As a young Marine who’s never been through a winter at his first duty station, I decided to consult with an expert at Barber’s Gym. Marcus Jones, a fitness trainer, explained to me that it’s not about what you do for PT, but how you maximize workout. Decide before your workout what body area you want to focus on.Instead of waiting for a favoritemachine, try something new instead of dragging your heels around waiting for the machine to open up. Theimportant thing is to keep moving. You must keep the heart rate up and never let your muscles rest and lose the burn.

In the cold months it’s important to remember to hydrate. Though we may not feel it, humans sweat nearly as much when the weather is cold than when it’s hot. Because many people still don’t drink enough water, it’s important to also get a good stretch in before exercising to reduce cramping.

If you are a creature of habit who relies on one machine, try coming to the gym during none peak hours. The busiest times are from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., 11.a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Working out as a unit also helps relieve congestion in the gym. Units who are looking for good cardioexercises can play basketball or walleyball at the gym. Several classes are also available for units to take part in such as Yoga and cycling. If you’re looking to improve your PhysicalFitness Test score or your Combat Fitness Test score the Combat Body Conditioning provides a full-body, functional-fitness exercise.

The core idea to working out is for Marines to improve their fitness to help reach mission accomplishment. No kettle bells, pull-up bars or treadmills are going to do that. Marines pushing themselves beyond what they think their limits are is what makes them combat-fit warriors.

Give me a 3 feet by 6 feet patch of dirt and I’ll find a way to get in a good workout.

— Correspondent jahn.kuiper@usmc.mil