Do you Find Choosing The Right Personal Trainer Confusing?

Choosing the right fitness specialist is important to the success of your fitness goals.

Many people become frustrated with their fitness results working out on their own and decide to hire a fitness professional to guide and motivate them toward reaching their desired goals. The right personal trainer can make a big difference and take your workouts from frustrating and boring to a fun and exciting experience that will give you motivation and drive with exercise programs that will produce results and a sense of accomplishment with the added benefit of being accountable to someone to get it done!

Choosing the right personal trainer can be difficult because there are so many out there, it is up to you to carefully select the right one for you. The first thing that you want to look for is a fitness professional with reputable credentials so please ask what certification they hold, a few of the top credentials are National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) National Strength and Conditioning (NSCA) The American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) to name a few. All personal trainers-coaches should hold a current CPR certification. These certifications all require the holder to continue their education in order to keep the certification active, which is important and it assures that your personal trainer is constantly acquiring continuing education because the field of exercise is always changing and you will want them to be on top of all the new innovative ways to help further your personal fitness results to keep your sessions interesting and ever changing with new program designs.

Now you know what to look for as far as credentials and education, you need to find the right personality to fit you. Remember it is “PERSONAL” training so the time spent with your personal trainer should be about YOU! Your personal trainer should relate to you as an individual, there is not a universal way of training clients; each person has different health issues, past injuries, personal goals and expectations. It is important to tell your personal trainer about any medical conditions, past injuries or surgeries and medications before you start a fitness program. A professional, experienced personal trainer will ask you all of these questions when you meet with them to have your initial consultation and fitness assessment, this will help to design a program for you that is safe and effective, one that will provide you with the fitness results that you are looking to achieve with no injuries or set backs.

Reasonable goals with attainable fitness results should be the focus for each client. This is a key approach for me as a personal trainer and health coach to keep my clients motivated and realistic about their goals and accomplishments throughout a fitness program. Training sessions should always be positive with a sense of motivation, you should be comfortable talking to your trainer and feel confident with his or her guidance. There should never be negative enforcement or shouting of any kind and you should never be forced to do exercises or weight amounts that you are not comfortable with.

Choose a fitness professional that leads a healthy lifestyle, one that has personal experience and knowledge due to their own personal goals as well as education, one that can relate to their clients. I cannot imagine that a personal trainer, who is out of shape, does not exercise or eat well could motivate you or serve as a great role model to anyone. How can they advise someone if they are not taking care of themselves?

While each of us is built differently, we have to realize that as people we come in all shapes and sizes, we are not all going to be buff and slender but there are still healthy habits that need to be practiced by all! An important point I make to all of my clients is to be happy and comfortable in their own skin, whether they are a size 4 or a size 10, if they are exercising, eating right and living a healthy lifestyle they are ahead of the game!

When calling or meeting your prospective personal trainer for the first time have all the questions ready that you want answered and please do ask for proof of certification and references from other clients that train with them.

If cost is what is stopping you from training please keep in mind that you are making an investment in the most important part of your well being, your health! Most personal trainers offer discounts for multi-session packages, session frequency per week, and there is also the option of getting a friend or two to do a small group training session to reduce the cost per person, this is a fun, motivating approach and costs less than a night out with the girls.

Personal trainers are not a luxury they are a necessity to many people to assure that they are committed to a healthy lifestyle, many people feel they are more dedicated to their workouts because they are accountable to a professional fitness specialist.

Good luck in your search for the perfect fitness professional!

www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

Ready To Get Healthy? March is National Nutrition Month!

March is National Nutrition Month. That makes it a perfect time to kick start a healthy eating routine! The first thing you should do is hire a Health Coach to help you understand "HOW" to eat healthy and exercise right, this will help assure that you'll succeed at your personal goals.  A Health Coach can educate you on what you are eating that is not beneficial to your body and assist you with your overall health and fitness goals, however a registered nutritionist can help you with a more detailed dietary intake plan along with your physician's guidance for medical reasons and they should not be confused with one another.

Here are just a few quick tips to help you kick-start your routine. First write down your list of healthy food choices for the week and go to the grocery store, DO NOT add anything along the way that tempts you while you are there, you will also need to choose a day that you can take the time to prepare your food for the week this will help you stick to your new healthy eating plan, good preparation is a key part to succeeding with what you eat throughout the week, it will also keep you from making those last minute, poor food decisions when you are on the go and hungry! Keeping a bag of raw almonds or a whole food snack in your bag or car when you are in transit and on the go is helpful too.

While it may be the last thing on your mind in the morning, be sure to start you day with a good healthy breakfast, it refuels your body, jump-starts your day and will benefit your overall health. I always ask my clients this question: "Do you drive your car without gas?" Do not expect your body to run efficiently on empty! The way you start your day will reflect the rest of the day to follow and keep you mindful of what you eat throughout the day.

These are a few of my personal favorites for a healthy breakfast:

*Organic whole-grain toast, hot or cold whole-grain cereals, low-fat muffins.

*A lean protein, peanut butter, sometimes I like poultry or salmon in the morning, and soft or hard-boiled eggs.

*Anything dairy is always low fat, 1% milk, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese.

*I never skip fruits and vegetables in the morning! Always organic, and fresh in season or flash frozen, 100% fruit juice without added sugar. In the warmer months I love fruit smoothies, in the Winter I like to juice with veggies and fruit combinations.  I add wheat grass to drinks for added health benefits.

What are you waiting for?  Get started on your new healthy lifestyle and start to feel the benefits within a week!

Is Substance Abuse Effecting Your Fitness Goals?

Recently, I was contacted by an outreach coordinator with The Coalition Against Drug Abuse in reference to the effects of drug, alcohol abuse and weight gain; she shared a very informative resource on the implications, contraindications and their latest research regarding substance abuse, weight gain and obesity. It covers many areas that I feel are important to today’s society and the need to get people healthy, I was very happy to blog about the topic and share their page in hope of helping people learn to live cleaner healthier lives.

The Coalition Against Drug Abuse covers many important topics such as how substance abuse affects our metabolism and the way the body breaks down food for energy and nutrition, the body cannot function properly without proper diet and nutrition. They also cover liver function; most people have a few drinks with no thought of how hard the liver has to work to break down alcohol and remove it from the body. In my career, alcohol has been the most common and abused substance that I have seen with clients at the initial sit down assessment, these clients were feeling frustrated and depressed because they were having a hard time reaching their weight loss and fitness goals, once they cut back or stopped consuming alcohol entirely, they lost weight, their bodies started to look toned, they had more energy and were less depressed, and most importantly, these clients have all continued to exercise and live healthier lifestyles!.

Drug and alcohol abuse is an area in the health and fitness industry that is often ignored, yet it is an area that needs to be addressed since any substance abuse alters our metabolism, diet and eating habits and some people even start to abuse a substance to cope with the way they look and feel about their bodies. I feel this is largely due to the pressures that are placed on people in today’s “perfection” society. With that said it is important to tell your Personal Trainer-Health Coach about ALL medications, prescription drugs, recreational drugs, tobacco and alcohol that you are consuming on a daily basis because it can have a direct effect on your health as well as your fitness goals and results.

For more information on the Effects Of Drug And Alcohol Abuse On Weight Loss and Gain by Dr Karen Vieira, PhD MSM, go to The Coalition Against Drug Abuse website. 

Photo Courtesy of The CoalitionAgainst Drug Abuse

Hydrate With Cucumber Water

It is that time of the year, that time when your skin feels dry, pale and dehydrated from the Winter months, the heat and cold air take a toll on our skin and hair. One of my favorite go to remedies is Cucumber Water! It helps hydrate parched skin and hair, it hydrates and plumps skin from the inside.

I have been drinking this for years, I learned about it after going to different spa destinations such as Vail Colorado, Paris France and Lake Placid New York to name a few, while they are far away from each other they all have one thing in common, after your treatment, they give you a refreshing glass of cucumber water to sip, relax, hydrate and detox.

Not only do cucumbers keep skin hydrated and healthy, they also add a great fresh low calorie flavor to plain old water, and cucumbers are full of nutrients like vitamin C, K and A, iron, calcium and potassium, they reduce inflammation in the body because they act as a diuretic by helping to reduce excess water and bloating. Cucumbers also help build bone strength with vitamin K so it is a bonus for menopausal women too. There are so many other benefits in addition to these.

I recently purchased a really great glass decanter (pictured below) that is just the right size for my refrigerator, when I make my cucumber water I start with two to three ripe, juicy cucumbers that I slice on a cutting board that has little grooves along the edge to trap the juices that run off during cutting, I place the cucumbers and the juice in the decanter and fill it to the top with fresh chilled filtered water, I usually remove the skin and seeds but it is not necessary and a matter of preference. Depending on how much time that I have, I put the decanter in the window sill for an hour in the sun to really bring out the cucumber taste, but do not leave it for hours and let the mixture get warm and spoil. Just soaking the mixture over night is good enough to reap the nutritional benefits.

My little extra treat: when the water is gone if I do not eat all of the delicious chilled slices, I will make an eye mask for puffy eyes or just a quick pick me up, you could be reaping extra benefits like younger looking, glowing skin because the vitamin C increases collagen and elastin production.

Start being fit inside and out with cucumber water, cheers to good health and glowing skin!  

For more tips on beauty and skin care go to www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

How Are Your "New You" Resolutions Going?

It is already February; how are your fitness goals for the New Year going? 

Let's make it happen! Succeed At Your Health and Fitness Goals in 2015! Learn how to eat right and  exercise effectively.  are a few healpful tips to out you on your path to success!

The secret to a Successful New Years Resolutions is to first choose an attainable goal that will work for you. Choosing to make a fitness resolution year after year that you may have been unsuccessful at in the past only sets you up for frustration and failure.

The average success rate for New Years resolutions is a just 20 percent but do not let that discourage you, there are ways to assure that you will be in that 20 percent category. Here are a few suggestions to get you on your way to your own personal success and how to enjoy exercise and a healthier lifestyle.

First of all, fitness and a healthy lifestyle need to be a part of your everyday life and you need to give yourself a break and realize that results take time and a lot of effort on your part, most experts agree that it takes an average of 20 days to create a habit and six months for it to actually become part of your everyday life and you need to mentally prepare yourself and get motivated for your fitness success.

Most people focus on the SCALE and the number that they see for their weight, I consider this to be one of your "BAD" habits and it should be the "FIRST" resolution that you make and keep! Watching the scale will make you lose focus on your goal because you are too focused on what you consider negative, which is your weight and the number on the scale. Remember muscle weighs more than fat and weight training increases bone density, muscle mass and strength while burning fat!

My advice to people who really want to achieve their fitness goals is to start exercising with a personal trainer  before the holidays are in full swing. Try not to wait until January when you already have overdone all the extra food, holiday cheer and parties that come with the holiday season. But if you really prefer the traditional "New Year's Resolution" that is fine just plan accordingly with your goals mapped out and set your mind to succeed!

The 20 percent who succeed start slow and gradually, making the necessary adjustments that it takes to succeed with their fitness goals over time. Enjoy the holidays, your family and friends and begin your exercise program now by exercising as you go through the season’s festivities, it will help burn those extra calories and even reduce the stress of all the extra responsibilities that come with the holiday planning of the season and it has the added benefit of increasing your energy too! Give yourself the gift of a personal trainer with a health coaching background that can help you focus and achieve your goals.

Make 2015 your year for the “NEXT” level of your fitness goals!

For more Health and Fitness tips go to www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

Have You Heard Of The New Healthy Act Called Electronic Sundown?

 Is "THIS" how you feel everyday around mid to late afternoon?

There is a new phrase out there called the "Electronic Sundown" It is a practice where you turn off all of the electronics in your home and prepare for a great night's sleep. Yes, I said it, A GREAT NIGHT"S SLEEP! The one thing so many people pray for every night at bedtime while they are on their cellphones and computers in bed with the TV on in the background!


Melatonin, the hormone used for a peaceful night's sleep, requires darkness and the bright light of your electronics fool your body into thinking it is still daylight, in turn decreasing the melatonin production that is required to wind your body down for a good night's sleep!In a world of people that seem to never be able to do ANYTHING without their cellphones, it is no wonder one of the biggest complaints is "I have a hard time sleeping" or "I did not sleep well at all last night" and due to this many people take sleeping pills to sleep and this may not be the answer, they can cause side effects and latent effect illnesses too!
These poor sleep habits are also associated with chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, so TURN those cellphones off at bedtime!
Try this healthy habit for one full week and see if you feel more rested, alert and healthy!

Electronic Sundown is the act of turning off ALL devises in your home, your TV, computer, cellphone at least one hour before bedtime.

For more Health and Fitness tips go to www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the personal care of a doctor. Please remember to always 

consult your health care provider before beginning a new fitness or health program. 

Exercise, Medications and Fitness Results

Spring is just around the corner and all those heavy, loose clothes will be put away in exchange for lighter more revealing clothes. Warmer weather means clothes that reveal our figures, tank tops, tees, minis and shorts, making us all want to get toned up and in shape. Springtime is a great time to get outside and get fit, the smell of fresh air and blooming flowers puts us in a happy and motivated mood. But for some it means allergies and medication just to help get them through the day! These medications can cause side effects.

Many allergy medications, diet pills and cold remedies contain ingredients that can make your heart race, a normal dose probably would be fine but adding exercise may cause unwanted side effects. 

Antihistamines can also cause drowsiness and decrease reaction time and throw off your balance and coordination putting you at risk for injuries, caution should be taken when riding your bike, running and using any type of equipment, so please choose a non drowsy formula when possible. Antihistamines can also cause drying in the upper airways while exercising, which can be uncomfortable so drink plenty of water. It is also a good idea to use a nasal saline spray to keep the nasal passages moist.

Decongestants cause narrowing of the blood vessels to allow better airflow but this also limits blood flow and can cause muscle fatigue, making exercise difficult. Decongestants can also cause a rise in blood pressure and heart rate at rest and during exercise.

Diuretics are used to remove water from the body through your kidneys. They are also used for High Blood Pressure and to remove excess fluid from the body, because of the increased activity of the kidneys, caution must be taken to maintain proper hydration before during and after exercising to avoid electrolyte imbalance and dehydration.

Many active people and athletes take anti-inflammatory drugs due to training injuries and over use of muscles and joints; it is not advised to take these drugs to get through a work out, masking pain is not a good thing, your body is telling you that there is a problem and blocking it out to get a work out in is dangerous and could lead to further and serious injury. Currently, there is a bit of controversy on chronic overuse of these types (NSAID’s) of medications – some researchers say that they can allegedly cause permanent damage to cartilage.

Beta Blockers, Thyroid Medications, Heart Medications, Anti Depressants, Birth Control can all have an effect of exercising, weight loss and your fitness results. Everyone should educate themselves on any and all medications that you put into your body, they are chemical based and can have different effects on different people and their metabolism.

Exercising produces positive reactions from all of our bodies systems; the brain, muscular cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems are all affected which is why you feel great when you are finished exercising, but combined with certain types of medications, the stresses of exercise placed on the body are different so always talk to your doctor about your medications and exercise.

If you are training in a private session always inform your personal trainer of any medications that you are taking before exercising. Knowledge of a person's medications can provide valuable information in order to design a safe and effective training program for the client.

For more Health and Fitness tips go to www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the personal care of a doctor. Please remember to always consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new fitness program.