Want to get fit in 2018? How to use your building's gym

Wanting to get fit in 2018 is a great new year's resolution. Of course, getting fit seems to be a resolution on repeat. It's easy to want to get fit, but the follow-through is a lot of work and a lot of commitment, and as the long winter drudges on our bad habits and comfort foods seem to get in the way of our best intentions. That's why we've turned to fitness expert Brent Bishop of Think Fitness to give us a few tips that will get you moving and keeping to that resolution to get fit in 2018.

One of the benefits of living in an apartment and/or condo community is access to the fitness facility. You don't even have to leave your home to get on with your fitness regime - that's one less thing standing in the way of you and that resolution. Brent has some great suggestions for developing your fitness routine, and you have everything you need. And lucky you, if you have the amenities in your building you don't even need to absorb the cost of a gym membership to stick to it, just use your amenity space!

Cardio

Treadmills, bikes and ellipticals will help you get into a cardio routine.

Brent's recommendation:

• Hopping on the treadmill as a great place to start – as long as you don't have knee issues.
• Hit the start button and pick a pace and incline that feels comfortable and that allows you to keep talking
• Increase the speed/incline as you build up strength and endurance.

In your suite

A lot of exercises can be done without any equipment. Use the fitness room or even do these in your suite

Brent's recommendation:

• The arms up squat. Just like it sounds, arms go up and pulled back as far as possible, while exhaling, sink your weight onto your heels, sink your bottom backwards. Inhale and push back up. It works your entire lower body, including glut's, quad's and hamstrings.
• The pelvic lift. Lying down with knees bent up, press into the ground through your back and feet as you raise your hips up high, keeping the glut's and hamstrings tight. This builds the core strength.

Brent's advice will help you get fit in 2018, if that's your goal. One of his final recommendations is to get yourself a personal trainer. This may seem daunting, expensive, not feasible, but it's so much easier and more accessible and affordable than you think. There are many cost-effective solutions for hiring a trainer – either in the gym or at home – and the benefit is, you'll have someone to push you, keep you on track and adjust your routine to suit your needs and level of fitness. If you don't have the willpower, buy the willpower. Often the expense of it is a huge motivator to keep you on track. However, he also recommends hiring a personal trainer even for only one session. The trainer will assess and offer advice, helping with your technique and routine so that you can set up a foundation of exercise that will work for you.