Top Fitness Guide

You’ve decided that you want to seriously improve your fitness. Whether you’re a fitness fanatic looking to step your game up or a newbie trying to get in shape for the first time, a  personal trainer   can work with you to help you reach your goals. They work with you to create a personalized plan, push you through tough workouts and help you with your form so you don’t get hurt. Still, a personal trainer can be a big expense, so you want to make sure that you’re hiring the right person for you. Here’s  what to look for   in a personal trainer and some things to consider before taking the plunge. Credentials First thing’s first—a trainer should be able to show you their qualifications. In the age of the Internet, it’s very easily to get a certification online with minimal training as long as you’re willing to pay. Make sure that they’ve passed an exam and received their certification through an accredited organization such as The American Council on Exercise...

T he New Year is right around the corner, and you may be starting to think about what kinds of goals and resolutions you want to set for 2017. It’s a common practice, but most people end up giving up on their resolutions at some point in the year, often as soon as February. It is possible to stick to health and fitness goals. Here are some tips for  setting and keeping   your New Year’s resolutions. Set Attainable Goals You’re much more likely to  keep your resolutions   if the goals you set are within your reach. They should still be a stretch, but should be something you can reasonably accomplish. Running a marathon by June when you’ve never even run a mile isn’t a reasonable or attainable goal. For example, running a 5K race is a great goal for a beginning runner. Be Specific “Get in shape,” “lose weight” and “eat healthy” are great goals to have, but difficult to stick to because they’re so vague. It’s hard to see the results because they aren’t speci...

While foam rolling can be a quick and easy way to break up myofascial restrictions, decrease pain and increase range of motion in most areas of the body, the calves are a particularly tricky area to access alone with a foam roller.    Generally, foam rolling guides will tell you to sit on the ground with your legs outstretched, cross your legs at the ankles, and lay the calf of your bottom    legs across the foam roller, while using your arms to lift your hips off the ground, in an effort to put as much downward pressure into your lower legs as possible, hoping to transfer that pressure into the foam roller and achieve results in your calves.    There are, however, several problems with this method. First of all, it defies basic physics.    Physics tells us that with a long lever arm, such as the full length of your legs, the more muscular effort you’ll have to put into the foam roller to see results.    When you sit your hips on a...

It’s a fitness enthusiast’s dream to have their own  home gym   full of fancy equipment, and maybe even a personal trainer who comes right to your house. No more membership fees, driving through traffic, waiting in line for machines or dealing with obnoxious and rude gym-goers (you know the type). Thankfully you don’t need to spend a fortune or have a mansion to create a  quality home gym . Here are some basics you’ll need to get your home gym started. Mats You don’t want to work out on a hard floor. Get some mats that you can put down while you’re exercising. You can spring for fancy or thick gym mats, but a couple of yoga mats will work fine, too. Plus, you can roll them up and stash them. Hand Weights Hand weights ranging from about 5 to 25 lbs. are probably good for most average fitness enthusiasts, though you can certainly adjust to your needs. Have at least three different weights for different exercises, since you may have to use heavier or lighter weig...

If you’ve never tried Pilates, there are many compelling reasons to incorporate it into your cross training routine.    Pilates workouts can form the foundation of any fitness routine, by focusing on core strength and stability, and emphasizing smaller stabilizing muscles in the hips and shoulders.    While most people are familiar with Yoga either from personal experience, friends or through popular culture, Pilates is still a mystery to the vast majority of the population.    While some describe it as “yoga with sit-ups” this description doesn’t do it justice.    Here are the basics to get you started before attending your first class. History and Background Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates, a German man born in the 1880’s.    He began his life a as a sickly child, and devoted his young life to fitness to overcome his ailments.    By adulthood, he was no longer sickly, and was an avid boxer, gymnast, skier and ...

For most people, their feelings on stretching are black and white, they either love it or they hate it.  Those that love it gravitate toward yoga classes or the stretching mat at the gym whenever indecision happens during a workout, as their fall back plan.  Those that hate it often seem to find a way to skip it before or after a workout, always having time for an extra set or an extra mile, but never having quite enough time to stretch. While those that hate to stretch are often chastised and scolded about the importance of stretching in a balanced workout plan, those that overstretch are not doing themselves any favors either.    It’s all about finding a balance between strength and length, or flexibility and stability. Flexibility Flexibility is defined as the available range of motion across a particular joint, or how far you can move without restriction, be that restriction within the muscle fibers themselves or at the joint due to tendon issue or infl...

Joining a workout class is a great way to exercise. You’ll meet new people who share your interests. You’ll have an instructor and coach who can provide direction and help you with your form. Many people are also more likely to push themselves in a class than they would exercising on their own. Here are some tips for  getting the most out of your workout class . Commit If you find a workout class you like, commit to going at least once a week, but preferably more. Once you choose one, pencil it in like an important meeting or a doctor’s appointment. When you go regularly, you’ll be able to see your progress over the weeks and months. Find A Friend It’s less intimidating and more fun if you work out with a friend. A workout buddy can hold you accountable to coming to class when you’d rather be on the couch eating ice cream. Plus, you can turn the class into a little friendly competition. Find something each week to play—a pushup contest, spin distance or balance challeng...

In recent years, spin classes have taken off as one of the most popular workout classes out there. People swear by spin, SoulCycle, and many other variations of indoor cycling. If you’d like to  try spin  but aren’t sure what exactly to expect, here is everything you need to know. What is Spinning? Spinning is done on a special  stationary spinning bike . You can control the resistance on the bike and difficultly level of the class from your seat. Spin is more than just riding a stationary bike. An instructor walks you through a full body workout on the bike. Many classes also use fun lighting and upbeat music. Where To Spin There are spin-specific studios, such as SoulCycle, that focus primarily on spin. Many standard gyms now also offer spin as a part of their regular class schedules. Space is limited to the number of bikes in the room, so you typically have to sign up in advance or get there very early. Even if you do sign up online, you need to get there a...

Do you want to be a healthy person? Someone who is in shape, without being on a diet or some crazy routine all of the time? Do you want to make fitness a permanent part of your lifestyle? Most people do. Creating a lifestyle that fitness fits into is the key to long term success. You cannot be on a diet forever – but you can generally default to eating healthy foods. You can make working out a few times a week a habit that you enjoy and look forward to. How do you get there? How do you get over the hump and go from a fitness routine being something you are consciously doing, to part of who you are? The key is to change your habits. To get to the stage where you are doing the things you need to do, without thinking about it. No motivation or accountability is required – you just do it. If you look at the four stages of learning, many of you will be yo-yoing between conscious competence (making yourself do the right things, following a diet, getting yourself motivat...