The indoor racquetball court and fully equipped new fitness center make exercising easy for residents of the upscale Belmont at Park Bridge apartment community in Alpharetta, Georgia. And what better time to take advantage of them than now, when you’re returning to your routine—or starting a new one—after the winter holidays?

No need to pay extra for a gym membership when you can work on cardio and strengthening with onsite facilities and equipment, right? And, Belmont at Park Bridge is a pet-friendly community, complete with pet stations throughout the property, so you can get outdoors for a walk with your fur baby, too!

The Idea Specialists™ at Belmont at Park Bridge are making more time in their 2022 schedules for health and fitness and want to share some resources and ideas with you!

New Year, New App?

Maybe all you need to stay motivated is that weekly Fitbit report on your step count, and/or you’re perfectly satisfied with the fat-burning feedback you get from your Apple watch.

Or, maybe you’re in the market for a new app, one that provides target area-specific workouts, or effective full-body workouts that can be done in as few as 5 to 30 minutes? Or one that you can use to change your approach to eating, or help you to begin a meditation practice?

The Idea Specialists™ recommend Daily Workout Apps—it’s like having your own personal trainer, they say. They also found this great list of apps on Verywell Fit, an award-winning resource for credible and up-to-date information on all nutrition and exercise topics: Best Fitness Apps to Download

Work Your Body & Your Brain

Verywell Fit also has put together an excellent list of podcasts you can listen to while you’re exercising: The 31 Best Fitness Podcasts to Listen to Right Now

After checking it out, The Idea Specialists™ are now really into Mind Pump, an online radio show/podcast that describes itself as being “dedicated to providing truthful fitness and health information.” They’re also fans of Half Size Me, a weekly show that focuses on sustainable weight loss. Its host, Heather Robertson, lost 170 pounds—and has kept it off.

Close to home, there’s the recently renamed Big Peach Ride + Run podcast, produced by Big Peach Running Co. One of their newest episodes is “Dealing with Fitness Insecurity”—as in how to move past it so you can achieve your fitness goals.

Running Buddies

And on that note, if 2022 is the year you’re planning to lace up your running shoes and hit the streets, then you might want to spend some time looking into everything Big Peach Running Co. has to offer.  It’s not just running shoes; they keep the area running community up to date on races and training workshops. The Alpharetta store, on Winward Parkway, does group runs on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Hit The Trails

One of the great things about living at Belmont at Park Bridge is how close it is to so many great hiking trails, including the Big Creek Greenway. If you want to lace up your boots and venture a little farther afield, check out the list of “10 Beautiful Must-Do Hikes Near Atlanta” shared by area lifestyle and travel blogger Tayala “Tee” George at A Sip of Tee.

And if you want to enjoy the great outdoors in the company of others, the Atlanta Trail Running and Beyond Fitness Meetup group might be for you! For some runners, this group is about socializing and getting a good low-impact workout by running through beautiful scenery. For other runners, it’s about training for races.

Rest & Recovery

Whatever fitness activity you choose, The Idea Specialists™ want to remind you not to forget to devote time rest and recovery, and that includes consuming the right nutrients after you exercise.

Healthline explains that after you engage in physical activity, your body tries to rebuild its glycogen stores, as well as repair and regrow muscle proteins. It’s especially important to eat carbs and protein after your, they say, because doing so helps your body:

• decrease muscle protein breakdown
• increase muscle protein synthesis (growth)
• restore glycogen stores
• enhance recovery

Have a glass of chocolate milk and some peanut butter on rice crackers as a quick snack, or cottage cheese and fruits. If you’ve got more time, whip up an omelet with avocado spread on whole grain toast, or make a protein shake and drink it and eat a banana.

Whatever you do, stay hydrated! While water is usually your best bet, sometimes an electrolyte drink is the way to go.

Relaxation

Hydration is also very important if massage is part of your health and fitness regimen. Drink water both before and after your session, whether you’re getting one for pain relief at the Hands On America Massage Professionals location on South Main Street, or a deep tissue massage for relaxation and stress relief at Terra Nova Wellness Spa on Winward Parkway.

The experts at WebMD say your massage therapist will thank you if you drink water before you stretch out on the table because your muscles will be more soft and supple, which makes it easier for your practitioner to manipulate tender tissue. And, this body work releases substances you should flush out afterward, something that’s extra important if you get any type of heavy-duty massage.

Happy New Year, Happy New You!