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Your New Best Friend: Selecting a Personal Trainer
The holiday season is upon us and soon we will be surrounded by all sorts of sweets, fatty foods and high caloric drinks. All which has us running like crazy to the gym on January 2 of each year. We make promises to ourselves that this WILL be the year we lose those 2o pounds and keep it off. Instead of waiting until the new year, why not get a head start and begin now? One of the best ways to get us over that hump, is to get a personal trainer. Not sure how to pick one? My friend Jay, a personal trainer for the last 20 years, has some great tips and recommendations on helping you pick someone who will work for you and your needs.
Determine your fitness goals. Be realistic and ensure goals are reasonably obtainable. Weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds a week is a good rule of thumb. You should also know how often you can honestly get to the gym per week and how much time you have when you are there. Having a clear picture in mind before you talk to the trainer allows you to pay close attention to what the trainer says and helps you choose the correct trainer for you.
Find a trainer that is certified. If you are currently a member of a gym that offers personal training, more than likely their trainers are certified. If you go to a free-lance trainer make sure you know where they were certified. American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), American Council of Exercise (ACE), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) are all credible organizations. If your trainer isn’t certified by one of these, you can always look up the certification online. Make sure their certification required prior education in a fitness related industry or a certification that offers a written and practical examination.
Find out about the trainer’s experience & expertise. You want to make sure the trainer fits with your personality and can adjust workouts to meet your fitness goals. You also want to make sure they can do more than just one type of training. While it is very important for everyone to do strength training, everyone should not train like a body builder. Ask the trainer what type of clients they have worked with and for how long. Often trainers have certain areas of expertise, if you are recovering from an injury, recently had a child or have some alignment issues you might look for a trainer who specializes in those areas. Try to find someone who is willing to teach you how to exercise effectively, not just count reps and move the weights.
Understand the costs and liability of trainers. Typically 1 on 1 training goes for anywhere from $60 on the low-end to over $100 on the high-end for hourly sessions. 30-minute sessions are usually a little more than half of the normal hour rate. If you have a friend who can work out with you, you both can often save as much as 40% per session. Some gyms offer training packages that offer discounts when you purchase multiple sessions. You may be required to sign a contract. Any contract you sign should state the number of sessions you will receive, the length of each session, any cancellation requirements and the refund policy. Make sure you are clear on everything before you sign. It is also important to know if the trainer is covered by liability insurance. Many organizations offer insurance for trainers and it can be a further indication of their expertise and professionalism. Typically they will be insured for at least a million dollars.
Hiring a Personal Trainer can be a great investment that will pay off over a lifetime. If you follow these basic guidelines and learn as you go it can be a great way to achieve fitness success.
Staying Fit on the Road
If you are like me, then you have been on the road a lot lately for work. In September, I was in three different hotels over a three-week time period. Or was it four? Every year, at the same time, it happens to me — I begin to lag behind in my workout routine. The carefree days of summer allow to me work out later with the extra hours of daylight and when Fall hits, all of that hard work goes out of the window. Each year, I tell myself “this will not happen again.” Sigh, but it does. I am about to start traveling again next week and have been in search of creative ways to get some form of exercise in between meetings. Here are a few things I am going to try and hope that you find them useful too:
Be realistic and pack what you think you will really use. My biggest excuse is that I say I don’t want to over pack my suitcase, so I take nothing. With airline baggage fees steadily increasing, we are all conscious of how many bags we carry. Therefore, when packing workout gear, I keep it light — tank tops, shorts, light t-shirts and yoga pants. Sneakers are bulky so I either try to squeeze those into a carry-on or wear them on the plane.
Do your research ahead of time. Call the hotel or visit their website to see what fitness services they offer. So many hotels are all about meeting the needs of their business traveler. They have either a fitness center, fitness DVDs and equipment you can rent, or discounts for a fitness center nearby if they don’t have one. Most often access to the fitness center is complimentary to guests or you if you are a member of the hotel reward program.
Use the environment around you. If the fitness center has a cost, there are also free activities that can be done. Ask the concierge for walking maps or running trails near the hotel. This also allows you to become familiar with the area.
Eat healthy. If you just cannot squeeze in a workout, at the very least don’t go overboard on your eating. When you are on travel, you may be tempted to splurge a little here and there — buffalo wings and fries from room service or cheesecake at the reception. Stick to your healthy eating habits and maybe you won’t feel too bad about skipping the workout.
Pack your own gear. I recently picked up some resistance bands from Sports Authority as an attempt to “get back in the groove” of working out. Since they are so lightweight and thin, you can carry them anywhere. They are perfect for doing bicep curls or squats while in your hotel room, watching TV.
Get an early start. When meetings start at 9 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. there is little time to workout throughout the day. I have found that working out before the meeting helps me not only stay focused during the meeting, but I got it out of the way. And quite honestly you have more time to workout since you don’t have a commute time with the meeting being downstairs in the hotel. Now you have an extra 30-45 minutes to workout.
Live Life, Live Healthy
Fall Foward
In a couple of weeks, it will officially be Autumn/Fall and the weather will be turning cool. As a Fall baby, I love this weather for many reasons. One of them being, that this is great weather for running outside. It’s not too cold and it’s not too hot. I just hope my knees can keep up with me this season. I spent most of the summer in Tae-Bo and spinning classes. While these are great year-round exercise sessions and I definitely burn the calories, it’s time to change up my routine so i don’t get bored.
I know many of you may start to pull back on your workouts as the days get shorter, but instead of falling back this season, fall forward and change up your routine. Our bodies get used to the same exercises and we don’t see the results we were seeing back in July. It’s time to trick your body and do something different.
* The Fall is a great time to do some other type of outdoor activities like flag football and hiking. You would be surprised how many co-ed flag football teams have already started in your city. Ask around and see if you can join one. It is actually a lot of fun — great exercise, nice way to meet new people, and a good stress reliever.
* Of course walking and running are always great in the Fall, especially if you felt it was too hot over the summer to do either of these. Check out the September issue of Fitness magazine – “Best-Ever Walking Workout.” This article gives some great tips on “stepping up” your walking routine, as well as strengthening exercises.
* I am not sure how many calories you will burn with this activity, but it’s fun and that’s bowling. Get a group of friends together and go bowling on the weekends. Start some teams and throw in a prize to make it more interesting. You will no longer be bored on Saturday nights, your arms will get toned and you will have a good time.
Don’t let the cooler weather cause you to “fall back” into bad habits of not working out and overindulging in comfort food. Resist the urge to curl up on the couch, under the covers and with the remote control. Keep your workouts going and most importantly pick a fun activity. The latter will ensure you don’t get bored too quickly and stop exercising. Just think how great you will feel when you slip on those jeans around December. You will be so happy that they still fit even after the summer. 
Happy Exercising!
Great hair or great buns (of steel)?
One of my forever challenges in working out and breaking a sweat is how my hair will look afterwards. My hair, my hair, my hair!!! I sometimes loathe working out because I know that as soon as I step on the treadmill or even begin Tae Bo, I am going to break into an immediate sweat. Then there goes my hair! For those of us with ethnic, curly, thick, or frizzy hair . . . this is such a huge concern. 
I really hate having to choose between having great hair or a toned body. So I have given up on stopping every 2 minutes to wipe the sweat from my hairline to prevent my hair from getting soaked. It breaks my concentration and I don’t enjoy my workout. I have embraced the fact that I will have to do a complete hair makeover after EVERY time I work out. Which is about 4-5 times a week. Even though I have short hair, it’s naturally curly and can still be time consuming. But hey, what a small price to pay for a nice body, right? Hmm, not sure I am convinced just yet.
Those of you who keep up with my blog, know that I will go and do some research about what is being said about an issue. So here’s what I found out about exercising and caring for your hair:
- Don’t wear a baseball cap (which I always do when I run outside!). It can block your sweat glands and your glands need to breathe while exercising.
- Make sure you pull your hair back, off of your forehead and out of your eyes. You can pull it back with a scarf or cotton headband.
- Whatever type of hair you have, you have to rinse the salt from the sweat out of your hair. The salt can really damage your hair. But I say, even if you can’t rinse or wash or your hair every time, at least do it every other day and condition it well. In between you should use a conditioning hair product and make sure you blow dry that sweat out of your hair very well.
- If you like the saunas after a good workout, then cover your hair with a towel. The heat can dry out and damage your hair. Otherwise, put some leave-in conditioner or light jojoba oil in your hair while you are in there.
So whatever type of your hair you have ethnic, kinky, straight, curly or frizzy; you MUST take care of your hair when you are exercising. Our hair should not prevent us from working out and working out shouldn’t prevent us from still having cute hair. There is a happy medium. If you have any other tips, please share them because you never know what may help someone else.
Morning Cup of Coffee
Ahhh . . . there is nothing like a hot, aromatic and smooth cup of coffee first thing on a Sunday morning. Oh and a Monday morning to get you going! I love to mix my grinds with a few dashes of cinnamon. It gives it a nice tasty kick to your cup of java. But now, my mother has ruined it for me. She told me today that she read a study, article, something, that stated if we just stopped drinking coffee daily, we could lose 10 pounds! Is that decaf or caffeinated? Because I only drink decaf. Maybe that doesn’t count. I don’t know, let me weigh this . . . being able to actually hold a conversation with my colleagues on a Monday morning by 10 a.m. or fitting into a pair of size 10 jeans. Such a tough decision! I think I may go for the jeans! I may be a little less sociable in the morning, but I’ll look good as I walk by grouchy!!
So I am not sure how much truth there is to this, but it’s worth a try. Let’s face it, we all know that once you add the flavored cream and/or sugar to the coffee, the calories have gone up. And if you are a latte or mocha kind of girl, then you are already looking at 300-450 calories and 20-30 grams of sugar. Let us not forget the whipped cream.
Many of us already know that caffeine really isn’t good for us. It’s been linked to several women’s health issues such as infertility, osteoporosis, and low birth weight babies. So for those of you who drink caffeinated coffee regularly, the news may not be so great. You too, may want to go for the jeans. In the bit of research I did, I found that caffeine can increase hunger and therefore making it more difficult to lose weight. No wonder every coffee shop has delectable pastries just begging for you to buy them. I have also heard that coffee can increase the level of toxins in your body, again making it harder to lose weight as your body is attempting to push the toxins out to decrease fat. Definitely some food for thought.
As you sip on that morning java while reading this, you may want to think how your body responds to caffeine. Is it the best thing for you and your health? Try replacing it with something like a skim, hot chocolate or green tea. They are definitely less addictive choices. I will let you know in 6 weeks if giving up coffee really helps you lose 10 pounds. I can feel the withdrawal already, wish me luck!
Be Proud of the Fruit You Have!
Sorry I haven’t been blogging this past week, but I was struck down by a nasty cold. I guess it was bound to happen before winter was over. But I’m back and feeling better, and taking my vitamins everyday! One of the cool things about blogging is you can actually see what search terms people use via Google to get to your blog. Since January I have noticed that a lot of you are searching for information on exercises and clothing for your shape (i.e. apple or pear). This is to be expected as we all know that the first of the year is all about getting into shape and eating healthier. Those of you who have been with me since the start of the blog, may remember one of my first posts’ on Apple and Pear Shape. To give those of you a little more information on the whole “fruit shape” phenomenon, I have asked my guest blogger Sara to give you her insight on the issue. As a pear, this is something she is a bit concerned about and apparently thinks about it often. So, this week it will be all about the apple and pear shapes. She has a little something for you each day. Enjoy!
Sara’s Thoughts on Apples and Pears
When you wake up in the morning, no matter what you are planning to do for the day, the most important thing is to feel good about yourself! Whether you are heading to work or planning a new exercise routine, it is important to understand your body and feel good about it in order to attain a healthier you. As mentioned several times in this blog, determining your body shape (apple or pear) can help you determine best exercises and clothes to wear to make you feel great! To determine your shape see the “Apple or Pear” post from November 2007. While it is important to exercise your whole body consistently, there are specific exercises you can concentrate on to work those “problem areas.” Check out these websites for exercises for apple and pear shapes.
Exercises for Apple Shapes:
Ab Crunch
Reverse Crunch
http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/ab-crunches.html
Elbow to Knee Side Crunches
http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bloblique.html
Exercises for Pear Shapes:
Lunges
Squats
Sumo-wrestler squats
Leg Circles
For everyone, it is important to have a strong core:
http://www.flat-stomach-exercises.com/pilates-exercise.html
Later this week, we will talk about clothing for your apple or pear shape.
Tired of the gym?
I don’t know about you, but I am already tired of the gym. Tired of the monotony of getting on the treadmill and taking my 15 minute run and then heading over to the ellipitical for my other 15 minutes, lastly 15 minutes of the bike. Boredom!!! I often feel like this cat lately, when I get close to the treadmill.
Haven’t we all been there sometimes? Like just a few hours ago. This is why I love my Tae-bo classes when I can make them. Not only is it a total body workout, but it keeps me going and energized. I am also pushing myself beyond my comfort limits and not slacking as I may be tempted to do when at the gym. This is definitelly a great alternative to the gym and especially if you are becoming bored with your new routine. Earlier this month, I promised you some alternatives to the gym for this exact reason. Many of us definitely need that extra motivation to exercise in the winter/colder months. Doing different routines outisde of the gym or fitness center may be just thing you need to get you pumped again!
Salsa Dancing - Works your arms, glutes, back, thighs and calves plus cardio. Helps you with your posture too! Not to mention it’s so much fun (to me), you learn a new talent and you get to go shopping for cute shoes (nothing below 2″). Just about every city has salsa dancing classes or hosts a salsa dancing night at clubs with classes held before it opens to the public. Some places are free and some have a nominal fee for instruction. Do a google search for your city and salsa dancing.
Kickboxing – Tones your entire body plus cardio! My Tae-Bo instructor says this is very different from tae-bo and she is correct. I have learned both methods and the movements are different, but I think either one can give you a pretty good workout. If you have just joined a gym and don’t want to lose money on your membership, check and see if cardio-kickboxing or similar classes are offered. Many of the Gold’s Gym and Bally’s offers them, as well as L.A. Sports Club. If you don’t belong to a gym, check into privately owned studios or the YWCA to see if they offer classes.
Yoga – Another total body workout, less the cardio. Tones your abs, arms, legs, back, and shoulders. According to my 8 year old niece, yoga is really good for centering so you can focus better. Yes, she actually told me this. It is also provides you with a vehicle to meditate as you strengthen your body. If you are a runner or a cyclist, yoga will help you with those muscle groups (hips, hamstrings, and shoulders) that are overtaxed with these types of exercises. Yoga is also great for new mommies and reclaiming your bodies. Again, just about every city has a yoga studio or provides yoga classes at the gym. Do a quick internet serach on Google.
I know there are so many other alternatives to the gym that I didn’t touch on like pilates, hip-hop dancing, tai-chi, and boot camp, but I didn’t want to overload you. Like the others, simply conduct a quick Internet search for these types of exercises and you are bound to find places where you can attend and try them out. Also, check with friends or colleagues for referrals. They may also turn out to be your new exercise buddy. If all else fails, rent or buy a DVD of your favorite activity or if you have Comcast or DirectTV find the Fit TV channel and get to moving!
You Can Do It!!!
It’s January and we all know what that means. We are all going to start, resume or attempt to exercise and eat better in the new year! That’s right we are two weeks in and the gyms are packed daily with committed fitness soldiers on a mission to rid their bodies of all they consumed in 2007. Treadmills have waiting lists, cardio-busting classes are overflowing and the sounds of men (and women) grunting through every rep of a leg press is like music to our ears. Even my Tae-bo class, which is generally not too crowded, was super packed on Saturday! We were all crammed in there jabbing away the pounds and sweating out the toxins. But this is what you can expect for at least the next couple of months. I don’t mean to be a pessimist, but we have all seen it so many times in the past. By mid-February, the gyms become a little quieter and by March it’s a bit eerie how few people are working out next to you. People begin to drop off one by one like flies and exercising soon becomes a faint memory. Well that is until May when they start up again for swimsuit season.
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore but prefer to set goals for myself. This year I said I wasn’t going to allow myself to slack this winter on my exercising. Each year I tend to fall back, like most of us, on working out during the winter. But I actually set this goal back in October and so far I am doing pretty good. I did go to Tae bo twice this week! I can’t feel my thighs from the 200 squats, but I went! I have to say if it weren’t for my girlfriend, who has literally been my exercise buddy since 2002, I would be making up all sorts of excuses for why I couldn’t go. She has a hubby and a three-year old, so if she says she’s going I have absolutely no excuse. So I say to you — YOU CAN DO IT! You can actually keep your resolution this year to workout regularly and eat healthy. You absolutely can do it! I look at my girlfriend and she motivates me because she schedules the time to work out even with all that she has going on. So how do you stay focused when it’s tempting to slack on that New Year’s resolution? Well, of course you know I have a few tips. Give them a try!
Get an exercise buddy. Having someone that you can workout with really, really helps. You all can be a great source of motivation for each other as you aim to achieve your goals. You don’t have to be on the treadmill at the same time or even take the same class, but having that person go regularly with you will push you to stay on track.
Be realistic about your schedule. If you know that mornings are just a crazy time and you find you are always missing your workout, find a different time. This is probably not the best time for your body or mind. Maybe it’s evenings or the baby’s nap time. Just find a time in your schedule that you are most likely to stick to.
Create a vision board.Grab a poster board, glue, scissors and some magazines. Cut out images and words that reflect your goal. When we can look everyday at what we want to accomplish for ourselves, it becomes second nature and we believe it will happen. If you want to be healthy and have a fit body, identify positive images of just that. Then place your vision board where you can see it everyday as a reminder of what you want.
Do a little shopping. Sometimes we feel better about working out if we have comfortable, but cute clothes to do it in. I don’t believe in breaking the bank on workout clothes, but I do believe in quality. My favorite place to find these items is Filene’s Basement (Marshall’sis pretty good too). They always have Puma, Nike, Danskin, and Addidas warm up pants and tops at half the price. Be careful, because you can get carried away by all of the great finds.
Create a playlist.Nothing gets me through a workout like my music! Load up some of your favorite songs that you like to groove to and get on that treadmill. You would be surprised how much further you can go when you have music. Beyonce, Janet, Justin, Amerie, and Mary J always keep me going!
Remember YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Looking & Feeling Your Best in Your Little Black Dress (L.B.D.)
Alright, there are only 4 days until New Year’s Eve (if you include NYE) and believe it or not you still have time to get into that little black dress. When you are wearing a little black dress you want to accentuate those features that are going to be most noticeable in the dress — shoulders, arms, butt, and calves. These also tend to be a woman’s best features, after her personality of course. A friend of mine who is a personal trainer told me that the most amazing feature on a woman is her shoulders and women should tone them more. Naturally, I took his advice and began focusing on my shoulders when doing my strength training. He was right, of course. Nicely toned shoulders can really make you look sleek and fit.
There are many things you can do to ensure that you feel good when you put on that L.B.D.
Eat less calories, high-fat and high sugar foods. No more leftover pound cake from Christmas and eggnog. Drink nothing but water and eat lots of veggies and fish for the next few days. This light “detox” will probably do you some good from all the high caloric and sugary foods you have eaten this holiday season. Stay away from foods that will make you bloated like broccoli. This will help your tummy look less full.
A little exercise should be involved. While you may not see the results in 4 days that you would see in 4 months, exercise will at the very least give you some extra energy. Plus, your upper body can tone up fast and working out can put you in a good mood. Here are my favorite exercises for those features most noticeable in a L.B.D.
Shoulder Press – Hold your dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing forward. Slowly push them straight up until arms are almost fully extended, pause, and return to start. Do three sets of 20.
Lunges – This is great for thighs and butt. Put your hands on hips, take a big step, bending the forward knee. Then take another step. Make sure that your upper body is straight and not leaning forward because this can hurt your back. Go for 20 yards and do 2 sets of 10 on each leg.
Squats – This exercise will tone the heck out of your butt!! The movement is like sitting in a chair with feet shoulder distance apart; make sure to keep your knees behind your toes. Do three sets of 20.
Calve Raises – Basically stand on your tippy-toes and pause at the top for one second. Do three sets of 20. There is nothing like some great calves in 3” strappy heels.
Triceps kickbacks (my ultimate favorite) – Lean forward, back straight. With elbows bent and tight to the body, hold dumbbells facing inward. Without moving the upper arm, extend the arm fully, pause and return to start. Do three sets of 20. Tip: Do this exercise in front of a mirror to ensure your back is kept straight. You do not want to strain your back.
Bicep curls – Put your arms at your sides, hold dumbbells facing frontward. Raise them to shoulder height. Pause and return to start. Do three sets of 20.
Practice your posture. As someone who stands 5’11” I have to be very conscious that I do not slouch. Make a conscious effort to stand and walk straight/upright. Also, when you do this it exudes confidence and self-assurance. Remember, you are in your L.B.D and confidence is your middle name!
If you are feeling self-conscious about your pouch or muffin top, go for the body slimmer/shaper . Love, love, love these wonderful little assets to our wardrobe underneath. Any body slimmer/shaper will do, but I prefer the all in one with the boy shorts (Spanx has a good one). Some have removable straps if you are going strapless. Slip it on and presto — instant flat stomach and less love handles!
Sparkle a little! Add a little glow to your skin and those noticeable body parts. There are a lot of body lotions that have the shimmer or gold flakes in them that can give your body that extra little touch. I love these because it really does give you a subtle shimmer. Everyone will be telling you all night what an amazing glow you have.
Last but not least, go in knowing you are going to have a great time and that you look good! Nothing trumps a positive attitude. If you do all of these things or even a few, I guarantee you will look and feel good in your L.B.D. or whatever you choose to wear on New Year’s Eve.
Post Holiday Party Recovery
If you had more than your share of cocktails last night, recovery is always challenging. This is especially true when you are in your 30s and 40s. Recovery takes so much longer than when you were in your 20s. I would like to share a few things that I do to recover the next day:
Drink nothing but water all day. If I feel I over did it on the sugary cocktails, I try to hydrate myself and eliminate as much sugar as I can the next day. No sodas, no juice, no alcohol, no sweets – JUST WATER! (Tip: Drinking lots of water in between cocktails helps too).
Get a workout in. It really does help me feel better to sweat out some of those toxins I put in my body the night before. Plus I just feel less guilty by trying to work off some of the calories I consumed. Top off your workout with a high protein meal to help your body recover from the workout.
Eat lots of good stuff – veggies, protein, and lean meats. This of course is my choice of food and doesn’t have to be yours. Okay, I may sneak in some french fries along with the salad. Some may turn to greasy foods to recover from a night of too much alcohol. There is some scientific evidence that supports this is actually good for you since high fatty foods slow down the absorption of alcohol. So eating the greasy food before you drink may prove to be better than afterwards.
Sleep! I really try to get my full 7-8 hours of sleep if I can, but often alcohol can cause for a restless night. So if are able to, take a quick nap the next day to recharge. This of course only works if you don’t have to work the next day (although I am known to take a quick snooze at my desk) or have children to take care of. As one of my girlfriends says, “There is no such thing as sleeping late after a night with the girls, when you have a 3 – and 7-year old who want breakfast at 6 a.m…on a Saturday!” So mommies, I say try to play the quiet game with your little ones for about 20 minutes and see if you can sneak in an afternoon nap! Popping in the Shrek 3 DVD will probably work too.
