Category: Fitness

Areas For Fitness Training Recommended By The Mayo Clinic

blogger

A report has been released by the Mayo Clinic that identifies five (5) areas that need to be targeted for a balanced fitness program. The areas identified in the report include 1) aerobic fitness, 2) muscular fitness, 3) stretching, 4) core stability and 5) balance training. Each item will be discussed below.

1. Aerobic Fitness:
Aerobic fitness is often called cardiovascular fitness. Aerobic fitness is essential to weight loss and total fitness because it helps the lungs, heart and blood vessels move oxygen through the system more efficiently.

Aerobic or cardiovasculr exercise should be done at least two and one half (2-1/2) hours each week for a moderate aerobic activity or at least seventy five (75) minutes for vigorous exercise. Aerobic exercises should be spread throughout the week.

2. Muscular Fitness:
Muscular fitness exercise should be done at least two to three times during the week. Muscular exercises help with muscular fitness along with increasing bone strength. Muscular strength is necessary as we grow older.

Equipment is not necessary to maintain muscular fitness if you have a fitness program that includes body strengthening exercises like push-ups, chin ups and squats along with others.

3. Stretching:
Stretching is sometimes forgotten but it is critical for a well rounded program. All fitness coaches recommend that stretching be included in their fitness programs. All exercises make the muscles contract and flex so stretching of the muscles also needs to be included for a well rounded workout.

Stretching is especially important for the later years to keep the body flexible to avoid a lot of the injuries that accompany old age.

4. Core Stability:
Core muscles are those in the body and include the abdomen muscles, lower back and the pelvis area. They should be included in fitness programs because they are needed for upper and lower body movements.

5. Balance Training:
Balance is often forgotten in physical fitness programs but it needs to be included in a well rounded program. Balance is essential to everyday life functions and it tends to deteriorate with age so it imperative that a good program be maintained.

Developing a good balance training regimen will add quality to life.

Mayo Clinic has identified these five (5) areas as being essential to a complete fitness program so it is important that all the items be included in the fitness program. Incorporate all five (5) elements into everyday life and it will go a long way to insure better health.

All Of New York City’s Five Boroughs Offer Fitness

blogger

Are you looking to get in shape, or maintain an optimal fitness level? If you live within the five boroughs of New York City you will find many avenues for fitness. Whether it is Yoga in Queens, personal training in Manhattan, Pilates in Brooklyn, boot camp in the Bronx or one of many other options you can find it in the Big Apple. New York City is home to one of the largest concentrations of fitness professionals in the United States. While a majority of them work in gyms, many of them are independent fitness professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit to strike out on their own to start a business.

I had a friend who once walked from the Upper East Side of Manhattan to Coney Island. Along his 13 mile walk, he must have passed a number of fitness facilities. From a Brooklyn Yoga studio offering many exciting and interesting classes to an Upper East Side personal training gym providing one-on-one training to satisfy the beginner or the professional athlete. Every nook and cranny of New York City has mind/body studios, gyms, Crossfit workouts, dance studios and much more available for the fitness conscious person. Once you have decided what interests you, it is easier to begin to focus on which place will suit you best.

In Manhattan there are several places utilizing Russian Kettle bell training. Classes like these are approximately a half-hour long and designed to be an intense muscle workout through the use of these simple, but versatile weights. A form of exercise that is centuries old, is just now picking up steam again.

Queens yogaclasses offered, some with Pilates. Bikram Yoga in Rego Park and Astoria Queens offers the Original Hot Yoga. The classes are ninety minutes and are done in a room that is 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat allows muscles to stretch more easily, therefore the muscles can be stretched further as in after you Warm-Up without actually going through the process.

Many of the Upper East Side Personal Trainers available have certifications from some of the top certification agencies such as the American College of Sports Medicine. You need only look at a short bio or profile of these trainers to see what they are about and their level of experience. What is unique about working with an Upper East Side personal trainer is that not only can they meet you at a gym, but apartment dwellers with a gym in their building can utilize personal training services there. The fact is that if you want to be fit, there is no shortage of ways to accomplish your goals in the five boroughs of New York City. Remember, before starting any physical fitness or nutritional program see your primary care physician for a consultation and check up.

Smart Goalsthe Keys To Fitness Motivation

blogger

Many people find that the most difficult part of their fitness program is sticking with it. Often we drift from program to program, becoming passionately dedicated to step classes one month, then Pilates or yoga the next. Sometimes we drop fitness altogether, opting for life back on the couch.

The problem is motivation. The core of any personal fitness program is staying interested and, as a fitness instructor, my role is to keep my participants coming back for more. If I dont, then Im out of a job. The law to which all fitness instructors conform states: No participants; no classes. No classes; no money.

Motivating participants means goal setting. I know what youre thinking. Youre thinking, Great! Hes going to tell me if I set a goal to become a power lifter, Im going to stay true to a fitness program forever. Nothing could be further from the truth. A broad goal like becoming a power lifter doesnt take into account specifics such as how to train, when or where to train, or how to tell when its time to enter competition. It leaves no room for evaluation.

Its not a SMART goal. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound.

1. Goals Need to be Specific
A specific goal is one that takes a component of the overall goal and states it. For a power lifter, it may involve improving muscle endurance, stance, and strategy. In other words, its a set of clearly defined goals rather than one broad one.

2. Goals Need to be Measurable
A measurable goal could refer to time, distance, times per week, numbers of repetitions, or mass. If your goal is to do more squats, your goal would state that you want to be able to squat with 120 pounds of weight.

3. Goals Need to be Action-oriented
This part means that youre going to go to the gym and use the squat rack to carry out your goal four times per week.

4. Goals Need to be Realistic
Once you begin weightlifting, youll become familiar with the weights and what your limits might be. You can develop a strategy to gradually increase the weights until you reach your goal.

5. Goals Need to be Time-bound
How long will it take to reach your goal? Is this something you can do in six weeks or will it take six months? Identify your timeline.

Using the SMART criteria, you can generate a SMART goal to improve muscular endurance. It might read: Within 30 days, I will increase my squat resistance on the squat rack from 100 to 120 pounds by training four days per week and increasing my weight by five pounds per week.

If at the end of 30 days you reach your goal, evaluate how this fits in with your overall fitness goal of becoming a power lifter. You may wish to set a new or different goal. If you didnt reach it, ask whether there might be a reason. Perhaps you had the flu, or the goal wasnt as realistic as you thought. Formulate a new goal and time interval.

SMART goals can be useful in many aspects of life that involve motivationnot just fitness. Use SMART goals in your relationships, for career change or advancement, and to improve eating habits. Any aspect of life that requires motivation is open to the application of SMART goals.

Fitness Equipment Review The Beny Sports V-fit Ar1 Artemis Ii Air Rowing Machine

blogger

Exercise which you can take pleasure in is always the best type. There couldn’t be anything worse than getting up onto that totally uninteresting treadmill and walking continuously on and on. Aside from that, people generally use treadmills for a lower body workout which means they need another piece of equipment to condition the upper body. This could be extremely time consuming for the user. The answer? Get an exercise machine to work out your entire physique. A specific type of fitness equipment that can give this workout is the rowing machine. Continue to read to find out about a cost-friendly exerciser: the Beny Sports V-fit AR1 Artemis II air rower.

Rating:

4.5 out of 5 stars

Chief Facets:

Fashioned just like health club rowers which are priced at hundreds of dollars higher, this conditioning machine is manufactured with a completely encased air resistance structure. Although it works the whole body, a rower like the V-fit AR1 especially targets the back, shoulders and arms. You can also get cardio benefits from using a rowing machine. Due to the sturdy aluminium rowing rail, this equipment will fold down to make storage less difficult. The machine’s padded seat is sizeable, comfortable and attached to a long-lasting, smooth roller apparatus. Operating via a gym-style chain rowing action, this machine extends flowing motion but the resistance isn’t flexible. It has a cast iron balanced 7kg flywheel. Additionally, it has adaptable foot straps.

Price Tag:

Approximately 250.00

Product Description:

Dissimilar to a lot of rowing machines and fitness equipment in its grouping, the AR1 possesses the SGS-GS TUV mark; this is a widely known and very esteemed voluntary and neutral merchandise certification from Germany. Items marked as such are evaluated and certified to abide by a stern product safety act. The AR1 will support a maximum user weight of 115kg, and weighs 19.5kg when fully assembled. It is finished with a handsome chip deterrent white epoxy powder coating. Built with portable type wheels located on the front frame end caps, this rowing machine can be moved or repositioned without difficulty. It also has sit-flat rear frame support caps. The rowing action is single/sculling. There is a row arm which is a 25mm bar and high density foam padded type grips.

Product Technical Info:

The parts of the oblong tubular style steel main frame are 80mm x 40mm x 50mm x 25mm. The oblong rowing rail measures 115mm x 50mm. The assembled rower measures 44cm x 74cm x 212cm. The AR1 is deliberated for residential employment by Beny Sports who has more than ten design patents and whose entire collection of merchandise complies with strict European safety standards. The modernised items of Beny Sports are marketed in many Western European nations, South America, as well as the US. The AR1 is available in specialty stores, department stores, hypermarkets, and mail order catalogues.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for fitness equipment like an entry level air rower, the Beny Sports line merits a serious look. It gives you a maximal blend of efficiency and inexpensiveness for people who have a low budget and are just beginning a fitness routine.

Help Your Child Fall In Love With Fitness

blogger

Childhood is the time to be active, playful and extremely energetic. It is very important that a child stays physically active and energetic, as it will lead to healthy all round physical and mental development of children. However, with the advancement of technology, children are now faced with a range of choices for entertainment and games.

Nowadays, children are seen preferring to stay in their homes and spend time on video games and gaming consoles. It has also been seen that children spend a majority of their time watching television. This leads to lesser physical activity of the children and makes children lazy to go out and play. Because of this, children tend to become couch potatoes and start gaining weight. Cases of childhood obesity are gradually rising in USA.

It is because of these reasons that children should be introduced to fitness at a very young age. Many people are of the view that children do not require regular exercise. This is a wrong notion. You should incorporate a daily exercise schedule in your childs routine,. The faster your children start taking their health and fitness seriously, the faster they will fall I love with fitness. Your children will gradually realize the importance of maintaining a healthy body. Here are some tips to help your children fall in love with fitness:

1.Start a healthy diet – Children should be given a balanced diet so that they can derive the maximum benefits out of the food. Many children are fussy eaters but this habit needs to be changed or overlooked. Often children might dislike a food which is very rich from the point of view of nutrients. Make sure that your child drinks enough water throughout the day.

2.Encourage your child – Children will be needing motivation and encouragement at this time. It would be best if you could also exercise while your child is exercising, this will make your child view fitness as an important aspect of our daily routine.

3.Try incorporating various types of games – Children love variety. Therefore, try teaching them new types of games. These games should be fun and should make your children run around and remain active. If your child is reluctant to do free hand exercises, try to make him/her skip on a rope. Skipping is both fun as well as a healthy way to stay fit and active.

4.Reward your children – As an incentive of taking fitness seriously, you should reward your children. This will help them to stay motivated and will provide them with the encouragement to stay active. An ice cream, an extra hour of watching television, etc can be offered to your child as a reward for not watching too much of television and exercising regularly.

5.Organize family outings – Children have very short attention spans. Chances are that your child will be bored of the exercise schedule and will lose interest in exercising on a daily basis. You can try organizing family picnics and outings. In such events, your child will naturally want to run around and stay active.