If you’re anything like us, you’re likely to fall into some bad habits when life gets busy. Let’s take a look at some common pitfalls of the busy, active woman that may prevent you from seeing the results you're after. 1. EATING TOO LITTLE Many people often don’t eat enough calories to meet their basic energy needs. When this becomes a habit, over time the body becomes more energy-efficient and you are risking to slow down your metabolism. If weight loss is a goal, the res

Weights are scary, right? That’s not meant to sound patronising at all, but it’s true. Actually, cancel that, the weights themselves aren’t scary, but the caveman-esque guys who roam the weights area, conversing in grunts, and trying to out-alpha each other are scary. The weight room is generally thought of as the guy’s domain, while you ladies are scorned for going in there, and told to get back to “your area” – i.e. the rows and rows of treadmills and bikes. But you know, w

Let’s face it, you are going to have to travel during the holidays and miss your workouts at some point. It happens to all of us! However, you can’t let that stop you from sticking to your training plan. There are a few things that you need to consider when planning your travel workouts. 1) You are going to pressed for time. Even if you are on a family vacation you don’t want to spend all of your time planning or doing your workouts. So, keep them short and sweet. 2) You are

We are really excited to announce our June Member of the Month - Jeanette Jordano. Jeanette has been a member for almost 3 years and she has gotten so strong that she scares me sometimes ;). Honestly she lifts a lot heveier weights than a lot younger people than her. She's a great role model and I admire her dedication and perseverance. She's always coming to the gym with a big smile on her face ready to work hard and have fun! As a thank you for being such an awesome clie

What do you think of when you hear the word “cardio”? The elliptical? Spin class? Going for a jog? While these exercises can be beneficial, have you ever wondered if there was a more fun way to do cardio? Luckily there is! The following are my top six tips to have more fun with cardio and still burn fat: 1. Ditch the machines! Ok, you knew that one was coming! Doing steady state cardio isn’t as effective as people once thought. Yeah, it helps burn calories, but it doesn’t r

This year’s Chicago Fit Performance New Year, New You Transformation Challenge was fiercely competitive and entirely inspiring. We watched as teammates encouraged each other through difficult workouts, overcoming unhealthy habits, and making lasting changes to their mindset, routine, and lives. This year the numbers were even more challenging as we leveled the playing field using overall team performance to determine the winning team and the individual winners. KUDOS to ALL t

1. Don’t Drink Your Calories Soda and fruit-flavored drinks can really add up quick. Some have up to 250 calories per 10-12 ounces. Juice drinks, you know the fruit cocktail drinks with names like cranberry cocktail, or pomegranate raspberry, sound healthy but can actually contain more calories per ounce than soda.Even 100% fruit juices, be it orange, apple, etc., all count as calories.Unlike a whole piece of real fruit, fruit juice is very concentrated in sugar, which mak

Need help shedding fat after the holiday season? Try these 13 effective weight loss tips! Especially when combined with healthy lifestyle habits such as getting adequate sleep, exercising efficiently and keeping stress levels low, these nutrition tips will help you lose weight and feel your best in 2014. 1. Eat Mindfully When you improve how you eat, you’ll naturally improve what you eat. By eating more mindfully, slowing down and chewing more you’ll improve digestion, feel

You may have heard of recent healthcare reform in the US. Underestimation implied. You may also have heard dissent from the general public to this reform. Underestimation heavily inferred. Honestly, as a passionate advocate of many things, I do my best to avoid political debate if at all possible... but when it comes to healthcare I have some thoughts. Beyond these thoughts, I have a reform policy of my own and I’m going grassroots with it (I’m still waiting for the White

How many times do you get up to move feeling stiff and tight all over your body? Do you wake up feeling stiff as a board the day after you work out? As a physician specializing in the musculoskeletal field, I cannot stress enough how beneficial stretching is for the body. Why is Stretching Neglected? There are a number of reasons as to why people do not stretch. Not having enough time, not knowing what to stretch or how to stretch, not understanding the benefits of stretching

Have you noticed? The days are getting a little shorter, store aisles are full of school supplies and you may have seen a school bus or two making runs in your neighborhood. All this can only mean one thing: it’s back to school time! If you are like most people, you are not quite ready to say goodbye to the relaxing days of summer. Late nights and lightly-scheduled days are a welcome break after a year of early mornings and homework deadlines. Those slow days of summer a