It is tradition for many people to pour into the gyms at the beginning of the year, trying to meet their New Year’s resolution to lose weight.

While some of those people give up before the month is over, a growing number of people are sticking to their commitment by adhering to some sort of workout plan every day, whether it is at home or in a gym.

Fitting a workout into your day has been simplified in many ways — 24-hour workout facilities, free child care and quick workout regimens to avoid boredom and failure to continue to workout.

A gym membership in the Pensacola area will cost you around $25 to $50 dollars a month. A home gym can be purchased from around $800 to $5,000 or more.

However you decide to burn your fat, it can be worth every penny and every moment, if you do it correctly.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there are 1,440 minutes in every day, and you should schedule 30 of them for physical activity. Regular exercise is a critical part of staying healthy. People who are active live longer and feel better. Exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can delay or prevent diabetes, some cancers and heart problems.

Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, bicycling, dancing or swimming for recreation. Stretching and weight training also can strengthen your body and improve your fitness level.

The key is to find the right exercise for you. If you enjoy it, you are more likely to stay motivated. You may want to walk with a friend, plan a partnered workout or join a class.

If you haven’t worked out in awhile, ease your way into a workout. Start out slowly.

NO EXCUSES

If you’ve been busy enjoying the sun, vacationing and reuniting with old friends, chances are you’ve been neglecting your diet and exercise routine.

With the weather attempting to cool down and kids back in school, you may want to conjure up a daily regimen that will get you back on track to a healthy living.

Anytime Fitness can fit your schedule at anytime at the new 24-hour secure workout facility at 100 South Alcaniz St., downtown Pensacola.

“Anytime Fitness is a good fit into downtown Pensacola with the busy lives that people lead,” said Amber Holland, co-owner of the fitness center with her husband, Brian. “A lot of people can’t come during their fitness hours because they work. When other places are closing early, we’re open.”

And if you haven’t been to a gym in awhile, there are great new machines that can drive your competitiveness and get you pumped about working out. Anytime Fitness has 20 pieces of cardio machinery, including eight treadmills, 17 pieces of pin-select Life Fitness, a full range of hammer-strength free weights and two virtual reality bikes.

“They allow you to race the person sitting next to you,” Amber said of the virtual reality bikes.

“You can pick 30 different tracks to ride on, and you can track your progress and race against yourself.”

TIME FOR MOMMY

For that family visit, try Powerhouse Family Fitness at 6933 N. Ninth Ave. at Eastgate Plaza. The facility offers a 24-hour workout facility and free daycare. Powerhouse has been in the area for 10 years and has a new look. Child care hours are from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Saturday, in the evening from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“It’s newly renovated, and it’s beautiful,” said Brett Eason, manager.

Powerhouse is an enormous facility with six lines of equipment. There’s a huge cardiovascular section, personal trainers and several classes, including hip-hop, kickboxing, resist-a-ball, yoga, body sculpting, abdominal classes, a separate room for spinning and the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu School. Powerhouse uses a special workout system called Body Pump.

“It’s a combination of weights and cardio,” Eason said. “We’ve got it all.”

SAUNA AND A MOVIE

Another 24-hour gym, World Gym, at 6908 N. Ninth Ave., Pensacola, is a unique and upscale gym and tanning salon operated exclusively by Ed and Charity Weihenmayer.

World Gym offers a full line of the Life Fitness signature series along with an aerobics room that has a TV allocated for each treadmill and features a DVD player for the convenience of watching a movie while you’re working out.

The gym and tanning salon is small and private but has a full range of equipment that you won’t find at other 24-hour facilities. It maintains a membership level of 150 members so the gym doesn’t become overcrowded.

Plans are in the works for building a lap pool, which would be completed by early spring 2008. After swimming laps in the pool, you’ll be able to step into one of two infrared saunas, which will be available in the spring.

The Cybex Arc Trainer is one of the most efficient and easy-to-use pieces of equipment at World Gym. The arc trainer adjusts your level of workout according to your heart rate. It senses when your heart rate is going up and will adjust accordingly.

World Gym has three personal trainers. Patti Seward has been training for 25 years while Debbie Brooks works with women exclusively. Charity is also a personal trainer and all three trainers are available for one on one consultation and training.

If you’re having trouble sleeping you can try a supplement offered at World Gym. It’s called Somatomax and it stimulates the release of human growth hormone.

AEROBICS, CLASSES AND MORE

Gulf Breeze Aerobics and Fitness Center has free child care, free unlimited aerobics and classes out of the wazoo.
The 13,000-square-foot gym is open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Child care is offered from 7:45 a.m. to noon and resumes from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday and 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday.

Classes there include spinning and yoga, to say the least. The fitness center has 36 pieces of cardio machinery, including ellipticals, bikes, Stairmasters, Precor equipment and full-circuit Cybex equipment. You can tone up your tummy in the ab area and build your strength with the free weights from 5 to 1,000 pounds. If you want to relax after a good workout, there are saunas in each locker room. You can top that off with a healthy, all natural Dr. Smoothies beverage for a refreshing break.

Gulf Breeze Aerobics and Fitness Center is a no contract gym. You can pay for a day, week, month-to-month or pay the year in full for singles, couples and family rates.

“We’ve been under new ownership for two years,” said Clair Thomas, members service director of Gulf Breeze Aerobics and Fitness Center. “And it’s going to keep getting better.”

30-MINUTE WORKOUT

At 123 Fit, 86 Brent Lane Suite 123, it’s not open 24 hours, but the speedy workout plan should be able to fit into any schedule. The facility is open 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and closed on Sunday. During those hours, 123 Fit is promoting what has “scientifically proven to be the world’s greatest 30-minute workout,” said Johnny Blue, manager. “It’s a structured event. Each session lasts for 30 seconds. You just keep changing machines. You would escape the boredom of a regular workout.”

123 Fit has ellipticals, treadmills, strength and cardiovascular equipment and the revolutionary strength-training equipment by Simbio.

“It’s only found at 123 Fit,” Blue said. “They’re so special because it has both positive and negative resistance. It uses rubber bands and reduces tissue loss.”

“It yields faster results with less wear and tear on their bodies,” Blue said. “It’s that versatile. You start out at the strength (section) for 30 seconds. Then you go to cardio, strength and then to the recovery station. This goes on for 30 minutes.”

— ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY HEATHER HAWKINS.