Piece o' Cheesecake: Run Free!

Last week we discussed The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep. If your new year's resolution includes getting more exercise or running more, or if you are a regular runner, then this week's blog may be for you. This week features my latest post in the Piece o' Cheesecake series, New York-specific blog posts for the best in healthy eating and free, cheap & unique workouts around New York City. And today we are talking about the many free run clubs offered around Brooklyn and Manhattan (as well as nationwide). Check it out: 

Last week we discussed The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep. If your new year's resolution includes getting more exercise or running more, or if you are a regular runner, then this week's blog may be for you. This week features my latest post in the Piece o' Cheesecake series, New York-specific blog posts for the best in healthy eating and free, cheap & unique workouts around New York City. And today we are talking about the many free run clubs offered around Brooklyn and Manhattan (as well as nationwide). Check it out: 

The less obvious benefits of exercise

Related to yesterday's post, about working out with a partner or "gym buddy," this article from Monday's New York Times, entitled "To Keep Moving, Look Beyond the Physical," discusses the added, and less obvious, benefits of exercise. The article focuses primarily on exercise as an opportunity to build rewarding relationships with new or current friends, but also mentions improved sleep and reduced stress as additional benefits of physical activity. If the health benefits of exercise aren't enough to motivate you to start working out, let yourself be inspired by the chance to have a good time with a friend.

New York Times 03/08/10 "To Keep Moving, Look Beyond the Physical" by Jane E. Brody

Related to yesterday's post, about working out with a partner or "gym buddy," this article from Monday's New York Times, entitled "To Keep Moving, Look Beyond the Physical," discusses the added, and less obvious, benefits of exercise. The article focuses primarily on exercise as an opportunity to build rewarding relationships with new or current friends, but also mentions improved sleep and reduced stress as additional benefits of physical activity. If the health benefits of exercise aren't enough to motivate you to start working out, let yourself be inspired by the chance to have a good time with a friend.

New York Times 03/08/10 "To Keep Moving, Look Beyond the Physical" by Jane E. Brody

Do One Thing: Get a gym buddy

Having a "gym buddy," or workout partner, can be a great way to stick to an exercise schedule and get the most out of each workout. When someone is counting on you to show up, you're less likely to skip a workout. Also, working out with another person can challenge you to push yourself, whether by encouraging you to push harder than you might if you were working out alone, or by inspiring you to try something new. When I was working out regularly with a friend, I took a spin class for the first time because she asked me to; and I would never make it to my 8AM yoga class every Saturday morning if I didn't have my husband to drag me out of bed and come with me. Your workout partner can be a friend, co-worker, relative or significant other. Gym buddies aren't just for the gym either: walk, bike, take a dance class or play a sport with your workout partner! To read more about the benefits of working out with a partner, check out this article from Gold's Gym.


Image: Shape.com - 10 Tricks to Get Motivated to Hit the Gym

Having a "gym buddy," or workout partner, can be a great way to stick to an exercise schedule and get the most out of each workout. When someone is counting on you to show up, you're less likely to skip a workout. Also, working out with another person can challenge you to push yourself, whether by encouraging you to push harder than you might if you were working out alone, or by inspiring you to try something new. When I was working out regularly with a friend, I took a spin class for the first time because she asked me to; and I would never make it to my 8AM yoga class every Saturday morning if I didn't have my husband to drag me out of bed and come with me. Your workout partner can be a friend, co-worker, relative or significant other. Gym buddies aren't just for the gym either: walk, bike, take a dance class or play a sport with your workout partner! To read more about the benefits of working out with a partner, check out this article from Gold's Gym.


Image: Shape.com - 10 Tricks to Get Motivated to Hit the Gym