How to maximize your gym workout
2019 New Year’s
Resolutions for
Caregivers
COURIER L 56 IFE, DEC. 7–13, 2018 M B G
If you care for someone with
Alzheimer’s or dementia, we
haven’t forgotten your needs.
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Taking care of a loved one is
difficult, time-consuming, and often
heartbreaking labor. It takes a
physical and also emotional toll on
those providing care. For this reason,
caregivers often feel they cannot
take time, especially around the
holidays, to work on their wellness.
“More than half of the caregivers
we serve report high or very
high levels of emotional stress,”
says Sheila Williams, Program Director
for Sunnyside Community
Services. The program Ms. Williams’
directs, CARE NYC, focuses
on caregivers whose loved ones
have Alzheimer’s or dementia—
an estimated 390,000 New Yorkers
care for a loved one with these conditions.
Caregivers: In 2019, make a resolution
that helps you reduce this
stress.
1) Resolve to make sure you share
one fun activity with the person
you’re caring for each week. Make
sure you balance stressful caregiving
tasks with enjoyable ones.
2) Make time for the doctor’s appointment
for yourself that you’ve
been putting off. Remember: you
need to be physically well to ensure
the person you care for is, too.
3) Join a support group or seek
out other caregivers in your community.
Finding others who share
similar experiences can provide
comfort.
4) Ask for help. There are organizations
across New York City that
exist to serve caregivers, including
Sunnyside Community Services,
which assists caregivers of loved
ones with Alzheimer’s and other
forms of dementia in all five boroughs.
You can learn more about
this free program by calling 877-
577-9337.
Health
Ringing in the new year might be
about toasting to good fortune
and reminiscing with family and
friends. But for many people, New
Year’s Eve also may be spent thinking
about New Year’s resolutions, many
of which may focus on getting healthy
and fi t in the year ahead.
According to CreditDonkey, a fi -
nancial resource that helps people
save money and make savvy fi nancial
decisions, the health club industry
is valued at around $27 billion in the
United States. Globally, health clubs
produce close to $75 billion in revenue
every year. And that industry appears
unlikely to slow down anytime
soon, as more and more people are resolving
to get healthier.
No one signs up for a membership
hoping for mediocre results. Therefore,
here is how to get the most out of
a gym membership and regular workouts:
Get inside the door. The fi rst
step to realizing results is to go to the
gym. Statistics indicate that within a
month or two of joining a gym, attendance
numbers dwindle even though
people continue to pay for memberships
when they are not going to the
gym. Schedule time at the gym as you
would any other activity. If you need
motivation to go, enlist a friend to join
and get you to attend.
Do something you love. Gyms cater
to so many different workout experiences
these days that gymgoers
need not worry about getting bored
with their fi tness routines. Start out
with an activity you enjoy doing, or
experiment with different activities
until you fi nd one that you fi nd enjoyable.
You may be allowed to sample
classes without paying for a different
membership plan, or even just observe
outside of the studio door to get
a sense of what may interest you.
Work with a trainer. Gyms employ
personal trainers who can help
novices learn the ropes. New members
can rely on personal training
sessions to familiarize themselves
with a gym’s equipment and the
proper techniques to employ when using
that equipment. Trainers also can
play key supportive rolls in members’
workouts, helping to keep clients motivated
on those days when the enthusiasm
is waning.
Vary your workouts. Expanding
your boundaries is a great way to
push your body and maximize your
workout. According to Dr. Jacob Wilson,
certifi ed strength and conditioning
specialist and associate editor of
the Journal of Strength and Conditioning
Research, “by only doing cardio
your metabolism will actually go
down, making weight loss more diffi
cult. Resistance training, however,
builds muscle to increase your metabolic
rate.” Variety is the spice of
life, and it’s also essential to effective
workouts.
Fitness resolutions are popular,
and there are several ways to realize
those resolutions and get the most out
of your investment in a gym membership.
Fitness resolutions are popular, and there are several ways to realize those resolutions and
get the most out of your investment in a gym membership.