Pairing a regular weight-training routine with your cardio regimen can help energize you, tone muscles and build strength. Here are some tips for staying safe and avoiding injuries.
Warm up and cool down
with stretching, light jogging and calisthenics.
Wear proper footwear
to ensure your stability when lifting.
Always follow proper technique
; do research beforehand or ask a fitness trainer.
Have a spotter help you
with free weights. Lift slowly and with control. Avoid using momentum or jerking the weights.
Be aware of your surroundings
to avoid accidents with other gym patrons. But concentrate on what you’re doing. Distractions, such as chatting while lifting, can lead to injuries.
Never hold your breath while lifting.
This could make you light-headed and dizzy.
Allow time for muscles to rest
between workouts. The Washington Post
Hop, skip or jump to it
Author/songwriter Vicki Clark will host a jump-rope party and open house 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, with free rock candy and jump ropes with the purchase of her “Rhyming the Rockies” CD ($15). The retired teacher put her poems and jump-rope rhymes about Colorado’s wildflowers and wildlife to music, which you can scope out at . Available at the open house, website, Rocky Mountain National Park gift shops, The Bookies in Denver and Johnson’s Corner truck stop (I-25 south of Loveland).
5240 Lighthouse Point, Loveland;
10 percent off = 10 percent more fit?
South Suburban Parks and Recreation centers are discounting passes and punch cards by 10 percent from Nov. 26 through Dec. 31. The multiple-use passes and punch cards give access to all amenities and drop-in fitness classes — spinning, step and regular aerobics, sculpting, yoga, cardio and aqua fitness — at the Lone Tree, Goodson and Buck recreation centers. South Suburban also offers an auto-debit service for annual passes. The more you go, the more you save. ; 303-483-7016
