Workouts & Training Programs

Category: Health and Fitness (page 1 of 1)

The Wrong Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer

Regular exercise is a must in order to lead a healthy, disease free life. An active lifestyle keeps you away from diseases like diabetes, obesity, hypertension, high blood pressure and heart disorders. Nowadays people are becoming more aware of the benefits of exercising. Fitness is a booming industry these days. Lots of fitness boot camps are springing up everywhere. People are hiring personal trainers to help them in their fitness goals. Hiring a personal trainer Coogee has become more of a necessity than a luxury.

Personal trainers can assist you in achieving your weight loss goals. A personal trainer Coogee will analyze your existing fitness levels. He will make diet modifications and will design a workout routine. He will set reasonable goals. Your progress will be constantly monitored and the intensities of the workouts will be increased accordingly.

 

Hiring a personal trainer Coogee can definitely help you provided it is for the right reasons. You could be wasting money if hiring a trainer for the wrong reasons. Here are some reasons not to hire a trainer.

Financial commitment

Most people hire trainers as they believe that they will be more committed to the exercise as they are shelling out money for it. People feel that they will be more consistent as they do not want to lose money. Physical fitness calls for a certain level of commitment. Just because you are paying for a personal trainer Coogee or boot camps in Coogee doesn’t make you committed. You will still find excuses to miss your sessions.

Source of motivation

Never hire a personal trainer Coogee in the hope that he will motivate you to exercise. Trainers do inspire you and they do help in pushing you to levels which were earlier considered impossible. In the presence of a trainer you may work out harder than by yourself. Trainers can guide you with the right exercises for your body. But personal trainers are not motivational speakers. Only you can motivate yourself. It is better to adopt a healthy lifestyle change yourself than rely on someone else.

Faster results

Most people hire personal trainers thinking that they can help in faster weight loss. Personal trainers do not have a magic potion to help you lose weight. The only way to lose weight fast is to workout harder. Cardio workouts like running or aerobics help in burning fat. Strength or resistance training helps in converting fat into muscle. You have to do a healthy mix of both cardio and strength training if you want to lose weight.

A personal trainer Coogee can assist you with the right form and technique of various exercises. He will also ensure that you do proper warming up and cooling down stretches before and after the workouts. This is necessary to avoid any injuries, muscle pains and body aches. For weight loss, it is essential to watch your diet. A personal trainer will advise you about eating smart and healthy. He will make modifications in your existing diet plan. He will tell you about the various food which help in burning calories.

Impulse decision

Do not hire personal trainers just because your local gym is offering you a discount or a special package deal. If you have been thinking of hiring a personal trainer Coogee and a good deal comes your way, it is okay to jump on it. But hiring a trainer only because it was a good deal is one of the worst reasons to hire a personal trainer.

Most people especially beginners are clueless about working out in gyms. They get intimidated by the gym equipment and are scared to use them. It is good idea to hire a personal trainer to get you used to the whole concept of working out in gyms. He can help you to overcome your fears and will show you the right way of handling the equipment.

A personal trainer Coogee will educate you about the various exercises and why they should be done. You should take this opportunity to absorb as much information as you can. Learn from trainers so that you do not have to rely on them forever. Let your trainer’s expertise and knowledge help you to coach yourself in future.

Personal trainers are in huge demand these days due to the increasing health awareness among people. Take time in hiring a well experienced and reputed personal trainer Coogee so that you can reap maximum benefits from him during your course.

Exercise for People with High Blood Pressure

Frequent exercise is the easiest way to lower blood pressure and eliminate health risks associated with it. However if you have high blood pressure you must take care not to over achieve your workout goals as it is important for you to first neutralise the threat of high blood pressure. You must understand the needs of your body and work on it accordingly. It is more important to be regular than to be intensive while working out.

Usefulness

Exercising is extremely important to stay fit and also keep your blood pressure under control. It results in lower risk of heart attack, lesser strain on heart, reduction of bad cholesterol. It also helps in losing weight and building muscle mass. It also improves blood circulation thereby not letting blood clots form. Therefore you can avoid major health hazards through a properly planned workout routine.

 

Consult a doctor

Before you plan a workout regime make sure you consult your doctor to find out how much exercise is alright for your body. You must be aware of how long you can exercise, which exercises you must avoid, etc. Also ask what medication you are allowed during that period. Take regular pulse if your doctor suggests so. An ECG test run may indicate how much physical activity is harmless and adequate for you.

How to exercise

You must not overdo exercises at once. You can start with a thirty minute routine for 3-5 days a week, provided your medical conditions permit. It is not necessary to complete thirty minutes in one go, you can break it up into 2 3 time slots of 10 15 minutes each. You can also take a walk rather than exercise sometimes. Make sure you allow yourself a cooling period after a workout. Also choose activities you are fond of so that you stick to your regime. The activities could also include biking and swimming.

What exercises should be done

There are three basic types of exercises which include stretching, aerobic exercises and muscle strengthening exercises. Stretching prepares your muscles for a workout and it is important so that your muscles don’t over stress at once. Aerobic exercises include various forms of physical activity like bicycling, skiing, skating etc. Strengthening muscles include repeated contractions of muscles.

What exercises must be avoided

Strenuous activities should be avoided as they may hazardous to you in such medical condition. Exercises involving standing up quickly or chest pains etc should be avoided. Also it is advisable not to lift heavy weights or to do press ups.

Effectiveness

Generally exercise is said to be effective if it increases your heart rate. However in the case of a high blood pressure you must take care to avoid putting too much strain on your heart. You can do this by doing a proper warm up to build pace before beginning with the workout and ending with slow exercises to allow your body to cool down. Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and talk test could help you measure the effectiveness of your workout.

Weight training

Though extensive weight training can be hazardous to your health condition, it is beneficial to lift light weights. It enhances the metabolism of your body. Therefore for every pound of muscle you increase, you burn additional calories making your workout more effective. However you must be careful not to overdo it or lift heavy weights. Work on muscle groups like chest muscles, biceps, triceps etc.

Sports

You can keep your blood pressure under control by indulging in your favourite sports. This would make your workout more appealing and you won’t be tempted to skip it. Football has been found to be very effective for blood pressure patients. Not only it helps in normalising blood pressure levels but at the same time it reduces the risk of a stroke as well. Other sports like cycling have also proved to be very effective.

Listen to your body

You must be aware of your physical capacity especially during the initial period. Overdoing workout can prove more harmful than good. Learn to perceive your comfort level and plan your exercises accordingly.

Alcohol

Excess consumption of alcohol can prove to be harmful to your body. More than two beverages in a day can be a cause of concern. Also do not drink on an empty stomach. Make sure you eat along with an alcoholic beverage to ensure that you drink less. Tomato juice is beneficial for high blood pressure patients, so you can have a cocktail with tomato juice.

Things You Should Tell Your Personal Trainer about Yourself

A Personal Fitness trainer Sydney is a professional whose job is to prescribe exercise routines and instructions to clients on how to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Your relationship with your personal trainer can be extremely rewarding if it is based on mutual trust and transparency. To get the maximum benefits out of personal training you need to ask intelligent questions to your trainer and reveal important information about yourself.

Remember, only if your trainer is aware has the required information about you, will he be able to design a customized training schedule for you. The information you give out about yourself will ultimately determine how fast and how well you realize your fitness goals.

Your first training session

The first training session is the most important one and sets the pace for the future sessions. You should tell your personal trainer in Sydney about your medical history including any operations you might have undergone, allergies you suffer from or any medications you take.

Be mentally prepared to step on the scale, have your body fat percentage assessed, your health history judged and divulge details about your eating and drinking habits. Even if you find it embarrassing to tell your fitness trainer Sydney about some details like the amount of junk you consume and the lack of exercise in your life, go on and tell him the whole truth.

Your trainer will develop your training chart based on the information collected and also give you some fitness goals. Share with him your ideas about fitness.

What you want to achieve by your training sessions is something you need to think hard about and then communicate clearly to your trainer. Based on your BMI (body mass index), your trainer will give you an estimate of how much weight you need to lose to be in good shape.

Different people have different weight loss patterns. If you have experimented with diets before and have a rough idea of which kinds of diets work best with you, tell your trainer about it. Personal training Eastern Suburbs has a holistic approach towards fitness.

Tell the whole truth

If your trainer gives you a set of exercises to follow along with a diet chart, you should try your best to adhere to both. In case you are prone to a little cheating, don’t hide the fact. For example if you are on a low carb diet and you had double cheese pizza last night don’t lie and say that you were surviving on salads. It’s not a crime and almost everybody slips once in a while.

However the total number of calories you need to burn automatically increases and your trainer can suggest you a simple way of burning them like an extra 15 minutes on the treadmill. The same theory holds true for exercise. If you are supposed to go to the gym 4 days a week but only manage 2 days, give your fitness instructor Sydney the real picture. He might change your exercise chart to include exercises which appeal to you more.

For example if you love biking or swimming, you will automatically feel motivated to do those activities. If you give your trainer these inputs he will be able to help you better.

On the other hand if you withhold information your trainer will not get the true picture and will not be able to understand why you are not achieving your fitness goals.

Personal training in Sydney is done with the purpose of job helping you and not judging you. The greatest reward for any good Sydney fitness trainer is the satisfaction he derives on seeing you achieve your fitness goals.

Report any change

If you have developed a lingering back ache while doing a particular exercise, let your doctor and your trainer know. Do not go on practicing the same set of exercises based on only your own judgment or you might run the risk of severe damage to your body.

If you are continuously feeling lethargic or weak when you are on your new diet you should discuss this with your personal trainer in Sydney. All kinds of diets do not suit everybody and only a professionally trained fitness expert who has knowledge about nutritionary sciences can help you.

Your family life, your understanding of nutrition, your preferred food habits are all vital information for Sydney personal trainers. Remember transparency and trust is the cornerstones of relationship between you and your fitness instructor in Sydney.

8 Health Upgrades to Reach Your Health Goals

Each of us has different desires and goals in life. One of the most common desires among people is to have good health. People have different reasons to long for good health (like fitting into clothes we like, preventing diseases, increasing their life span etc.).

When people achieve their health goals, their self esteem increases and they are happy that they are independent and can do their chores without assistance. To attain their goals people employ different ways.

While some people go on crash diets others prefer to sweat it out in the gym. There are some others who opt for easier ways of losing weight like taking medicines and opting for surgeries. Here are some ways by which you can achieve your health goals.

Set your goals

Try to figure out why you’re not happy with your health. Identify you’re health goals and work towards them. Set your targets keeping in mind your busy schedule and lifestyle. See that your targets are sensible, practical and attainable in the time you’ve set for yourself.

 

Inspire yourself

Encourage yourself to work towards achieving your health goals by thinking of the advantages you gain by being healthy (like wearing the clothes you like, preventing diabetes, obesity, arthritis, blood pressure, heart disorders etc.).

Identify the reason for your weight gain

Before you start your weight loss, analyse your daily routine and try to figure what are the causes of your weight gain. Is it diet or is it lack of physical activity etc. Once you identify the causes of weight gain, try to alter your lifestyle to achieve your health targets.

Begin your day with a healthy breakfast

A healthy breakfast will keep you fresh and alert during the day. It will keep you full during the day and will prevent you from binging on calorie laden snacks.

Monitor your diet and calorie intake

Try to have 5-6 small meals a day rather than having 3 heavy meals. Introduce low fat dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits in your diet. Including fibre rich foods in your diet will keep you full for a longer time and will help in weight loss. Avoid alcoholic drinks. Keep away from foods that have high sugar and fat content. Drinking plenty of water will not only keep you hydrated but also make you feel full.

If you have food cravings and have difficulty avoiding them then try to balance it by increasing your workout on days that you give into your food cravings

Workout regularly

Exercising will help you burn your calories faster and give you visible results in a shorter period of time. In order to lose weight it is important to plan your exercise regime and stick to them. You could also get an exercise partner which would make working out fun and at the same time both of you could keep an eye on each other. When you start with your exercise routine you should set realistic targets and try to achieve them.

In order to lose weight you could join a gym. If you don’t like to go to the gym find some other form of physical activity that you would enjoy doing which at the same time would help you lose weight. A 30 minute walk or jogs are excellent ways to lose weight. Swimming, Karate and dancing are other form of physical activity which would help in weight loss. Jumping jacks, squats, lunges, crunches, yoga etc are excellent exercises for people not liking to venture out of their homes. Weight training would also help in losing your weight. Engaging yourselves in sports will also aid in weight loss. Increase the time of your exercise regime gradually for better results.

Prepare for lapses

One has to make many sacrifices to lead a healthy lifestyle. It is natural to get tempted and give into your cravings once in a while. If you are not able to stick to your weight loss program, try to identify the reason behind it and find a solution to it. Keep a positive attitude and don’t give up unless you achieve your goals. Reward yourselves with treats when you achieve your targets. This would make you feel happy and motivate you to strive harder to achieve your goals.

Good health is essential to fulfill your other commitments. A healthy individual can take care of his/her family, work and other social commitments better. A healthy life style not only helps our organs to function better but also provides us with psychological benefits (like reduces fatigue and stress, reduces risk of depression etc.). So adopt a healthy lifestyle and enjoy a long and happy life.

Boot Camp Balmoral – How to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals

One of the most common New Year resolutions people take is to lose weight. Though many people set goals for themselves, they find it difficult to follow through and are not able to achieve their goals. Here are some points you should consider when you are trying to achieve your weight loss goals.

Put your goals on paper

It would be a good idea to put your goals on paper (like want to lose 10 pounds, want to lose 5 inches etc.). This will act as a reminder for you. You could also keep a track of your achievements by writing down how close you are to your goal.

Monitor your lifestyle

Go over your daily routine and identify the causes of your weight gain. Gradually make changes in your lifestyle to attain weight loss.

Think about the results

Motivate yourself by thinking about the results of your weight loss program. Remind yourself of the advantages of weight loss. This will prompt you to work harder and stick to your goals.

Stop justifying your slip-ups

When on your weight loss program, if you cheat on your diet and happen to slightly increase your weight, don’t get disheartened. Instead take it in your stride and continue to follow your weight loss diet. On occasions where you find it difficult to devote 30 minutes at a stretch for exercise, split your workout into three parts of ten minutes each, instead of avoiding exercise altogether.

Treat yourself occasionally

It is a good idea to treat yourself to your favourite meal when you have lost some weight or inches. This will make you happy and encourage you to work towards your goal.

Plan your diet

People aiming at weight loss should closely watch their diet. Experts advise people to eat small meals 5 to 6 times a week. For example, you could have some nuts or fruit between your breakfast and lunch. Keep your dinner light.

Include fresh fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products in your diet. Avoid processed and deep fried items. Keep away from alcoholic and aerated drinks. Substitute them with water or lime juice. Stop using cheese and butter for cooking.

People who love sweets should try to eat a fruit instead to satisfy their craving for sweet. Avoid foods that are rich in fat and sugar. Include foods that are rich in fibre and protein. These are difficult to digest and keep you full for a longer duration. Drinking sufficient water is also very essential. Water not only keeps your body hydrated but also keeps you full. As a result, you tend to reduce your food portions.

Exercise

Diet and exercise go hand in hand as far as weight loss is concerned. One of the major reasons for weight gain is the sedentary lifestyle that people lead. Some form of physical activity is essential for weight loss. Different exercise forms like cardio, yoga and boot camp that help in weight loss are discussed below.

  • Cardio exercises are an excellent way to lose weight since they burn more calories at a time. You can burn more calories simply by increasing your workout duration or by making your workout more intense. Some examples of cardio exercises are walking, jogging, running, swimming, cycling and aerobics. A 30 minute cardio workout daily will help you attain your fitness goals
  • Another effective way of losing weight is practising yoga. The yogasanas increase your body’s metabolic activity and help in reducing your weight. Breathing exercises which are part of yogasanas help in burning fat cells. They also help in increasing the strength of your muscles and toning your body. One of the most effective yogasana is “sun salutation”. Practising yoga is one of the best ways to remain fit.
  • A boot camp is a type of physical activity which is generally based on military style training. These workouts help in weight loss. A boot camp Balmoral will rejuvenate you and also help you attain you weight loss goals. The physical activity planned as part of a boot camp Balmoral program is carried out as a team. Each workout is different and fun to do. The boot camp starts with army drills like squats and push-ups and get difficult as the workout progresses. In addition to weight loss, a boot camp Balmoral can also help in increasing your endurance and correcting your posture.

Apart from these, dancing, martial arts etc. are also effective ways that will help you in losing weight.

Determination and a positive outlook will help you achieve your weight loss goals.