Local gyms give tips to newcomers for new year

Jan. 2—SOUTHERN INDIANA — As the New Year starts, many people will resolve to improve their health.

Some will do this by starting a new diet and others will start a new workout routine. Southern Indiana has many options to improve fitness.

Anything from a gym to cross fit or learning a martial art can can be found in the area.

One of the first places people go to for exercise is the YMCA. There are two locations in Southern Indiana: 4812 Hamburg Pike, Jeffersonville, and 33 State St., New Albany.

The start of the new year is one of the busiest times for the Y with it seeing twice as many new members in January as it does compared to any other months.

"Those that are joining the gym for the first time, we recommend joining our Smart Start Program," said Blair Downs, YMCA of Greater Louisville's Director of Marketing and Communications. "This is a free service. It allows you to speak with a healthy living coach."

When someone signs up for the program, the member will be able to plan health and wellness goals with a coach during their time at the gym.

New members are put on the new member challenge. For the first 90 days, new members are challenged to go to the gym eight times a month and earn prizes each month.

"Everyone comes to the gym for a different purpose," Downs said. "Whether it be weight loss, prescribed by a doctor, need to get off of medicine, want to train for a 10k. Our healthy living coaches are prepared to help you."

Some may choose a different way to stay fit for the new year, others may take Martial Art classes like Karate, Boxing or Taekwondo.

Jeffersonville Martial Arts, 252 America Place Drive, Jeffersonville, teaches Brazilian Ju Jitsu for children and adults. To join Jeffersonville Martial arts, call Bradley Murphy at 502-483-2819.

"I have a true passion for martial arts, I've been training for about 12 years now," said Murphy, Jeffersonville Martial Arts' owner and head instructor. "It's probably the thing I love most out of all the activities in my life."

Much like the YMCA, Murphy said that there is an increase of members when the new year comes around.

For the newcomers to martial arts, Murphy says that the best thing to do is to not overthink the decision and just jump right into it.

"The quicker that you jump into doing something, the quicker you find out if you enjoy it," Murphy said.

One thing that Murphy wants people to realize is that martial arts gyms are not a fight club. It is a class filled with people who want to learn, make friends and get in shape.

When joining the gym, new members are becoming a part of a family through Ju Jitsu.

"All the people that train there have really become more than friends, I think we all consider each other family," Murphy said. "Everybody's welcome, beginners are welcomed. We do not judge and we love to build up new people."

Health tips from the YMCA

Stop hitting snooze. Snooze, sleep, repeat. Studies have shown that the fight against getting out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off has a negative effect on your health. Instead of reaching for that snooze button, let's make it a habit to get up and get a productive start to your day.

Skip the sugar. We get it — that caffeinated soft drink or large sugar-filled latte sure sounds like a good pick-me-up when the mid-afternoon slump rolls around. However, cutting out these sweet treats and replacing them with water can do wonders for your daily sugar and calorie intake. When this happens, you lower your chances of weight gain and other issues like high blood pressure. Take the plunge and swap those sugary beverages for water.

Find new moves. If you are starting to dread your workouts, then maybe it's time to switch them up. Getting stuck in a workout rut can possibly lead you to plateauing or quitting your routine all together. If you're starting to roll your eyes at the thought of lacing up your sneakers, we encourage you to try a new group exercise class or workout format from what you're used to.

No nightly scrolling. It may be one of the hardest habits to break — lying in bed, the comfort of the blue glow on your face as you scroll mindlessly through the internet. Studies show that looking at your phone before snoozing can have negative effects on your quality of sleep. Since we know sleep is just as important for your health as any other activity, we suggest powering down your device and allowing the sandman to do his job, naturally.