To home gym or not to home gym...that is the question (part one)

This is a perplexing question because it takes a lot of capital, space and motivation to be able to complete good workouts in your home. The obstacles tend to be great, even though rationally you think that this should be a no-brainer. I mean, if you have stuff to workout on at home wouldn't that be the perfect situation? Workout in the mornings before work without having to brush your hair or teeth or workout during your children's nap times etc. However, regardless of the reasonability of home workouts most people do not in fact keep up with it and the equipment tends to serve as laundry hangers or dust gatherers. For this part of the two part post on this subject, let's take a look at why home workouts don't work out. :)

1. Improper equipment: It's vital that you really make educated decisions regarding the type of equipment that you purchase. If money is a serious obstacle, consider joining a gym because durability and comfort of use tends to cost. Also, don't buy a treadmill if you prefer the elliptical and vice versa. Steer clear of complete gyms because ultimately one or more of the exercises will be outside your anatomical range or be very difficult to adjust and switch activities. Stick to dumbbells, medicine balls, bands an adjustable bench or if you can afford it a cable operated gym.

2. Distractions: No, not the distractions from exercise but the distractions you need during exercise. A TV with a dvd player, music, books or magazines are a must. Unless you are a compulsive obsessive (as mentioned in previous posts) you will need something to take your mind off of what you're doing.

3. Time: Be realistic about the time you wish to spend exercising. Although it's at your fingertips, you may not have as much time as you'd think you would have at home. Schedule it in the same as you would for a gym workout and longer than an hour is unnecessary. Most generally healthy people looking to get into good condition do not need to workout for longer than an hour at a time for 3-5 days per week. To shorten time, increase intensity.

4. Space: You need a comfortable space. Do not try to shoe-horn equipment in a dark basement surrounded by boxes. You will not want to workout there. Try to find room where there is a window for light and where you aren't constantly aware of a mess around you. Not all homes have this kind of space, which is a serious consideration.

5. Water and towel: Just because you're at home rather than the gym does not mean you won't sweat or need water. Use a water bottle that doesn't drip and change your sweat towel. ( I know, that should be a given but you'd be surprised.) This will add to the comfort of your exercise.

These are just some things to think about. The next post will suggest certain brands of equipment and types that make for the best home workouts. Then, we'll have to address exercise programming for the home and how to make it successful.

Have a sparkling day!

Obsession, Compulsion or Flat-out Non-Adherence

There are a few different types of exercisers out there. You have your completely obsessed and disciplined exercisers who workout 7 days per week for at least an hour at a time. Then, there are the compulsive exercisers who only workout when they feel some emotion that drives them to do so. Finally, you have the ones who start, stop, start, stop and just cannot seem to adhere to a regular exercise program. You may fall into one of these groups or perhaps a combination of the two. Some of the really obsessed folks have a propensity toward burning out after about a year, then pick back up again so I classify that as a combination. In any case, staying consistent and progressive and successful in an exercise program is probably one of the toughest committments any average person can make. Here are some ideas as to how to combat the different obstacles that get in the way.

1. "I hate exercise."--Unfortunately, this comprises a large portion of the population. For a lot of people, exercise can downright be painful especially if you've never been active. Try to isolate what you hate about it and what activities bother you more than others. Generally, once you've isolated the culprits you can modify activities. You might trim the time down, take out actions that are really uncomfortable, start exercising with a friend or just start small and work your way up to more advanced styles.

2. "I don't have time."--The most popular obstacle. And yes, a lot of folks probably don't have time. But then, you probably don't have time for a lot of things. We call it time management. You can find time to do anything that you want to do. This goes with the above obstacle, if you hate it you won't find time for it. Try scheduling it in to your dayplanner, blackberry, palm pilot etc. Perform it as you would any other chore or errand and plan for the unexpected (sick children, dog ate your homework or whatever.)

3. "I don't have the motivation."--What is anyone's motivator? It could be fear of not looking good, fear of bad health, joy at the endorphins released, joy at simply having it done. Try to set short and long term goals for yourself and then make every effort to reach them. Pre-plan your exercise programs so you won't have to decide what to do when you start. Trainers can help with that if you can afford it. Everyone has to exercise, the question is how to get yourself to do it.

4. "I always hurt myself when I start." ---If you haven't worked out in a while, I don't recommend the advanced spin class or to spend a full hour doing cardio or lifting the exact weight that you used to be able to lift. Condition your body gradually. Do a 5-10 minute warm up, maybe two to three core activities, 2 back, chest and leg exercises and 15-25 minutes of cardio. See how your body feels and increase gradually from there. Don't plan to exercise every day....schedule your days and keep to 3 days per week to start with and add from there. Then, you have half a chance of sticking with it.

5. "I don't see any results."--Your body is not the same as the person next to you. You cannot exercise the exact same way that someone else does. First, establish your goals. Do you want to lose weight? Increase cardiovascular capacity? Improve strength? Improve flexibility? You may want all of the above, but it helps to narrow it down to priorities at the beginning. Then, perform a program that will get you toward that isolated goal for about 3 months and then change. You should progress in this time frame and thereby be conditioned enough to add on.

Exercise does not come easily to anyone and if you have a family, a job, a dog etc. you may believe that you don't have time to do it. What you don't have, is the option not to exercise at all. It doesn't have to be in a gym, you can take walks, work on house projects, go ice-skating, play a sport...whatever. Just get and stay active and your body will thank you.

Traversing the Treadmill

We've all seen it....at least those of us who tend to exercise in a gym. Next time you're there, take a look around at the treadmills.....you will see at least 2-3 people walking at such a high incline that they feel obligated to hold on for dear life. I wonder exactly what goes through a person's head to decide to do this, but....no judgement. Another treadmill faux pas is to walk while holding on with your hands in a reverse position. This means that the fingers are facing the back of the treadmill. If you've done this particular technique, you will have noticed that the exertion becomes quite rather less. The question is.....are these dedicated exercisers just making an innocent error or are they purposefully sabotaging their workouts??

In this exercise era, we try to coach our clients to approach workouts with obtaining the result of being able to perform daily tasks and functions well and with success. If you think about taking a walk or a hike, do you question whether or not to hold on to the side bars? No, you do not. Now, I'm not saying that all people should be able to walk on a treadmill without holding on at all. Some folks simply do not have the balance skills necessary to safely walk without the aid of the bars. However, if you are not of this population you are hindering the result of your workout by "cheating." In addition, if your balance isn't very good do not increase the incline to the point that you're practically vertical. You take too much weight off your body to effectively work your cardiovascular system and (god forbid) if you lose your grip....you're toast!

Try to find a setting on the treadmill to include both speed and incline that brings your heart rate into the proper range or such that you feel that you're doing moderate to hard exercise. (This discludes those under a doctor's care who must stay within a specific heart rate.) Try not to hold on to the safety bars and walk with your elbows slightly bent and do not let your hands cross your saggital plane (the imaginary line that runs down your middle dividing you between left and right). Never hold on with your hands backwards. This will ultimately hurt your wrists and it is a cheat because it lifts your body somewhat up taking away intensity. Walk heel to toe or on the middle of your foot. Try to avoid "toe-walking." If you find that your tibialis anterior (muscle near your shin) is getting sore, try tapping your feet prior to exercise or performing ankle circles and point and flex your feet. We'll talk about interval training at a later date.

Again, you don't hike or walk while holding on to safety bars so if you don't need them...don't use them.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blasting your abs????

I was training a client in the gym today and I happened to pass by a fitness class that seemed to be targeting abdominals. The participants were being instructed to perform just about every single way of doing an abdominal crunch. Legs up, to the side, legs down, pulsations etc. I'm quite sure that by the end, they had to have completed somewhere around 200 crunches. In other words, they did 200 repetitions of an exercise that basically has very little physical benefit. I asked myself, why would an instructor (who has to be certified) not know that this is one of the least effective ways to strengthen what most of us refer to as core muscles, some refer to as the "inner unit" and others simply call abs?

Years ago, there was a huge prevalence of classes and fitness training techniques that incorporated rhythm changes, position changes and different varieties of "crunching" your abs. I must tell you that according to current research (and you can look this up via ACSM, PT on the Net and other reputable associations) this type of training can actually screw up your posture. The result of high repetitions of "ab crunches" is curvature of the thoracic spine, neck jutting forward and lumbar weakness and pain. I'm not saying you should never do an ab crunch, but you need to be able to vary your abdominal movements to include transverse abdominus (belt around your middle) and the pelvic floor. These types of exercises include planks, opposite arm and leg lifts from hands and knees, chop exercises with medicine balls or kettle bells and rotations. Compound motions such as lunges + overhead presses and one-legged squats + medicine ball rotations are great exercises for ensuring that your entire body gets trained to be successful in terms of posture and completing daily functions.

Try to remember that just because an exercise "burns" or you really feel it, does not indicate that it is the best technique to achieve what your body really wants. In addition, if you feel pain in your spine in any area during and or following an exercise that exercise is not right for you. Talk to a professional for advice. Most of us are just happy to help......no charge! :)

How to choose a personal trainer

If you've read my previous and rather redundant posts, you will know by now that I am a personal trainer by trade. I have been in the fitness industry for the last 12 years and feel that I have grown enough as a person to be able to coach people on how to choose professionals in the fitness field. Let me begin by telling you that I saw a couple of disturbing things in one of the gyms that I work out of today. First, I saw a trainer on the phone with another person while he was supposed to be training a client. Then, he was just sitting there talking with his client when she should have been benefiting from his time working out. A few minutes later, I observed another trainer performing what we call "super slow" training techniques with a client and forcing "negatives" where he actually pulls on the weight while she attempts to resist placing the weight back to rest. This wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that she was in her 50's and clearly a beginner exerciser.

These happenings in the gym really irk me as a fellow professional and I see it occur entirely too often. The average consumer simply does not have the proper resources to effectively choose a good trainer. I truly hope the following finds its way to people who can benefit from this information.

Prior to selecting a personal trainer, try to observe a bunch of them in action. This is not too difficult to do if you're planning to exercise in a gym. I will address red flag indicators as to why you should not choose a particular trainer.

Red Flags
- You see a trainer talking on the phone while training a client. Frankly, I see no reason as to why a trainer should even have their phone with them while training you unless they are expecting a problem with their child or other family member. I can only assume that if they do have their phone, this means some of your valuable time will be spend listening to him or her talk on it. Not good.

- Improper Form is another huge no, no. Any trainer worth their salt should be insistent upon your completing exercises with proper and safe technique. He or she should be correcting and adjusting your form all the time. This requires attention paid to your exercises. If you see a trainer with someone and that person is hunched over or they are crooked in their stance or are looking ridiculously uncomfortable with the exercise.....do not hire that trainer.

- Talk is cheap, training is expensive. A trainer who talks about themselves, their personal troubles or love life is not someone that you should be paying. Conversely, you don't want someone who is a bump on a log or who only speaks in highly technical terms. Personality is everything, I mean you have to spend an hour with this person at least a couple of times per week. They should be teaching you constantly, but using consumer-friendly terms and keep conversation light and infrequent. If you can talk very easily during a workout with your trainer, then what are you paying for?

- Rest periods between sets are generally not necessary for average and healthy people. In fact, a good trainer will keep you moving in so far as you have no health conditions to prevent this. If a trainer is giving clients too much rest time, then the goals will not be met. This is dependent a bit upon what style of training is being used, but total body workouts cannot effectively be completed with too much recovery time in an hour. I also see that usually when the rest is occuring, the trainer is talking too much or not at all. Either way, not good.

So, these are some red flags to keep in mind. Now, let's say you have an interest in a trainer and need to examine whether he or she is right for you. By all means conduct an interview the same way you would a contractor for your house. It's all about building, after all. Here are some questions to ask a prospective trainer.

1. What is your level of education? Any trainer should be certified at bare minimum. Look for the American College of Sports Medicine, National Academy of Sports Medicine, American Council on Exercise, National Strength and Conditioning Association. Also, a Master's degree in the field shows high interest and continued education. All trainers should also stay up to date by attending conferences. The above associations generally have need for continued education credits to stay certified and you might question whether a trainer attends annual conferences and whether they take courses on line through associations such as Personal Trainer on the Net.

2. What is your training philosophy toward your clients? This should be a long answer as all clients are different in their abilities, goals and current habits. Question the trainer on current cases and find out what sorts of activities they do.

3. Do you have references? All trainers should be able to supply you with written references or be able to direct you to verbal references. Any trainer who cannot do this should not be hired.

4. Will you put me through a sample workout? Well, why shouldn't a trainer do this? A half hour to show you what he or she can do and to see whether you'll be compatible. Make sure they use the half hour to include a warm-up, some alignment, some core and a couple of strength activities. Do not permit them to talk at you.....they should talk with you and you should feel free to ask questions.

Choosing a trainer can be difficult and there are a lot of people out there who have had bad experiences. Give it another try, because your health is worth it. Don't let the trainer do things like talk on the phone, be constantly late or always have to reschedule. Read through their contract carefully and remember that it's your hard-earned money being spent. Good trainers will want to help YOU, not treat you like a cookie cutter. We are out there and we'd love to help you to achieve your goals.

In good health,

Carrie

Introduction to fitness for the normal person

This is my first blog. The objective of this blog is to address my peers and collegues out there regarding establishing what realistic fitness is and how to obtain it. Like most of you, I am constantly barraged with information on how to achieve the absolute in healthy living, a spectacular body and great lifestyle. Unfortunately, these so-called easy steps to follow are quite usually not that at all. I should also include that I am a fitness professional with a Master's degree in Exercise Physiology and certification through the American College of Sports Medicine and finally, 12 years experience. And, yes......even I find maintenance of perfect healthy lifestyle and exercise to be somewhat difficult. It is a slap in the face when the experts claim that we can all find time and energy to be perfect. Every single fitness magazine will repeat themselves monthly regarding nutrition aids, fitness activities and wellness. I would like to see simplicity.

Don't tell me to ward off holiday weight gain by eating low fat foods or being full prior to attending a holiday party. Aint' gonna happen. I say, cut out what you can before the holidays and expect to be bad. Then, take responsibility for the fact that no one held a gun to your head and get back to work. You already have to make time to shop and cook, so go for far away parking spots, take stairs, collect healthy snacks for you to eat daily and shorten your workouts.

Quick note: I am just watching M&J and they have a nutitional guy on there talking about starving themselves basically and going against some of the staples of the nutrition world. Try to remember, people......your body does require calories. A calorie is a unit of energy. What your body does not require is huge amounts of food at one time. Do not skip meals and think that eating one meal per day will help you. You will feel like poo and working out will feel like the worst thing you've ever done. Try not to fall for gimmicks. Oh, and even better.... the before and after picture of the person they refer to is her standing with crappy posture in the before picture and sucking in her stomach and standing up straight as a flag pole in the after. Are you kidding me??????

People, you can find the place where your body is okay. Find a qualified nutritionist who you actually like and who does not try to sell you tons of supplements and quick answers.

I am aware that the above may be on the slightly unprofessional side regarding fitness and nutrition. I will try to make further posts a bit more technical in orientation if that is preferred.

To be continued.

Holiday Fitness

For my first blog, I thought it might be useful to address the many ways in which people try to control holiday weight gain each year. If you read the gazillions of fitness authors out there they throw out advice such as serving low fat dinners at your holiday parties, being sure to eat before you go to a party and cutting out alcohol consumption. I ask you.....who wants to go to a party where all they serve is healthy food, have a person at their party who doesn't eat and party with people who will make you feel bad for having spiked egg nog.

So, that being said how do you handle the holidays? Those of us not obsessed with eating right and exercising will have to find time to do some necessary activities. You will always have to go shopping, as otherwise your family and friends won't like you anymore. Go for far away parking spaces and take stairs. Even if you find yourself weighed down with bags, these small activities will make a difference.

While you're food shopping, be sure to pick up healthy food snacks for your daily lifestyle. Fresh fruit and veggies, trail mixes, fat free yogurt etc. are some good examples.

I assume that you'll need to clean the house more than usual, so have at it! Really scrub and once you've carried that vaccuum up and down several flights of stairs, your quads will feel it.

Cut out sugar now. If you're a soda drinker or add sugar to your coffee or are a regular dessert eater.....cut those things out or down to a bare minimum. This way, your holiday treats won't come on top of what you do on a daily basis.

If you're a 5-6 day per week exerciser, you may only have time for 3 days. That's okay.....go for interval training and circuits and try to exercise at higher intensities. It's less comfortable, but you can get as much benefit if not more from exercising in this fashion. If you don't exercise at all, try to follow the above activity suggestions in terms of shopping and cleaning house. Or, if you have a dog that you walk maybe step up the pace or lengthen the walk.

Finally, realize that no one held a gun to your head and made you eat erratically and poorly. Take responsibility for your actions and move on. Get back on the horse or just get on the horse period. There will always be reasons why you shouldn't exercise or why you can't seem to eat properly. You were born with will power and intelligence....stop blaming the world for your short-comings and dive in!!

Happy Holidays!!!