Written By Cricket Jurgovan, Personal Trainer and Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager

Spring Break season is upon us, and whether you’re going on a trip or enjoying a “stay-cation,” everyone wants to look fabulous from head to toe. Here are a few 30-day workout challenges to incorporate into your everyday routine until we reach the sweet time of Spring Break.
Core/Ab Challenge
For each day on until Day 30, increase each workout set by 5 and making sure to rest every 4th day.

Day 1

10 situps
12 bicycle crunches
10 reverse crunches
20 sec plank

Day 2

10 situps
15 bicycle crunches
15 reverse crunches
25 second plank

Day 3

15 situps
20 bicycle crunches
15 reverse crunches
30 sec plank

Day 4

Rest Day

Day 5

20 situps
20 bicycle crunches
20 reverse crunches
30 sec plank

Cardio Challenge
Make sure to also increase these increments as you do it throughout the next 30 days.

2 Minute Intervals

60 seconds: jumping jacks
60 seconds: side to side leaps

Rest 60 seconds

60 seconds: run in place
60 seconds: side shuffles

Rest One Minute
1 Minute Intervals

60 second: mountain climbers
30 second: rest
60 second: burpees
30 second: rest
60 second: knee high run
30 second: rest
60 second: squat jumps side to side

Rest One Minute
30 Second Intervals

30 second: air jacks
15 second: rest
30 second: squat jumps
15 second: rest
30 second: jumping lunges
15 second: rest
30 second: jumping lunges

Other Workout Options
Run through each workout a total of 3 … Read More

Written By Laina Marble, Rock Wall Employee

There are a lot of conveniences in life—getting into a car and easily traveling miles by the press of a pedal, having boxes of whatever gizmo you desire by clicking “confirm purchase,” and whipping out your phone to brush up on a fact that is right on the tip of your tongue. Climbing though, is not a convenience.
Climbing and Theology
The start of my relationship with climbing began in 2014 when a group of friends and I were looking for something to do with our “free day” in the middle of a conference. Walking aimlessly around downtown Chattanooga, we all were taken in by the flashy colors of a climbing gym and decided to give it a whirl. Each of us had no clue what we were in for and had much more of a dressed-up attire than a ready-to-climb look going for us. Powered by a pair of rental shoes and a harness I fumbled my way to the first auto-belay that I saw and easily shimmied my way up, grabbing whatever color I desired all the way to the top. I struck up a conversation with a young boy and his dad that clearly knew what they … Read More

Written By Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee

Swimming is a great way to work your entire body. Unlike other fitness regimens, swimming engages every muscle group and energy system. Did you know that an hour of swimming burns almost as many calories as running?
There are so many benefits that come from swimming regularly—let’s take a look at some of those and how you can start incorporating swimming into your routine, if you haven’t already!

Swimming Works Your Entire Body
Like mentioned earlier, swimming works your entire body. It increases your heart rate without adding stress to your body, tones your muscles, and builds strength and endurance. Some strokes you can use to add variety to your swimming workout are

Breaststroke
Backstroke
Sidestroke
Butterfly
Freestyle

Swimming Improves Coordination
Swimming is proven to improve flexibility, range of motion, and functional strength in and out of the water. This leads to improved core strength, mobile stability in your joints, and enhanced motor skills. Who knew?
Swimming May Help You Sleep Better at Night
People suffering with insomnia reported both a boost in quality of life and sleep after engaging in regular aerobic exercise. Swimming is also meditative – it boosts endorphins that increase feelings of well-being. The rhythmic strokes and sound of the water make swimming extremely relaxing, and it has been shown that swimming produces the same relaxation responses as yoga.
How … Read More

Written By Crystal Conway, Yoga Instructor

If you’re anything like me, attending a yoga class can, at times, be the highlight of your day. Knowing that a time is coming up for you to move dynamically, breathe deeply, and challenge yourself toward achieving poses is invigorating and can keep you coming back for more. Below are some of my favorite poses to do throughout the day when I just need a little extra mobility and stability in my life outside of the classroom. Feel free to practice these as a morning routine, study break, or pampering evening with your roommates to create more balance in your day.

Thunderbolt (Vajrasana) with Arms Reaching
Reaching your arms up overhead is great way to wake up in the morning! I recommend coming into kneeling pose where you sit on your heels with your knees bent underneath you. Then, you reach your arms up over head and lengthen the spine and arms. Inhale as you reach your arms up to the ceiling and exhale as you bring them back down. Try adding a side bend here with one arm reaching up and over your ear at a time. You can practice this first thing when you wake up before getting … Read More

Written By Karah Rushing, Group Exercise Instructor

Feeling the need to relieve stress, burn calories, and have a great time? Come try a dancercise Group Ex class at LaHaye! Dancercise classes offered range from high intensity cardio classes, such as Zumba, Hip-Hop, and MixxedFit to classes more focused on building muscular strength, such as Barre Above. Here are some benefits shared by all Dancercise classes:

They feature fun, upbeat music
Here are some songs you will work out to if you come to my Barre Above class this semester:

“Year 3,000” and “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers
“Turn Up the Music” from Lemonade Mouth
“Best Friend’s Brother” from Victorious
“Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts

They build great friendships
I know this from experience as my relationship with one of my best college friends began freshman year in Zumba classes. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to bring your friends so you can do the classes together!
It’s a lot more relaxing than you might think
Most Dancercise movements are simple and repetitive, allowing the mind to relax and focus on the previously mentioned music and friends instead of only concentrating on the workout.
Each class benefits your body differently
In Zumba you will be introduced to a variety of Latin styles and burn over 500 calories! In … Read More

Written By Erica Stogner, Fitness Coordinator

My fitness journey began my sophomore year of high school when I was introduced to Beachbody’s P90X. This program instilled in me a love for exercise as I experienced increases in my health and fitness over that 90 day period. However, my at home workouts eventually became repetitive, boring, and unsuccessful in delivering results. I had to find something new. I eventually started going to the gym with my dad and joined him in his “old school” body building styled workouts. Let’s just say—this wasn’t my cup of tea. I was stuck with a love for exercise and how it made me feel, but I had no direction. That was enough for me to seek the help of a personal trainer, and I am so glad I did! You may already be motivated to exercise like I was but don’t know where to start. You might have a general idea of how to work out but have hit a plateau. Maybe you know all about fitness but lack the motivation to embark on or to continue in your fitness journey.
No matter where you are at, a personal trainer may be just what you are looking for, and here is why:

Personal Trainers are personally invested in your health and wellbeing.
A good trainer … Read More

Written By Alivia Chenoweth, Marketing Manager

Let’s Admit It…
Going home for the holidays means you don’t have access to LaHaye. But that doesn’t mean you have to lose your routine! Doing simple, short workouts from the comfort of home can be very effective in attaining your goals—no gym necessary. Here are some exercises you can complete at home over winter break.

No Equipment Body Weight Workout
Surprisingly, it is easy to achieve a full-body workout with a handful of equipment-free workouts. After stretching, we recommend beginning with your upper body and working your way down. To start, pushups are great upper body workouts that work the shoulders, chest, triceps and ab muscles. Next, sit ups, crunches, and planks are all very effective core and ab workouts. Finally, strengthen your legs by performing lunge holds, alternating lunges, squats, and calf raises.  Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list of body weight workouts, so feel free to expand your arsenal by researching more!
Under 15 Minute Workout
(20-30 second breaks between each exercise)

10-12 pushups
8-10 diamond pushups
10-12 declined pushups (put feet on a chair or bench)
30 sit ups with hands behind head
30 cross-arm crunches
60 second plank
45 second left leg lunge hold
45 second right leg lunge hold
Alternating lunges (15 for each leg)
20 … Read More

Written By Katrina Burgess, Aquatics Coordinator
The days are starting to get busy and the weather is getting cold—and let’s be honest, classes and work are beginning to fill the longest days we have seen all year. What better way to get through the day than with a podcast?
So let’s grab our earphones and begin the search for the best podcast for you. Here are 5 podcasts to make the whole week feel like the weekend.

1. The Ken Coleman Show
To start your podcast search off, here is my all-time favorite: The Ken Coleman Show. In each of the episodes within this podcast, the host, Ken Coleman (did anyone else guess that?), establishes the key points to become the person who you want to be in the place where you want to be. On the show, Ken takes calls from people all over the world and listens as they pour their confusion, frustration, and dreams onto his lap. The cool thing about Ken is that he never simply gives the answer to the question, but through the 35-45 minute episodes, he allows the caller with the question to answer their own question!

If you are in the mood for professional life guidance – … Read More

Written By Britta Solle, Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor
The gym can be an intimidating place for many different reasons. Whether it’s the people, the noise, the equipment, or something else, it’s never fun to feel anxious in a place that should be for reaching goals and bettering yourself. As someone who has been lifting for a few years, I know exactly what that feels like, and it’s totally normal—we all have to start somewhere. When I first started working out it took months for me to find the courage to try a new machine or exercise. I didn’t even touch a barbell for almost a year of being in the gym! From someone who’s worked through all the uncertainty, self-conscious thoughts, and confusion, here are my best tips & advice for overcoming gym anxiety:

Come prepared
Write down your workout on your phone or in a notebook, and make it specific. Ask yourself these questions to help build your workout: What body parts do I want to work? What exercises do I want to do? What machines do I need to use? How many sets and reps of each exercise am I going to do? Write it all down. The more … Read More

Written By Lindsey Johnson, Marketing Employee
Starting a new exercise can seem intimidating. Not only does switching up your fitness routine keep it exciting—it is also often rewarding. CrossFit is one of those intimidating, exciting, and rewarding exercises.

So, what is CrossFit?
CrossFit training consists of varied and high-intensity functional movements. According to the CrossFit site the program is “designed for universal scalability, making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience.” CrossFit is a training philosophy that coaches people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical well-being and cardiovascular fitness in a hardcore, yet accepting environment.
Official Definition of CrossFit
Found on their website, “CrossFit is a lifestyle characterized by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition. CrossFit can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone—people who are just starting out and people who have trained for years.”

What to Expect
You’ll work hard
You won’t be doing the most advanced moves in your first few classes, but hard work is what gets the best results. So, don’t expect it to be too easy. It’s like the first week at a new job—everything is tiring because everything is new, and you don’t even know where … Read More