I love going to the gym. Planning a gym schedule each week not only makes me more apt to stick to my workout routine, but it also encourages me to focus on muscle-building exercises — which is my weakness, since I love to run outside but never want to strength-train at home. Before I signed up for my latest gym, however, I found every excuse to skip the trek to my former club. It was more than Read more

I tried to like spin class, but after a few too many classes with the instructor yelling for us to "Push harder!" over already too-loud music, I decided I wasn't a fan. While I enjoy taking exercise classes or enlisting the help of a personal trainer to keep me motivated (not to mention to make me finish an exercise when I think I just can't do it), I gravitate more toward instructors who firmly Read more

Sunny days are meant for outdoor activity, so it's no wonder that fitness fans come out in full force when the weather warms up. But between bugs, humidity, and searing sun, is an outdoor cardio session too much to take when the heat strikes? While San Francisco's Summer may not be typical (it's been cold and rainy here), even on a cool, sunny day I love to run outdoors. But while there's Read more

At my first session with my trainer at Crunch gym, he led me through a short session doing planks using the TRX suspension system. After holding for a few seconds, it was clear: my core needed a lot of work. Just that small workout showed me how much I need to strengthen and build my muscles; I was trembling and sweating while my trainer counted down. While the Summer months can have you wanting Read more

Many of us have basic gym memberships, but still pay a little extra to go to our favorite classes outside of the gym — does Saturday vinyasa at a studio up the street sound familiar? I'll be the first to admit that it took awhile for me to wrap my head around the fact that my gym membership also includes access to cool classes like kickboxing, yoga, boot camp, and more. The gym I go to is Read more