Real Fitness Experts

Weight loss programs come in many forms today. Some prey on the desire for a quick fix, and some do help you lose weight quickly – at least for a while. But maintaining a healthy weight isn’t something that most people can mange quickly and maintain over the long haul. The only way to lose weight and keep it off is through permanent lifestyle changes: Eat a healthier diet, watch portion sizes and exercise regularly.

Many start exercise programs, but do not stick with them for very long. Dr. Andrew Weil states “physical activity has gone down in our population, with many people exercising less than 30 minutes per week.” Finding an exercise class that interests you can be a key element to long-term lifestyle changes. If you actually enjoy your workout, you are more likely to stick with it.

The latest workout craze is a dance oriented fitness class that incorporates dance movements into an aerobic workout to make it more exciting and fun. Dancing is a great workout because it increases your heart rate and incorporates every muscle group in the body. It can help you develop muscle tone, lose weight and gain flexibility. Dancing regularly helps burn up excess calories that otherwise get stored as fat.
Continue reading ‘Dancing Can Help You Lose Weight — by Beth Handline’

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXERCISE & STRESS

Everyone knows that exercise reduces stress levels. Doesn’t it?

Actually, some of the research is a little conflicting. For a start, vigorous exercise is actually stressor itself. On a physical level, exercise causes the tiny muscle fibres to actually tear, and then grow back stronger as they heal. Not exactly relaxing for the muscles in question! Quite apart from this, one study showed anxiety levels increase in the first 5-10 minutes of exercise as adrenaline – one of the key stress hormones – kicks in. So how can it be that exercise reduces our stress and anxiety levels over time?

The quick answer is that while exercise is a short-term stressor, lack of exercise is a long-term one. As I’ve said before, our bodies are built for movement. When we’re sedentary day after day, all the systems that have evolved to service a body-in-motion start to break down, which causes waste-products to build up.

Our stress response originally allowed us to either fight a potential threat get as far away from it as possible. These are both fairly physical activities. All the biochemical changes – the stress hormones released – are based around this response. They allow us to get into action – and quickly! It’s no surprise, then, that unless we do what our bodies expect and get moving, those hormones have nothing to do but hang around in our bloodstream, making us feel jumpy, irritable and just plain stressed. As soon as we start moving though, the hormones have done their job. Our body as a whole can return to normal, and relaxation can ensue.
Continue reading ‘Stress & Exercise: How Do I Make It Work For Me? — by Tanja Gardner’

As a personal trainer for brides-to-be, I often get asked the same wedding fitness questions over and over again. Brides (and grooms) usually are looking for simple and easy ways to get in better shape for their special day.

While there aren’t any quick-fix overnight shape-up plans, armed with the right knowledge and techniques anyone can improve their appearance in time for their wedding day. Here are the most common questions along with answers to help you get more fit in time for your nuptials.

My wedding is next month, how can I drop 20 pounds?

Bottom line – you really can’t. This answer doesn’t get a lot of cheers, but it’s the realistic truth. In a month’s time the most you typically can expect to lose is about 8 pounds. If you try unhealthy, starvation-type diets you might be able to lose more than that. But, the truth is that those extra pounds probably won’t make you look a whole lot better. That’s because if you lose that much weight in such a short period of time then you just lose water and muscle weight primarily – not fat! You’d be better off losing the 8 pounds in a healthy way that includes increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat. This type of weight loss will actually improve your appearance. Plus, with the drastic 20-pound loss, you are putting yourself at risk for illness not to mention making yourself look sickly for your precious wedding photographs.
Continue reading ‘Top Wedding Fitness Questions (and their answers) — by Lynn Bode’

Everyone wants it to be quick. Everyone wants it to be easy. Everyone also wishes it would rain winning Lotto tickets. The day wishes become reality, fat loss will become quick and easy. Right now, effort is involved.

I know what you’re thinking. The fat burner ads, the tummy trimming devices, and the happy smiling people dancing away fat on videos promise it’s easy, as do the diet centers, the drug companies, and sellers of cellulite cream. Years ago, a man I very much respect paid me a compliment I found both accurate and valuable. He said, “Phil doesn’t tell people what they want to hear, he tells them what they NEED to hear.” If you want to lose fat, you NEED to hear this!

You can!
You can!
You can!

Oh, wait, there’s also part B.

It’s up to you to exercise and eat right.

I know, I know, that sounds so cliché, but the problem in the past has been, nobody really told you what exercise and eat right means if fat loss is the goal. That’s about to change. I’m about to share an eight-part exercise and nutrition scheme that has proven to serve as the Ultimate Fat Loss strategy.
Continue reading ‘Designing the Ultimate Fat Loss Strategy — by Phil Kaplan’

We all know the secret to health, fitness, and longevity. It isn’t magic brought back from the ancient tribesmen of Peru. It isn’t an incredible new invention discovered by a mad genius trying to splice DNA. It isn’t even a pill that magically makes fat go away while you sit on the couch and watch television. The secret, as we’re all aware, is to exercise and “eat right,” and in that lies the mystery.

The question is, if we all know that, if the secret is out . . . why don’t we all “do” that? That’s only the first question of many that arise. Why, while the “eat right and exercise” idea works for so many, does it appear to fail so many others? Why might your friend, next-door neighbor, or cousin workout with you and achieve much more dramatic results than you do?

Despite people’s willingness to blame themselves, to blame their genetics, or to blame their hectic schedules, in every case, when fitness or weight loss failure manifests, it’s the result of some flawed information destroying achievement potential. Yes, it’s the result of a pitfall swallowing up the fitness hopes of somebody with good intentions who is unfortunately plagued by misguided direction.

There are eight primary pitfalls, common mistakes people make when attempting to find the balance between eating right and exercising, and with recognition and elimination of these mistakes, you’ll find yourself in total control. I’m calling the eight pitfalls “the 8 Deadly Pitfalls,” not because they endanger your life, but because any one is enough to completely kill the potential for desired results. They are deadly to your potential to improve.
Continue reading ‘The Eight Deadly Pitfalls of Exercise and Eating Right — by Phil Kaplan’

The amazing thing about the future is that if you wait, it will always come to you. No doubt you sat down and created your share of New Year’s resolutions to conquer this year. The unfortunate truth, however, is that most people’s resolutions fizzle and die before the first quarter is even over. It doesn’t have to be this way – with a few key steps, you can be well on your way to goal-getting instead of just goal-setting and turn your resolutions into real solutions.

Goals aren’t enough – know your reasons

It’s great to have goals, but by itself, a goal is not much. Have you ever shared with someone else that you would “try” to accomplish a goal? Try is a very weak word. When do you think you’ll be ready to commit to actually doing it, instead of just talking about it?

The main reason most goals don’t stick is because there is not a big enough reason to follow through with them. For example, losing weight is a great goal. However, why do you want to lose weight? See, if the goal is just “lose weight” then when that surprise birthday party happens, it’s easy to talk yourself into letting loose and stuffing your face because that goal can be pushed aside, delayed, or even forgotten.
Continue reading ‘How to Make Your Goals Stick — by Jeremy Likness’

In the past few years I’ve seen a huge transition in the fitness industry. More and more people are using functional training, and some argue it’s the only way to train. The purpose of this article is to give people an understanding of what functional training is, and what it does and does not do.

First, lets look at what functional actually means.

Func.tion.al 1. capable of operating or functioning, 2. capable of serving the purpose for which it was intended (Webster’s Encyclopedia 2nd Edition, 1996)

Based on that definition, you can draw many conclusions as to what is functional. Depending upon who you ask, you will most likely get a diverse variety of responses as to what is functional. All human movement is a combination of various functions. Human movement cannot take place without muscular function. According to the functional training “experts”, functional training uses bands, balls, free-weights, and plyometric exercises in an attempt to condition the body in an un-stable environment. Many of the experts feel that performing exercises that mimic activities or specific skills is the most effective way to train, regardless of ones goal.
Continue reading ‘The Functional Training Craze — by Jesse Cannone’