Fitness & Wellness

Fall Into Fitness

Runner

As the seasons change and fall comes upon us, it’s time to make this new season one devoted to fitness. Everything changes and you can too. No matter how out of shape you are, you can turn it around and the time to start is now. If you’re not already working out, start by using one of our specials or a boot camp to kick off your new healthier season. By the time it’s New Year’s eve, you’ll be a whole new person, healthier and with lots more energy.

Don’t put off the change until the New Year.

Too many people wait to make a New Year’s resolution of fitness. I say there’s no better time than today to “fall into fitness.” In fact, by starting now you’ll not only be looking great for the holidays and have a wealth of nutritional knowledge to know exactly what foods to choose for a yummy, yet healthy Thanksgiving meal, you’ll also have all the energy you need for the preparation for those wonderful family get-togethers.

Stay healthier as winter approaches.

The winter season is the cold and flu season, but you can help protect yourself from serious illness by starting a program of healthy eating and exercise today. Both healthy eating and exercise help boost your immune system. Healthy eating provides many nutrients and phytonutrients that add protection right down to the cellular level. Exercise also stimulates the brain to create antioxidants and the body doesn’t stop manufacturing them when you end your exercise session but keeps on producing these cell saving protectors.

You’ll be burning off the hormones of stress.

Nobody can stop stress in their life, no matter how hard they try. It’s just part of living. A traffic jam, crying baby or angry boss can trigger it. It’s beneficial if you’re running from real danger, but in normal situations it makes changes to your body that can create health problems and even cause abdominal fat. Exercise burns off those hormones and gets you back to normal.

Exercise not only burns off hormones created by stress, it also stimulates the brain to create ones that make you feel fantastic. You’ll be getting a double dose of happy when you workout regularly.

You’ll look and feel years younger when you exercise on a regular basis. Exercise improves circulation and sends nutrient and oxygen laden blood to all parts of your body.

Fitness includes both healthy eating and regular exercise. Healthy eating isn’t dieting, but instead making smarter choices when it comes to food. You’ll never feel deprived.

Every minute you exercise adds seven healthy active minutes to your life. You’ll not only add more years to your life, you’ll add more life to those years.


Want To Be Faster?

be-fasterYou have no limitations when it comes to fitness. You can be faster, stronger and healthier than you’ve ever been, but you have to believe in yourself enough to stick with your goals. Up until 1954, everyone thought that breaking the four minute mile barrier was impossible. That’s until Roger Bannister, an Englishman, ran the mile on the Iffley Road Track at Oxford in four minutes. Only a few months later, both he and John Landy ran the mile in under four minutes in a Vancouver competition. Since then, many athletes have proven it was a not just a possibility, but they could run even faster. That’s because they now believed it possible because of Bannister and learned ways to make it happen.

If you believe you can achieve.

There’s no magic in the power of belief, although it may seem like it. The magic comes when you believe strongly enough you’ll push yourself past limitations and make the right decisions to get you to your goals. Those decisions are more than just how much to train. They’re also about getting the appropriate help to make you reach your goals.

As a personal trainer, I can help you learn the best training techniques.

I also can help you break your goals down into smaller, more easily achievable goals to help boost your confidence and believe in you until you can fully believe in yourself. Every person is capable of greatness, he or she just doesn’t always know it. Awakening to that fact can come with the help of someone who sees the talent you have and also knows how to bring it majestically to the surface.

The power of goal setting, belief, good training and tenacity can help you achieve any goals.

Most people enjoy sports but sometimes fail to see the lessons that can be learned while participating. It’s not all about winning and beating others, although winning is nice, your biggest competitor is yourself. Learning to set goals to improve your performance translates to all walks of life, so what you learned on the race track will someday help you in the boardroom.

While any type of training helps you stay fit and sometimes improve, the right type of training will prepare your muscles and body for excellence.

One of my biggest pleasures as a personal trainer is to see the difference I make in people’s lives. They come in defeated and a few months later, I see a new, more confident person emerge from that shell of defeat.

What you eat is important to your overall health, well being and sports performance. I’ll help you learn how to eat healthier.

I’ll help you learn the most efficient exercise methods that get results fastest to shorten the time to your goal, but you have to do the work and believe the results will come. That’s what makes an excellent athlete.


Let The Journey Begin

the Journey

When you set any goal the road to it is the journey that can be as much fun as seeing the final results. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels to realize the same exercise you could barely do just a few weeks ago is now simple and almost easy. You’ll also love the fact that what you once thought was impossible you know do with ease. Watching the changes is just part of the enjoyment when you set a fitness, or any other goal. It’s part of the enjoyment of the journey.

The road to fitness doesn’t have to be lonely, in fact it should be fun.

Working out with others may seem intimidating at first, but it really becomes addictive. You’ll make friends that will soon become your support team, just as you will become theirs. One thing is certain when you try to change, not everyone wants to see it happen. They aren’t being mean, they just hate anything that changes the status quo or worry that you’ll leave them behind. That’s one reason it’s important to workout with others and have friends striving toward the similar fitness goals. Not only do they make it more fun, they give you the feedback you need to achieve.

Achieving fitness goals gives you confidence while improving your overall health.

Lots of times people give the credit to their new found confidence to the good feeling they get when they see themselves in the mirror. That’s only part of the picture. When you achieve a goal that took hard work and perseverance, you change. You start to see other areas where you can achieve more and begin to believe you can do it. Setting and achieving a goal, no matter how small, gives you self esteem and that provides the belief you can do almost anything.

You’ll become a warrior.

Becoming a warrior doesn’t mean you’ll be vicious or attack and fight others. It means you’ll face any challenge with confidence and assurance, knowing that if you want to achieve it, you can. It’s taking your future in your own hands and not leaving it to chance or others. You’ll be facing each problem as a new opportunity, rather than worry and dismay.

Part of the reason for the many changes is the success you’ll experience, but exercising on a regular basis can also burn off the hormones of stress and trigger the release of those that make you feel good.

You’ll have more energy than you thought possible. That extra energy can carry you through even the toughest days, helping you get more done in less time.

You’ll be amazed at how much regular exercise and a healthy diet can clear your head and help you concentrate better. Studies show that regular exercise improves cognitive functioning.

You’ll be setting an example for others, especially your family, who often thought about tackling a difficult goal, but never had the courage to do it.


Unlimited Motivation

%image_alt%Are you looking for a source of unlimited motivation? Try working out in a group led by a personal trainer. There’s nothing better than working with other people to help you build your resolve and push yourself toward the your maximum potential. It’s amazing that people often achieve their best when they’re in a group. I was watching the Olympic bike races and was saddened by the American biker that lost in the last few seconds of the race. She had led all the way. Once announcer may have pegged it right when it said part of the problem was she was unaware of the others behind her, so she didn’t pick up her pace. Working out with others makes you aware of what can be accomplished and pushes you toward greatness.

Working in a group is more than just stirring up competitive juices.

Even though everyone has his or her own personal agenda, sometimes there is competition among the individuals in a group, albeit friendly competition. However, group workouts also provide the empathy of the group. You’ll often find encouraging words from others, particularly since they know how hard it is to achieve personal goals. Group workouts led by personal trainers also provide the accountability and motivation of the trainer. You’ll be amazed at how much you can achieved when you actually believe you can and work toward that goal.

You don’t have to workout in a group to work with a personal trainer and see great results.

Trainers provide individual workout programs that not only track your progress to keep you accountable, while adding a boost of motivation. You may not realize how much you’ve achieved because the changes aren’t overnight. Improved endurance, strength, flexibility and balance are all tracked by trainers, just as weight and inches are. The trainer tracks these changes for a reason. He or she uses that information to know when to adjust your fitness program. Normally, it’s when you reach one fitness goal and are ready for bigger challenges.

Success is the ultimate motivation.

If you start a fitness program, you obviously have a motivating reason, but unfortunately for most people, it’s a short lived focus that may not last a week. However, when you work with a personal trainer, he or she can help fill the gap until you see success, which by the way, is the most powerful motivator. You’ll also see success faster with a trainer and if you’re like most people, it will improve your level of resolve and drive you forward at each step.

If you want to track your own success and create powerful motivators, start noting how long you last working at top speed and track it. After a few weeks, measure that time again. You’ll see substantial improvement.

For those that want to lose weight, clothing size is a motivator. Try on an jeans or other article of clothing that should be slightly snug. Workout for four weeks and try on the same item, you’ll probably find it’s either loose or you need a smaller size. PURE MOTIVATION!

If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t weigh every day. Instead, pick a time of day one day a week to weigh. There are some weight fluctuations throughout a day and week that don’t indicate actual weight gain, but can shatter your motivation.

Judge by your energy and inches not your pounds. You can actually lose inches without ever losing a pound. That’s because muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat does, so one pound requires a smaller container.


Are You Ready To Change Your Life

%image_alt%If you want to change your life, but aren’t sure where to start, you’re not alone. Thousands of people want to improve their lives, but don’t know where to start. It doesn’t matter what your goal, becoming healthier and fitter is a great starting point. That means improved nutritional habits and getting moving. Almost every study on health points in the direction of exercise. Even people with physical limitations will find exercise can help them feel better and improve their health. That’s not to say a person with a heart condition should ever attempt to run a marathon, but instead, use guided exercise designed specifically for their fitness level, needs and goals. That’s why using a personal trainer has become so important.

Think clearer when you exercise more.

Not only does exercise increase circulation, bringing more nutrients to the brain, it also helps slow age related and increases the level of serotonin in the brain. Increased serotonin levels can improve cognitive functioning and the older you are, the better results you’ll see. Exercise is also a stress buster. Stress creates the fight or flight response. While that response was important for early man, and still is in some instances, it also can cause health issues and foggy brain syndrome when you don’t run or fight to burn off the hormones. Many stresses today don’t require fighting or running, neither of which is appropriate when confronting a traffic jam, angry boss or crying baby. You’ll sleep better at night when you exercise regularly.

You’ll build your strength and endurance.

Nothing is harder than trying to make changes when you’re too tired to think or move. Exercise builds your stamina so you have the energy to make your life better, try new things and enjoy life in general. You’ll also find depression melts away after exercising, which adds to the confidence working out provides.

If you don’t know where to start or have health issues, get the advice of a professional.

Before you start any program of exercise, particularly if you have health issues, always get the okay from your primary health care professional. In most instances, he or she will not only give you the okay, but also encourage it. Starting out on your own can be scary, particularly if you have physical limitations, but you can change all that by using a personal trainer to help you. The trainer assesses your overall fitness, while considering physical limitations. He or she may even work with your doctor. Short sessions lead to longer sessions of exercise. Light weights lead to heavier lifting, which also increases bone density. You don’t have to accept limitations, but you do have to work with them until your body becomes stronger.

You’ll build self-confidence when you exercise and self-image as you see the changes. The longer you stick with a program, the more you’ll have.

Exercise stimulates the production of hormones that make you feel good and give a sense of peace.

Exercise slims and trims your body, while building more muscle tissue. It also gives you a sense of presence to others.

As you experience the achievements in fitness goals, you’ll start believing in yourself and attempt other goals in life because you’ll realize anything is possible.


It’s Not Too Late

It's Not Too Late

If you want to feel great and look fantastic, but feel like you’re too old and old of shape to do it, you’re wrong. It’s not too late! While it might be tougher getting into shape and becoming fitter, all you have to do is start. In fact, you might be surprised to find that Ernestine Shepherd, a 74 year old body builder, didn’t start body building until the age of 56. Today, at 80 she still looks fantastic. You don’t have to wait until you’re in your 50s to get started, but it’s a great reminder that anything is possible when you put your mind to it and have the knowledge to help you achieve your goals.

You can lose weight, while you tone your body.

Losing weight doesn’t seem like it should be tough. It’s a matter of eating fewer calories than you burn. Even though the concept is easy, that doesn’t make the task that easy, but it’s doable and can even be fun. You don’t have to go on a strict diet. In fact, strict diets are often counterproductive because they leave you feeling deprived, hungry and if the calorie count is too low, can put your body into starvation mode, making it even harder to lose weight. The key to weight loss is to eat healthier and combine that healthy eating with exercise. You’ll be toning your body, while shedding pounds.

I believe that any progress is a step in the right direction.

Maybe you can only do a little today, but if you push yourself and increase your level of difficulty or workout time, even by just a minute, each day, you’ll be making progress. Progress, when it comes to getting fitter, isn’t achieved by the mile but the inch initially. After a few weeks, you’ll see an amazing difference from the first time you worked out and feel fantastic. Losing weight and looking great is just a small part of the benefits. Feeling fantastic, healthy and having the energy to achieve more is the real blessing.

It’s not all about sweating and shedding pounds.

Of course, you started to workout to lose some weight and get into shape, but it’s more than that. It’s about achieving your goal and becoming more confident. Feeling healthy and energetic is part of the benefit you get when you exercise on a regular basis. The confidence you gain as you see yourself getting closer to your goal each day flows over to other areas of your life. When you start to believe in yourself, nothing is impossible.

You’ll be amazed at how much healthier you’ll feel and be when you workout and eat nutritious meals. Many people find that old ailments and pains start to disappear. One woman said that her vision even improved!

You’ll blast away stress hormones when you work out. Stress hormones, such as cortisol, not only make you feel horrible, they also affect your body. In fact, cortisol is linked to abdominal fat, too.

You’ll realize that nothing is out of your reach when you accomplish your fitness goals. Even if you’re incredibly out of shape or older, watching your body trim and slim can help inspire you to great achievements.

You’ll have fun. It may be tough, but it’s fun too. There’s plenty of comradery at workouts and a friendly social atmosphere.


Jumpstart Your Metabolism

Jumpstart Your Metabolism

If you’re having problems shedding pounds, it’s time to jumpstart Your metabolism. I hate hearing excuses about having a slow metabolism that slows weight loss, even though that may be true at the time. The reason I hate it is because I know it can be changed if you want to change it. The change won’t occur overnight, but comes in baby steps for the first few weeks. You’ll notice you have more energy and be able to accomplish more every day. Even though the progress may be small, it’s progress. Any great journey is accomplished one small step at a time.

You’ll build muscle as you burn calories.

Losing weight is all about burning more calories and eating fewer. You won’t achieve it with starvation diets. Super low calorie diets do just what their name implies, starve you! They make the body hunker down and lower the overall caloric use to make sure you have enough calories for your organs. In other words, they put you in starvation mode and that means lowering your metabolism. Healthy eating combined with regular exercise is the only way to lose weight and keep it from returning.

Exercise does more than just burn extra calories.

A program of regular exercise builds muscle tissue too. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does, so you’ll be burning more calories 24/7 as you build it. That means you’ll be raising your metabolism, making it easier to lose weight. You’ll also look far thinner, even if you never shed a single pound. Not only does muscle tissue require more calories, it also weighs more, so one pound of muscle tissue requires a far smaller container than a pound of fat tissue.

You’ll have energy to spare the fitter you become.

If it took forever to do a few tasks around the house, you’ll be amazed at how much quicker you can do them the fitter you become. Of course, the first few weeks you’ll be moving slower until your muscles start to become adjusted to working out, but after that….LOOK OUT WORLD! Regular exercise also helps you zip through mental tasks. It’s been proven that when you exercise you increase your brain power and productivity.

Many ailments seem to disappear as you become fitter. Back problems are one of those. That’s because you’re strengthening your core muscles. Strong stomach muscles can help prevent back problems by providing additional support.

Eating healthier isn’t dieting. You won’t restrict your foods, just make better choices when it comes to eating.

You’ll have more fun. When you’re fit, you won’t get weary and crabby as easily. That means you’ll be enjoying life more.

You’ll sleep better at night when you exercise on a regular basis. A good night’s sleep not only helps your overall health, it helps keep you sharp and focused.


Are You Ready To Chisel!

%image_alt%Get ready to chisel you body for a fantastic summer appearance, but also be aware that it offers some great benefits. Exercising is more than just for good looks. It’s all about having vitality, strength and flexibility, but, of course, those are attractive traits too

One of the benefits of exercising regularly is looking years younger.

When you start a program of regular exercise,you’re not only improving the way you look now, but also improving the way the older version of you looks and old you’s health. Each minute you exercise extends your life by anywhere between seven and fourteen minutes, depending on the intensity. It adds quality to those years. If you maintain regular exercise throughout life, you’ll look years younger than others your age.

Lose weight faster with a program of regular exercise.

If you’re tired of having that extra roll around your waist that isn’t a flotation device for swimming in the pool, get started exercising immediately. The right type of exercise can boost your metabolism, while you build your muscle tissue. Not only does muscle tissue use more calories than fat tissue does, which is what boosts the metabolism, it also is more compact. One cubic inch of muscle tissue weighs more than one cubic inch of fat. That means it requires a smaller container. It’s similar to comparing a pound of feathers with a pound of metal, the pound of metal will be smaller. Even if you never lost a pound exercising, you’ll look slimmer.

You’ll boost your energy level and have more to spare for other fun things.

The body is so amazing. The more you work it, the more energy it seems to have. Regular exercise not only builds muscle and increases flexibility, it also builds endurance. You’ll have plenty of energy at the end of the work day or work week, to do other fun things, such as dance the night away or spend a day at the beach or hiking.

A good program to get you chiseled and fit also includes nutritional information. That’s not a diet but a way of learning to make smarter food choices, which also lower calories and help you shed pounds.

You’ll burn off the hormones created by stress. Stress not only negatively affects your health, one of the hormones it creates, cortisol, is associated with abdominal fat.

Getting chiseled isn’t always easy on your own. That’s why many people sign up for group sessions or private sessions with a personal trainer.

You’ll walk taller and have improved posture, which not only makes you look thinner, gives you an air of confidence and self-assurance. That’s really sexy.


Where Do You Get Your Arms

Get Your Arms

If you want every part of your body to look great, you need a program of regular exercise. While women don’t bulk up, that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t tone up. If you find yourself wearing long sleeve shirts in the summer, for fear that they’ll see the loose skin and dangling flesh from your arm. It’s time to take action. You’ll have people asking you “Where did you get your arms?” after you workout for a while. You’ll also have them admiring your chiseled body and overall fitness. Fit is the new sexy that will never go out of style.

While many programs focus on just flattening tummies, you need one that works the entire body.

Fitness isn’t just having great abs, it’s having all the body healthy and toned. That’s why you want a program that works all parts of the body and provides all types of exercises; strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. No single part of your body is more important, whether it’s arms, legs or abdomen. A personal trainer identifies your weaker area and will help you bring them up to strength with the other muscle groups, while also improving your overall fitness in every area of your body.

Eating healthier not only helps you lose weight; it provides the fuel to help you build muscle tissue.

Your body is like a machine in many ways, but a machine that does its own repair. When you eat healthier, it has the nourishment to do those repairs. Just like an automobile, if you put sugar in the tank, it will cause it to break. Even the wrong type of gasoline can cause damage. Everyone knows that a diet of sugar is bad for your health and weight loss program, but not everyone knows the right type of fuel for the body. A personal trainer can help you learn how to eat healthier to get results faster.

You’ll find out fitness is fun if you workout with a group or a personal trainer.

Group workouts are a blast. You make new friends and have fun getting fit. Everyone encourages each other. Since a personal trainer runs a group, he or she designs a special program for each member of the group. While everyone may be doing push-ups, some will be a bent-knee version, while others will vary by repetitions and intensity. That means no one will be asked to do more than they’re capable of doing or be bored with the sessions. There’s always one or two people that have friendly competition in the group.

Whether you’re a man or woman, feeling stronger provides huge benefits. You have more confidence in all situations.

Working out is also a great stress buster. It burns off the hormones created by stress and replaces them with ones that make you feel good.

You’ll stay healthier and lower your potential for injury from simple tasks. The right type of exercise increases your range of motion, which helps prevent injury from doing common tasks, such as carrying groceries. It also builds your immune system to keep you healthier.

Your skin will even improve when you exercise. Not only does exercise make you sweat, to flush out toxins; it also stimulates circulation, which carries nutrient and oxygen laden blood to all surfaces of the skin.