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Try This Core Workout For Beginners

You've likely heard a fitness instructor or personal trainer tell you to "engage your core" during exercise. There is no doubt, your core is very important. You need your core for everything, from getting out of bed in the morning to grabbing…
Man and woman biking outside

Support These Local Chicago Businesses During National Bike Month

May is National Bike Month, and FFC is partnering with local Chicago neighborhood bike shops for special club events like bike tune-ups, helmet safety clinics, road safety seminars and more! Check out our list of partners below, as well as…
Woman unrolling yoga mat on floor

Perfectly Imperfect: How The Idea Of “Fitness” Has Evolved Throughout My Life

When I sat down to write a blog post about fitness, I had such a long list of topics. I could write about the physical, mental or mechanical aspects of exercise. I could write about all of the different categories of exercise: cardio, strength,…
Krys Rollins performing a pull up

Member Stories: How Variety In Movement And Modality Helps Krys Rollins Feel Her Best

Member Krys Rollins shares how she and her kids like to stay active, her motivations behind her healthy lifestyle, and the biggest takeaways she's learned from working with FFC Oak Park Personal Trainer Keon Hackney. You've been a member…
Woman stretching her triceps.
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Your Breath, Your Power: How To Harness Your Biggest Training Asset

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, chances are the instructor talked about controlling your breathing, even if it’s just to align your inhales and exhales to your poses. Have you ever wondered why breath work is such an important part…
Woman lifting heavy kettlebell
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Women And Weights: Why You Should Lift Heavy

FFC Group Fitness Manager Lara Mele debunks the theory that lifting heavy weights will make women “bulky” and shares why weightlifting is a great form of exercise for women.  I am definitely of the opinion that women should lift…
Man in his 30s stretching outside in the snow after a run
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What Is The Best Thing To Do For A Sore Body?

You know that feeling of guilt when you go to the dentist and he or she asks you how often you floss? I get that same feeling when I make an appointment for a massage and the massage therapist asks how often I stretch.  I know that…
Photo of clapboard and digital camera in front of two people sitting
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Lights, COVID, Action: Behind The Scenes Of Bringing You Digital Fitness Classes

Oh, the challenges and obstacles 2020 (and now 2021) presented for something as simple as taking a group fitness class. We transitioned from the comfort and ease of the group fitness studio to the great outdoors, in both warm and cold weather,…
Photo of dumbbells on a weight rack
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The Great Weight Debate

Our group fitness schedule at FFC features a wide variety of classes, including yoga, dance, indoor cycling and a number of strength training classes. Depending on the class type, these strength training classes may utilize bodyweight movements…
Notebook outlining SMART goals
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5 Secrets To Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution

Welcome to 2021! Another year has come and gone. What a year 2020 was, am I right? With every new year comes new goals and possibly a New Year’s resolution. Did you know: research shows that only 8% of those who set New Year’s resolutions…
Man at desk holding his lower back
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Combat Lower Back Pain With These Strengthening and Mobility Moves

If you have noticed aches or pains in your low back at some point over the past few months, you are not alone. This year has been filled with all sorts of changes, from transitioning to working from home to changing how we exercise or…
Woman running on treadmill wearing a mask
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Breathe Easy At The Gym With These Plastic Mask Inserts

FFC Elmhurst General Manager Scott Lewandowski is a 3-time Ironman finisher and 8-time Boston Marathon qualifier. When the statewide mandate for wearing masks while exercising indoors went into effect, Scott decided to try a variety of plastic…
Chicago skyline in winter
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Shop Local: Support These Chicago Businesses This Holiday Season

It's no secret that 2020 has been a tough year for our local businesses here in Chicago. To spread some cheer this holiday season, we reached out to a few of our fellow small business owners and neighborhood partners to find great gift ideas…
Woman holding dumbbells and performing a lunge at the gym.
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Bring It In: 3 Safe Indoor Workouts To Do At The Gym

We get it. Returning to the gym right now can be intimidating. You might be wondering what it’s like to work out in a mask, how to transition your workout from the outdoors to the club or simply how to start exercising again after some time…
Man and woman walking in fall weather with dalmations.
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Can Walking Really Help You Lose Weight?

Be honest: how many of you were lacing up your sneakers and going on regular walks pre-COVID? I don’t mean your power walk to the train or your half walk, half jog to get to the office on time; I’m talking about a dedicated, intentional…
Girl wearing black dress holding a pumpkin
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Make Your Halloween Movie Night Extra Spooky With These Workouts

Grab your candy, popcorn and blankets, folks, because it's officially spooky movie season! If your family or friend group is anything like mine, you might find yourself watching a certain Halloween movie more than once this October (cough:…
Man sitting at work desk looking at his watch.
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The Truth About Intermittent Fasting

The health and wellness space is no stranger to diet trends. Joining the ranks of celery juice and ketogenic diets in popularity this year is intermittent fasting (IF). And while intermittent fasting has been making headlines, does this trending…
Woman walking on a treadmill
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Goodbye, Chicago Summer: Move Your Exercise Routine Into The Club With These Two Cardio Workouts

Here in Chicago, we joke that the city only has two seasons: winter and construction. And with winters as notoriously brutal as ours, it's no wonder that Chicagoans wait all year for the fleeting 100 days of summer. The city comes alive in…
Woman using body lotion dispenser
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Self Care At Home: 15 Ways To Decompress Right Now

You can’t pour from an empty cup. Secure your own oxygen mask before helping others. Love yourself first. We all know that it’s important to take care of ourselves, but how often are we actually following through with feel-good rituals?…
man running on treadmill
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Runners, Take Note: These 8 Exercises Could Help Prevent An Injury

Whether you run for 15 minutes to relieve stress or you're training for your 100th marathon, you are considered a runner in my books. Unfortunately, runners are quite injury prone because of the redundant nature of the activity, the lack of…