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One of the most common problems experienced in the gym is dehydration. You may not realize it but the most gentle workout can be dehydrating. Take into account that most of us don’t drink enough water to START WITH. Then add the stress of daily life, and what that takes out of you. Strenuous exercise can cause a lot of problems unless you take measures to make sure you re-hydrate properly.

Exercise Requires Hydration
Whenever we exercise our bodies lose water – our body temperature increases and we start to sweat. This is a perfectly natural thing – if it didn’t happen we’d stand a real risk of overheating. But, if we don’t drink enough fluids before, during and after exercise then our bodies can’t function properly to start with, much less replace the fluids we lose. This can lead to all kinds of dehydration-related problems and illnesses.

Dehydration Slows Down Fitness Results
Dehydration leads to heat illnesses such as cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke and plays a huge role in the results of your fitness program. Meaning, you won’t see the full benefits of the exercise you do if you are attempting to train in a dehydrated state. Did you know that even a slight increase in body temperature slows down your aerobic power and endurance? Meaning, the strength you do have is unavailable to you and you can’t maximize the effects of your exercise program if you can’t perform at optimal levels. Optimal performance means keeping yourself hydrated so your body can function the way it’s supposed to. Why put yourself at a disadvantage?

Signs of Dehydration
You can tell that you are dehydrated if you display symptoms such as a dry mouth, a feeling of faintness and a heavy thirst. You may get a headache and feel like you haven’t got as much energy as usual. You’ll also notice that your urine will get darker and you may find that you need to urinate less often. If dehydration becomes more serious then you could see extensive problems with your kidneys, for example.

Hydration Starts Before Workouts
Staying hydrated during a fitness routine should start BEFORE you start to work out. You should take fluids a couple of hours before you exercise and then again around half an hour before you actually start. It’s also very important to make sure that you take regular drinks breaks (every 15 minutes or so) to replace lost fluids during your workout. If you are taking on a moderate fitness program then around 5-10 ounces of fluid should be enough for each break.

Finish It Off
Don’t forget to drink when you are done exercising. Some athletes actually figure out how much they need by weighing themselves before and after a workout. They can then estimate how much to drink by drinking 150% of the weight loss difference over the next few hours. You can work this out on the basis that a liter of fluid equals around two and a quarter pounds.

Too Much Of A Good Thing?
Drinking too much as part of a fitness routine can be harmful as well. There have been a lot of cases among athletes recently of hyponatremia – a condition instigated when you take on so much fluid that your sodium levels become dangerously diluted and low. The symptoms are very similar to those of dehydration – but if treated with water on that basis then they can lead to serious illness and even death.

What To Drink Then?
The standard advice works for the most basic every day living: Get your 8 glasses of water per day. If you’re going to exercise I always recommend that my clients get a 16 oz bottle of Gatorade or Vitamin Water and drink half on the way to the workout, then dilute the rest with water and finish that before the workout is over. Then refill the bottle with water for the walk/drive home and finish it before you get there.

The Personal Trainer Says
As always I expect my clients to entirely eliminate soda from their diet forever. There’s nothing good about it, and drinking ‘things with water in them’ is NOT the same as drinking 8 glasses of plain water a day. If you think you can expect your body to perform and give you what you want, but you refuse to address it’s most pure and simple basic needs like keeping yourself hydrated, you’re sadly, and I mean….sadly mistaken. The body WILL rebel. So prevent mishaps, remain healthy and give your body what it needs to perform at it’s BEST!

I get many emails from people asking me which is better …pilates or weight training. And my is answer is usually surprising to many. I say why is it one OR the other? Single-mindedness in a life of physical activity is good when it comes to focus and maintaining the desire to achieve. But, that same single-mindedness can also set you up for injury, boredom and hinder your ability to adapt.

There are many benefits to BOTH. Why limit yourself? Staying open minded and becoming well rounded and multi-functional will ensure that you’re able to remain physically active for the rest of your life. Let’s not forget it is also the sign of a great athlete.

Flexibility is a great thing, and I’m not just talking flexibility in the body. Remaining flexible in how you THINK can take your aspirations for your physical condition to heights you never dreamed of. Don’t cut yourself off from learning new things, or thinking you have to choose between one activity and another. You have a whole lifetime to study!

When you look at just some of the benefits of weight training and pilates it’s easy to see how they COMPLIMENT each other and can actually serve to enhance each others benefits through consistant study and training.

The benefits of Weight Training:

- Weight training raises basal metabolism= more calories burned.
- Weight training strengthens bones reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
- Weight training improves muscular endurance.
- Weight training decreases resting blood pressure.
- Weight training decreases risk of developing adult onset diabetes.
- Weight training increases blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).

Here are some of the benefits of Pilates:

- Pilates builds strength without bulk.
- Pilates increases flexibility and agility.
- Pilates develops core control.
- Pilates increases joint range of motion.
- Pilates improves circulation.
- Pilates heightens neuromuscular coordination.

Now each respective ‘camp’ has their own methodology, techniques and terminology, and are heavily invested in maintaining their respective status. That doesn’t mean you have to ‘choose’ one or the other. You can do both, benefit from both and take the best from both worlds without having to post a ’stake’ in either camp. In training your goal is to get as much physical experience as possible. The more experience you have doing different things, the less things your body can be ’surprised’ by…. Meaning you’re less likely to suffer an injury from a sudden move, a quick slip/trip and your body is more prepared for whatever comes your way.

Being in shape and being fit means also being well rounded, well versed and familiar with as many things as possible. Of course you can specialize, but keep your mind open to everything movement oriented! You’ll be surprised at the depth of understanding you’ll gain from seeing the world through another disciplines motions.

Wow. CitySearch.com voted me as their editorial winner for New York City’s Best Personal Trainer for 2007.

Wow. Wow. Wow. :) Thanks to whomever suggested or submitted me for consideration!

You can check it out here CitySearch Best Personal Trainers NYC

Let’s take a look at two common myths about working out in the morning on an empty stomach…

1. Glycogen is depleted = More fat burned

This is what most people use to support this position. Anyone with weight training experience has more muscle than is needed. The body has one purpose in life, and that is survival. Fat is a much more efficient source of energy for survival because it is not energy costly - it does not require calories to maintain. Muscle requires calories to maintain itself.

Just because glycogen stores are depleted upon waking doesn’t mean the body will just go straight to fat stores for energy. When glycogen is depleted, so is ATP. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is what makes your muscles contract

Weight training and working out depletes glycogen and ATP with each contraction. ATP also plays a large role in protein synthesis and muscle repair. After weight training ATP and glycogen are depleted and time is needed for glycogen stores to replenish. This can take up to 3 days. If you deplete more glycogen than is necessary you are putting your body through unnecessary stress, which will inhibit your bodies ability to build muscle!

So why does this matter ? Working out in the morning on an empty stomach means a workout with little glycogen, and, little ATP. The body also uses protein when carbs and/or fat energy are not available. I’m sure you heard that fat is the preferred energy source during cardio-based exercise. This is completely true for those who do not have any “excess” muscle sitting on their bones.

Weight training, however creates an environment in which the body is forced to synthesize new proteins in order to protect itself from stress. The body will not breakdown protein it doesn’t need. This matters because cardio exercise requires three things in going about meeting the energy requirements. It can…

a. Use stored glycogen.

b. Use stored fat.

c. Use stored muscle.

In the morning, after your 6-10 hours with no energy (food) liver glycogen will be just about depleted, blood glycogen will have been burned for energy, and muscle glycogen will have been severely depleted.

Having a light meal or protein shake before any activity will prevent this. The body will have immediate energy, and you wont use muscle as fuel. More effort going into your workout equals more benefits coming out of it.

2. Increased Metabolism = More Energy Throughout The Day

This is completely sensible. The amount of food and the amount or glycogen you posses have no effect on this. Workouts in the morning are NOT a bad thing; workouts in the morning on an empty stomach is the bad thing.

So the rule is have a little something before hand and give your muscle room to do it’s job burning fat :)

Part Two
“Why doesn’t my waistline shrink when I do crunches?”

Crunches do not shrink your waistline. Losing bodyfat does shrink your waistline. So the answer is simple: Lose body fat. The first step in losing body fat is to look at your diet. A diet full of calories from sugary foods, junk food, starchy carbs and too much alcohol is the quickest road to ‘big ol’ fat belly’. If you want to have a waistline and abs that are worth looking at, you’ve got put the effort in to produce them. If you are eating all of the wrong foods while increasing muscle growth you are actually “bulking up”.

Getting Started On A New Ab Program - Tips & Hints

When you read through the following tips and hints you will find that there are quite a few of them that you aren’t following or didn’t know about. Use the following like a checklist so you can remember each point when starting your new abdominal progam.

1. Resistance Training Program Tips

* Train your lower abdominals first.
* Breath out as you crunch forward.
* Place hands lightly to the front of the forehead, make sure you keep your elbows forward and pointed toward the knees.
* Don’t pull your head.
* Keep your navel pulled toward the floor and keep your ribcage closed.
* Don’t overtrain your abs. Three quality training sessions per week is more than enough.
* Focus on your ab exercises on cardio days or on non-weight training days.
* Don’t go overboard with repetitions to start. 20 reps with perfect techniques is better than 100 that flop all over the place.
* Keep your abdominal movements controlled and precise.
* Don’ t just train your abs. Train each body part so that you can a achieve a “toned and firm look” all over.

2. Healthy Eating Program Tips

* Reduce your fat content in your meals
* Do not cook with oil, use a low fat cooking spray instead
* Remove all fried foods
* Remove margarine and butter
* Increase lean protein (to help feed your muscles and support repair and growth)
* Eat fresh salads and veggies
* Remove gravy
* Cut all the fat off your meat and grill it
* Always have breakfast!
* Use egg whites rather than eggs with yolks
* Have one day off your eating program per week
* Add 2 protein shakes to your day between meals

More in part three

First of all, common sense should come into play when deciding to run or not. Sometimes we feel ill but not so bad that we don’t want to carry on with our workout schedule. So, should you run when you feel sick? Firstly, if your illness is above your throat area then you can generally run OK. If it is in your chest area then you shouldn’t run. Specific things to help include:

1. If you felt like going to work or school or going about your normal every day chores
If you woke up this morning and felt OK to go to the office or to school even though you feel bad then running shouldn’t be a problem. If you stayed at home or don’t feel up to doing your normal chores then don’t run. So, if you can’t carry on as normal because you feel ill then give up running and get some rest until you feel better!

2. If you have a fever
If you wake up with, or develop a fever then don’t run. Running will NOT help you sweat it out! If your body can’t control your temperature at rest in the house then it sure won’t be able to cope on a run and you’ll end up feeling worse.

3. If you have trouble breathing
If you’re having difficulty breathing then running is a definite NO! Your breathing and chest congestion will get worse if you run and even if fresh air clears a stuffy nose it’ll just feel bad. Your muscles need air to work right – if you can’t breathe it in, then you’ll just feel worse.

4. If you feel nauseous or have stomach problems
If you have stomach problems or feel nauseous then running is a bad idea. Just moving will make you feel worse never mind running! Bear in mind that these symptoms could point to a more serious issue so take it easy.

5. If you feel light headed or dizzy
>If you feel a little dizzy or light-headed then avoid running (or moving much at all!) Your body is telling you that movement is bad so listen to it.

6. Get real with yourself… Should I run?
If your doctor has advised you against running while you’re sick then take the advice. If they told you you’ll be OK to run then go ahead. But, if you feel worse when you run then stop and go home. You’ll just feel worse if you push yourself too hard.
So remember, use your common sense and let your body tell you what’s right and what’s not!

Top Ten Tips for Getting Fit for Summer

Now that summer is approaching fast a lot of us are keen to tone up our bodies so we feel good in summer clothes and on the beach. But, for so many of us, summer creeps up fast before we get a chance to get organized. Here are top ten tips for summer fitness you’ll be able to make a start that gets results!

1. START NOW – summer is almost upon us so – to see any benefits – you need to commit to getting ready now. Think about your diet and your exercise program – you need to be healthy and active. But, don’t so too much too soon even if you’re desperate to catch up.

2. SET TARGETS – don’t think that you can work miracles in days and do keep your expectations realistic. Think about what you want to achieve for your perfect summer look – i.e. lose a few pounds, tone up, lose your tummy bulge – and work out a way to achieve it steadily and healthily.

3. THINK SMART – exercise isn’t just about getting to the gym. Important as it is you can get extra exercise from all kinds of places. Take the stairs instead of an escalator, walk instead of catching a cab. Everything you do will burn a calorie or two!

4. EAT WELL – getting ready for summer isn’t just all about exercise. You need to eat a healthy balanced diet too. Make sure you eat at regular times and don’t skip breakfast. Think about packing a lunch to take to work so you aren’t tempted by calorie rich food and lunches in restaurants. If you’ve made the lunch you’ll eat it!

5. DON’T PANIC – don’t worry about what you can do in the time you’ve got left. It’ll just make you panic – and, when we do that, we’re more likely to try out fad diets. These diets won’t work and they could make you ill.

6. WALK FAST – walking is great exercise and you’ll burn more calories the faster you walk. So, walk to the other side of the office rather than sending an email and go for a speed walk at lunch time.

7. DRINK BEFORE YOU EAT – water is incredibly good for you and it has a great added bonus as it fills up your stomach. Drink a large glass of water before every meal and wait a few minutes before you start to eat. You’ll feel fuller and you’ll then eat less.

8. CHEW MORE – It takes a while for the brain to tell you that you are full so it’s real easy to overeat. Take time over your food, eat slowly and chew well. When you feel full – STOP EATING!

9. DO WHAT YOU LIKE – we exercise more and we exercise better if we do workouts that make us happy. So, if you hate swimming, don’t swim and find something else to do. If you really cannot find any workout that you like then plan on doing short bursts of activity for 4 or 5 different exercises for 10 minutes at a time. Picture yourself on the beach and grit your teeth!

10. TALK TO A PERSONAL TRAINER – the quickest way to lose weight and tone up for summer is to talk to a Personal Trainer who can give you advice on what to do and how to do it. This will save you a lot of time and effort and you’ll find it far easier to achieve your goals.

So, it’s up to you now – good luck and enjoy your summer!

Working out is – without doubt – one of the best things you can do to keep both physically and mentally on top of your game. If you exercise you’ll lower your body weight, minimize the risk of illness and disease as well as look and feel better than if you live the life of a couch potato! Regular exercise can help you get a better quality of sleep, improve depression by increasing your self-esteem and you’ll simply have more get up and go. Let’s take a look at some physical and mental advantages.

Physical Advantages

- Regular exercise such as strength training improves metabolism by stimulating muscle growth. Meaning, your muscle becomes more active, and burns more fat, more effectively. You’ll simply burn more calories off – even when you’re not exercising.

- As we get older our metabolism slows down naturally, and we gradually lose muscle mass. So, even if we eat and exercise the same amount, we can see body fat increase because our metabolism isn’t working the way it used to. Keeping your fitness plan fresh by challenging the amount of weight you’re used to will always compensate for this.

- Just 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week can help you lose 2lbs a week if you eat a healthy low fat diet as well.

- Strength training is a proven way of protecting your bones as you get older. Weight training and weight bearing exercise, for example, increases spinal bone mineral density which can help prevent osteoporosis.

- Regular exercise helps you get better quality sleep and, if you sleep well, then you feel well! Exercise is a common addition to prescribed treatment for those diagnosed with depression.

- Exercise increases your stamina in all kinds of ways as it pushes up your anaerobic threshold. So you can do more activities, for longer periods of time.

- Regular exercise reduces menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, bad temper and insomnia.

- Regular exercise reduces the chances that you’ll suffer from cardiovascular diseases.

- You can change your cholesterol levels from bad to good with a regular fitness plan.

- You’ll reduce your risk of injury, and not just form exercise! You’ll be physically more adept and coordinated!

Mental Advantages

- Regular exercise can help you keep mentally sharp.

- Because exercise promotes restful sleep, you’ll perform better mentally as well as physically.

- If you are prone to depression then taking regular exercise can help by simply making you feel better about yourself.

- Getting into exercise may not be easy at first but it will make you feel better about yourself and give you a sense of achievement.

- Feeking stronger, lowering your resting heart rate and having a leaner total body mass will reduce internal and external stress, help you handle other challenges much easier, which will improve quality of your life…meaning you’ll relate to yourself and others…better.

Using a fitness step as part of your gym/workout routine is a popular choice nowadays. You can use a step in the gym as part of an aerobic step class or simply buy a step to use at home. The great advantage a step has for home use is that it is small, compact and easily stored. So, there really is no excuse not to buy it and use it as it won’t take up much room!

Step training is a great way of keeping your heart and lungs fighting fit and it can also help you burn fat at the same time. Basically, the step works for you as you use it to step up and down – this is often called bench stepping. Aerobic step classes are a little different – they still use a step but you will probably use it in choreographed specified routines to music and you’ll also be encouraged to use your arms more at the same time.

Buying a step to train on could be your first small ‘step’ to getting fit (sorry, bad joke!). But, you may be surprised to realize that a lot of people who choose this fitness route don’t see the right kinds of benefits from the efforts they take. And, many find it hard to use the step in the first place. This is a real shame as a step is an ideal introduction to fun and fast fitness.

The fact is that a step will only work to make you fit if you use it correctly. In this respect it is no different to any other kind of gym or fitness equipment even though it looks very simple. So, you can step away to your heart’s content – but, if you aren’t using the equipment correctly then all you’ll get is dispirited and maybe even hurt. So, before you go out and buy a step, take a look at our tips and tricks for choosing and using the fitness step .

1. Don’t step too high. Steps come in all shapes and sizes. Basically the higher you have to step, the harder you’ll be making your body work. Stepping up and down may seem real easy but once you start to do it over and over you’ll feel the strain. So, if you’re a step ‘newbie’ then start off with a lower step (up to 6 inches). Or, if you feel you’ll progress further than that then you might want to consider buying an adjustable step or one that comes with risers so you can start off low and increase the height as you go along and get more experienced. The Reebok Adjustable Platform System Step is a great option here as you can work your way up to 10 inches in nice easy stages. If you think you’ll be able to reach higher than that then consider a riser system such as The High Step .

2. Step Safely. Six inches may not seem a long way to fall but it’s actually real easy to hurt yourself if your step doesn’t work right. You should, therefore, always make sure to buy a step that can comfortably hold your weight and look out for sharp edges – they should be avoided! Take a look at the width of the step as well – very narrow steps aren’t always the best solution as it’s easy to miss and slip off. You should be able to comfortably fit your foot on the step.

3. Step Slowly. If you’re using a step for the first time, then don’t get overexcited and overdo it. You’ll see maximum fitness benefits if you can keep up a steady rhythmic pace – short bursts of frantic stepping will just tire you out. Remember, the more you practice, the better you’ll get. In order to make sure that you are using the step correctly take a couple of trial steps before you start in earnest. You should aim to have all of your sole contact the step and you should always aim for the center of the step to avoid it tipping.

Hope you find these tips and tricks useful – you’re well on the way to happy and successful stepping!

We all want to be fit and healthy – and a lot of us try to get there! With all the online personal training available, is there a need to meet with an ‘in-person’ trainer? For most of us, it isn’t always easy to get fit and to stay fit. It doesn’t matter whether you go it alone in the gym or whether you join a workout class – getting fit is all up to you at the end of the day… and it can be hard to stay motivated.

It doesn’t matter if you simply want to become more fit as a lifestyle choice or whether you have to for medical reasons – getting really fit could be one of the hardest things you’ll probably ever do. For most of us this results in a couple of well-intentioned but half-hearted visits to the gym before we simply stop going.

But, if you can achieve your aims here then there’s no better feeling in the world. You’ll start to enjoy the fitness work you do, you’ll improve your health and you could even increase your lifespan. And you’ll feel and look healthy and fresh and you’ll feel far more mentally sharp.

The easiest way to get from aiming to get fit to getting fit is to let a professional help. Getting fit and healthy doesn’t come naturally to most of us. No matter how good our intentions are we’d far rather reach for a bag of chips, eat a chocolate bar and relax in front of the TV than hit the gym! And, there are so many options to choose from if we do get there! Do we swim, do an aerobic workout, take on weight training, do pilates or get cardiovascular? Even the equipment in the average gym is scary! And, let’s not even think about the athletic, super-fit people we’ll see when we get there!

But, before you give up and hit the candy store instead of the gym you should think about the advantages of getting this kind of professional help. It is far easier to get started, take the right kinds of exercise AND stay motivated if you work out with a certified personal trainer. This is a qualified and experienced fitness professional that works with clients on a one-to-one basis to help them meet their fitness and health goals.

If you’re a gym-newbie then having someone help YOU can be a great solution. Your trainer can make sure that you use gym machines correctly. They can teach the correct fitness techniques. You can exercise all you like on your own but, if you don’t do it right, then you’ll waste effort and see no real fitness benefits. To be honest, with an experienced personal trainer you’ll be taught to work out ‘smart’ which will take less effort, yield greater rewards and avoid possible work out injuries.

The biggest advantage meeting in-person with a personal trainer is that they are totally focused on you. So, a good trainer will get to know you and will find out what you want from the gym – they can then put together an individual training plan and help you work through it. You’ll have their undivided attention and full support whenever you have a gym session and there’s no better motivation for actually getting to the gym in the first place than having to meet your trainer there!

Having a professional fitness expert help you set up an achievable fitness plan to suit your body and your fitness goals is the perfect way to get fit the right way. This way you don’t ever do too much… and they won’t let you get away with doing too little! As time passes and you become more fit, they will then adapt your plan to make sure that you continue the good work – and once you start to see the benefits you’ll be addicted! A good trainer will also be able to give you dietary advice as well so you can work on your whole body at once.

When it comes to choosing a good personal trainer you should be looking for someone with broad experience across various fitness fields. The advantage here is that you’ll be able to use different techniques during your fitness program which will help you achieve overall aims and keep things fresh for you. It’s also real important to find someone you like – they may bark at you like a Marine to keep you motivated sometimes but they do have your best interests at heart!

And, hiring an professional fitness trainer can bring a whole range of other benefits as well. It can be hard to organize getting to the gym if you have a busy working life - so many trainers offer a range of additional services that could help. Some trainers, for example, offer telephone and email support which can be great if you are away from home but still want some advice. And, you can also work with trainers who offer gym-care facilities – here, you leave your training kit with them after your first session and they’ll then launder it and bring it along for you to every session. (Just like TWTNYC!) Some trainers will also provide towels and shower stuff for you as well – so the only thing you need to think about getting to the gym is yourself!