Healthy Living
She Lost Her Mom to Cancer. Her Gym Community Helped Her Through.
In September of 2017, 27-year-old Meghan Benware moved to New Jersey to start a new life. She was ready to make changes to her health. She’d tried to get in shape before, but the story was always the same—either gyms didn’t make her feel worth their time or she was actually turned away. When she…
Read More6 Resources to Meet a New Workout Buddy
Getting fit takes a village. No, seriously—it’s proven that we do better when we work out in groups, we finish our fitness programs more consistently when we have a partner, and we find it easier to stay motivated when we have someone holding us accountable (this is why personal training works!). But if you don’t…
Read More5 Easy Meal Preps for Back-to-School Season That Parents Love, Too
Getting back in the back-to-school groove is almost impossible without a plan. And planning is a good idea when you have lunches to pack, backpacks to check, and kids to send off to the bus. To the parents out there who are trying to keep their kids’ health in check while still paying attention to…
Read MorePersonal Trainer Profile: Former Mrs. New Jersey Winner Catherine Zalewski on Surviving Two Strokes
As Catherine Zalewski talks on the phone, you hear her kids toddle in and out of the room where she has attempted to get some quiet. The scene is as close to normal as you can get – “Can you please go clean it up, honey? I’ll be down there in one second, I promise.”…
Read MoreFrom High Heels to Rolling Hills: A Story of Victory from Jersey Strong’s Lauren Brown
There was a red velvet Nutella bomb chocolate chip cookie waiting at the end. At a certain point during your first duathlon event – a competitive race that combines rigorous outdoor biking with running – your legs might feel like they aren’t completely attached to your body. Like Bambii taking his first steps, they will…
Read MoreFitness Classes 101: How to Choose the Best Group Class for You
Want a reason to look forward to going to the gym? Group exercise classes can keep you on a schedule, provide a supportive group atmosphere, and help make exercise fun as you just get started! With 12 group exercise classes to choose from as well as various XLAB sessions you can join, we’re breaking down…
Read MoreThis USA Powerlifting State Champion is Also a Secret Nerd: Jersey Strong’s Kristian Elvina
There were two things that Kristian Elvina loved when he was younger: World’s Strongest Man and dinosaurs.
Read MoreHow To Stretch (Really Effectively) Without That Burning Pain
The benefits of stretching and flexibility training have long been known, but to this day it remains a missing component from most workout programs. That said, it’s no real mystery why. Stretching is hard to perform effectively on your own and it’s typically uncomfortable (albeit painful). That’s why Jersey Strong has partnered with the “Godfather…
Read MoreA Special Collaboration to Help Those In Need — Jersey Strong Wine
As you know, the Jersey Shore has, and will always be, a core component of our culture. Most of Jersey Strong’s first clubs were built along the shorelines of Monmouth and Ocean counties, and the shore is home to our staff and thousands of Jersey Strong members. It’s all about community and keeping it local.…
Read More5 Things You Are Doing Wrong at the Gym – And How to Fix Them
We’ve all seen that one person at the gym using a piece of equipment in a way it totally wasn’t designed for. Sometimes, equipment can be altered to see different results. For example, changing your hand position the lateral pull down bar can help you target different areas of your back, or even your biceps.
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