For us, three pieces of equipment are most important- a wide range of dumbbells, a good treadmill and wide range free weights.

Trainers: If you’re planning to use a trainer, try to meet the person who you’ll be dealing with before you sign up. Personal trainers should be amiable, nice people and should really understand body physiology. In India, many gym trainers are not certified and lack knowledge of body physiology, so they can unknowingly cause harm to your body, instead of helping you get fit. You can ask to check their certification. If that’s not possible, then ask them to do a trial session with you. Talk to them before you finalize. Another important factor with trainers is you should check their availability. If they’re trying to manage 5 people in the gym simultaneously, then you won’t get adequate attention, and a structured fitness program.

Gym Traffic: A really under-considered but critical factor. Ask the gym when their peak hours are and go to the gym at that time before signing up. Many gyms get so over crowded that its impossible to get any equipment to use. Let alone any space to perform your workout. And don’t forget, people sweat in the gym. When they sweat, they can smell. And if its too crowded, then you will be smelling them. Again, not on the list of gym motivators

Gym Membership fees: Last but not the least, is the cost of the gym. Most gyms have a number of plans, ranging from yearly memberships to pay per use options. Consider how often you’ll make it to the gym before really signing up for a big commitment. As an example, a local gym costs rupees 2400 per month. Now, if I make it to the gym 2-3 times a week, that’s approximately 10 times a month. At 2400 rupees a month for 10 visits, it costs me 240 rupees a visit. Each time I skip the gym my costs per visit goes up. They also offer an option of 3600 for 25 visits. That’s 144 bucks per visit. That’s a much better deal for someone who goes to the gym 2-3 times a week. So, really think about the plan before you sign up. Most gyms will try to lure you into signing up for a 6 month-1 year plan since it sounds cheaper per month, and they know that many people don’t come back to the gym after their first few visits. If you know you’re not regular at all, try to see if the gym has a pay per visit facility. Sounds expensive right now, but it will work out better in the long run. And if you decide to become very regular, you could always sign up for the monthly or yearly plan.

These are the main factors to consider. If there is something more that you would like to contribute to our readers, feel free to add it to our comments.

Where to get ‘beautiful groceries’ in your city

Our article on groceries that make you beautiful got lots of requests for places to buy these fruits and vegetables that make you beautiful. So here it goes.

Fruits: Pomegranate, Citrus fruits- Seasonal, all fruit sellers keep it. For really good quality fruits in Delhi, go to INA Market and Khan market, while for good prices check out your colony grocery stores. Blueberries, Avocado- INA market in Delhi is the place to be for exotic food items. Blueberries are seasonal so you won’t get them all the year around but avocados are easily available. In Calcutta, try Spencers or the Health Food Store on Loudon street.

Nuts: Your next-door grocery store should have them. If thats not the case, then check out INA market, Lajpat Nagar, Malviya Nagar or Chandini Chowk in Delhi.

Yogurt & Cottage Cheese: Yoghurt is found everywhere from your local grocery, Mother Diary, etc. Also all your next-door super store and hyper stores like Reliance fresh, Big Apple, Spencers etc keep a substantial stock of them. If you are looking for low fat substitutes then make it at home for best results. Cottage Cheese is harder to find, and should be available at a health/international food store. INA Market in Delhi. If you’re adventutous, try to make it at home!

Vegetables: Spinach and beans are easily available at all vegetable vendors. Spinach is seasonal, and better quality is seen during winter season. Beans are available all year round. Broccoli is slightly expensive and might not be easily available. But your bigger vegetable stores are guaranteed to have it.

Water: Good hydration is your skin’s best friend. So ensure that you’re getting at least 8 glasses down your system.

Green tea: Available in most grocery stores and comes in various price brackets. If not available at your regular store, then try the international food market or health food store.

Flaxseed: You can check with your grocery store and ask if they can order for you. Incase that’s not possible they are easily available at INA market in Delhi. In Calcutta (Kolkata), the health food store carries them- a bit on the expensive side. So, make sure you check with your local market.

Fish: In Calcutta, I don’t think there’s a problem in finding fish. In Delhi, if you can bear with the stench of a fish market, the CR Park Market is the place to go. Le Marche in Select City Walk has a clean, smell free environment, and they home deliver too. Their prices on the not too over the top. If you’re looking for Salmon and some other exotic fishes, go to the INA Market.

Sexy Spices: Also stocked by grocery stores all over.

Fitho.in is based in Delhi and Calcutta, thus the list of places. But if you’re located in another city and know where these groceries can be obtained, do comment and let us know.

Apples reduce risk of cancer, heart disease

As the Indian summer is going away, apples are in season (as is running- you do know about the Delhi Half Marathon right?). Apples are delicious fruits and they provide a whole lot of nutrition. We’ve all heard that apples are good for you. Lets find out how.

First, they’re loaded with fiber- both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber helps to reduce your bad cholesterol, and the insoluble fiber keeps you regular. The fiber keeps you feeling full for longer, so apples are a great snack for people trying to lose weight.

Besides that, they provide a rich dose of vitamin C, which boosts the body’s immune system. Apples are also loaded with flavanoids and antioxidants that reduce free radical damage in your body (free radical damage can cause premature aging of skin, cancer, etc). Multiple studies have linked regular apple consumption to lowering heart risk disease and cancer.

Maybe there is truth to the old adage- an apple a day, keeps the doctor away.

One move to burn more calories and curb those junk food cravings

Latest research shows that moderate physical activity may suppress our appetite. The less active we are, the hungrier we perceive ourselves to be, according to a study presented this week at the American Physiological Society conference.

Conventional wisdom says that the less energy we expend, the less food we’ll need. But, researchers found that two groups of sedentary men and women eating normal and high-calorie diets both reported they could consume more food and expressed a greater desire to eat, than an active group following a normal diet.
These findings get at the two most important components of weight loss- the mental and physical. When we spend our days stressed at a desk, bored at home, or lazing out in front of the television, we’re more likely to scarf down unhealthy foods—even if we’re not hungry.
Staying active helps us keep calories in check by scorching off fat and make healthier food choices.
So start moving before your next craving strikes.

Weekly Health Round up

Here’s a round up of our posts over the last week:

Don’t care to run? That’s ok. We suggest stair climbing. Its quick on time and burning fat!. Read here -Don’t like Running? Try Stair Climbing! -

The festive season is here. With all the celebration, the loads of sweets and fried foods, its hard to keep that waistline in check. Here are a few simple tips to avoid weight gain during this festive season

Everyone wants to lose fat quick. But it took them months, even years to gain the fat. In fact, some serious hard work went into gaining weight. Here’s a quick round up on how much work it takes to gain weight and what you can do to avoid it.

Think you know a lot about nutrition and health. Then, take on our challenge and test your health IQ at Fitho’s Health IQ challenge! Show us what you got.

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008 is here. Its on November 9. The half marathon is 21.09 km long. That can be a intimidating, but if you’re a new runner, there is the 6 km Dream Run. Its a lot of fun! Dust off those running shoes and get cracking of your run to a fitter and hotter you!

Need information, registration or just motivation? Check out our post on it- Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2008- Information, Registration and Motivation!

Stair climbing Exercise- High calorie & fat burn

Running is a great exercise, but many people who don’t like to run for multiple reasons: its too hot, its boring, don’t have a good place to run, too polluted to run outside, running is not for me (even though they haven’t tried it after they turned 8).. and our favourite, ‘I do not like to sweat’.

So, try stair climbing as an exercise. Stairs are easy to access. Most of us live in cities with plenty of high rises around us. Even a 5-6 story building is a good place to start, or a stadium. Our homes, offices, malls all have stairs. So, there are plenty of opportunity to use them.

Stair Climbing as an exercise: Walk up the stairs briskly. Take the elevator down and repeat. If you’re in good physical shape, try running them. When you can’t run anymore, keep a brisk pace walking up those stairs.  Its one of the best cardio exercises and its a great muscle builder. Running stairs or even climbing them briskly is a serious workout. Gets your heart pumping and builds those ignored leg muscles- the calves, quads, hamstrings and even the glutes. Stair climbing gives you great calves to show off your hot legs in shorts or a skirt and gives you a great butt. We all love a good butt

Stair Climbing a complete fat scorching exercise and calorie burning exercise. Its short and intense- burns fat, builds muscle.

Even if you enjoy running, try stair climbing for cross training. Since it really pushes you leg muscles, it helps to build them and improve speed.

Stair climbing sounds daunting- try going up a couple of floors. Its not easy to start, but keep at it. When you see yourself getting hotter, you won’t need motivation from anyone else!

How to stay fit in the festive season

With the navratras, the festive season kicks off- Eid, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Diwali.. the list goes on. With all the celebrations, comes a truck load of fried food and sweets. With all the extra calories, it’s not surprising that this is when people put on the most weight. With the festive season any diet caution goes for a toss. Add to this the social gatherings, all the alcohol, the late night snacking, etc.

So, here’s a list of things to do this festive season to enjoy it and still not derail your health and gain all that unwanted weight:

1.    Be picky- Don’t eat because you’re being offered. Friends and family will try to force feed you, but be firm with them. If you must for courtesy, then eat a small portion.

2.    Indulge in the healthy sweets- We have the guide to the healthiest Indian sweets. Sandesh is a healthy option- since it is dairy based and is steamed. There are many low sugar desserts also available. We don’t suggest desserts with artificial sweeteners since there long term use might be associated with side effects.

3.    Portion Control- Part of the celebration is to enjoy all the sweets and the fried food. So, indulge but control the portions. Also, try to balance it with eating fruits and other lower calorie foods. Even with healthy sweets, the calories can add up. One large cup of Kheer can range from 300-500 calories. Halwa/Laddoos are even more calorie loaded for the same serving size, since they have higher fat content.

4.    Make time for exercise- Celebration shouldn’t mean not getting exercise. Take out at least 30 minutes for your exercise- go for a run, hit the gym, play a sport, do some yoga or just squeeze out a bunch of push-ups and squats at home

5.    Drink lots of water- Often our body mistakens thirst for hunger. When you’re craving a snack and you shouldn’t be, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. If you’re still hungry, go ahead and feed yourself sensibly.

6.    Take it easy on the alcohol- Besides being loaded with calories, it promotes fat storage in the body. So, its double damage- you’re consuming more calories and storing more fat.

7.    Eat your green vegetables- Your mom was right! Green vegetables loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and fiber, which helps to keep you full for longer.

8.    Be Active- If you like Dandiya, dance away the night. Dancing burns a lot of calories. Vigorous dancing can burn up to 350 calories per hour, so burn that belly fat and have fun while you’re at it.

Use this festive season fitness guide and enjoy the festive season!

« Previous Page