The Marvin Creative

04/20/2021

8 Reasons Why Group Fitness is So Popular!

You know that exercising is important for your health, but sometimes it's hard to find the motivation to get started.

Whether you're starting with one class or going all-in on group fitness, here are 8 reasons why joining group fitness is for you:

8. Less Thinking and More Doing

The gym can be intimidating with all the fancy equipment or members that appear to know what they're doing (i.e., it seems like their workouts are more advanced).

No need to waste time thinking about what to do when you walk into the gym. Your group fitness instructor will already have a plan to maximize the 50 minutes you are there.

No decision fatigue and no trying to figure how a machine works on your own. And avoid the monotony of treadmills or climbing up those endless stairs.

7. Great Way to Meet New People

Going to your typical gym, you may only see the same people once or twice a week. But in group fitness classes, you're with them for 50 minutes up to 6 times per week! (Because we do recommend at least 1 rest day)

The social aspect of group fitness helps you stick with your exercise routines because you're held accountable. You will be in an atmosphere where people are looking to find camaraderie as well as work on body transformation goals together.

6. More Motivating Working-out Together

The instructor pushes everyone and in turn, you end up pushing each other.

There are several benefits to being part of a collective community--it'll keep us committed, competitive with one another, and most importantly happy while working out – cause you're getting Kick ass results in class.

Also, it provides you opportunities to do things outside your comfort zone. For instance, you might not think of yourself as a dancer or an athlete. But if your class teaches you those skills and movements then you may decide to pursue them in the future.

5. Easy and Quick Workout Modifications

You will be in class with people that are at different levels and with very diverse goals and abilities. Your instructor knows how to make adjustments to workouts on the fly based on what everyone is struggling with.

For example, if you're doing sumo squat but find it difficult or ineffective the instructor will know to offer a modification, such as changing the weight from a dumbbell to a kettlebell which can be easier to grip.

They will know all about the struggles and obstacles from having observed them among other clients.

4. Variety to Prevent Bordem and Platueing

Variety is key for any person who wants to stay fit and healthy. You'll never be stuck doing the same thing over again because there will always be new exercises coming out.

On top of this, instructors often rotate traditional routines with more advanced ones to keep things fresh. It's all about keeping your motivation intact by not getting comfortable or complacent.

You can also challenge yourself by adding more weights or joining another group session on the same day.

3. Costing a Fraction to Hiring a Personal Trainer

Personal trainers can cost upwards of $200 per session. This means you'd have to invest at least eight sessions before seeing any kind of payback.

Joining group fitness typically requires a single monthly investment (which averages out to around $150).

There's no need to shell out hundreds of dollars on one-on-one coaching. Group workouts provide all the benefits of individual training while saving you money.

You'll be able to invest in improving your diet, adding supplements, and start recovery treatments.

2. You Will Reach Your Goals Faster

Your fellow group fitness members will provide you with the motivation necessary for success. Especially when it starts to feel hard or challenging.

Working out in groups creates an environment that fosters healthy habit-forming behaviors. You'll start eating right, drinking water, getting enough sleep as well as socializing.

When everyone is counting on one another for support, there will be fewer excuses NOT to show up.

1. It is fun!

Group fitness classes offer support, encouragement, and accountability that make it easier for you to reach your goals

You will become friends with your classmates and become a part of a supportive community. Everything is always more fun with friends.

Whether you're looking to increase flexibility, work on balance issues or just get in shape; group fitness has a class for every need.

In the comments below what group fitness classes do you plan to attend this week!

08/23/2020

The Gig-iest gig in the Gig Economy
Don’t get left behind
By: Marvin Athey

The gig economy is rapidly growing. You have probably heard of companies such as Uber, Lyft, Instacart, Postmates, and Grub hub.

Wikipedia defines Gig workers as independent contractors, online platform workers, contract firm workers, on-call workers, and temporary workers.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the gig economy will grow even faster. If you are someone who has been waiting for a big opportunity, you have one staring you right in the face, do not miss out.

Forbes.com reported the online learning industry (before the pandemic) was set to be a $350 billion dollar industry by 2025. You have probably heard of Udemy, Skillshare, and Lynda

Now you are wondering where I fit in all of this?

Let’s make this clear; people want to learn from you. All you have to decide is what you want to teach them. The beauty now with platforms such as Zoom and Google Meet, you can do it from the comfort of your own home.

You might ask, what do I know that someone is willing to pay me to teach them? Let us start with language. That is right; people are eager to pay just to speak to you.

Chinese, Spanish, and English are the most widely spoken languages in the world. That means people will need to learn at least one of them. Don’t get me wrong; they will pay money to learn French, Swedish, Dutch, Arabic, Russian, etc...

Imagine, you could be making $10 plus an hour just to let someone practice speaking to you with no preparation, and never leaving the house. If you offer a formal language course, you can be making up to $30 an hour.

If you are teaching for exam preparation, then the sky is the limit. I know an SAT tutor who charges over $100 an hour.

You can teach guitar, singing, dancing, any subject in school, cooking, and even be a virtual personal trainer!

How to start

Italk.com is a great platform to start, and here is why. Everyone in the world uses it; you can set your own price. They just take 15% off the top, and for trial lessons, you get 100% of your fee.

The beauty of the platform is you control your schedule and use it as a way to funnel customers to teach or tutor them anything. Think of Italk.com as the middle man (escrow) that handles the transaction. I know people who get transcription orders through the site.

You have a choice; fight for $15 an hour driving to strangers homes or commuting to a job you hate (while being scared you might catch the virus) or you sit at your computer at any time and make a beautiful connection with someone in Kyoto, Lima, Toronto, Barcelona, Shanghai, or Atlanta.

The Details

www.italki.com or www.preply.com. Known internationally and requires no degrees or certificates.

www.cambly.com pays $10-$12 an hour but has a long waiting period, and the students can be adults or kids. Native English speakers only.

If you want to teach adult group classes, here is my referral code.
http://bit.ly/LikeshuoMarvin

Let me know you sign up; I will help you pass the interview. It pays about $15 for 45 minutes, and you need to have a college degree and a TEFL certificate, which is easy to obtain. Just ask me how.

If you want to teach kids, start at $16 - $22 an hour just let me know in the comments, and I will send you the referral code.

As I am pivoting to become a writer, please comment and share this article. I would like to keep improving my craft. Thank you for reading.

Forbes
Wikipedia
Uber
Instacart
Cambly
italki
Learn English with Preply
Postmates
Grubhub
Lyft

08/20/2020

When is a good time to buy a home?

4 Ways to help determine that for yourself.
By: Marvin Athey Nevada RE Lic #63305

As a real estate agent for over 15 years, I get this question all the time. The typical response would be that anytime is a good time to buy a house.

I am here to break down what you should consider if you are thinking of moving from renting to owning.

The time of year and competition

The less competition you have when buying anything, the better it is for you. This can also be said when purchasing a car, real estate, or even items on eBay. Competition in real estate is typically lower during the winter months and a downturn in the economy. You will also see less competition if the supply of homes is higher than the demand.

Winter holiday season is not an ideal time to purchase a home because of all distractions. People are spending time with family, using their money on gifts, or avoiding the cold. There are also fewer daylight hours to see homes after work and on the weekends.

As a buyer, you might get your offer accepted that is below list price compared to if you were to wait to purchase a house during the spring or summer seasons when you see the majority of people buying.

A seller who puts their home up for sale during the winter months may be signaling they are motivated to sell. You frequently see people wait until after the new year to list their home. This could mean they need to sell because of a job transfer or for personal reasons.

I would often see new home builders offering to pay the buyer’s close costs, buy down the interest rate, of more incentive towards upgrades. I would often see investors taking advantage of this sales pattern.

Question: Will you be willing to inconvenience your holiday plans to get a good deal on a home?

Financial ability

Buying a home is the biggest financial purchase for most people. And because of that, a certain amount of preparation is required.

For a $200,000 home, you need around $15,000 in the savings to meet the bare minimum to purchase. This is taking in to account that you qualify for an FHA loan and paying closing costs.

Some loan programs may offer downpayment assistance, and the seller may pick up your closing costs, but those are the exceptions. They also tend to come with restrictions against selling for a specified period and a higher interest rate on the mortgage.

Without proper savings, a good credit rating, and two years of documented continuous work history, the time of year becomes less critical. It is in your best interest to see a loan officer early in the process. They can pull your credit and give you options based on your income.

I heavily suggest you speak to a loan officer 6-12 months in advance of purchasing. They will give you proper mortgage education, time to either improve your credit or remove any negative remarks and give you a target to strive towards.

There are countless stories on how purchases ended in cancellation because the buyer did not know not to buy a car in the middle of purchasing a home, quit their job, or an old paid-off credit card still showing current balance.

Desire and Commitment

It is important to sit down and figure out why you want to buy a house. The reasons vary from creating stability for your family, the potential to build wealth or to impress people.

I recommend purchasing a home that does not require you to sacrifice too much of your lifestyle. You should still be able to take vacations, see movies, and go out for dinner from time to time. Try to avoid being house poor, stressing to cover the mortgage.

If you are getting a mortgage, prepare for the long term commitment. You can make small adjustments to pay off your mortgage faster.

I promise you, the sooner you prepare, the less stressful the buying journey will be for you.

When you are Ready

So now you’ve decided why you want to buy a house and this is a time where you start driving neighborhoods and start thinking about how much space you really need. Think about how much you are willing to pay monthly. Keep in mind there could be taxes, insurance, and monthly HOA fees. Consider downloading a mortgage calculator on your smartphone.

Interview 2-3 real estate agents. Don’t just choose the one that is popular, super polished, and has billboards. Chose the one you trust, that calls you back, and one you want to spend the next few months speaking with regularly.

The buying journey can be very emotional. There will be some turbulence, so make sure you are very direct with expectations and expect that they will be such with you.

This advice also extends to whomever you choose to do the loan. Do not just go for the one that offers the lowest interest rate, because until you provide all your documentation and lock the rate, it can change.

As a real estate agent, I became a friend, a counselor, and a confidant to my customers. I truly am grateful to be part of people’s buying experience.

As a salesperson in new homes, I was the face of the company in all matters from sales, construction, and finance. I witnessed the emotional journey from the negotiations, signing of the purchase agreement, the dip in excitement during delays, and the joy of handing out the keys.

This information comes from my experiences, and these are my opinions. I encourage feedback on your experience that might help others in this journey. What did you wish you knew before you purchased?

If you are currently considering a home purchase, feel free to reach out to me, and I am happy to give you advice as I am still a licensed agent and can refer you to people I trust whom to help you through the journey.

01/21/2018

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