Motivation key reason why many join fitness studios

"Athletic therapist Mike Elchuk says when looking for a gym it's important to make sure there is a range of equipment with plenty of choices for both weight and cardio. He adds the first thing a member should receive when joining a gym is a demonstration of how the equipment works.

Too often, Elchuk adds, he's seen incorrect use of machines, which means members are not getting the full benefit of the exercise or they're putting themselves at risk for injury.

To help avoid injury, before starting a new fitness program it's a good idea to get check up from your doctor, says Elchuk. Most gyms also have a physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q), which prospective members are encouraged to fill out to help trainers gauge possible risks.

In order to get the most out of their membership people need a plan, and this often comes in the form of a personal trainer. Elchuk says many people try to do too much too fast with no plan of attack, which often leads to burn out and they give up after the first few weeks.

"It's a matter of getting direction, going to someone who's qualified.

All gyms have at least some kind of trainer that can do that. They don't have to work out with those trainers continuously, it's just a matter of getting guidance and pacing yourself," he says."

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Fitness: Pinpointing what is out of sync

"Scott Livingston, athletic therapist and strength and conditioning specialist for many of Canada’s high performance athletes, is a fan of the functional movement screen. He used it extensively when he worked with the Montreal Canadiens, testing every player and red-flagging those who scored poorly."

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Game your way to better health

"With such routines, you can build strength, flexibility, balance and aerobic ability, Upper Canada Sports Medicine athletic therapist Kelly Bonhomme says. 

Incorporating all four elements is important to a well-balanced workout routine, she adds."

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Get off to a dynamic start

""We generally say you should jog slowly for five or 10 minutes and then do dynamic stretching," says Gavin Leung, athletic therapist with SportMedBC. 

Leung says evidence suggests that dynamic stretches also improve performance, something the static stretches have not been found to do. 

"A good warm-up including dynamic stretching improves performance, no matter what level of athleticism," he says."

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Rink rats

"Many health benefits can be derived from a 30-minute skate, whether it's with a stick in hand or not, says Christal Geier, athletic therapist at LifeMark Genesis Place."  Read More...

Let's get it started!

"Welcome to that time of year where we take stock of what we've done wrong over the previous 12 months, and what we plan to do differently in 2011."  Read More...