Last week we told you about our Xcite Lifestyle Options, a 30m 1-to-1 appointment with our gym team to discuss how your blood pressure and other body measurements could be used to tailor your exercise routine to better meet your lifestyle goals.
This week, we will give you information, advice and tips on why staying active is such a good thing.
When looking at staying active to improve, or maintain, heart health, it’s recommended that 3 types of exercise should be done so that you are benefitting different parts of your body and taking stress off your heart. These 3 types of exercise are:
· Aerobic
· Balance & Flexibility
· Resistance
At Xcite, we offer many activities that will provide these different types of exercise – from fitness classes to swimming, cycling on our exercise bikes, or bring your own to our cycle track at Linlithgow*, to even just walking on a treadmill. For the more enthusiastic exercisers, we have our HIIT classes in our Exert studio at Bathgate, our new Box12 studio in Craigswood or our Staying Stronger free weight classes for the over 60s. For a more sedate exercise session, we offer yoga, pilates and much more with our fitness class programme throughout our venues. The more social of you might like to arrange a game of Pickleball or Badminton with friends. All our activities can be found here
Exercise is proven to be beneficial, but when it comes to your heart it can really help by REDUCING the effects of lots of common conditions:
· Blood pressure
· Cholesterol
· Risk of heart & circulatory disease
· Stress Levels
· Body weight issues
· Sleep issues
· Low mood
If you’re new to exercise, don’t be afraid to ask our team for help – you’ll want to start off slowly and build up your range of exercises – we will help guide you and ensure that the exercise is right for you and will have some benefit. We may even introduce you to equipment you’ve never heard of before that will change the way you think about your fitness routine!
Remember key things to ensure that any exercise is of real benefit: warm up before exercise and cool down after, keeping your muscles oxygenated and reducing the chance of hurting yourself; stay hydrated; make sure you’re wearing comfortable clothing.
Starting a new exercise routine can be daunting, but here at Xcite, we aim to provide you with the advice and support to allow you to feel at ease in the gym, in a class or wherever you choose to exercise. Our team are here to help, so don’t be afraid to ask.
You can also find out more about heart-specific ways to stay healthy at the British Heart Foundation’s website: www.bhf.org.uk
Has being a member of Xcite helped your heart health? If you have a story to share of your success, we’d love to hear it! Email media@westlothianleisure.com and we’ll contact you to find out more.