Exercise Archives - Fort Worth Personal Trainer Programs and Bootcamp

Prep Your Office Space For Success

cubicle

The majority of Americans spend most of their time at work. More specifically, at a desk in front of the computer. If you don’t plan, this desk can be your recipe for weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle. BUT! With a little planning, you can turn your home away from home into a well-stocked, piece of health and fitness equipment.

Stock your drawers with green tea, gum to curb mindless eating.

Invest in a minifridge, and fill it with lowfat yogurts, bottled water and fresh cut veggies.

Put a sticky note on your computer monitor to remind yourself to get up every hour and take a walk around the office.

Put a jar on your desk. Whenever you feel like getting up and grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine, take that dollar and put it in the jar. When it’s full, use it to buy yourself a nice reward.

Replace your normal desk chair with a stability ball chair. It’s more fun to bounce while you work, plus the instability will work your core.

Stash resistance bands or light dumbbells somewhere on or near your desk. Take some time everyday to get in some strength training moves.

Replace the candy in your bowl with fresh fruit.

Kelly Turner is a Seattle area ACE Certified Personal Trainer, health and fitness writer and editor of the fitness website, PhysiqueSpeak.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you can email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

Make Healthy Eating Easier

salad

The easier something is to integrate into your everyday routine, the easier it is to stick with it. Exercise is one thing: you either do it or you don’t, and regardless of what you do, it’s better than doing nothing. Eating is different: a few hundred calories here and there can make a difference. Eating too much can stop your weight loss, but eating too little can stop your weight loss. There is an emotional attachment to food. Our society revolves around food for celebrating, entertainment, convenience, comfort- everything. Here are some ways to make healthy eating easier:

Plan your meals ahead of time. You know what you have to eat, and there’s no arguing. Take some time the night before, or on Sunday night to plan out your meals so there are no questions of what to eat.
Bring non-perishable, healthy snacks (like unsalted nuts, fruit leather or granola bars) with you everywhere, in case you get stuck and need something to eat. BUT…
If you have impulse control/over eating issues, ONLY pack foods that fit into your meal plan today so you aren’t tempted to eat anything extra.
If you have the money, buy pre-prepped foods like fruits and veggies that are peeled, cut, chopped and ready to go to cut down on meal prep.
If you are trying to save some money, prep your produce when you get home from the grocery store. Peel and cut your veggies, and portion them into little baggies. Wash what needs washed and put it away so all you have to do at meal time is grab and go.
Make big portions of easy to freeze foods like soups or stews so instead of hitting the drive thru when you are in a rush, you can microwave and enjoy a healthy meal in minutes.

What are your favorite strategies to make healthy eating easier?

10 Ways to Boost Your Motivation

bored-girl-on-treadmill

Even the most dedicated exercisers have bad days. Sometimes the last thing anyone wants to do is get out of bed and go work out. It’s easy to fall into an exercise rut and get bored, so the key is to make fitness exciting again. Here are 10 sure fire ways to spark your motivation and get excited about exercise again:

Buy new fitness equipment to use in your home when you can’t make it to the gym. Some cheap places to start are dumbbells, yoga mats, new fitness DVDs or resistance bands.
Hire a personal trainer, even if you can only afford one session. Learning new moves will get you excited about making improvements in your health and fitness.
Buy yourself a new gym outfit or gear to boost your confidence.
Go for an urban adventure. Most people run or bike through quiet, low populated areas, but new scenery with tons of people and activity can really energize your body and senses. Be sure to watch out for cars.
Follow your workout with a massage and/or pedicure as a nice reward.
Try a new exercise you have never tried before for each muscle group. You may find a few more favorites to add to your routine.
Buy a few issues of a few different fitness magazines and get motivated by the models. Girls: Strong is the new skinny, so admire muscle tone and strength instead of super skinny models. Guys: You gotta work for those guns!
Focus on a new goal. If your current goal isn’t enough to get you to the gym, perhaps it’s time to focus on something new.
Try a different mode of exercise. If you usually hit the gym, hit the trails. If you are an avid biker, try a different sport, like tennis.
Be an inspiration to someone you know. Invite them to come to the gym with you, and teach them all your moves.

Motivation wanes, so you have to have a back up plan to get you excited about working out. Find the trick that works for you, or try a different strategy each time you feel the ‘blahs’ coming on.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

The Dangers of Aspartame

diet coke

Aspartame is usually thought of in combination with diet soda, but the artificial sweetener is found in more than 6,000 foods, including gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, cereals, candy, vitamins, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. It is a zero calorie sweetener that takes the place of sugar and has quickly become the diet-food staple of choice.

Aspartame is also the most controversial food additive in history. It’s FDA approved, against many health officials protests, and was even listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent. Aspartame has been in our food supply for 30 years, and has been doing damage to our health the whole time.

Because of it’s much deserved bad press, aspartame has been repeatedly re-branded into NutraSweet, Candereal and most recently, AminoSweet.

AminoSweet- doesn’t that sound healthy?

Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to re-brand the sweetenr under AminoSweet to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids — the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.”

Name it something to make people think it’s healthy. It’s hardly a new marketing ploy, and it’s doing damage.

There have been over 10,000 reports to the FDA for reaction to aspartame, more than all other food additives combined, and according to the FDA, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction even report it.

About two-thirds of aspartame reactions are classified as neurological and behavioral, including headaches, mood swings, and hallucinations, while the remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms.

Aspartame is most widely used in place of sugar in low- and no-calorie foods, but research shows most of these products can actually lead to weight gain by increasing your risk of metabolic syndrome, may double your risk of obesity, which is precisely the opposite desired effect of consuming diet drinks.

More seriously, phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond, and while these amino acids are completely safe, they are not designed to be ingested as singular amino acids, which will cause complications.

This will also increase dopamine levels in your brain, that can lead to depression, migraines and brain tumors. The aspartic acid in aspartame is a excitotoxin, which cause brain cells to become so excessively excited they die, which can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers which leads to neurodegeneration.

Since aspartame is found in so many foods, it is important to read your labels. While real sugar does contain calories and carries risks when consumed in excess, always choose natural foods over chemicals.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Desk Jockies: Get Some Activity At the Office

office

According to a WiiFit commercial I just saw 3 seconds ago (this is how I do research) the average American sits 8 hours day. If you work a desk job, the number is probably even higher for you. The office, whether it’s a cubicle or a giant corner office with a view, is not exactly designed for maximum activity. Your desk is basically invented so you can do everything you need to do in a day without lifting your butt out of a chair.

But if you do work in an office, your are there the majority of your waking hours, so fitting in some movement while you’re there is necessary to a healthy lifestyle. You can only bust your butt in the gym for so many hours, and if you sit all day long, those gym sessions are just making up for that lack of movement.

You can get in some movement, and even a little exercise, if you try these ideas:

1. Keep a dumbbell at your desk. It doesn’t have to be heavy—just a five-pound dumbbell will do. Throughout the day, you can use the weight for bicep curls and other arm exercises.

2. Skip the elevator; take the stairs. Even if you’re only on the second floor, taking the stairs instead of the elevator will get in some of that physical activity that you need.

3. Do tricep dips in the break room. Simply turn around with your back to the counter, grasp the counter with your hands, bend your elbows, and slowly dip down until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Every little bit helps.

4. Squats are just one more exercise that can easily be done in the office. When you begin to get restless behind your desk, simply stand up, put out your arms, and bend your knees. A few squats every hour or so will do wonders for your thighs- even set an hourly alarm to remind you.

5. Walk when you have a chance. Even if it’s to another office in the building. Getting up and moving around is a great way to resist temptation- just stay away from the candy jars.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Training Techniques Revealed

NealClean2.jgp

There is so much more to strength training than performing a certain number of reps to complete a set. By manipulating the timing, grouping, and order of your exercises, you can change the results you will see and how fast you get them. Depending on your goals, there are more effective forms of training for you.

If you happen to catch glimpses of other personal training sessions than your own, you may notice that the order and pattern of your exercises may be different from a fellow client, even if the exercises are the same. This is because what is most effective for you and your goals is not the same for another person.

You may have heard some of the terms below in magazines or around the gym but I’m here to explain the most common weight lifting and strength training techniques (along with a few cardio-related ones) so even if you aren’t a bodybuilder, you are still educated in training vocabulary, and how each technique may be beneficial to you.

Circuit Training usually combines around 6-10 strength and cardio exercises that work all the major muscle groups of the body. You move quickly from one exercise to the next, with no to very little rest in between to keep your heart rate up and strength gains. The circuit is usually repeated 2-4 times. Good for building endurance and overall strength, and is also a good way to cram in a lot of work to a short period of time.

Steady State is the form of cardio most people tend to do and either refers to a steady pace ( speed) or steady intensity (heart rate) throughout the course of the workout, with the exception of your warm up and cool down. An example of steady state cardio on the treadmill, is a warm up walk for 5 minutes, run at 6 mph for 20 minutes, then cool down with a walk for 5 minutes.

Interval Training alternates high intensity bursts of activity with periods of lower intensity activity, and usually is used for cardiovascular workouts. An example of a cardio interval training would be alternating 2 minutes of jogging at 5.5 mph and 1 minute of sprinting at 8 mph on the treadmill. If you usually do steady state cardio, interval training can get you the same results in less time, by spiking your heart rate higher than usual, which blasts more fat and calories with the same cardiovascular benefits.

Super Sets is a lifting term for performing 2-3 exercises back to back with minimal rest in between, and is then repeated. The exercises don’t have to be related. Example: 10 weighted squats, 10 pushups, and 10 delt flyes, then repeat. Giving your muscles little time to rest before you use them again improves muscle endurance and allows you to shorten your workout without giving up any exercises.

Giant Sets are 4 or more exercises for one body part or muscle group performed successively with little rest in between. Example: 10 hammer curls, 10 bicep curls, 10 preacher curls, 10 close grip barbell curls. These shred (in a good way) the muscles (in our example, the biceps) and is a good technique to build size and strength.

Drop Sets are when you perform an exercise to failure at a certain weight, then drop the weight a few pounds and immediately repeat the exercise to failure. You can drop the weight two, three, or more times. This builds muscular endurance, size and strength- great for all around muscle building.

Active Rest is a term used to describe remaining active while resting the muscle group you just used. You can do this a few ways: If you do a set of bicep curls, then perform crunches, you are resting your biceps while staying active by performing your crunches- your crunches are active rest. You can also use cardio as your active rest by doing jumping jacks, hitting a cardio machine for a minute or two, or jumping rope before you go back to your curls. Active rest keeps the heart rate up to burn calories and build cardiovascular endurance, as well as allows you to cut down on your workout time instead of being inactive while you let your muscles recover. Think multitasking.

These techniques are good to have in your back pocket, because no matter what your goals and what technique works best for you, cross training and routine changes are important to keep your results rolling. Even if you keep your exercises the same, utilizing these different techniques can be a big enough change to smash through your plateau and jump start your results.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Stay Healthy on Your Summer Vacation

vacation-travel

Going on vacation doesn’t mean taking a vacation from being healthy. Exercise is important, but don’t neglect your overall health. Your summer vacation itinerary should include these plans, as well.

If you’re traveling by plane:

Stock your carry-on with healthy staples. Carry resilient healthy snacks like apples, oranges, bananas, nuts, whole grain crackers, crunchy veggies and even some dark chocolate. Keeping healthy snacks around will keep your blood sugar from dropping and getting hungry, and you won’t be stuck with chips and cookies in a pinch.

Stay hydrated. Skip the calorie filled drinks and stick with water or club soda. Staying hydrated will keep your calories in check, as well as keep you energized and safe from germs and jetlag.

Walk when you can. Walk around the airport before you flight, but when the seat belt light turns off while you’re on the plane, get up and walk around then, too. On longer flights, get up once and hour and walk around to keep the blood moving, get in a little activity and prevent stiffness.

If you’re traveling by car:

Bring a picnic. Food on the road usually means hitting the drive thru. Bringing snacks cures that problem, but it also brings all-day-long munching. Save money and calories and have a little fun by bringing a packed lunch to have at a local park along the way. Bring healthy choices like sandwiches on whole wheat, veggies, fruit, hummus and iced tea.

Enjoy the scenery. Don’t just watch the pretty scenery go by- stop every hour and talk a walk around. Getting some exercise will keep everyone from getting restless and burn a few calories.

Stay Hydrated. Same reasons as the plane, plus summer car rides can get really hot, so replenishing your fluids will keep you from getting dehydrated.

When you’ve reached your vacation destination:

Keep Moving. Plan activities that require you to move. Whether that be golf, tennis, kayaking, swimming or even a stroll to a tourist hot-spot, doing more than lounging all day will burn those vacation calories.

Eat what you would at home. Every meal is not a celebration- even on vacation. People are always more willing to buy another cocktail or have dessert on vacation, but resist the urge. You can indulge, but indulge implies that it’s occasional. Enjoy a fancy dinner or nice brunch, but don’t waste calories on ice cream at the beach or extra beers at lunch. Make sure it’s worth it.

Don’t forget to sleep. One of the best things you can do for your body and health is to rest. Vacation may tempt you to stay up late and wake up early to pack in as much fun as you can, but travel can take a toll on your body, and with all the time changes and busy schedules, sleep is a must.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Measure Your Progress Without Numbers

Big_Butt-747674

Scales suck. They all lie. We all know it. Don’t believe me? Weigh yourself, chug a glass of water, and weigh yourself again. See? Now go to the bathroom and weigh yourself again. See?

Yet people use the scale as their number one gauge of fitness progress. It makes no sense- and only ends in disappointment.

Now, you could get your body fat percentage measured, or take your circumference measurements to see how you have physically progressed, but even those aren’t don’t give you the full picture. A lot more positive things happen through a healthy diet and exercise, than simply shrinking.

Next time the numbers don’t match your effort, look to the other signs you are progressing.

Climbing the stairs is easier
Your knee/back/neck pain has decreased
You don’t need that 3:00pm coffee anymore
You can touch your toes
You spend less time watching TV and more time playing with your kids
Work seems less stressful
You are sleeping more soundly and waking more rested
Carrying those loads of groceries is easier than before
You can’t remember what feeling stuffed or starving is like
Your skin is clearer and brighter
Your doctor told you ‘congrats’ instead of ‘here’s what you need to do…’
Your mood is even, and those little things that used to drive you crazy don’t seem to bother you
Your balance has improved
The aches and pains you have learned to live with have vanished

Losing weight may be your goal, but that’s not the only thing that happens when you start making healthy decisions. Focus on ALL of the good, and appreciate how your entire body, and life, are changing for the better.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Kelly Turner is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and health and fitness writer from Seattle, WA. Her writing has appeared in numerous magazines, and she currently blogs for Breathe Magazine, is the Health and Fitness Expert for Twirlit.com and feature fitness writer for FitPeeps.com. To contact Kelly with any questions, you email her at kellycturner@hotmail.com.

Did You Blow it? Not With These Tips, You Didn’t

a-packet-of-cookies

I love the line: “One cookie won’t make you gain weight. Even two cookies won’t make you gain weight. Eating two or more cookies everyday is what’s going to make you gain weight.” It’s so perfect, because it’s so true.

People seem to think that once they mess up, it’s a free for all until they find their motivation to get back on the healthy track again. This motivation usually pops up when the pan of brownies is gone or you are so full you feel like you may burst.

We all have slip ups, and slip ups are fine. “One cookie,” remember? The key is to be able to get back on track immediately after that slip up and keep the momentum in a forward motion. Where are you headed? Your goals, baby, that’s where.

Try these tips next time you find yourself with your hand in the cookie jar for a third time:

Acknowledge the act. Yes, you ate something you would have preferred not to, but it’s over now. Once you isolate the incident (sounds so serious) it will be harder to justify continuing the behavior.
Think to the future. If you continue to eat junk, how are you going to feel tomorrow? Physically? Mentally? Emotionally?
Revisit your goals. You should have them written down somewhere. Now what’s more important? Left-overs, or feeling confident in those jeans?
Drink water. Water is the perfect cure all- not only does it play an important part in keeping your body healthy, it flushes out toxins which have you feeling better, sooner, and it fills you up, cutting your cravings.
Eat a healthy snack. Getting some good, solid food into your body will remind you why eating nutritious foods can’t be beat: no bloat, no blahs, no regrets.
Go for a walk. Get out of the house and away from the temptation. Plus getting your heart thumping and blood pumping will burn some of those indulgence calories, clear your mind and leave you feeling great.
When you get home, and can trust yourself, toss the temptation. There’s no point having it in the house if you already know what it’s going to do to your motivation.

In Good Health,

Kelly Turner

Why Are You Giving Away Your Control?

Aiga_restaurant_inv

According to the National Restaurant Assn., 49% of every food dollar in the U.S. is now spent in restaurants.

Basically, half.

Half of the money spend on food, the substance that nourishes our bodies, provides us energy, vitamins, minerals, controls our metabolism and keeps our body functions going is spent on meals out.

The average meal at a restaurant contains about 700 calories more than if you made the same meal at home. Those extra calories come from giant portions (which we eat in one sitting anyway) extras like cheese, and prep methods, like extra oil, to just plain make it taste better.

When you eat out, you hand control of your body over to the greased up chef in the kitchen, who’s only worry is about making the food taste good, not good for you.

EAT AT HOME. For the love of God, cook something, and not in the microwave. Save money. Save calories. Save your waistline, your blood pressure and your self esteem. Eating out should be an occasional treat. We’ve got goals, people. Don’t put half of your diet into someone else’s hands, who you know is going to wreck it for you.