Exercise. Are You Lazy?

I know a lot of lazy people.

People who would rather spend the day planted on their couch than anywhere else.

People who choose take-out over home cooked, every night of the week.

People who would rather have a root canal than go do a workout.

Sure, I know that we all have our occasional lazy day on the couch, but lately it seems that more and more people are turning laziness into a career.

What about you? Check if the following describe you:

  • You are habitually inactive.
  • You’d rather be a passive observer than an active participant.
  • You’re a master excuse-maker.
  • You find shortcuts in order to avoid the long haul.

If that’s you, don’t get down on yourself. There are many legitimate causes of laziness. Here are just a few…

1. Sleep Deprivation: When you’re short on sleep it’s easy to become unmotivated, which quickly turns into laziness. Get a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night in order to maintain enough energy to get you through the day. Some experts even say that ten hours of sleep each night is what you need to function at your best.
2. Caffeine Abuse: Starting your day with a jolt of java may help with your initial alertness, but the dip in energy that takes place a few hours later could be the reason that you become lazy later in the day. Avoid the rush and crash of caffeine and instead rely on your steady supply of natural energy.
3. Bad Habit: At some point being lazy simply becomes a habit. If every night after work you head straight to the couch, it soon becomes automatic and not a conscious decision. Breaking the habit of laziness is actually quite easy. Simply take yourself off of autopilot and make the conscious decision to do something productive instead – like heading to the gym rather than the couch.
4. Inactivity: If your job keeps you in a chair for hours at a time, and you don’t exercise when off the clock, then your body is just accustomed to inactivity. It’s time to wake up your under-used muscles and to reacquaint yourself with the joy of motion. A simple way to get back into the swing of things is to go on a 30 to 60 minute walk either before work or after you return home. Once you’ve broken yourself in with consistent walks, contact me to get started on a fitness program that will quickly get your body back into great shape.

Laziness begins when you ignore that little nagging voice in your head. You know, the one that reminds you when you should take action on something rather than sit by and let the opportunity slip away.

Is today the day that you will kick laziness to the curb?

Is today the day that you will take action toward achieving your goals?

Is today the day that you will listen to that little voice of reason.

Has Your Motivation Sizzled Out?

Have you made progress or did your motivation sizzle out?

Most people wait around for motivation to strike them like a lightning bolt. Well, I’ve got news: motivation isn’t something that happens to you – it’s something that you create for yourself.

If you don’t feel motivated to achieve your goals, it is likely due to mental roadblocks that hold you hostage. Read the following 21 Mindset Tips and prepare your mind for success.

1. Success comes first in the mind, so visualize yourself accomplishing your goals.
2. Remember, you are the only person who can hold you back.
3. Forgive yourself and love yourself despite past failures.
4. Decide what is important in your life, and focus on that.
5. Conquer each negative thought the moment it enters your mind, when it is weakest.
6. Give up the idea that things won’t go right unless you worry about them.
7. If you bring the body of your dreams to the point of resolve, then you’ll soon be living in it.
8. Look towards your future, if you believe the best is yet to come then it will be.
9. You become what you think about most.
10. The margin between success and failure is very small and easily bridged by determination.
11. Start your day by accomplishing your hardest task first.
12. Set small attainable goals, rather than one monumental goal.
13. Convince yourself that exercise is fun, and it will be.
14. Know your big reason why.
15. Create a motivating play list of songs to use as the sound track to your workout sessions.
16. Every decision you make leads you either closer toward achieving your goal, or farther from it.
17. If you think you’re a fat person, then you’ll stay fat. If you think you’re fit, then you soon will be.
18. Once you’ve set your goal, your attitude either pushes you toward accomplishment or failure.
19. If you don’t know exactly where you want to go, you will likely end up someplace else.
20. You can have the body of your dreams, but first you must give up the belief that you can’t.
21. You can only have two things in life: excuses or results.

If you’re sick and tired of making excuses, then contact me today to get started on a results-driven fitness program.

21 Universal Rewards of Exercise

21 Universal Rewards of Exercise
The number one reason that most people are out-of-shape is that they don’t exercise enough.

I’ve often wished that I could give each and every one of you a personalized pep talk to get you up off the couch and into the gym, day after day. So here’s my pep talk in bullet form – 21 rewards that you will gain from regular exercise.

Do yourself a favor and print this list and post it where you’ll see it every day. When you need motivation or encouragement simply read over this list and feel your motivation soar.

1. You’ll reset your body: Exercise has been described as a giant reset button. A good workout will block appetite swings, improve your mood and even help you sleep.
2. Your clothes will fit better: Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, causing your clothes to not only fit better but to also look nicer. Also exercise ensures that soon you’ll be trading your clothes in for smaller sizes.
3. You’ll be less stressed: You have enough stress in your life – it’s time for a break. A good workout invigorates your muscles, leaving you relaxed and less stressed.
4. You’ll have more energy: WebMD tallied research studies and concluded that 90% of them prove exercise increases energy levels in sedentary patients. Next time you feel fatigued, fight it will the most powerful tool available: exercise.
5. You’ll be stronger: Exercise improves muscle strength and endurance, two things that you use throughout each day. When you exercise consistently you’ll be pleasantly surprised when difficult tasks begin to seem easy.
6. You’ll be less likely to binge: Exercise has a powerful anti-binge effect on the body. This is due in part by an increase in sensitivity to leptin, a protein hormone, which has an appetite-taming effect.
7. You’ll burn calories: You know that excess body fat is made up of stored and unused calories. Fight back by burning loads of calories with fat-blasting workouts.
8. You’ll be more confident: Who doesn’t wish they walked and talked with more confidence? A consistent exercise program will do just that. As your body becomes more fit, watch as your confidence sky-rockets.
9. You’ll have fun: Believe it or not, exercise can be extremely enjoyable. Remember how fun it was to run around as a child? Tap into your inner child as you find a mode of exercise that gets you excited.
10. You’ll reduce your blood pressure: Exercise has been proven more effective than medication in reducing blood pressure to normal levels. A single workout has been shown to reduce blood pressure for the day and regular exercise reduces overall blood pressure in the long run.
11. You’ll lose the jiggles: Regular exercise tightens flabby arms, legs and waistlines. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a solid exercise program.
12. You’ll increase insulin sensitivity: Researchers at Laval University in Quebec discovered that exercise improved insulin sensitivity dramatically. Peak after-meal insulin levels dropped by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.
13. You’ll sleep better: Do you toss and turn for hours before falling asleep? Exercise is a powerful sleep aid. Your tired muscles encourage your body to quickly fall asleep so they can get their overnight repair work done.
14. You’ll lower your risk of heart disease: Regular exercise strengthens your heart and makes it more resilient against disease. A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for heart disease, so rest assured that consistent exercise is your ally against disease.
15. You’ll feel great: Vigorous exercise releases natural endorphins (happy hormones) into your blood stream that dissolve pain and anxiety. You’ve probably heard of ‘runner’s high’, this can be achieved by any great workout.
16. You’ll lower your risk of diabetes: Studies show that exercising as little as half an hour each day can dramatically reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are at risk of diabetes, or already have diabetes, regular exercise is the most effective treatment for reversing the disease.
17. You’ll meet cool people: You could benefit from a group of new, energetic friends, right? Gyms, bootcamps, workout centers and even the jogging trail are all great places to connect with fun new friends.
18. You’ll improve your BMI: You know that maintaining a healthy BMI is key in disease prevention. Exercise is the best way to keep your BMI under control.
19. You’ll increase your endurance: Do you ever get out of breath when walking up stairs or through the mall? Regular exercise builds your endurance for everyday activities.
20. Your doctor will be impressed: How many times has your doctor given you the lecture about losing weight and exercising more? Exercise regularly and get your MD off your back!
21. You’ll look amazing: Are you happy with the shape and size of your body? Regular exercise works wonders on your physique. Within a few weeks you’ll see shape and tone in all the right places.

Exercise for Diabetes Prevention and Precautions for Diabetics

Do you have diabetes, or have you been told by your physician that you’re going to have diabetes if you don’t change your lifestyle? Along with changing your eating habits, exercise is essential for regulating your blood sugar. Here’s what exercise can do for you:

  • Helps your body use insulin more efficiently. Your muscles and other tissues use insulin more easily when you exercise. With physical activity, less insulin is needed to move sugar out of the blood and into the muscle cells.
  • Improve your overall health. Regular physical activity has been shown to help protect against heart disease and stroke. It’s also a great way to reduce stress and help manage your weight

Exercises for Diabetes Prevention and Precautions for Diabetics

How many lean, muscular people do you know with diabetes? OK, so listen up!!! Begin to live a lean, healthy lifestyle and you will be way ahead of the diabetes game.

Exercise and exercise everyday. I’m talking cardiovascular activity and resistance training and you will increase your metabolic rate, as well as level out your blood sugar.

Some special things that people with diabetes need to remember:

  • Take care of your feet. Make sure your shoes fit properly and your socks stay clean and dry. Check your feet for redness and sores after exercising. Call your doctor if you have sores that do not heal.
  • Make sure the weights you lift aren’t so heavy that you feel pressure in your eyes.
  • Drink about 2 cups of water before you exercise, about every 20 minutes during exercise, and after you finish, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
  • Warm up and cool down for 5 to 10 minutes before and after exercising. Example walk slowly first, then walk faster. Finish up by walking slowly again
  • Test your glucose before and after exercising
  • Eat a small snack if your blood glucose is below 100. Know the signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and how to treat it.

References and Resources:

http://www.diabetes.org/

http://www.diabetesnet.com/

http://www.diabetes.com/

10 Ways To Stay Motivated To Workout In Woodmere, Five Towns and Nassau

STAYING MOTIVATED
The Top Ten Ways to Stick to Your Exercise Plan

Congratulations on your decision to live a healthier lifestyle. So you’ve started your exercise program but you need a little extra help staying motivated? Here are a few tips:

1) Based on the feedback from out members, having a friend, family member or co-worker as a exercise buddy provides great support helps to keep you motivated … and so will the guilt of standing them up.

2) Make a bet with a friend. Placing a money wager that you will hit your goal by a certain date makes every workout count. It also puts your honor on the line.

3) Share the news… Tell everyone you know about your fitness goals. That way, you that many more people to answer to.

4) Buy yourself new exercise clothes, sneakers, or a workout bag. Not wanting new/or expensive equipment to go to waste will make you more apt to get off the couch and use it.

5) Join a gym that you pass by everyday – perhaps on the road between your home and work. Seeing it regularly will eventually draw you in there to train.

6) Get on a professionally designed, long-term program. The sooner you start seeing real results, the more you’ll want to keep training to continue them. Aimlessly hopping from workout to workout – or even worse from machine to machine will only waste your time.

7) Join a Group Exercise Class. The camaraderie you develop with your classmates should be enough to keep you coming back.
8) Buy an iPod or portable CD player that you can take to the gym. Associating your workouts with fun music or escapism will make you not want to miss them

9) Keep a workout log recording your progress from session to session (or lack thereof) will show you what you’re doing right and what you are doing wrong.

10) Put a picture of your family or loved ones in your gym bag. It will remind you who you want to be healthy for.

Get the motivation you need

If you feel like you’ve hit a wall and just don’t know how to get around it, consider employing some of the above suggestions or hiring a personal trainer at our Woodmere gym to help you stay motivated. A Woodmere gym expert can evaluate your current fitness program and revise it in order to help you get over the hump. Sometimes all we need is another person’s point of view to help us push through and think of ways to vary the fitness routine that we hadn’t though of ourselves, and the best choice is a professional that can make sure you make safe changes that will put you back on the path of reaching your goal.

Are You Too Busy to Exercise? A Personal Trainer in Woodmere and Five Towns Can Help!

A personal trainer in Woodmere understands that among all the excuses one can make about avoiding exercise, claiming that you’re just too busy has to be the most often heard excuse. The truth is that this excuse just doesn’t cut it anymore. Everyone can find a way to incorporate an exercise routine into their busy lives, even if their lives are scheduled down to the last minute. Here are a few tips on how even the busiest among us can bring a little fitness into our lives.

Make Exercise a Priority

It seems that we can always miraculously find time for the things we really enjoy, like meeting a friend for drinks or catching our favorite team play on television. The trick with fitting in exercise is changing your attitude about it, and making it something that is important enough to warrant taking a second glance at the schedule. Sure it means that you may have to get up an hour earlier or sacrifice an hour of your precious evening leisure time, but think about how much better you’ll feel, not to mention how much better you’ll sleep! You may want to hire a personal trainer in Woodmere to ensure to stay on track!

Make a Schedule

Penciling exercise into your busy schedule is a great way to help keep you motivated and make time for fitness. Planning your fitness schedule a week in advance may be all you need to make sure you have time for all the responsibilities in your life. But sometimes even the best laid plans fail, so don’t beat yourself up if something comes up and you have to cancel one day. The most important thing is that you get back up on the horse the next day! Also, don’t forget that there are two days during the week that most of us don’t even consider when scheduling exercise – the weekend! If you are determined to meet your fitness goals, there is no better way than to hire a personal trainer in Woodmere.

Incorporate Exercise in Your Daily Routine

Just because you can’t fit time to go to the gym in your schedule doesn’t mean that you can’t incorporate exercise in your daily life! There are dozens of ways that you can get a short workout throughout the day. Some examples include using the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator, parking at the other end of the parking lot when going shopping, and when you get home, bring in your shopping bags one at a time. You could even permanently lose your television remote and get up out of your chair from time to time!

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Your secret weapon may be one you didn’t even realize that you had – your personal trainer in Woodmere. Let a personal trainer know what your goals are and you’ll be surprised at how easily they’ll help you reach them. If you’ve never considered working out with personal trainer in Woodmere, you’ll be surprised at how difficult it will be to cancel when you know you have someone waiting for you at the gym.

Don’t be afraid to seek out professional advice. A personal trainer in Woodmere can help you think of new ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine, even if you can only get to the gym a few days a month.

What to Look for in a Personal Trainer in Woodmere and the Five Towns

You’ve decided to improve your health and lifestyle with a personal trainer in Woodmere. Congratulations! You’ve already made an important first step. The next one is to find a personal trainer that can help you achieve your goals, but where to start? Don’t make the mistake of hiring the first personal trainer you come in contact with, because he or she might not have accredited certification and make you dread showing up for exercise sessions. In this article, we’ll take a look at three important things to keep in mind when looking for a personal trainer in Woodmere; certification, your comfort level and how your potential personal trainer looks.

Certification

Thanks to the rise in popularity of personal trainers, more and more inexperienced fitness enthusiasts are seeking out certification from unlikely sources, such as the internet. Don’t be fooled by a fancy looking certificate or an impressive sounding certification body. There are a handful of accredited certification bodies that offer personal fitness certification and it is worth the time to learn about them before your search – not only because you’ll be able to separate the good from the bad, but because each certification has a different focus on fitness.

Any personal trainer in Woodmere worth his salt will also be certified in first aid and CPR, so be sure to ask about these issues as well.

Comfort Level

Just as every personal trainer in Woodmere is different, everyone seeking a personal trainer has different needs as well. The idea of a drill sergeant as personal trainer may be what you need to keep motivated, or it might ensure that you never show up for a session again. The purpose of hiring a personal trainer is that he or she will push you to work harder than you would by yourself, but the way they intend to push you will make all the difference in the world.

Even in the interview stage, don’t be afraid to ask the personal trainer in Woodmere how he or she intends to encourage you to go on. Also, is this a person that you’ll feel comfortable asking questions to in the middle of a session? Don’t disregard your initial feelings on meeting a potential personal trainer, because if you don’t feel comfortable with him or her, the less likely you’ll be to continue showing up to work out.

How Does the Trainer Look?

Just like the old saying goes, you should never judge a book by its cover, but let’s be honest – don’t you want a personal trainer that practices what he preaches? While you may never know for sure that the trainer achieved a healthy looking body by following a healthy diet and exercise program, you’re more likely to respect and follow the training if he looks like he does. He doesn’t have to look like he just stepped out of last week’s fitness magazine, but wouldn’t you find it difficult to respect a personal trainer in Woodmere if you looked better than he did?

Woodmere and Five Towns Personal Trainers Will Help You Refocus on Fitness

Five Towns personal trainers know that refocusing on fitness after your program has been interrupted by a major life event is always important. In fact, a fitness program is the ideal way to overcome the effects of stress on your body. The worse thing you can do is tell yourself there is no longer a need to continue a fitness program, because you had to quit exercising for a while.

Fitness Is a Life Event Too

Life can have a way of ruining our plans. You can be on a fitness schedule you adhere too religiously, and suddenly a major life event causes you to veer off course.

These kinds of events are as varied as there are people, and they are all stressful. Even happy events, such as having a baby, create both physical and psychological stress. Other life happenings include losing a job, buying a new house, divorce, death in the family or even being told you are responsible for a major project at work that is due in a month.

When a major event happens in life, all too often your time schedule gets amended and your focus shifts. One of the first things to get cut is the amount of time you spend on your fitness program. Yet staying fit through a stressful event can make it much easier to cope both mentally and physically. Woodmere personal trainers can help you come up with a schedule that works for you.

The reason fitness programs are interrupted is because fitness is not seen as a life event too. It is a matter of understanding the importance of fitness to your life. People who are fit are better able to recover from a pregnancy, handle the stress associated with a family loss, are better able to cope with the mental anguish of losing a job, and are better able to handle physical challenges such as moving from one house to another.

L.I.F.E.

Life should actually be an acronym for fitness…Love It For Ever! Despite good intentions, you may have gotten off track when it comes to your fitness program. Five Towns personal trainers can help you refocus on your fitness program so that you are able to continue staying healthy no matter what life throws your way.

For example, you can learn a series of exercises you are able to do at home if you just had a baby. You can learn how to fit exercise into the business schedule with Five Towns personal trainers while insuring the time you do spend is as productive as possible. You will also get assistance with nutritional planning so when you stop at the fast food restaurant in between moving from one house to another, you stay on your nutrition plan by making good food choices.

No matter what happens in your life, staying fit should continue to be a priority. Being fit and healthy and supplying your body with the right nutrients is critical for being able to handle the stress you experience.

Five Towns personal trainers can help you Love It For Ever!

A Woodmere Personal Trainer Reports! Is Breakfast Necessary?

A Woodmere Personal Trainer Writes… So, you’ve decided that you need to lose a few pounds, and the best way to lose weight is to decrease the amount of calories you consume, so you’re going to skip breakfast. After all, it’s only a few hours until lunchtime and you can get by with a cup of coffee, right?

A Woodmere personal trainer says…Wrong! Breakfast is arguably the most important meal of the day. Think about it – you’ve just gone without food for twelve hours. Your body needs to refuel several times a day in order to be in top shape, especially after not having any fuel over the longest period of a twenty-four hour day. Don’t forget the roots of the word breakfast; you’re literally breaking the fast of the last twelve hours. In this article, we’ll discuss why breakfast is so important and how you can improve your health simply by having breakfast every day.

Why do we need breakfast?

There are plenty of reasons that our bodies function better when we’ve eaten breakfast. First of all, breakfast restores our sugar levels after not eating for up to twelve hours. We need our sugar levels to rise in order to have energy to do the things we need to accomplish during the first part of the day. Thanks to this energy boost, we are better able to concentrate on the task at hand. But the best news about breakfast is that it benefits people that are trying to improve their health and even lose weight!

It sounds too good to be true, but the fact is that breakfast also raises the metabolism, which controls how efficiently your body burns calories. Plus, it’s very hard to get in all of the nutrients your body needs by only relying on two meals a day. Finally, people that eat breakfast are much less likely to be tempted by snacks in the middle of the morning…nothing makes a Woodmere personal trainer happier! Even the smallest snack that you can find in the vending machine at work is likely to be higher in fat and calories than what you could have consumed in a healthy breakfast, and not nearly as filling.

A balanced breakfast

Ideally, a balanced breakfast includes protein, grains, fruits or vegetables and dairy. This sounds like a tall order for someone that hasn’t been in the habit of eating breakfast, but it’s okay to start off slowly by adding one thing from each group in the beginning and build your way up to a balanced breakfast. A simple breakfast could include a hard boiled egg, a glass of orange juice, and a bowl of cereal with whole grains with milk.

No more excuses!

Those that haven’t been in the habit of eating breakfast may find it difficult in the beginning, but there simply aren’t any more acceptable excuses for skipping this important meal. You don’t have the time? Breakfast doesn’t have to be a formal occasion; there are plenty of breakfast foods that can be eaten on the run, like cereal bars, fruit, and there are even healthy alternatives offered at most fast food restaurants, such as bagels or English muffins. You don’t like traditional breakfast fare? That’s alright, too. You can get the same benefits by eating a veggie breakfast burrito, crackers and cottage cheese, a baked potato, and even a slice of cold vegetable pizza with a glass of milk is beneficial…not every Woodmere personal trainer will tell you that!

Even if you just don’t like eating in the morning, try breaking up your breakfast into two smaller meals. For example, you could eat a hard boiled egg and a glass of juice before you leave for work, and take a break at the office an hour later to eat an apple and a handful of pecans.

It is widely accepted today that children that eat breakfast do better in school, because they are better able to concentrate and are less likely to be tired by the middle of the morning. It looks like these clever kids could teach us a thing or two! If you are ready to take your health and fitness seriously, contact a Woodmere personal trainer to get started!

Finding a Woodmere Personal Trainer That’s Right for You

Choosing a Woodmere personal trainer is a little more involved than signing up with the first personal trainer that you come across. Taking the time to interview a few trainers before starting to work out can help you find a trainer that will be willing to take into consideration your special needs, which will make the difference between reaching your fitness goals and being frustrated or discouraged. Don’t be discouraged if the first couple of personal trainers you meet don’t shape up to your expectations. Here are a few things to look out for when choosing the right Woodmere personal trainer for you.

Your Specific Needs

Whether you are recovering from a heart attack, suffer from arthritis or diabetes, or are pregnant, your personal trainer should be able to take your medical situation into account when creating your fitness program. One way to find out if a personal trainer is trained to work with your specific medical issues is by asking about his certification. While there are any number of certifications available for personal trainers, there are a few that are accredited for helping specific issues. For example, trainers that have a certificate from the American College of Sports Medicine are trained to work with those that have suffered from a heart attack or stroke, while the International Fitness Professionals Association offers certification for working with both children and seniors.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask a potential Woodmere personal trainer if they have experience in training someone with your condition, and if the answer is yes, ask if you can contact their clients for a recommendation.

Your Schedule

Have you met a trainer that you feel you could help you reach your fitness goals but isn’t available during your preferred workout time? Don’t be tempted to change your schedule, unless your lifestyle is flexible enough to warrant the change. While many of us have to try to find time to exercise in our already busy schedules, thanks to work or family commitments, adding a fitness routine to the mix shouldn’t have to mean turning your whole life upside down. Consider both your schedule and how you feel at different times of the day when looking at the calendar with your personal trainer. It might be that early morning sessions are the best time in your schedule, but will you be willing to get up an hour earlier three times a week to meet your trainer? Be honest with yourself when considering your workout schedule and find a Woodmere personal trainer that will best work in your lifestyle.

Your Relationship with Your Trainer

Everyone needs a different level of motivation and a good personal trainer will recognize your needs to keep you coming back for more. Be wary of personal trainers that push you so hard that you’re in pain for days after (but be honest with yourself – are you sore, which is normal, or genuinely in pain?) or leave you feeling discouraged. Not every personal trainer will make you feel like you’ve just started basic army training, but if that’s what you need to keep you going, your personal trainer should be able to give that to you. Don’t be afraid to ask a potential Woodmere personal trainer how he plans to keep you motivated while you’re still in the interview process.