If your New Year’s resolutions include hitting the gym consistently, Lethbridge Polytechnic's fitness experts are ready to help you succeed.
Cheryl Pyne, a fitness assistant and personal trainer in Recreation Services, offers nutrition, fitness and mindset coaching for students, employees and community members.
When setting fitness goals, she says it pays to be realistic – to start small and dream big.
“Break down your ultimate fitness goal into achievable milestones,” says Pyne. “This ensures success along the way and keeps you motivated and on track. Enlisting a fitness friend, joining a fitness community or hiring a coach can also help with motivation and accountability.”
Most importantly, Pyne says, “believe in yourself and focus on keeping a positive mindset – your biggest cheerleader should always be you!”
Another key to long-term success is recognizing that fitness extends beyond physical activity and training, says Jillian Hallworth, chair, Exercise Science and Physical Education.
“Quality sleep is often underestimated, but it’s an integral component of any successful fitness plan,” Hallworth says. “Adequate sleep, seven to nine hours per night, allows the body to recover and repair after training while supporting mental well-being.”
Equally important, adds Hallworth, is a well-balanced and nutritious diet, as food not only supports energy levels during workouts but also aids in supporting recovery, replenishing energy stores and promoting muscle repair and growth after exercise.
“If you’re embarking on a new training journey this year, or switching up your previous routine, remember that achieving your goals is not just about the workout,” she says. “Pay attention to sleep, nutrition and exercise for a stronger, healthier you.”
Lethbridge Polytechnic's state-of-the art Fitness Centre includes strength training equipment, free weights, portable equipment and cardiovascular machines. A Recreation Services membership provides access to the facility, as well as steam rooms, squash and racquetball courts, and three full-size gymnasiums during open recreation times.
If a fitness class is more your speed, the college’s Be Fit for Life Centre offers yoga, Pilates, cycling, lift, barre, Tabata, boot camp, Zumba and more. The winter schedule runs until April 19.
Lethbridge Polytechnic has also been recognized as a top Healthy Workplace, receiving Canada’s Healthy Workplace Month Great Employer Award for the fifth year in a row. The award, presented by Excellence Canada, celebrates organizations for their efforts to foster physically and psychologically safe and healthy workplaces.
The latest award acknowledges the institution's work on psychological health and safety, gender-based and sexual violence policy, procedures and resources, and work toward an equity, diversity and inclusion framework.