With Asbury Park’s Convention Hall and boardwalk as a backdrop, certified personal trainer Eraldo Maglara does ladder drills to increase cardiovascular strength. The Photo by Russ DeSantis Great y JerseWorkout Let the Garden State’s beautiful scenery and iconic attractions inspire you to greater fitness in 2015

By SUSAN BLOOM

JANUARY 2015 28 nj.com/inside-jersey nj.com/inside-jersey 29 JANUARY 2015 The Great y JerseWorkout If you’re like two out of three well-meaning Americans, you’ve made a new year’s resolution to lose weight and/or get in better shape. But studies show that for as many as 75 percent, those ambitious goals will never be achieved. Some of you will abandon your newly purchased gym can enhance safety and convenience rocks, roots and mud; great spots for include a helmet, gloves, apparel, a this include state parks at Allamuchy, memberships as early as next month. pump, a water bottle and the means to Allaire, Ringwood, Lewis Morris and Does the prospect of starting up or fix a flat tire if you’re out by yourself.” Chimney Rock. For hybrid riding, bike sticking to a fitness routine leave you paths along the Delaware and Raritan Start Slow and Local Canal from Millstone to Princeton, the feeling overwhelmed, uninspired or “Biking may be tough at first, until Columbia river trail near High Bridge, unmotivated? you get used to it, but there’s a great or along the Delaware in Hunterdon Then welcome to The Great Jersey moment when you break through that County offer highly scenic, traffic- and every ride feels better than the last. free excursions. Finally, road riding Workout, a unique fitness program for Start slow(ly), with low-traffic loops in western, northern and southern residents of all ages and skill levels that that are near your house, so that you offer many rural, hilly and includes some of the Garden State’s most can peel off and head home beautiful rides; points west of Route if you need to. Then pick 287, such as the town of Oldwick, beautiful scenery, historic sites and iconic fun destinations that help represent a great starting point.” attractions. Cycling for All Seasons you meet mileage targets Working with several fitness and when you’re ready.” Nick Burton, manager of High Gear Cyclery in nutrition experts, we’ve devised creative Millburn, has been a cycling enthusiast since he was Embrace workouts at signature spots across 10. “Biking wasn’t only a great form of transportation, the Benefits but it gave me freedom, independence and a nice way New Jersey. “Biking is an amazing to explore my town,” says Burton, who has been a cardiovascular exercise If you thought fitness can’t be fun … competitive biker for the past 15 years. “I love to bike that won’t beat up your fuhgetaboutit! Our experts offer tips to because you can go fast enough to cover some ground, joints the way some other but slow enough to appreciate all that’s around you.” help you achieve your healthiest year exercises, like running, can. Here, Burton offers ways to build the benefits of biking For that reason, people can ever, followed by Inside Jersey’s into your fitness regime. ride well into their 90s. 10 favorite fitness destinations statewide Though it takes roughly an that will help you stay committed and hour-and-a-half-long bike ride to deliver the equivalent impact of a Explore Your Options keep you coming back for more. (See Begin With the Bike 45-minute run, biking is great for every “Riding in groups through any of the “Your Jersey Bucket List to Burning “The bike you select needs to be muscle in the legs, as well as the core, many biking clubs in the state can help appropriate for your size as well as because it involves holding yourself you become a better cyclist, learn how Calories” on Page 38.) Cycling enthusiast Nick Burton gets in some riding where you’ll be riding. Because this is so upright.” to navigate traffic or obstacles, and find time on the scenic Six Mile critical, it’s best to go to a bike shop to new places to ride. But taking up cycling So get out there and show your Run, near the Delaware and Jersey pride while working your way to Raritan Canal, in Somerset. get sized properly and make sure you’re Enjoy the Variety doesn’t require a huge investment. Just getting the right product for your needs. “Biking offers something for get out there and find out what part of improved health and wellness in 2015. Photos by JERRY McCREA Other good, basic accessories that everyone. Mountain biking involves the sport you love.”

* As with all such programs, you should consult your physician before beginning this or any other fitness program.

nj.com/inside-jersey 31 JANUARY 2015 The Great y Fun With Fitness JerseWorkout Ask Marie Luisi what makes Make Yourself Successful most people fall off the fitness wagon “If you set unreasonable goals, and this Hackettstown resident and the feeling of failure will be very health fitness specialist at Life Time de-motivating, so give yourself small Athletic in Berkeley Heights will tell you goals to accomplish that will help you it’s simple. “A lot of people do what they build confidence. It can be as simple as don’t like to do or what they think they walking a block as fast as you can; then should — that’s the first mistake.” Here, the next day, try for a block and a half. Luisi shares tips on how to keep your You’ll find that there are many people workouts effective, inspiring and fun.* around you on the same mission, who can offer support. Find your passion and surround yourself will people who will motivate you to continue.” Be Yourself “Just because your friend lost Plan Ahead 30 pounds running 3 miles a day doesn’t and Buddy Up mean that you will, particularly if you “Make exercise an appointment in your don’t like running. Everybody is different, calendar, like picking your kids up at so you should find an activity that you school, and treat it as a to-do item until it enjoy and can do three to four times a becomes a habit. Also consider finding a week, with a smile on your face. Be open friend who you enjoy spending time with to trying a lot of activities and know that and start a routine together if that will there are more options out there than help hold you accountable for your you might think — from walking, hiking, fitness.” biking, dancing, yoga and pilates to playing a sport or joining a softball league.” Biggest Bang for the Buck Among Luisi’s favorite exercises are step-ups — up with the right, up with the left, down with the right and down with Marie Luisi, a health fitness specialist, the left — on stairs, a log, a bench, a crate demonstrates some of her favorite exercises — including squats, step-ups, push-ups and or anything that offers a 90-degree angle. running — at the Great Swamp National Wildlife “Three sets of 15 of these are a great Refuge in Morris County. cardio and strength-training activity.” Photos by STEVE HOCKSTEIN She also loves planks and push-ups for their core and shoulder-strengthening abilities, as well as squats or even the repetitive act of sitting and standing, with or without weights, “which works out the midsection, glutes and quads,” she says. Stay the Course “Sticking to a fitness routine isn’t always going to be easy, and it’s normal if you don’t always feel motivated to do it. But remind yourself that you’ll feel so much better afterward.” The Ultimate Goal “Anyone, at any age and fitness level, can and should exercise to stay mobile. Our goal is to live a healthy lifestyle for as long as we can and to move and feel good for the rest of our lives.”

JANUARY 2015 32 nj.com/inside-jersey The Great y JerseWorkout Cardio for Conditioning “As the heart is a muscle, the goal is to train it to do the same amount of work with (fewer) beats so that it’s working more efficiently. A good cardio program will improve circulation, enhance oxygen intake, help prevent heart disease and boost longevity.” Keep Moving “Studies show that being sedentary can remove years from your life. If you’re Results-Oriented Training sitting too much, whether in an office or at home, take Marlboro-based certified personal trainer Eraldo Maglara small breaks, get up and says that after the indulgences of the holidays, “people make lots walk around, or go outside of commitments to a healthier lifestyle, but they don’t always stick at lunchtime and get some with it because they approach it as a temporary thing rather than a fresh air. It does a body permanent lifestyle change.” “It’s not a quick fix,” says Maglara, owner good.” of Fitness Training by Eraldo and author of “The Real Fountain of Youth: Simple Lifestyle Changes for Productive Longevity” (Jersey

Fit, 2013) “The more you embrace a fitness regime and make it fun and Stretch Maglara advises a warm- challenging, the more effective it can be.” Maglara offers his best tips up involving five minutes for kicking off and committing to a workout that will deliver results. of cardio before a workout to get lubricated, as well as stretching afterward. “When you work out in any way, you tighten up as Certified personal trainer Eraldo Maglara takes to the sidewalks, beach and historic sites of soon as you’re done. Stretching will increase Asbury Park for a workout that includes lunges your range of motion while muscles are still with a kettle ball, ladder drills and a run on the sand, as well as arm and leg stretches outside warm and help prevent injuries.” the Casino building.

Photos by RUSS DESANTIS Proper Form “Don’t be a warrior and try to do everything in one day. Take the time to learn how to do exercises properly, as incorrect Get a Physical form or technique can cause injury and then and Set Your Objective discourage you from continuing.” “Start by finding out what shape you’re in — blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, etc. — to ensure that you’re in shape to proceed, and address your diet as necessary. Your goal — whether it’s to lose weight, add muscle, run a marathon, be a better tennis player — will determine the best exercises to get you there.”

Keep It Balanced “Running delivers a great aerobic workout. Zumba, the trampoline, steps and forward lunges are excellent cardio activities that strengthen the heart, legs and core. Lifting weights builds strength, and working out with bands can improve muscle tone and leanness. It’s great to always challenge your body to do something different.”

JANUARY 2015 34 nj.com/inside-jersey nj.com/inside-jersey 35 JANUARY 2015 The Great y JerseWorkout Eat More Fruits and Veggies “The high fiber in fruits and vegetables keeps you fuller longer and helps you avoid mindless snacking,” Dorfman says, and New Jersey’s hundreds of markets make access to fresh, local and seasonal produce easier than ever. “This new year, explore different-colored items and recipes that you’ve never tried before.” Keep It Real “Don’t set unattainable goals. Keep them positive and small, such as ‘I will eat more fruits and vegetables this year.’ And don’t necessarily think you have to take foods away, because depriving can often lead to overeating or filling yourself with other things Choosing fresh produce, adding to feel satisfied. You can have what salad greens to a you want — it’s more about portions meal and consuming more fruits and and frequency.” vegetables are all smart ways to eat healthily, says dietitian Julie Do’s and Don’t’s Dorfman, seen Dorfman suggests power-packed during a visit to pairings such as an apple with peanut Springdale Farms in Cherry Hill. butter or nuts, vegetables with

Photos by AVI STEINHARDT hummus, or fruit with plain Greek yogurt. “Avoid excessive sugar, highly processed foods, and sweet coffee and energy drinks, and try to cook more entrée with someone along with an and eat out less, so that you can exert Mind Your Food appetizer or salad.” greater control over your ingredients A sound approach to nutrition goes hand in hand and portions. Have fun and try new with better fitness, but “most diets just don’t work,” says Balance It Out things. And don’t focus on what you dietitian Julie Dorfman, of Cherry Hill. “If (diets “The addition of a salad or roasted can’t or won’t do, but rather on what worked), there would only be one and people would be vegetables to a meal can boost its fiber you can and will do in the new year. able to diet successfully and be happy.” Instead, she content and your resultant energy Keep it positive.” says, good nutrition is about “developing a healthy, level, while helping you avoid some balanced, intuitive and mindful approach to eating.” of the denser and more caloric carbs, Dorfman shares her best tips for healthy eating like pasta. Eat more lean protein, in the new year. dairy, and fruits and vegetables, and switch to more healthy carbs like whole-grain bread, brown rice and Portion Control quinoa.” “Many of us eat because we’re emotionally stressed or because Plan Ahead we’ve had the ‘clean the plate’ habit “Planning meals out ahead of time instilled in us. Healthy eating involves on a weekly grid can help you think sensing your body’s physical hunger about different proteins, carbs and and fullness levels, and being mindful vegetables, build in variety and keep of portions. This means recognizing you organized, so that you can shop when you’re full, eating only half and in advance and make better meal taking the rest home, or sharing an decisions.”

JANUARY 2015 36 nj.com/inside-jersey nj.com/inside-jersey 37 JANUARY 2015 Your The 16,000-acre High Point State Park in Sussex — which commemorates the highest Jersey point in New Jersey (1,803 feet above sea level) with a 220-foot-tall monument Bucket List to honor veterans — is open for hiking, to snowshoeing and cross-country skiing from Burning November through April. The activities are made more convenient through equipment rental on site at High Point Cross Country Calories Ski Center, where half and full-day rental packages are available for less than $20. “Anyone who can walk can snowshoe,” Fitzgerald says. “It’s a great workout for the legs — like a nice brisk hike with a little extra resistance — and it’s a fun activity for kids and families.” Call (973) 875-4800 or visit state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/ highpoint.html.

Greetings 4. From Asbury Park Enjoy a beachside workout or boardwalk run at the Jersey’s Shore’s famed town of Asbury Park, where historic sites include Convention Hall, the 1920s-era Paramount Theatre, pop culture attraction the Wonder Bar, and renowned bar and concert venue

By SUSAN BLOOM 1 The Stone Pony, which has hosted the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny and Try your hand at some (or all) of these fun 5 destination-driven 3 workouts, which reflect 2 the breadth of New to the top of the 172-foot-high “Old Canal State Park, offers scenes of Jersey’s spectacular Barney,” originally lit in 1859, will be bucolic wooden bridges, historic homes landscape, rich history richly rewarding, as the lighthouse offers and natural habitat as it winds its way panoramic views of Barnegat Bay and from the Hunterdon County towns of and colorful pop Inlet, as well as opportunities to view the Frenchtown, Stockton and Lambertville culture. area’s native birds, marine wildlife and to New Brunswick in Middlesex County. flora in the surrounding park and jetties. While ideal for canoeing, jogging, hiking, Call (609) 494-2016 or visit state.nj.us/ fishing and horseback riding, biking dep/parksandforests/parks/barnlig.html. expert Nick Burton loves the opportunity Step It Up For a bigger challenge, walk the steps of this ride offers for “a beautiful, varied, 1. at Barnegat Lighthouse more than 10 of New Jersey’s lighthouses and traffic-free biking excursion that According to the calorie tracker during the “Lighthouse Challenge” every people of all skill levels will enjoy.” Call Bon Jovi since opening in 1974. Along with StepJockey, we burn 0.17 calories for October (lighthousechallengenj.com). (609) 924-5705 or visit dandrcanal.com. the diversity of the setting, fitness expert every step up and 0.05 calories for every Eraldo Maglara says that the beach and step down, so climbing up and down boardwalk of Asbury Park also offer great the 217 steps of Barnegat Lighthouse Bike Along Snowshoe opportunities for exercise, including “lunges at Barnegat Light State Park, on the 2. the Delaware 3. at High Point and squats with or without weights on the northernmost tip of Long Beach Island, The beautiful ride along the Delaware “When Mother Nature cooperates, we boardwalk, running on the sand for a strong will get you nearly 50 calories closer to River and Raritan Canal, through the get a lot of snow,” says High Point State leg workout or performing ladder drills to

your goal. Not only that, but the climb 70-mile-long Delaware and Raritan Park Superintendent Rebecca Fitzgerald. INSIDE JERSEY FILE PHOTOS boost cardiovascular strength.”

JANUARY 2015 38 nj.com/inside-jersey to yet another entrancing section of undeveloped wilderness area of the We Love Lucy the 70-mile-long Delaware and Raritan Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge 5. For a fun workout Canal State Park. Along with a solid provides opportunities for solitude and destination that’s New Jersey’s alone, workout, the more than 3,000-acre unconfined recreation. “With 11.5 miles head to the Atlantic County city of reservoir offers views of 18th-century of trails, many visitors enjoy jogging Margate to visit Lucy, a 90-ton, six-story- farmhouses and a glimpse into the life of or biking along the refuge’s Pleasant high built in 1881 and fashioned the Dutch settlers who first inhabited the Plains Road, a beautiful gravel road after , P.T. Barnum’s headline area. Among other highlights of the ride, that’s free of heavy traffic,” says David animal act of the day. Considered the says biking expert Nick Burton, is the Sagan, visitor services specialist. “It’s a oldest roadside attraction in the country, Blackwells Mills Canal House, a historic diverse habitat experience that ranges “Lucy is also the oldest example of structure at the site of a swing bridge for from open fields, with scenic stops and zoomorphic architecture on Earth and canal boats that operated in the 1830s. vistas, to open water and wooded areas was made a national historic landmark It now serves as a community center, where visitors can spot anything from in 1976,” says Rich Helfant, executive museum and library of canal history. Call white-tailed deer and red foxes to owls director of Lucy the Elephant, which (732) 873-2133 or visit dandrcanal.com/ and red-tailed hawks.” Fitness expert is situated on half a city block near the friends_bwm.html. Marie Luisi encourages Jerseyans to beach. Before taking a tour through Lucy embrace this national treasure and build and up the steps to her riding carriage, a workout along its pristine trails that fitness expert Marie Luisi suggests a Shine a Light involves running or walking, combined workout around her— a 10-minute walk 8. For a bright approach with lunges, planks or step-ups, using any or run on the sand, 10 push-ups, to fitness in 2015, head to Edison State 9 of the refuge’s benches. “And don’t miss a one-minute plank and 10 each of Park in Edison to visit the Edison the opportunity to reward your senses step-ups and side steps using the Memorial Tower, located on the with a stop at the scenic overlook along bleachers nearby, followed by 15 squats. site of the laboratories where with the then-breakthrough technology. the way,” she says. Call (973) 425-1222 or “Perform two rounds of this, followed Thomas Alva Edison invented Though at one point, the 77-year-old visit fws.gov/refuge/great_swamp. by a 10-minute walk or run on the sand the phonograph in 1877 and tower, which features a nearly 14-foot- again,” Luisi says. “This workout should perfected the incandescent high lightbulb on top, fell into disrepair Shed Pounds take around 30 minutes to complete, no lightbulb two years later. Adjacent and landed on the list of 10 most at Grounds For equipment necessary.” Call (609) 823- Christie Street became the first endangered historic sites in New Jersey, 10. Sculpture 6473 or visit lucytheelephant.org. thoroughfare in the world to be lit 7 the museum’s renovation is complete. New Jersey’s unique Grounds For The tower will be rededicated Sculpture is a 42-acre not-for-profit this spring. “In addition to sculpture garden in Hamilton that 10 Get Your Game On enjoying the natural paths features more than 270 contemporary 6. Fitness experts say that and pond in our 36-acre park, works creatively tucked into the park’s bowling can burn between 200 and we’ve seen many people beautiful landscaping. Every spring 400 calories an hour (depending on your practice yoga in front of and fall, the site hosts Wellness Walks weight), so why not enjoy this iconic the tower,” says Kathleen through the grounds, covering distances indoor pastime at some of New Jersey’s Carlucci, Edison Memorial from ¼-mile to 1 ¼ miles. “Walks are most legendary lanes? Among them, the Tower director. Fitness $10 and include a light breakfast and modernized, yet ’70s-ish, Boonton Lanes expert Eraldo Maglara wellness talk or demonstration after the in Boonton, or the “Happy Days”-esque suggests combining a walk 45-minute trek,” says Bonnie Brown, Van Houten Lanes in Clifton, a vintage or run on nearby nature director of operations. Call (609) 586- gem reminiscent of your grandfather’s trails, with a jog up and down 0616 or visit groundsforsculpture.org. 8 bowling alley “that was built in 1957 the eight steps located on and offers 16 lanes,” says co-owner Eric each of the four sides of the Sudhalter. Call Boonton Lanes at (973) tower, for a great leg, core 6 335-0123 or visit nationwidebowling.com, and cardiovascular workout. or Van Houten Lanes at (973) 773-1675 Call (732) 549-3299 or visit or visit vanhoutenlanes.com. menloparkmuseum.org.

Grab Hold Ride by the Raritan of the Great 7. For a great biking 9. Swamp experience in Central Jersey, enjoy Six Spread out across Mile Run, which begins on Canal Road 7,768 acres in Morris in Franklin Township and offers access County, the natural and INSIDE JERSEY FILE PHOTOS

JANUARY 2015 40 nj.com/inside-jersey nj.com/inside-jersey 41 JANUARY 2015