Go Be Fit!

I find that some clients want to train or focus on a specific body part, rather than the whole body. For example, I hear them say, “I just want to get rid of the flab on the back of my arms,” or “I want a flat stomach,” or “I want upper body strength.” Questions like, “Can you get rid of this belly fat? or “Can I get toned arms?” are common ones that I hear regularly. Most of their focus has to do the aesthetics of body parts rather than the entire body functioning as a healthy, fit, and balanced unit.

So what’s the solution? Do I just focus on body parts or the whole? Trainers never train body parts. We train a person as a whole or holistic unit. This means that we take a healthy and balanced approach rather than a partial solution. My work with clients involves gentle coaxing to keep an open mind and “train outside of the box.” Train all of you not parts of you!

The belief that if there is no pain, there is no gain is wrong! Lately, I’ve had too many people say to me that they want to feel the “burn,” or “pain,” during training sessions and group fitness classes. They believe that if they don’t feel these things, then they are not getting the results they desire. In fact, feeling the “burn,” or pain is never a good sign. I always tell my private clients and group fitness participants that if they feel pain, they should modify or cease the activity/exercise immediately.

I blame many fitness professionals for perpetuating this misleading myth.  It is our job to educate our clients by helping them develop greater body awareness. In fact, it begins with body awareness. We need to gently ask clients what they are feeling and where they are feeling tension, stress, release, etc. during exercise.  We need to bring them in touch with their bodies not out of touch!

Much of my ongoing work with clients involves helping them develop a healthy and safe relationship with the body and the mind and body. Without getting too technical – I refer to the acronym DOMS, which stands for the phenomenon of delayed onset muscle soreness usually felt after a workout. DOMS can persist for a few days. It is not pain or a burn. It is the physiological sensation in the body that you have worked your muscles, maybe ones that you hadn’t realized you had. It is a feeling of fatigue and slight soreness. Rule of thumb – remember pain is a signal that something is wrong, so there is no gain.

The most gratifying aspect of my work as a fitness professional is with the elderly residents on the Altzheimers and Dementia ward of a local nursing center. Each week I have the honor to work with a diverse and inspiring group of residents, who are suffering from devastating diseases such as Diabetes, Stroke, Parkinsons, Altzheimers and Dementia. Yet, they eagerly await my arrival every Tuesday and Thursday for our fitness class.

Despite their significant daily struggles of coping with illness, aging, and being in a long term care faciliity away from family and friends, they make the commitment to exercise. In this nuturing environment, little is taken for granted. It is truly the small things that make a difference. A hug, a gentle touch, a laugh, a memory of long ago, to the comraderie and support of each other and more importantly to witnessing and recognizing each other’s fitness gains. It is remarkable what a litte exercise can do to improve the quality of their life, their self-esteem along with the boost to morale and spirit.

Yet, many healthy people, young and old, create their own psychological barriers to exercising. The usual reasons are a lack of time, health issues, poor fitness level, cost and age. I wish these people could visit and experience my program. I am certain that it would provide a wake up call. Now is the time to exercise!

 

During the New Year many folks join gyms, or buy home fitness equipment with the intention of beginning a fitness program. Unfortunately,  50 percent of the people who join a gym will drop out within a few months of joining. Those who buy home equipment often fall into the same statistic.

So how do you avoid becoming a statistic? What do you do if you want the convenience of having home fitness equipment but are overwhelmed by the variety of options these days? Clients frequently ask me to help them select the appropriate equipment.

My best advice is to start small and simple. Determine your favorite mode of exercise, one in which you have been successful with in the past, envision yourself doing, or are engaging in the present. Decide how much you are willing to spend, your space considerations, and then do your homework/research by trying out the machine before buying.

Beware – Not all machines are created equal. The more costly machines may be of better quality and have more features. Determine what features you want. For example, do you want a heart rate monitor? Do you want a machine that is comparable to commerical gym equipment? Or do you want a basic model?  I have high standards when it comes fitness equipment. Like a car, I want a machine that’s going to get lots of mileage without breaking down! 

I started with a treadmill and over the years built my dream home gym by slowly adding a rower, a spin bike and recently an elliptical.  I appreciate the convenience of working out at home. Since, I’m out training most of the day, I love being able to sqeeze in a cardio session and then hop into a hot shower all in the convenience of my home!

Don’t be a statistic – keep going to your gym or purchase the right machine. Stay motivated and adhere to your program. If you need help hire a trainer!

I am always amazed by how many people think that sit ups will get them a toned six pack or greater core strength. All I have to do is turn on the TV and see the informercials promising toned abs. How about all the magazines with gorgeous pictures of toned men and women on their covers displaying chiseled abs? The lastest laugh I had recently was when I learned that there is a surgery that can be done to give you a six pack. There too many gimmicks and quick fixes in the fitness industry. There is so much information that I wonder how most people are able to discriminate. It’s my job as a trainer to educate.

I usually have the opportunity since there is always a client or a participant in my fitness class who asks, “Can we do abs?” I respond by saying, “You are working your core (which incidentally is more than the sum of your abs) consistently throughout my class. What is the purpose in torturing you with numerous repetitions of crunches?”

I personally hate crunches. First of all, they are boring. Most people do them incorrectly and end up with some kind of neck or back injury. They also rarely get the results that they are looking for and end up frustrated and disillusioned as well.

Crunches are certainly not functional. Meaning they don’t help you use your body as a whole for a specific activity, which is really what athletes and non athletes need for sport and daily activities of living.  

I must confess that every so often, I test myself on the bosu or stability ball with some crunches. I always end up losing count. I don’t feel nearly as strong, stable or balanced as I do when I’m working my core vertically as opposed to horizontally!

Exercise on a regular basis

Get in shape and stay that way

Lose weight and keep it off

Join a gym and keep going

Train for an event – a road race, a triathlon, a walk

Get toned and strong

Increase flexibility by stretching or doing yoga daily

Decrease stress

Stay motivated

Hire a trainer to design an appropriate program and help me accomplish my individual goals

 

 

As this year comes to a close I sigh deeply with relief, and say, “Adios – it’s over!”  Ever have a day or a week where you are faced with challenge upon challenge that you think won’t end? You wonder how you’ll get through intact.  Imagine having a year that could crush you, but you find a way through it, instead of a way out.

2007, the year I turned 50 was that kind of a year. A year so intense that brought more emotional and physical pain than I have ever known to exist. A year that transported me so far out of my comfort zone and cruelly tossed me into a black hole and abandoned me in eye of the storm.  A year that brusquely turned a cold shoulder and said, “Beth – Suffering is life.” Like a one night stand, it left me shocked with no explanation.

Rather than be victimized, I chose to weather the storm. At first, my reaction was to fight, to flee, to escape and to numb out. I didn’t resort to the typical self-destructive methods – although I would have liked to engage in random mindless acts to alleviate the relentless pain and stress. Instead I got help – lots of it. 

The break came in late September. A crisp fall day that I remember well. With clarity and determination, I opened the closet door and pulled out my yoga mat. I gently unrolled it. I laid on it not knowing what would happen.  I had no plan, no intention. I found myself breathing, sobbing and crying. Release. It was all I could do to calm, to ground and to allow me to feel and be present with all that was iin 2007.

 

 

 

 

Tomorrow, December 21st is officially the first day of winter and we’ve already received a record amount of the white stuff.  Snow takes me back to some fond and playful memories of my childhood. I get sentimental for snow angels, orange slush made with the freshly fallen snow, sledding down hills, snow ball fights, and building igloos and snow forts. I have  memories of being outdoors for hours on end in the winter. Snow or bad weather rarely stopped me from gettting out or getting down for that matter.

Today it’s a different story. I love the beauty and excitement of the first snow fall. However, once it storms on a weekly basis, the winter begins to wear at me. The older I get, the harder it is to deal with the elements on a daily basis. The simple act of taking a brisk walk, suddenly becomes hazardous.  Getting and staying outdoors becomes a challenge, especially on windy, bitter cold and icy days.

What does one do? Give in to the cold and stay indoors and wait until spring, or does one bundle up and head out to the elements? I say we do both. I used to love running in the winter. It was one of the most exhilarating activities that I looked forward to with delight. Since I no longer run and I don’t ski, doesn’t mean there aren’t alternatives. This year I will strap on a pair of snowshoes and brave the elements. Into the wild I will go!

I am not talking about the Ice Capades, or the crushed ice in a sparkling glass of your favorite holiday drink, or the ice pack I wrap around my knee, or the angelic like ice sculptures of First Night!

I am referring to a different kind of ice, an insidious type that like poison ivy, creeps up on you when you least expect it. You could be attempting to safely negiotiate your way on the precarious sidewalks in town, or preventing yourself from sliding under the carriage of your car in a crowded parking lot, or slipping while slowly ascending the stairs to your house. 

This past Saturday evening, I had a near serious mishap on the black ice in my driveway. (Yes – my driveway, which was shoveled and sanded previously). I felt my right foot slide on the ice, as my body jerked in all directions and I momentarily lost my balance, but was able to regain it in a split second. I quickly uprighted myself.

I must have activated the fight or flight response, because my heart was pounding and my body became tense. Luckily I emerged unscathed.  Falling on the ice is not something that I wish for anyone to experience, not even skaters! I take ice quite seriously now that I have osteoarthritis of both knees. I can not afford to fall and neither can you. In my work with boomers and seniors, I often focus on balance and functional training that will prevent unnecessary falls. We should only have adventures off of the ice, not on it!

1.  Convenient – no need to travel to a gym – no waiting for equipment, no parking hassles

2.  Private – Just you and usually no distractions – no lines – no crowds

3.  Cost Effective – no initiation fees, no monthy membership fees, no extra fees. With a minimal investment you can set up a home gym

4.  Efficient/Effective – no time wasted – you’re home and you have complete control of when you want to exercise

5.  Clean – since you set up the environment – you are not dealing with multiple users – issues of wear and tear on the equipment or cleanliness 

Please note that I am not discounting a gym membership. Home fitness is not for everybody, but neither is a gym membership. I have a gym membership that isn’t getting much use, except when I use the pool. I happen to prefer In-home fitness for all of the reasons above and more.