About Athena Fitness Guide
What Athena Fitness Guide is, what this web address used to be, where the guides' figures come from, and the rules every guide follows.
Athena Fitness Guide is an independent guide for women and beginners: how to start at a gym, what each group fitness class involves, how to begin strength training, swimming and low-impact cardio, home workouts, and how to rest and keep going.
What this web address used to be
For many years this web address belonged to Athena Sport & Fitness, a health and fitness club. Athena Fitness Guide is a new and independent website with no connection to that club or its owners: it is not a gym, has no classes, staff, timetable or memberships, and cannot answer questions about the club.
Where the figures come from
Every figure on this site - minutes of activity, sets and repetitions, rest times, stretch holds, heart-rate ranges - comes from one fact sheet compiled from public sources: the US Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (HHS and CDC), the NHS physical activity guidelines, and position stands of the American College of Sports Medicine. Each guide is checked against that sheet before it is published, and a figure that is not on it does not appear.
What the guides do not do
The guides make no weight-loss promises, count no calories, recommend no supplements or diets, and name no gyms, studios, apps or equipment brands. They are general information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant or postpartum, injured, have a health condition or are unsure, ask your doctor before starting or changing exercise, and stop and get medical help for chest pain, fainting or severe breathlessness.