Between the end of summer and the approach of the holidays, it might be easy to let fitness fall to the wayside in favor of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy nights on the couch. Instead of letting healthy habits fade with the warm weather, Colorado Springs Fitness Week is here to keep—or get—people moving.
In its third year, the weeklong fitness celebration, from September 8-14, invites participants to take classes at boutique fitness studios across town for just $5. It’s an excellent way to jumpstart new healthy habits or to build on your summer activity before the more challenging cold-weather months arrive. While you’re checking out the fitness studios across town, use these tips from some of the studios’ top trainers and managers to get the most out of your workouts and time in the gym.
Set Goals
Keeping your mindset fixed on overall health goals can help you figure out the steps toward getting in the best shape possible—and it will help you hold yourself accountable rather than giving up. Orangetheory Fitness General Manager Erik Galloway suggests breaking up your main goal into more manageable goals to make it easier to see your progress as you work toward your best self.
“When you look at goals and having a summer body, we miss the mark because it seems too big a task,” he says. “You have to remember, ‘Why am I doing this?’ That is the big picture, and you have to break it up into smaller goals.”
F45 Manager and Head Trainer Nikki Kohlman makes everyone write down their top three goals and keep the list somewhere they can see it regularly. She says they’ll stick to it more if they write it down, and she practices what she preaches.
“I log what I do every single day: long-term goals, monthly goals, weekly goals,” Kohlman says. “You’re less likely to back out.”
Ask for Help
While goal-setting is great, reaching your goals is easier with help. One of the benefits of boutique fitness is the access to coaches, trainers and teachers who can hold you accountable, answer questions and keep you on the straight and narrow.
“The best way to reach your goals is by telling us your goals so we can set some type of path,” Galloway says. “We can start to get you pointed in the right direction.”
If you’re doing something you’ve never done before, don’t be afraid to ask questions and get advice so you don’t hurt yourself. Coaches and trainers are usually available before and after class, and can give you modifications if you’re injured or show you proper form to prevent future injuries.
Connect With Others
Group fitness can be scary if you’re used to working out alone, but it’s also a great motivator during a fitness journey. Cycology Studio Manager Kaylee Leets says being a part of a studio’s community can help you keep coming to class because you make friends, know the instructors and feel more comfortable, especially when you’re still new.
“Talk to people around you and connect with others,” Leets says. “It can be intimidating to reach out to instructors of the clients next to you before and after class, but every studio has their own community, and it’s so important to dive into that community.”
Drink Water
This tip seems easy, but it can truly make or break your workout—especially when you’re sweating harder or trying a workout that’s more intense than what you’re used to.
“My number one tip to everyone is to make sure you’re hydrated enough,” Kohlman says. “Your body is made of water, so if people are dehydrated, it makes you work harder.”
Kohlman recommends that people drink about half their body weight in ounces of water each day. To help measure that, consider buying water bottles that measure the ounces so you can easily track how much you’ve had. She also suggests drinking water throughout the day rather than chugging it all at once just to reach a goal.
Stay Consistent
Sure, you can hit every studio during fitness week, but unless you continue to work out regularly, you won’t see the results you want. Fitness doesn’t have to be about torturing yourself with a workout. Use Fitness Week to try new workouts and find the one that makes you want to keep coming back to build a routine.
“When you find something you love, it leads to consistency and finding consistency leads to results,” Galloway says.
Participate in Colorado Springs Fitness Week
- Register for Fitness Week at coloradospringsfitnessweek.com.
- Attend the official launch party, Sept. 8, at Lululemon where there will be swag bags, punch cards and studios to sign up for classes.
- Book your classes for the week before they’re full.
- Hit the closing party at Almagre, Sept. 13, with food trucks, awards and door prizes.
Participating Fitness Studios
Pure Barre
Orangetheory Fitness
Hot Asana
Cycology Studio
Rush Cycle
Burn Bootcamp
Flylife Fitness
Cyclebar
Progressive Fitness Crossfit
Cambio Yoga
Club Pilates
F45 Training
Learn more about the participating studios at coloradospringsfitnessweek.com/studios.
