Exercise Weekly

With the rising cost of living, do you think you still have enough budget to spare for extras such as fitness classes and the like?

If you want to get more out of your fitness program, naturally, you would think that getting a fitness trainer to work with you is the best option. It will help you to stay on top of things while performing all routines correctly and using the appropriate techniques. However, you can still achieve great results if you put some effort planning your training. I am a fitness trainer, and I dare say, you CAN do it. Just follow the simple tips below.

Set goals. Although working with a personal trainer will make your life a bit easier, knowing what you want to achieve out of your training program would help you surpass this first stage. Plot down your goals and then break them down into mini goals. Ensure you include timelines for each goal as well as expected results.

Be accountable. Life will be easier for if there is someone who will constantly remind you (short of nag you! :D) about your schedule and commitments for the week. This is very much possible if you have a personal trainer working with you. However, that is not the case. In place of your personal trainer, you need to choose a fitness workout buddy (a friend, maybe) who is as deeply committed to your goals as you are. In some instances, this set up fails because too much “familiarity” with the workout buddy sometimes leads to one or both becoming lenient with each other. So, to keep track, prepare a chart or journal detailing your progress.

Diet and Nutrition. It’s a well-known fact that dieting CAN help in your efforts to lose weight. However, it’s important to note that it becomes more effective when combined with exercise. Just cutting down on your food intake will help, but will also give you droopy skin when you lose the fat without hitting the gym (or at least do some simple exercises to firm up the area where the fat used to be). So, hit the gym and mind nutrients present in your food.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise. The role of exercise can never be downplayed, and as mentioned earlier, motivating one’s self is much easier when there is a personal trainer involved to monitor you. However, since you don’t have one, be more aggressive in terms of defining your exercise program. Research on the net or consult with your former personal trainer (or someone whom you consider an authority when it comes to fitness) and check if your plan is the best for you. Otherwise, feel free to modify as you see fit.

So, to answer the question: Can you be your own fitness trainer? My answer is YES. Just follow the tips above and you’re on your way to a healthier and stronger you.

(As told by Corina Wellings, a mother of three, who had difficulty losing weight after giving birth to her 3rd baby. She tried exercising on her own but was unsuccessful. In the end, she resolved she NEEDED someone else's help)

Almost all of my friends are into fitness programs to keep them in shape and healthy. They were all convincing me that I must try going to the gym and do some exercise programs. I told them, I don’t need one because I know my body enough to know that I am healthy. But, deep within, I know I am just a lazy person who hates going to the gym or doing some workout even if it was just simple walking. I do hate walking. I rather put my helmet on and ride my motorbike than to walk a kilometer or a few meters. Even at the mall, I rather use the escalator, thinking that I am doing some favor to the inventor, than climbing up the stairs. That’s how lazy I was!

Until one day, the escalator was broken so I had no other option than to use the stairs. On my tenth step going up, I have realized that I am already gasping for air!  So when I reached the second floor, I told myself I need to lose some weight or my lungs will collapse just like that.

The next day, I asked some of my friends to recommend some form of exercise so that I will lose some weight. They all told me to enroll into a fitness program. I told them I do not need one because I can do it on my own. They all laughed at me and told me that no matter what I do, because they all know how idle I am, I will never lose weight all by myself. Well, to prove them all wrong, I went to a gym to do some simple exercises. But unfortunately they were all right, because it just took me a week to realize I do not want to go to the gym anymore.

However, I do need to lose those unwanted fats and I want to be healthy, as much as possible. Then, a friend of mine told me that what I do need is a fitness trainer so that I will be able to get a program that will suit me.

I went back to the gym and asked for help. And this time, I needed someone to convince me why I should need to have a fitness trainer. So my first question was, do I really need someone to teach me the proper body movement in terms of workout and exercise? Answers were patiently discussed to me in details.

Someone in the gym told me that the very first thing I need to have is motivation. I needed to be motivated to reach my fitness goal. So, I had to think of ways to keep myself motivated. Without it, they said everything will just fall apart. Second is my health history. He needed to know if I had some sort of heart illness or any health related issues. He needed to know so that he can produce me with a fitness program that will enhance the function not only of my body but especially my heart. Third, he discussed about the kinds of food I need to eat and the foods I need to avoid. This is very important he said. Without proper food guidelines, no matter what I do, I will never have the body I desire.

After listening to his explanations, I have decided that I do need a fitness trainer. So I hired him. After quite some time now, with my personal trainer’s patience and motivation, I am losing weight gradually and still inspired to do my fitness program regularly. I now go to the gym regularly to keep on burning those unwanted fats and get my body into shape and stay healthy. So, get a personal trainer for yourself so that you will have your physical strength, healthy body and ailment-free life you wished for, just like me.

As I have been a fitness trainer for almost three years now, I would like to share with you the different types of fitness training. There are varieties of exercise programs to choose from such as muscle toning, slimming and staying in shape, or even just to increase your cardio-pulmonary function. Because of so many options to choose from, I decided to ask my friend, Nicole, to at least try one program at a time to determine which is most appropriate for her (free of charge! :D). Following are the programs she liked and hopefully, you get an idea about the fitness program you think is suitable for you.

Interval Fitness Program
In this type of program, you need to let your body rest before engaging again in another physical training. This is usually done using a stopwatch in order for you to set an amount of time in between workouts. There is a short sudden burst of physical exercise followed by a fixed period of rest before moving on to the next exercise.

Circuit Training Program
This type of program is a combination of aerobic, strength and interval fitness programs. Minimal rest time is allowed in between exercises. The key point of this course is to burn those unwanted body fats while at the same time making your muscles firm and strong. So, this is the kind of program for those people who needed to lose fats and get into shape.

Strength Fitness Program
Strength fitness training, as the name implies, involves more muscle utilization to make them firm and strong. One of the activities under this program is weight-lifting, starting from light to the heaviest weight that your body can tolerate. In this type, your body moves against resistance. The more resistance your body does, the more muscles are used resulting to more refined and strong muscles. In order to obtain muscle growth you desire, the amount of resistance should be increased gradually.

Aerobic Fitness Program
The main purpose of this program is to intensify and strengthen not only the muscles attached to your bones, but most specifically the muscles of your heart. In order to enhance your cardio-pulmonary function, proper breathing techniques during exercises are required to provide the right amount of oxygen to your muscle fibers that stimulates the energy needed by your body. It greatly helps to lower your heart rate during resting period while increasing your cardiac output or the heart’s ability to pump blood throughout your body and back to the heart with each beat. Using this program, it helps you to prevent having Myocardial Infarction which may result to heart attack.

Sports Fitness Program
This program is used by athletes and somehow associated with aerobic training. In order for you to be an effective and competitive athlete, you need to know the methods used in aerobic sessions. As mentioned earlier, aerobics strengthens the heart muscle which is the main concern whenever you are competing in any sports. A weak heart will not be able to tolerate the energy needed by our body during the game.

Pilates Training Program
The main focus of this type of program is the core muscles. This method increases muscle flexibility, strength, and acquire total body control. Slow movements and intense concentration are used during this program. This enables you to develop controlled body motion starting from the center of your body, which is the focal point of this exercise. Proper breathing techniques are required to obtain proper oxygenation during exercise.  

In line with all the different programs presented, one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a program is that you must enjoy doing it. The satisfaction and pleasure of what you are doing will definitely give you the motivation and inspiration to achieve your fitness goal whatever the circumstances are.

Losing weight is never an easy thing to do – especially when you have struggled with weight issues most of your life. Surely, there are hundreds out there who truly want to lose weight and who have the determination (initially!) to lose excess pounds, and yet, fail in their attempt to drop down to their desired body weight. Why is this so?

Sometimes, all you need is someone who will constantly check on your progress and motivate you to lose even more weight. Your friends can do that, of course. But, if you want someone who is as committed to your personal weight loss goals as you are, then the right person to approach is a personal trainer.

I've recently come across a site that covers how to become a personal trainer and it's packed full of great tips on what it is to have a career as a personal fitness trainer and how to get accredited along with many other bits of advice. Out of that site, I got the following:

What is a personal trainer?

A personal trainer, or fitness trainer, is a trained professional when it comes to health and fitness. In the past, personal trainers used to work with athletes only, but their roles have evolved already and now also work closely with gym enthusiasts. Personal trainers can work with individuals or small groups.

How can personal trainers help you lose weight?

The first thing a fitness trainer will do is evaluate your medical and health history. Do you have any problems with your skeletal or muscular structure? Do you have any recent physical injuries that could slow down your training program? Do you have other types of illnesses? All these, and more, should be laid out in the open so that when the personal trainer designs your weight loss program, you can be assured that no further damage will be inflicted on you. Likewise, you might also be required to present a medical clearance just to ensure you’re healthy enough to undergo the exercise regimen.

Next, your trainer will interview you regarding your fitness goals and what steps have you done in the past to achieve your goals. Based on your answers, he will start developing your training plan and walk you through the whole process – what are the expectations, how you should go about each phase, and what are the expected results. During this time, feel free to ask questions regarding your training regimen or voice out any concerns that you may have.

Your trainer will also devise an eating plan for you to ensure that while exercising, you still eat healthy food that will complement the training regimen designed to bring down your weight. Usually, personal trainers coordinate with dieticians or nutritionists to come up with your diet plan.

When everything is already in place, your training commences and it’s now up to your trainer to ensure that you stick to your goals, make your sessions an enjoyable time for you, provide you feedback on your progress, and calibrate your training plan according to your progress.

See more at the Personal Trainer Career website.

There was a time in the past when I hated to go to the gym because it usually took me two hours to get there and back home. Not only did I feel it was a waste of time, it also made me tired even before I started with my fitness program. But since I have already paid my gym membership, I had no other choice but to stick to it until the membership expires. So, it went on for a couple more months although I was already looking for different options.

Fortunately, a friend introduced me to online fitness programs. Yup, there is such a thing. I was skeptic at first because it was a foreign concept that my logical mind won’t even try to understand. Now, I have embraced it with open arms and have even recommended the same to my friends.

Convenience. Because of technology, information on how to care for the body, what exercises to follow, what diet to indulge in, and other like areas, are easily available right in your fingertips. Whether you are at home, in the office, or on vacation – you can simply email the fitness program about your questions and you will receive your answer in just a few clicks.

Cheap option with wide-range of expertise. Let us be honest here. Not everyone can afford to pay a trainer for fitness direction and support on a monthly basis. In addition, most live fitness instructors only focus on general workout activities only. With online fitness programs, aside from advice on how to do your workout activities, you also get recommendations when it comes to diet and nutrition, medical questions, and counseling on physical injuries and rehabilitation tips. You still have to shell out a small amount, but definitely, it’s cheaper than hiring an actual fitness trainer.

Fun activities while getting in shape. Some people are so serious when it comes to their workout routines. But, there’s also a huge percentage of people who gets bored with regular exercises that live personal trainers make them do all the time. These are the types who prefer variety and fun when it comes to exercising (me included! ) – and that’s one thing these online programs do - educate you exactly on what you need to know without you having to read through tons of information to get the body you want. They cut through the chase so you see results right away.

I have been in this program for seven months now and I have yet to see something that I should complain about – because there really is nothing to criticize on this program. It has worked so great for me, in fact, even when I go on long vacations, I’m still able to follow through my regular workout routines. I just log on and voila! I begin my exercise already.

Try it and I hope you, too, reap the same benefits (and more!) that I received from this program. Oh, and by the way, I am now working in the fitness industry as well. So, everything turned out really well.

Welcome to Exercise Weekly... your gateway to health and fitness news!

I'm Debbie Ryan and I have been working in the fitness industry since 2003. A lot of my clients have been asking me to write about my personal struggle on weight loss, tips on exercising, experiences dealing with clients, and how their fellow fitness buffs have survived their own health and fitness issues.

So, that's basically what this site is going to be - news and personal stories of people who battled and won in the game of keeping their bodies healthy and fit. Likewise, I will also share my own experiences with my own clients and what we did to overcome the problems.

Join me in this community of sharing and let's learn from each other's experiences.

For a healthier us,

Debbie R.