How You Can Support Heart Health Year-Round: Tips From Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs

Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, the fitness franchise that works to create accessibility in often underserved markets, supports its members in their wellness journeys regardless of where they are starting or where they are going. Many members have begun to place an emphasis on measures of wellness beyond physical appearance, and the Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs team is excited to raise awareness for habits the general public can embrace to boost health and wellness.

“Many members have aesthetic goals, and we can help with those. But we really want people to understand that ‘I want to play with my kid,’ ‘I want to improve my balance and flexibility’ and ‘I want to feel better’ are all incredibly valid goals, too,” said Jason Markowicz, CEO of Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs. “We’ve seen a lot of people focusing on heart health recently, and that’s exciting because it’s a goal that our members can work toward in and outside of the club, no matter how much or how little time they have.”

“Even with people who are completely sedentary, if you sit at a desk all day or you’re sick or injured… Your body does so much for you on its own. Even without exercising at all,” said Chrissy Brown, an operating partner at Fitness Premier of Plainfield in Illinois. “It’s very important to understand what your body is capable of.”

Even non-athletes should be intentional about fueling their bodies. Proper wellness practices can support the immune system, digestion, energy, brain processes and, of course, heart health.

Brown explained that, unfortunately, nearly 80% of Americans suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. While risks are exacerbated as people age, younger people are not immune. Brown pointed out that many preventative steps can have a long-term positive impact, and she encourages people to start where they are and make a clear-cut plan, often with the help of their doctors and trainers.

“You need to control the controllable. There are certain things that will work for me that might not work for everybody,” she said. “The main thing that people struggle with most, and one of the easiest things to make positive changes with, is food. Making your own meals and knowing exactly what you’re putting in your mouth is the best thing you can do for yourself… and eat your veggies!”

Some easy considerations to start with are:

• Incorporating hearty proteins like chicken and turkey
• Adding healthy omega-3 acids, found in fish like salmon and tuna
• Increasing intake of fruits and vegetables like broccoli, spinach, apples and bananas for micronutrients
• Adding more whole grains, like oatmeal and brown rice, to your diet

This is an area where you can start to make small changes relatively easily, and the benefits only compound with additional planning. Brown mentioned that discovering what your body tolerates can bring even more benefit. Food allergy and intolerance tests help you understand what works best for your body, meaning you can make food choices to support both long-term health and better performance. Making the right food choices for you can help you to get through the workday without an afternoon slump and get better sleep at night.

When it comes to fitness, a similar level of intentionality is necessary. Many tips for living a heart-healthy lifestyle focus on small changes, which can make a difference, but it is important that each person considers how these changes may fit within their larger goals. For example, the advice to park farther away from the store in the parking lot is fairly common. The idea is that it will help you to get more steps. This is true, but if you only go to one store in a given day, these few extra steps will not have a major impact.

“Being intentional with your movement has a lot to do with success. You can park farther, but if you do that then go home and sit for eight hours straight, you’re still living a relatively sedentary lifestyle,” said Brown. “If you have a lifestyle where you sit at a desk for the majority of the day, opt for a standing desk or, depending on your commitment to your computer, get up and take a walk around once or twice per hour.”

“Don’t blame the desk,” she added.

In addition to planned workouts, you can get more movement by:

• Doing brief bodyweight exercises, like squats, behind your desk when you notice you’ve been sitting for too long
• Getting up and taking a lap around the home or office every hour
• Taking a walking lunch with friends or coworkers

What’s important is that you’re intentional about it.

Regardless of your age, gender, size and life circumstances, taking care of your body in a way that fuels you can be incredibly rewarding.

“Questions around body image, body size and ‘healthy weights’ are a little bit touchy when it comes to conversations about heart health, and there is a difference between being a certain body type and being healthy, and being a certain body type and not caring,” said Brown. “It’s not about your size or your shape, it’s what you do with it and how you take care of it. At any point, you should start where you are, and as you start to understand your body, you can do so much more with it. It’ll serve you a lot longer.”

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://ownafitnesspremier.com/.