If you have yet to try the rapidly growing fitness phenomenon Barre (pronounced BAR), you are probably in for a big surprise.  

Trainers are always talking about the importance of core strength. Here is what you need to know about why core strength is so important.

Cardiovascular exercise or "cardio" is the most important physical activity you can do to keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy while also improving your overall fitness. 

Whatever happened to the Marathon you planned on running last year? Did the Pandemic get in your way? 

The greatest escape you can take without leaving the room

Of all the lifestyle changes that have been studied, regular physical exercise appears to be one of the best things that you can do to reduce your risk of getting dementia.

As the New Year begins and you find yourself working on the “New You”, remember the old saying, “You are what you eat.” If you pay close attention to what you are eating and drinking, you will get even better results.

Wearable technology or a simple post it note- WE GOT YOU! Rewards effort rather than level of fitness. 

If you like to dance like no one’s watching, Zumba might just be for you! The Latin-inspired dance workout is one of the most popular group exercise classes in the world. 

Being aware of your risk factors and making healthy choices puts your future in your own hands.

One of the biggest changes this year is “Virtual” everything! 

With Members’ concerns about COVID-19 in mind, Franciscan Health Fitness Centers has created a way to reach out to all Members and give them an option to stay active in the comfort of their own homes. 

Every year there plenty of opportunities to help the less fortunate and 2020 is no different. Here are just a few ways you can easily contribute to your community.

We have made it through 2020…well almost! 

What you do in the morning contributes greatly to the tone of your day.

Don’t Let the Pandemic Stop You! Working up a sweat and staying healthy.

Chicago Heights new Nutrition and Wellness Consultations offer you a safe space for you to talk about how to improve your lifestyle for a long lasting life change.

Looking for a fitness program that doesn’t involve a gruesome workout on a treadmill? Aqua aerobics is a wonderful all-over body workout and a great way to mix up a traditional gym workout with the fantastic benefits of water.  

The Chicago Heights Club will be switching both the lap and therapy pools to salt water in the next month. Within the last five years, the Chesterton and Schererville pools have all been converted to salt water. Members have been happy with the differences the conversion made. 

Joseph Pilates, the creator of the worldly popular Pilates exercises once stated, “Developing minor muscles naturally helps to strengthen major muscles.” 

How much water is enough? Drinking water before you exercise or go out into the sun is an important first step.

As more of us continue to work from home, we're likely to find ourseves sitting for prolonged periods of times. Take 30 seconds to feel better. Avoid the health risks of sedentary behavior. 

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. It is important to understand what options we have to stay healthy. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has the Top 10 reasons of why getting vaccinated is important. National Immunization Awareness Month. Learn the top reasons to get vaccinated. 

Looking for a class that will have you burning 600-800 calories and relieve your stress? Look no further than Cardio Kickboxing! Come shred some calories. 

Have you ever noticed how music affects not only your mood but also the pace at which you do things? What music can help you do isn’t just in your head – there’s scientific proof of what it does for your workout. 

Do you know the signs and risks of having AFib? Here is what to look for and what occurs with AFib.  September is National Atrial Fibrillation Month 

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the minimum amount of exercise you need is 150 minutes per week and it should include Cardio, Strength and Flexibility training.

MEP for a good cause. A chance to share the love with your favorite charity. Since the kickoff of the pandemic, Myzone has provided some amazing global MEPs challenges offering everyday people a chance to earn prizes.

UV radiation are invisible rays that are a part of the energy that is emitted by the sun. Read tips to protect your skin from the sun.  

What’s all the excitement? Have you seen our Myzone Leader board? It is a ranking of the Top 20 participants for the most MEPs earned in the month. Are you on the board? 

The first wealth is health according to Ralph Waldo Emerson. Regular exercise is one of the foundations of healthy living. Just like a healthy diet, exercise adds to good health and to a healthy immune system.

The best form of exercise is one you can do regularly. Adding interest to boring cardio is as easy as adding intervals! Interval training is simply adding alternating bursts of more intense activity with intervals of less intense activity (recovery). 

Getting muscle strength back with weight machines. It’s time to rebuild your muscles and the best way to do that is to start out with some resistance training. Resistance training is a form of exercise that improves muscular strength and endurance.  

Awareness. Prevention. Education. Health Information for You and Your Loved One. We strive to be the leading wellness resource for individuals looking to live a healthy lifestyle.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, working from home has been the case for most people. After sitting in a chair for your long work day, you probably want to get out of it as fast as you can, but a chair is a great tool to use to help you stretch.

If you are an older adult looking to establish an exercise routine, you should, ideally, be able to incorporate 150 minutes of moderate endurance activity into your week.

Not every participant in the group has to have the same physical activity level. The job of the Personal Trainer is to work with each participant’s physical needs to help make the group successful.

There may be a lot of unknown currently in the world, however what is known is that practicing these 7 tips can help you stay healthy during quarantine. Be sure to check the website for updates! 

Stay active while staying protected at home. One of those being our Group Exercise Class at Home Workouts that have been recorded with our Franciscan Health Fitness Centers certified instructors! 

The new fad during this pandemic...a sidewalk chalk workout. It is simple and easy. What is nice about this innovating workout is that you have an open canvas to put whatever you choose.

While keeping staff both working and safe, the fitness center staff has been supporting the local Franciscan Hospitals by making much needed PPE.

This great workout video will lengthen and strengthen your muscles and as well as your core. This home workout for women will improve your posture and your flexibility.

A variety of equipment will be used to tone and tighten the abs and lower body and will tighten all those trouble spots. Exercise wherever you are, on any device.

Join this fast-paced cardio class that includes simple step exercises along with weights, intervals, and calisthenics. This workout video will get your heart rate up and your body in gear.

Here is a low impact workout video designed for the young at heart who are wanting to workout at home. It includes exercises to improve aerobic fitness and burn body fat.

This workout video will improve your strength, balance, flexibility and even help the way you walk. Elevate your endurance & stability in the comfort of your own home on any device.

This high energy dance class uses motivating music with unique moves that let you leave your worries behind. Zumba’s exciting, easy to follow dance video can be enjoyed anywhere, on any device.

As our lifestyles and daily habits change during the COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place, kindness to each other is not only easy to practice, it’s even more important than ever. 

Training from home has benefits you may have overlooked with new options including LesMills Virtual workouts videos, online exercise classes, Myzone Master Trainer classes and Franciscan’s own trainer videos of the classes you love. 

Here’s a fun at-home workout that uses simple products you have on hand. Shelter-in-place doesn’t have to mean stay-in-place. Get up and get moving with this core and strength workout from Lisa. 

Do you know what affects the health of your bones?  And that basic self-care for your bones should include strength training? We have plenty of options for you to choose from in our on-line At Home Workouts. 

March is National Nutrition Month but your body needs good eating habits year-round. Try to incorporate these healthy eating tips so you can lead by example when it comes to your family’s nutrition.

Make your meals healthier by swapping ingredients and lowering your calorie/fat intake with these easy tips. Don’t forget to include these healthy choices on your next grocery list! 

Learn the American Heart Association’s 7 key health factors and behaviors to decrease your risk for heart disease and stroke. Find out how to keep your heart healthy. 

HydroMassage Fits You

Sore Muscles? Stress? Relax, recover and rejuvenate with a warm water massage that is so convenient on your way in or out of the club. Oh, what ten minutes can do!

Massage helps alleviate stress and the symptoms of many health conditions. Whether you need a Deep Tissue, Hot Stone or Ashiatsu Massage, we are here with options. Appointments are available in our Chesterton Club. 

We want to help you “Know your numbers” with a free fitness assessment for all members. This is the first step to a results-oriented program that will get you on the road to better health! 

Handwashing is a vital part of our everyday lives, but is even more important during certain times of year, like cold and flu season. But proper handwashing is not just for the winter months – it's a year-round good habit. 

In the first part of November, we collected your leftover Halloween candy and put it to great use! Members and Staff alike were encouraged to donate the leftover candy rather than do extra jumping jacks for a handful of M&M’s.

Wearable Technology provides accountability and motivation. Rewards effort rather than level of fitness. 

Schererville Members Win National Honors at United Healthcare U.S. Open Racquetball Championships and the duo won each bracket without losing a single game. 

15 years ago, Sandy Povlinski, an avid runner, began looking for a gentler way to exercise. We are happy her journey brought her to our Fitness Centers. 

Wondering how you can afford to eat a few pieces of holiday candy and not completely blow your eating plan out of the water? We have a few ideas of how you can indulge with less bulge!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Beginning at age 40, you should have a mammogram every year or as directed by your health care professional.

After a Night of Storms…

Music echoed through Franciscan Health Fitness Centers on Thursday night, September 19, 2019, as some 300 participants worked up a sweat in between health screenings, snacks and ...

It never gets easier; You just keep getting better! Having a workout partner can mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to your fitness goals.

The purpose of Myzone is to use technology to help people exercise harder and smarter! Franciscan Health Fitness Centers have brought Myzone belts to group exercise classes and the results really show! 

Franciscan Health Fitness Centers personal training is now being powered by Alloy. Same amazing personal trainers paired with new programs to provide continuity and great results!

Technology is changing at a rate of knots, and so are the terms we use to explain it. These days the term virtual can mean, well, virtually anything. So what exactly is virtual exercise?

Studies that examined motivation to exercise or to lose weight have shown that the most enduring source of behavior change is internal motivation.  

Now that many New Year Resolutions have dissolved rather than resolved…..Let’s consider why New Year resolutions to lose weight and get in shape don’t work… 

How long have you been “working” on getting your workout routine in a place where you are getting the results you desire? If you’re like many, you experienced multiple attempts, all with great intention, but often fall short after a few attempts. You might be ready for a Personal Trainer …

We have heard the healthcare professionals tell us that we need to “know our numbers”. If someone told you that four basic numbers give you a snapshot of your health, and a road map for improving it, would you believe it? It's true, they do!

In the words of Ben Franklin, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” To improve your health and meet your nutrition and fitness goals, you must plan out what you will eat! Make a grocery list for the entire week and go shopping weekly. Plan out your meals and snacks the night before to ensure you stay on track.

Snacking is an effective way to fit extra nutrients into your diet and prevent overeating at mealtimes. Here are some important reasons to always get your snack in each day!

Changing your attitude about exercise will be the key to beginning your exercise program. While on the Biggest Loser Ranch, Courtney, my daughter and partner on the show, said something to me I will never forget…

Summer is a great time to join a gym and get some quality "Me time" in for yourself. Between Group Exercise classes, state of the art machines and Personal Training, you can finish the summer looking and feeling better than you started it!