Archive for the ‘Fitness Tips’ Category
Fri / 01 / 20 / 12
Written by Brian Kenney, General Manager @ O2 Fitness Wilmington
Why is it important to be flexible? Many people think of flexibility as something that results from a sport or exercise routine. But flexibility is an important part of everyday life.
Flexibility improves strength and overall good health. When you get more flexible, you’ll find that you have a greater range of motion, that you are able to perform tasks with greater ease, and you’ll suffer fewer injuries.
Best of all, flexibility can add a great deal to your success in sports. If you are an avid golfer, swimmer, love to play basketball, baseball, or volleyball, you’ll be amazed at how your performance changes when you focus your efforts to get more flexible.
You can improve your flexibility by adding a static and dynamic flexibility exercises to your daily routine. Static flexibility exercises are slow, constant stretching of muscles, held for at least 30 seconds. Some examples of static flexibility exercises include calf stretches and hamstring stretches. Static stretches can also incorporate isometric and PNF stretching techniques to considerably increase their effectiveness.
Dynamic flexibility exercises use muscle movement to increase your range of motion. Typically these exercises – examples include leg and arm swings, side bends, toe touches – are initially performed at low to moderate speeds, with a controlled motion. Gradually, over time you will be able to increase your range of movement, extend further, and increase speed.
Both static and dynamic flexibility exercises work at lengthening the connective tissues that surround your muscles. This lengthening of the tissues provides an increase in your ability to extend your arms or legs in a natural movement. This movement is termed your range of motion. As you improve your flexibility, you’ll find that it becomes easier to move your joints – knees, shoulders, elbows, etc. You’ll also be able to move these joints to a greater length or extend them further.
When you make an effort to get more flexible, you’ll notice improvements in your everyday life and in your sports. You’ll be able to swim faster, throw balls further, have a greater controlled and stronger golf swing. Increased flexibility will pay off even if you aren’t active in sports. As you work to get more flexible, you’ll notice common household tasks, such as vacuuming, yard work, and lifting, all become easier to do. You’ll notice that your overall strength and endurance has increased.
As you work to get more flexible, you’ll suffer fewer injuries, your posture will improve and your muscles won’t be as sore when you exert yourself or exercise. Flexibility pays off big – it’s not just for gymnasts.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: exercise, fitness, flexibility, nc fitness clubs, stretching Categories: Fitness Tips
Thu / 01 / 12 / 12
Written by: Ashley Shade, NC Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Express 
By choosing the right exercise program, you can make your natural athleticism work for you. Avoid heavy-duty exercise programs that trim off inches for a little while but may not work in the long run because they can cause burnout.
For long-term results, find activities that you enjoy, instead of merely choosing those that burn calories. You probably already know some of the activities you do and don’t like, so select those you prefer and drop the ones that bore or stress you.
For instance, are you starting to dread your usual five-mile run? If so, give yourself permission to take a leisurely bike ride or swim. Too tired for a 30-minute workout? Exercise for 15 minutes, and see if you feel like continuing. And if you find yourself setting harder and harder goals (”I need to run an eight-minute mile”), reconsider your priorities. Remember that getting regular, moderate exercise is smarter and more effective than forcing yourself to do grueling workouts that can lead to injury or burnout.
You might enjoy the challenge of participating in a run or bike race for charity — a great way to get exercise while meeting new people and helping your community. You might even want to train for a half-marathon, if running is your favorite activity. Just be sure to make fun and stress reduction your top priorities!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: exercise, exercise program, fitness activities, fitness goals, O2 Fitness, strength, toning, weight training Categories: Fitness Tips Uncategorized
Fri / 01 / 06 / 12
Tip 1 – Don’t let yourself get thirsty
Dehydration slows down your blood flow leaving you with less energy to face the day, drinking water first thing in the morning is a great way to kick start your day and takes only minutes, bring a bottle of water to bed at night and drink it first thing when you wake up to give yourself a boost of energy. You should drink eight glasses of water throughout the day to keep your self hydrated. This will have a great effect on your energy levels and is very easy to implement into your daily routine
Tip 2 – Eat Breakfast Everyday
Skipping meals because you are rushing is never a good idea, studies have shown that people who skip breakfast burn less calories during the day than those who eat a healthy breakfast. This is especially important if you are dieting. Many dieters tend to assume that a skipped meal can work to their benefit by reducing their calorie intake for the day but the opposite is actually true. Giving your body a healthy eating pattern can improve how your body burns calories.
Tip 3 – Snacking is Good For You
Yes, snacking can be good for you, it all depends on the snacks you choose, keeping your metabolism topped up with a healthy snack can help you to feel more energetic throughout the day. Try snacking on dried fruit, low fat cheeses or yogurt’s.
Tip 4 – Exercise
Yes, exercise will feature in any healthy lifestyle plan, but taking regular exercise does not have to be a chore, try taking a walk on your lunch break, or take the stairs instead of the lift, leave the car at home if you can. Walking more often can be very beneficial and even if you hate the idea of exercise you may find that you will enjoy taking the odd walk, every little helps. If you really cant stand it, take out your ipod, put on your favourite music and see if that makes it more enjoyable. If all else fails, or you have young kids and are at home most of the time, find a reason to go up and down the stairs often, it is all going to help you to keep active.
Tip 5 – Protein
It cant be said enough, protein is great for dieting, your body uses more energy digesting protein. Plain and simple, eating protein can help you to burn more calories. Try lean meat or fish with vegetables for a balanced meal, leave out the pasta and go for whole grains. Do not only eat protein, keep all your meals balanced and you will find you have more energy by the day.
Tip 6 – Drink Tea
Green tea has many benefits, including helping to protect you from heart disease and cancer. It is also very beneficial for boosting your metabolism.
Tip 7 – Fiber
Your body also uses more calories to process fiber rich foods. Snack on fruit and cheese or some yogurt to add more fiber to your diet.
Homemade vegetable soup is a great source of fiber and you can make it and freeze it for the days when you are in a rush and need a healthy lunch that wont take hours to prepare.
Tip 8 – Cut The Alcohol
Although drinking alcohol does not slow your metabolism it has been shown that having a daily drink can make you gain weight, this is because when you drink alcohol, your body processes the alcohol first, leaving the calories you consumed from your meal until last, which means they are more likely to be stored as body fat.
Tip 9 – Don’t Be a “Yo-Yo” Dieter
Switching your diet plan regularly means you can end up depriving your body of essential nutrients and may mean you are consuming fewer calories than you need to keep your body active, resulting in low energy and if you are low in energy you are not going to feel motivated enough to exercise and are more likely to snack on high sugar foods. If you must diet, consult your doctor for the best plan for you personally and stick to that plan for the recommended time period, a properly planned diet is not a quick fix and you should not expect to see immediate results. Take your time and build your diet into a part of your lifestyle, rather than changing your routine overnight and suffering withdrawals, add a new healthy eating step a day and build it in as part of your everyday routine. The results will come and because you are working it in slowly the benefits are going to be long lasting.
Tip 10 – Relax
Yes relax, sleep. Relaxing and sleeping are both good for your body and your mind. You need to be getting around 7 to 8 hours of sleep in every 24 hour period. Not only should you be getting enough sleep, you should also be relaxing during the day, being stressed can interfere with how your body processes carbohydrates making it more likely that you will gain weight. Take regular rest periods when you can unwind for even a few minutes during the day and de stress, maybe with a nice cup of green tea?
[Source: 10 Quick Tips for a Healthier Lifestyle by Alana R.]
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: advice, alcohol, breakfast, deydration, diet, exercise, fiber, healthy living, ipod, meals, protein, relaxation, snacking, tea, tips, yo-yo dieting Categories: Fitness Tips
Wed / 01 / 04 / 12
Written by Drew Huffman, NC Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Wakefield
Everyone knows that the there’s no time like a new year to hit the “reset button” and focus on things you want to change, or accomplish and fitness goals are definitely at the top of this list! The only problem is that around 70% of these goals are never reached! Why is this? It’s not that people don’t truly want to make the change, so it has to come down to either motivation, or the lack of knowledge necessary to keep the results coming.
My suggestion to you is to take full advantage of any fitness services provided to you by your O2 Fitness Club, especially your free sessions with a certified personal trainer. It is a proven statistic that even ONE meeting with a NC personal trainer will increase your chance of success by more than 20%, even if you decide not to use their services on a regular basis (which is definitely the best way to help ensure results).
After meeting with an O2 Fitness personal trainer, you should be able to walk away with more specific and/or realistic goals, more methods and guidance to achieve them, and the confidence needed to keep making progress!
We are here for YOU! Take advantage of what’s in front of you, and don’t let this year be another try and fail situation!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 1 -
Tags: exercise, exercise goals, fitness, fitness goals, goals, nc fitness club, nc fitness clubs, nc personal trainer Categories: Fitness Tips
Fri / 12 / 30 / 11
Written by Chris Mitchell, NC Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Brennan
As the New Year approaches, I wanted to offer some advice to anyone looking to get on track, or stay on track, in 2012:
NUTRITION:
Keep a food log/diary!
- Eat enough protein
- Eat breakfast (always eat before a workout…approx. one hour before if possible)
- Avoid processed foods
EXERCISE:
Cross train!
- Find the workouts that interest, motivate, and push you (don’t even think for a moment there aren’t any…be creative if you need to: classes, walking/running, cycling, weights, cardio machines, dancing, swimming, kayaking/rowing, hiking, [kick]boxing, climbing, etc., etc., etc.)
- Keep a log
FITNESS GOALS:
Be realistic!
Set a Goal Care Plan (this can be used for all life goals, not just fitness): set the goal(s); set up all the tasks to complete the goal(s) with a time-line and document it; make room for necessary tweaks along the way; and follow through! Telling someone your goal(s), and/or finding a partner in training, can help enormously with follow through.
Exercise should not be a choice. It should be a part of your regular routine. You don’t ask yourself if you should do it, you do it. If you are super busy, pre-set exercise into your schedule each week. There is ALWAYS time for exercise. Saying there isn’t time is making an excuse and an unhealthy decision. Don’t take the all or nothing approach either. If all you’ve got is 20 minutes, then maximize that time in your workout, don’t let it go (you’ll probably find you feel like a super hero in what you are able to accomplish super motivated and energized for that short period of time).
Any amount of time given to exercise is better than no time. American Heart Association (AHA) states you should be exercising moderately (working and heart rate up but still able to carry on a conversation) for a minimum of 30 minutes every day. Your body is a machine. It won’t run smoothly or last very long if it’s not taken care of. Proper nutrition and safe exercise will maximize your functioning, energy, and longevity (everything from cardiovascular to balance to flexibility to strength…all good and important for your body)! Exercise also greatly improves your psychological well being!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: eating healthy, exercise, fitness advice, fitness goals, Fitness Tips, food diary, goal care plan Categories: Fitness Tips
Thu / 12 / 29 / 11
Written by Patsy Paliotta, Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Express
Over the years, many clients have asked me the question, “What burns more calories: jogging or biking? The two activities I just mentioned here are just examples. But the point is that most people will research and find out what activity burns more calories. Many times they will then choose that activity thinking that they are making the right move to further their fitness goals, which is usually to lose weight.
This isn’t the best approach, and definitely not the first question you want to ask when it comes to getting started towards your goals. When it comes achieving your fitness goals, it is typically not a good idea to stick to just one form of exercise that happens to burn more calories than another. The reasoning here is because the human body does much better with varied forms of exercise. In other words, cross training is the name of the game. Even if jogging burns more calories than biking, it is good to understand that in the long run, it really does not matter. Ideally you should do both forms of exercise, which would give you better overall results. You should add in even more forms of exercise for ultimate results. Cross training is more fun, safer and will allow you to reach your fitness goals faster.
Keep in mind that each form of exercise offers something of value that the other forms of exercise may not. A spoon is not better than a fork and a fork is not better than a spoon. They each provide a different service to the user. It is the same with the realm of fitness. Everything is a tool to be used in the appropriate manner and proper time.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: activities, biking, burning calories, calorie burn, calories, fitness activity, jogging Categories: Fitness Tips
Thu / 12 / 22 / 11
Avoid Gaining Weight This Holiday Season…while still enjoying the festivities
This holiday season don’t be trendy – avoid the Seasonal Seven (the average weight most Americans gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s). That’s one trend you don’t want to participate in!
I know what you are thinking – the holidays are a time for fun and indulgence. You don’t want to think about fitness during that time. You want to enjoy yourself. Don’t worry! The festivities don’t have to be eliminated or avoided. You can have a fabulous time while also maintaining your weight and your fitness regimen.
The secret to achieving a holiday season that is both full of fun and also includes fitness is found in moderation. There are two typical approaches to the seasonal festivities: 1) throw all healthy habits out the window and indulge in every guilty pleasure 2) starve and binge approach (for example, you eat nothing all day long to allow yourself to overindulge in party food). Of course, neither approach is successful at maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle throughout the holiday season.
Here are some tips to help you:
Create a plan ahead of time. Before the holidays sneak up on you, create a plan for incorporating fitness and good nutrition into your daily routine. Evaluate your holiday schedule and then determine how much time you will realistically have available to devote to working out and/or eating healthy meals.
Don’t put your fitness goals on hold until the New Year. If you can’t exercise as often during this time period as you normally do, adjust appropriately. Don’t use the excuse that since you don’t have time for your full workout you just won’t workout at all. Instead accept your limited availability and simply reduce the frequency and/or duration of your exercise. It’s much better to cut your fitness time in half than to completely eliminate it.
On the day of a party, be sure to eat regularly all day long. If the party is in the evening, eat breakfast, lunch and a snack before hand (just as you would on any other day). Once you are at the party, go ahead and indulge in some of the fun, delicious foods. Since you have eaten meals earlier in the day, you probably will find that you aren’t tempted to go overboard and eat everything in sight. However, if you starve all day long attempting to save up all your calories for the party, you will be so famished by the time it begins that it will be difficult not to overeat.
Avoid wasting calories on alcoholic beverages. The average alcoholic drink contains 150-200 calories per glass. Indulge in just 2-3 drinks and you’ve drunk the equivalent calories of an entire meal. If you partake in these beverages, choose wisely. For example, instead of having a full glass of wine, try mixing half a glass of wine with sparkling water or with a diet cola. This will help cut your calories in half.
Hopefully these tips will help you find a balance between staying fit and also enjoying the fun of the season. Remember, moderation is the key.
Have a great holiday season!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: christmas, health, holidays, weight gain Categories: Fitness Tips
Tue / 12 / 20 / 11
Submitted by Casey Johnson, Group Fitness Manager, O2 Fitness Fuquay
Once the holidays are over its time for us all to get back into the swing of things and pick back up with our routine (and with our workouts)! Want to know what’s hot in the fitness world for 2012? Check out what the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has to say are the top up and coming fitness trends. Will you be “fitness forward” this year?
1. Educated and experienced fitness professionals. Given the large number of organizations offering health and fitness certifications, it’s important that consumers choose professionals certified through accredited programs.
2. Strength training. Strength training remains a central emphasis for many health clubs. Incorporating strength training is an essential part of a complete physical activity program for all physical activity levels, genders and ages. Bodypump is an excellent way to meet your strength training recommendation (and it also offers cardio benefits as well).
3. Fitness programs for older adults. As the baby boom generation ages into retirement, fitness professionals aim to keep older adults healthy and active.
4. Exercise and weight loss. In addition to nutrition, exercise is a key component of a proper weight loss program. Health and fitness professionals who provide weight loss programs are increasingly incorporating regular exercise and caloric restriction for better weight control in their clients.
5. Children and obesity. With childhood obesity growing at an alarming rate, health and fitness professionals see the epidemic as an opportunity to create programs tailored to overweight and obese children. Solving the problem of childhood obesity will have an impact on the health care industry today and for years to come.
6. Personal training. More and more students are majoring in kinesiology, which indicates that students are preparing themselves for careers in allied health fields such as personal training. Education, training and proper credentialing for personal trainers have become increasingly important to the health and fitness facilities that employ them.
7. Core training. Distinct from strength training, core training specifically emphasizes conditioning of the middle-body muscles, including the pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen – all of which provide needed support for the spine. Several O2 Fitness locations carry classes specifically designed for core work, such as CXWorx and Inner Strength, to specifically target the core in a way you never thought possible!
8. Group personal training. In challenging economic times, many personal trainers are offering group training options. Training two or three people at once makes economic sense for both the trainer and the clients.
9. Dance Workouts. Whether it’s Zumba or Sh’Bam, dance workouts are all the rage when it comes to group fitness. Both programs promote all the benefits of a “regular” exercise class, but with twice the fun and a party atmosphere, you’ll hardly notice how hard you’re working.
10. Functional fitness. This is a trend toward using strength training to improve balance and ease of daily living. Functional fitness and special fitness programs for older adults are closely related.
References:
American College of Sports Medicine. (2011, October 17). Survey Predicts Top 20 Fitness Trends for
2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011. www.acsm.org
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 1 -
Tags: 2012 fitness goals, children, elderly fitness, fitness, fitness for older adults, nc personal training, obesity, personal training Categories: Fitness Tips
Fri / 12 / 16 / 11
Written by: Paul Hodges, General Manager, O2 Fitness Brennan
Let’s get real! The Holidays are a great time to allow us to feel laxed in our regular routines; eating high calorie meals, drinking excessively at parties, and just being plain ol’ couch potatoes while watching re-runs of our favorite Christmas classics. However, sometimes a little push is all we need to improve our motivation to work out.
We all struggle with the same challenges of finding time and deciding to do things when we don’t feel like it or when the circumstances aren’t ideal. But if you can develop a “Do it Anyway” approach to exercise, you will continually build your resolve and your commitment to exercise. Do it Anyway means despite your mood, your day or the things on your schedule, you will exercise anyway. You will treat exercise like you do waking up in the morning–you just have to do it. By continually winning out over your own impulse to skip a workout or make excuses, you will begin to feel more in control of your body and your health. You will silence that voice that says, “I can’t get motivated,” and you will gain momentum.
My personal trainer, Rick, has a great method as well, especially when it comes to movitating myself to workout. His philosophy is that if you are going to cheat during the holidays with excessive amount of calories, whether food or liquids, (which you will do) make time in that day to work off the same amount of calories that you put in your system. After training for 2 months now, I have realized that “I have to do this, especially now!”
Why am I writing about this now? With only 3 weeks left in the year, this is the ideal time to build your momentum on your health and fitness goals. Yes, the fitness facilities have less traffic with people and their resolutions don’t start until January 1, but if you start now, you will have a 3 week jumpstart on everyone else. This gives you more than the 21 day mark to start the rotuine into a “habit!” You can pull away from the pact. Make your motivational sign for yourself and put it up on a mirror and refrigerator saying, “While everyone else is skipping their workouts until after the holidays, I am working out every day. I have to do it Anyway!”
By establishing a whole new set of habits, you can not fail! You also could look differently than you do right now. You can see change in just 28 days, as long as you stay persistent, while still having another month after that to start your year strong. Just remember, the only person you truly need to compete with is yourself. By seeing your own progress, and being proud of your own decisions and results, you can quickly help motivate others too, joining you in the “new pack”.
Picture it. It is a couple weeks out until the New Year. You turn on the TV, your iPhone, or your computer and you constantly see advertisements for gym memberships and news stories about New Year’s resolutions. Do you want to be the person who gained 10 plus pounds throughout the holidays and skipped exercise? The person with an uphill battle ahead? Or do you want to be the person who starts now and loves the new you before it’s even a new year? All you have to do is make the decision to Do it Anyway. Don’t let the holidays stop you. Don’t let your crazy schedule stop you. Don’t let your temporary emotions stop you. Jump start your body before January 1, 2012 and “DO IT ANYWAY!”
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: fitness club memberships, nc personal trainer, new year, personal trainers, personal training, working out, workout, workouts Categories: Fitness Tips
Fri / 12 / 09 / 11
Column written by our fabulous Chris Mitchell in Wake Living Magazine!
Keep fit this season
Cooler months don’t mean wider waistlines
by Chris Mitchell, MSW
Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we need to hibernate and gain weight. Here are some tips to keep your winter a healthy, active and happy one.
Don’t stop exercising outside just because it’s cold. It actually can be invigorating. Just be smart about the temperature, and layer up accordingly. Also make sure to cover up your head and hands, where most body heat escapes, and be careful of the roads after a freeze. My family and I love taking evening walks around our neighborhood around Christmas to see the beautiful holiday decorations. It’s good exercise, and it’s quite entertaining.
Head to the gym. Fitness clubs work hard this time of year to offer the best group exercise and fitness training opportunities available. January is a time when people are most motivated to exercise, and it’s also a time when fitness professionals try to bring the most fun and excitement available to keep people motivated beyond New Year’s resolution time.
Eat winter foods; they’re good for you. Root vegetables, citrus fruits, grapes, pomegranates, pecans and lettuce are plentiful this time of year. North Carolina Farm Fresh even offers a seasonal produce availability chart on its website at www.ncfarmfresh.com. This is a great time to make tasty, nutritious comfort foods like grilled vegetables, stews, soups and desserts (visit www.myrecipes.com for some wonderful, easy and healthy seasonal recipe ideas). Add a little spice with turmeric, ginger and cinnamon, which add flavor to winter foods and hot beverages like cider, tea, and broth.
Have some zinc handy. Recent studies have shown that when taken immediately after symptoms begin, zinc can help eliminate or reduce cold complaints. Aromatherapy also can help ease cold symptoms naturally. Just add a little eucalyptus and peppermint essential oil into a shower or bath, or spray some lavender or eucalyptus on your pillow before bed.
Get your vitamin D. Seasonal depression is more common this time of year, and additional vitamin D can help during winter’s shorter days. Take calcium supplements with vitamin D and magnesium for maximum effect, and make sure to get extra omegas through things like fish, walnuts, flax seeds, and supplements.
Chris Mitchell, MSW, is a certified fitness instructor and personal trainer at O2 Fitness, which has locations in Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Raleigh, and Chapel Hill. To learn more, visit www.o2fitnessclubs.com.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 2 -
Tags: exercise, fitness, group fitness exercise classes, healthy eating, north carolina farm fresh Categories: Fitness Tips
Tue / 11 / 29 / 11
Written by Brian Kenney, General Manager @ O2 Fitness Wilmington
The difference between incredible fat loss and no fat loss are small tweaks here and there with your workout program. Below are some small tips that when implemented make the biggest differences. I personally have lost about 12lbs in the last few weeks just by doing more interval training, and I even lost an additional 2lbs over Thanksgiving…..
- Use Your Biggest Muscles in Interval Training. The secret to Interval training being so effective is a little process call EPOC(Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption). It’s the process of your body replacing muscular energy that gets used up during intense exercise. Bigger muscles have bigger stores of energy that need to be replaced. The more energy needed to be replaced, the more fat will be required for energy. Just think about it this way, what would use more energy, intensely exercising your legs or drilling your biceps to exhaustion.
- Include a Longer Interval in your Workout….When doing intervals include intense intervals of longer duration (45-60 seconds) use up a lot of calories. Intense exercise triggers very efficient fat loss in your body, longer duration intense exercise triggers a lot more. Your body needs to work overtime to replace this lost energy. This is a direct form of weight loss. Include a Shorter Interval in your Workout. Intense Intervals of short duration (15-30 seconds) have body changing affects. Your body undergoes a metabolic transformation and adapts into a long term fat burning machine. The short intervals burn up more energy and in turn your muscle will store and require more energy to recover. This adds up to more energy being diverted from fat stores to your muscles and becomes super efficient at using all this energy.
- Eat before you Exercise…For a long time it was believed that doing interval training in a fasted state was the best for losing fat as you delayed the insulin surge that occurs when eating (insulin prevents your body from losing fat). It has been found that eating before training gives your body the ability to exercise harder, and as you will see below, the extent and duration of your fat burning is directly related to the intensity of your exercise. It’s also been found that any suppressing of fat loss that may occur directly after training is made up for in the entire fat burning process. And lastly but not least, it seems that when you eat before you train you tend to consume less calories during the day. Weight loss tip four is eat an easily digestable, highly nutritious meal about 30-60 minutes before you exercise.
- Interval Training without Good Nutrition is Nothing…You can do Interval Training till the cows come home, but if your nutrition is not supporting weight loss, you won’t get any fat loss. Interval training works in tandem with good nutrition to lose weight. Good nutrition involves a low carbohydrate diet and meals times split into six times a day to increase your metabolism. It also involves providing the minerals, vitamins, energy and liquids required to power your body for maximum performance during your exercise. Proper nutrition should be a baseline of your workout program, without it no fat loss happens.
- Go as Hard as you Can …The secret to EPOC is intensity, Studies have shown that the more intense the exercise, the longer will be in a fat burning stage. They have also shown that the more intense the exercise, the greater the volume of fat burning will be. The body also adapts under intensity, the harder you can push yourself, the more your body adapts at becoming able to function at higher intensities. When you are starting out, ease into interval training, start with some lower intensity to medium intensities as you improve, increase the intensities to maximal or all out sprints.
- Weight loss tip six is …My old Swim coach use to say “go hard or go home”.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 1 -
Tags: Interval Training, weight loss tips Categories: Fitness Tips
Wed / 11 / 23 / 11
Written by: Doug Haan, General Manager, O2 Fitness Seaboard
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means we’ll all face some unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to keeping up our healthy lifestyles. Maybe you’ll be traveling to visit relatives or you might be having them stay at your house. Either way, keeping up your normal exercise routine might be tough. Try some of these fun suggestions for staying fit!!!
1. Plan a Thanksgiving Day Event. Meet up with your friends, family and neighbors the morning of Thanksgiving and exercise together. You can start a tradition and play a game of football, baseball or any other sport. Good competition will always get you in the mood to work hard. You can also gather everyone up for a Thanksgiving Day run or walk around the neighborhood.
2. Run a 5k. There are lots of organizations that schedule 5k runs around Thanksgiving. They usually support a great cause and are also really good workouts. Running a 5k burns a huge amount of calories the day of the race in addition to all the training you do leading up to the big day.
3. Walk it Off. Don’t forget to have a post Thanksgiving Meal walk. You’ll probably be too heavy to run or do any other form of rigorous exercise. Walking will burn a few calories and let your mind unwind after being stuck inside all day long.
4. Make a Deal. Thanksgiving is one of those times you can’t always control yourself. You might think you’ll only eat a little but once all those dishes come out of the kitchen, more food is going to wind up in your plate than you had hoped for. To negate some of those calories, make a deal with yourself (you can include friends and family too). Tell yourself that for every serving over what is normal, you’ll run 1/2 a mile or 10 minutes. Get creative and make your own criteria but make sure you follow it. If you tell others about it, you’re more likely to stick with it.
5. Pre/Post Thanksgiving Workout. Since Thanksgiving is all about tradition, think about how the Pilgrims and Indians got around back in those days. There were no cars or busses. If they wanted to get somewhere, they’d walk or ride a horse. Since it isn’t realistic to walk (or ride your horse) to your Thanksgiving Dinner, simulate the walk by working out 30 minutes longer than normal on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and 30 minutes longer on the Friday after.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: family, fitness, thanksgiving, travel, working out, workout ideas Categories: Fitness Tips
Fri / 10 / 28 / 11
Written by Gemma McFarland, GroupX Instructor, O2 Fitness Falconbridge
It’s October. The days are shorter. That early morning chill begins to bite, along with the sound of the 5:30 a.m. alarm clock. The holidays are on the horizon. With November and December quickly approaching, the ability to make it from your bed to the gym becomes more and more of a challenge. Holiday season aside, only 35% of U.S. adults over the age of 18 engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, according to the 2009 Center for Disease Control and Prevention National Health Interview Survey. So what gives? Where’s our motivation?
When I began my three-week intensive yoga training last summer, my teacher asked us all a seemingly simple question – “Why do you practice yoga?”
To my surprise, everyone who answered the question had a unique reason for their own practice that was completely unrelated to physical fitness:
“It helps me to stay present.”
“It helped me get over my addiction to drugs and alcohol.”
“The yoga mat is the only place where I feel I can be myself.”
“It gives me a sense of confidence and control over my life.”
“It helps me to pull myself together.”
While yoga is most often acknowledged for it’s positive effect on cardiovascular health, flexibility, and overall physical fitness, what keeps students coming back for more is not the promise of abs of steel (which is certainly a possibility), but rather the mental stability that comes with each retreat to the yoga mat. When it comes to physical fitness and diet, these students were some of the most committed individuals I’d ever encountered, and the impetus for their diligence was not vanity.
Perhaps there’s something to learn from this. It’s easy to skip a sweat session at the gym if you’re going because someone else thinks you “should.” It’s easy to become frustrated during a group fitness class because you’re not as flexible as you’re neighbor. It’s easy to get caught up in the needs of your family and friends, and sweep your fitness routine under the rug for a few months. It’s easy to lose motivation. But maybe, just maybe, if we set aside the reasons for exercise that are purely driven by physical appearance, we can begin to harness those that are driven by self awareness and mental well-being. In other words, do it for YOU!
5 Ways to Feel Fit for Yourself:
- Try the elliptical for a mood boost: Many studies have shown that those who exercise regularly feel a positive change in mood and lower their risk for depression. “Improved self-esteem is a key psychological benefit of regular physical activity,” according to an article on WebMD.com, “When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins.” In fact, the article goes on to state that these endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain, reducing your perception of pain and triggering a positive feeling in the body.
- Use yoga to stretch it out: Weekly yoga practice is an ideal compliment to a running and weight training routine. Take the hour-long class for yourself and actively forget your troubles for an added perk.
- Punch it out: BodyCombat can be a great way to relieve stress. Need a little push? Visualize a target before you punch (no one will know that you’re secretly punching your neighbors barking dog, or your boss).
- Reward yourself: Squeezed in a 5:30am jog? Good for you! Reward yourself with a cup of your favorite tea from a café or a new scented candle. Squeezed in a 5:30am jog every day for the past two weeks? Treat yourself to a new pair of running sneakers!
- Indulge in a guilty-pleasure playlist: Create a playlist on your iPod that’s exclusively yours, exclusively for the gym. Listen to anything you want*
*Note: All guilty-pleasure playlists must include Justin Beiber, Paula Abdul, and Hall & Oates.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: exercise, fitness, groupx instructor, health, motivation, O2 Fitness Categories: Fitness Tips GroupX Classes
Fri / 10 / 07 / 11
Submitted by: Lee Holcomb, NC Personal Trainer at O2 Fitness Fuquay
What is HIIT Training? And how can it benefit you?
HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is about mixing high intensity bursts of exercise with moderate intensity recovery periods. It’s brutal but has incredible benefits. It’s the fastest way to get fit, lose fat and improve sports performance. It has been proven to burn 9 times as much fat than steady state cardiovascular training.
HIIT Sessions usually last less than 20 Minutes
This may seem like a very short space of time but believe me if you do the workout correctly you will be exhausted by the end of it. The goal of HIIT is to hold an anaerobic state for a long cumulative time. It’s designed with rest intervals to allow you to sprint harder for longer. Take this as an example, if you were to sprint for 100 meters, you would go full out for about 15 seconds (depending how fast you were). In an advanced HIIT workout you would probably spend about 7 to 8 minutes going full out in a 15 minute workout. If you are a beginner you should start with 4 to 6 minutes total workout time.
For Maximum Benefits make sure you are using Major Muscle Groups
There are a range of activities that you can do with HIIT. When choosing an activity try to pick one that safely uses the largest muscle groups in your body. High Intensity Interval Training will try and tap the energy sources found inside the muscle. The larger the muscle group being exercised, the more the benefit.
The absolute best for HIIT is sprinting. If, however, you have injuries or other problems which prevent you from sprinting by all means pick something else which you can manage safely. The second best would probably be a stationery spinning bike.
Do HIIT every Second Day
An HIIT workout should not be done on consecutive days. The workouts goal is to operate at a high intensity. So when you do your reps, you do them as hard as you can. This will allow you the most benefit. The workout burns energy from your muscle systems and it needs time to replenish it. If this doesn’t happen you will not be able to workout with as much intensity and you have much greater chance of injuring yourself. The benefits happen in your body during your rest period and the more rested you are, the more intensity you can put into your workout.
Obliterate your Fat when you combine Good Nutrition and HIIT
A lot of people, including yours truly, believed that if you wanted to maximise weight loss it was best to do HIIT on an empty stomach. Recent research is showing that this just isn’t so and in fact the opposite is true. Make sure you have had something to eat about half an hour before you exercise, make sure it is something balanced and easily digestible, you do not want something heavy while you are exercising.
Alternate Your Interval Training Routines
One of the key principles around High Intensity Interval Training is preventing any type of plateau. It’s designed around pushing your body to constantly adapt, and your body will invariably adapt to this type of workout. When this happens your improvements slow down. To counter this, always keep your body guessing, after you have done about 8 weeks on a particular HIIT program, give yourself one week off then start a new one.
So what are you waiting on? Ask an O2 Fitness professional about HIIT today!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: cardio, exercise, high intensity interval training, HIIT Training, Interval Training, work out, working out Categories: Fitness Tips
Tue / 10 / 04 / 11
Written by: Shawn Eisenbach, Fitness Director, O2 Fitness Chatham
Studies have shown that people generally feel better once they get to the gym and workout. Getting motivated to head to the gym requires more than that basic knowledge and a cup of coffee. Getting there is the hardest part especially after a long days work or on an early morning where you just didn’t get quite enough sleep. Motivation is one of the most common factors that keep people from getting into a gym and from achieving their goals. This is a battle that can be won mentally and physically!
6 Steps to Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals
- Set realistic fitness goals. The most important thing to do when starting out it to set obtainable goals. Be realistic with yourself, make a goal to start going to the gym a couple days per week rather than saying you’ll go 5-7 days. This will give you time to ease into it. It is easy to tell yourself that you will get up and go every morning. It’s important when first starting out that you leave room for days that you just can’t make it so that you don’t get discouraged and quit altogether.
- Start with what you like. Once you have made it into the gym, start out with something you like doing. You are more than likely to stick with something you enjoy rather than something you hate. If you find the cardiovascular equipment boring, then opt for some of our O2 Fitness group fitness classes. By finding and doing the things you enjoy in the gym, those things will be an added incentive to continue on your path to consistency and success.
- Use the car analogy. Think of your body as a car…you will only get as far as the amount of gas you put in your car. Our gas is our fluids and the foods that we consume throughout the day. Stay hydrated throughout the day and be sure to eat well-balanced meals. Fatigue comes with dehydration and poor nutrition consumption. Make sure to drink at least eight ounces of water per day and eat all your meals with healthy snacks in between. This will help fight off dehydration and decreasing fatigue. To get motivated to go to the gym you need to be alert and well rested.
- Track your progress. It is a proven fact that those who track their progress in the gym succeed in achieving their goals. I suggest keeping a log of your gym attendance to help you stay on track. To get yourself motivated to go to the gym, try putting stars or stickers on the days that you work out on a calendar. This way you can look at the calendar and see your progress or see that you need to pick up the pace.
- Reward yourself. For every week that you hit your goal, have a meal or snack that you like. Be sure though that it fits into you caloric goals (if you’ve set one). Rewards can be in any form, a movie, the spa or buy a new outfit or purse. Do something small and something you enjoy, this will get and keep you motivated to go to the gym.
- Get Help. Use the buddy system. Recruit friends or family members to hit the gym with you. You can get each other motivated to go to the gym by having someone to help and this can be the key to success. Be sure that your will power is strong enough to not let their excuses be yours. If they can’t make it on a planned day, go alone. If you feel friends and family have their own motivational issues, the best way to go it to invest in a personal trainer. This serves many great factors. Not only are you investing in your health further but, you are booking some else’s time for that portion of the day. No one likes to break appointments and commitments or let alone stand someone up (especially when you have paid for it already!) That alone is motivation to get to the gym. Also, by hiring a personal trainer you will become more consistent and more serious about what you are trying to achieve once you start to see the results you have longed for. Most importantly, you will enjoy it!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: chatham fitness clubs, exercise, exercise classes, fitness goals, group fitness classes, motivation, north chatham gyms Categories: Fitness Tips Meet the Trainers
Fri / 09 / 23 / 11
Written by Drew Schultz, Raleigh Personal Trainer & Kinesis Instructor @ O2 Fitness Falls/540
During your next resistance training workout and/or personal training session give this a shot: train to…..fail. What?! You might say? Train to FAIL? What does this mean?
It means the muscles that are the target of your given exercise fail to perform any further repetitions in good form. This means if you have to cheat, i.e. use momentum, jerk the weight, etc, then its time to terminate the set. You want to finish the set just before this happens.
In one of my previous blogs, we spoke of the complacency we often have after doing the same workouts over and over again, and our refusal to push ourselves beyond the comfort zone. When you start to feel the muscle burn, this is generally attributed to lactic acid buildup, a byproduct of localized fatigue in the muscle. Fatigue is good, because without it, we are not challenging ourselves any further than our regular daily activities. That’s why we’re here at O2 Fitness, isn’t it?
When you start to feel the burn, you can be assured that muscular failure will occur within several repetitions. Here’s one example. Many new members use the O2 Express Room. The first several workouts you are just getting used to the proper form, how to execute the movement properly. Within just a few weeks, or workouts, it will be easier to perform the given number of repetitions (fifteen is generally recommended for a beginning strength/toning program. Go ahead and add either a 5, 10, or possibly the next full plate on the stack in an effort to achieve fifteen reps again in good form. This is the basic principle of progressive resistance training.If you can still achieve sixteen, seventeen, and so forth, then you have a high-quality problem- you have increased your muscular endurance. You should add more resistance to keep challenging yourself.
I would recommend meeting with a personal trainer to make sure your form is safe, so that you can get the best results since you have made the decision to up the intensity. The personal trainer will give further individual instruction, so that you have the most appropriate exercises for your unique body.
Whether you just want better overall tone, or wish to sculpt a physique that evokes the glories of Rome, give training to failure a try – you will feel and see the results very soon, which is what we all signed up for in the first place!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 2 -
Tags: exercise, failure, fitness training, motivation, raleigh personal trainers, raleigh personal training, training, workout Categories: Fitness Tips
Wed / 09 / 21 / 11
Submitted by Brian Kenney, General Manager @ O2 Fitness Wilmington
If the thought of pedaling a stationary bike or walking on a treadmill brings about thoughts of medieval torture devices as you head to one of our O2 Fitness locations, you are not alone. In fact, most member’s view cardio as a necessary evil instead of an enjoyable exercise. However, what if we told you that cardio training can be fun, increase performance and help you drop that extra ten pounds without once stepping onto a cardio machine?
Agility Training
Agility training is another form of cardio fitness that can be fun and create more helpful results for the body than simply increasing cardiovascular efficiency and decreasing body fat.
Weekend warriors and those simply racing through the daily grind can benefit from adding in a few agility training drills to increase performance.
Agility training teaches the body to start, stop and change direction quickly while maintaining proper posture. Agility challenges you to control your center of gravity over a changing base of support while changing directions at varying speeds. It is important to remember that we move at varying speeds and in various directions each day.
Training to improve movement not only increases functional capabilities, but will help you avoid injuries by teaching the mind and body to work together and move at different speeds using the correct muscle at the correct time in the correct plane of motion. Agility training can provide numerous overall training benefits such as challenging your core, legs, balance, reaction capabilities, increasing your cardiovascular efficiency and best of all decreasing body fat.
Agility work can be done using cones or lines and is best performed on a basketball court, tennis court, grass field or in an aerobics room. Performing agility drills on concrete is not advised and may be harmful to your body. Opt for surfaces that provide better control for short, quick movements and avoid surfaces that may have loose gravel or feel slippery. With agility training, the proper surface can make all the difference.
For more information regarding Agility Training Programs please contact an O2 Fitness Personal Trainer for a complimentary Fitness Assessment
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: agility, agility training, cardio, cardiovascular exercise, personal training, plyometrics, stationary bike, treadmill Categories: Fitness Tips
Fri / 08 / 26 / 11
Written by Matt Skelly, NC Personal Trainer O2 Fitness Wilmington
Today we’re talking flexibility, one of the five components of fitness.
Flexibility is important to help prevent injury and serves as a huge benefit in our everyday lives. As we grow older we begin to go through what is called muscular fibrosis. Muscular fibrosis is when connective tissue hardens over the joint which renders us less flexible. But by stretching we can hinder the process of muscular fibrosis leaving us more limber and flexible for our everyday lives. Stretching also helps prevent injury during bouts of intense exercise. By loosening our muscles and joints are body’s are more acceptable to more movements were as if the muscles were not warmed up and remained in a cold state the risk of injury would increase.
Recent studies have said that the best type of stretch before exercise is dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching is a technique that uses momentum through a joint but not exceeding its range of motion; for example, doing arm circles or doing high knees. This helps warm up the muscles and joints before engaging in physical activity.
After your workout routine you should always do static stretching. Static stretching is when you hold the stretch for a period of time. The longer you hold it the more the muscle will loosen up allowing you to stretch even farther to a certain degree.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you stretch at least 2 to 3 times a week. Knowing this, I hope to see you all utilizing this information and stretching more around the gym. If you need help stretching or want to know the best stretches for your goals, ask any O2 Fitness personal trainer!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: benefits of flexibility, benefits of stretching, exercise, fitness, flexibility, stretching Categories: Fitness Tips
Wed / 08 / 10 / 11
Written by Anne Potter, Group Fitness Manager @ O2 Fitness Falls/540 
Once upon a long time ago, I so vividly remember being on a treadmill at an NC gym and watching people piling out of the indoor cycling room. You’ve all seen it and know what I’m talking about. Faces beet red and soaked from head to toe but sporting a perma-grin like they actually enjoyed it. AND, I remember thinking, you will NEVER see me taking a spin class or any group fitness class for that matter. Why on earth would those people want to do that to themselves?
Well, what’s that Justin Beiber song? NEVER SAY NEVER! I laugh now that I not only teach that class but am also a Group Fitness Manager. Here’s a little secret … I got started with group exercise not because I was motivated to lose tons of weight or because of health reasons, or because I had something to prove to myself or a fear to conquer (although I admit I was terrified to set foot in the cycling room). I got involved because quite frankly I was tired of hearing toddler tunes all the time. Yes, I wanted to hear some good, loud music!
So this gets me to my point, whatever the reason, as serious or silly as it may be just take a chance. Call it a leap of faith or a personal invitation from me to step outside of your comfort zone a little and try a group fitness class. There’s always other newbies there and the instructors go over the basics prior to beginning. If you don’t have fun and enjoy it, try another class. You may just find “your thing.” You may even become an indoor cycling junkie, a sh’bammer or maybe even a yogi or zumbie. Oh my! The wonderful world of possibilities you will discover and results you will begin to see with group fitness.
If I haven’t yet persuaded you with my personal story and subtle sarcasm than how about let’s talk calories and benefits of some of our classes. That usually perks ears. Of course calories burned depends a lot upon the individual.
- Inner Strength: Up to an average of 600 calories. Moderate to bursts of higher intensity. Options are offered for all fitness levels. Sculpts hard to target areas with simple, functional movements. Improves balance, flexibility, core strength that takes other sports and workouts to the next level. To the tune of soothing drum beats and funky tribal remixes. Shoes optional!
- RPM: Up to 620 for 45 minutes and upwards of 800+ for 60 minutes. Moderate to high intensity. Improves heart & lung fitness and increases strength & endurance. Biggest bang for your buck in terms of calories burned in 45 minutes! All to the tune of the latest hard-hitting pop tunes & remixes.
- BodyCombat: Up to 545 calories per 55 minute class. High intensity. Martial-arts-inspired cardio. Tones & shapes. Increases strength & endurance & builds self-esteem. Latest hard-hitting pop tunes.
- SH’BAM: Up to 400 calories. Moderate intensity. Dance inspired cardio. Tones & shapes, develops self -expression and improves coordination. Also burns calories and is a super fun workout! Chart topping hits and remixed beats.
- BodyFlow: Up to 340 calories per 55 minute class. Low intensity. Inspired by yoga, tai chi & pilates. Improves joint flexibility & range of motion. Tones & shapes and enhances mental awareness. Soulful, calming & inspiring tunes.
- BodyPump: Up to 560 calories per 60 min class. Moderate to high intensity. Weights-based resistance training. Increases strength & endurance, tones & shapes and helps maintain proper bone health. The latest hard-hitting pop tunes.
Now that you know what to expect, go get fit and have fun doing it … one group fitness class at a time!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: bodycombat, BodyFlow, fitness classes, Group Fitness, group fitness classes, Les Mills, music, nc group fitness classes, raleigh gyms, sh'bam Categories: Fitness Tips GroupX Classes
Mon / 08 / 08 / 11
Written by Drew Schultz, NC Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Falls/540
When exercising, you will encounter various levels of stress. These are determined by experience, frequency, duration, intensity, and other variables. Below are the 3 stages of stress: Alarm, Adaption & Plateau.
The 3 Stages of Physical Stress:
- Alarm, or Shock Stage. This is when you are new to exercise, are coming back from a hiatus, or have changed up your program. You may encounter muscle soreness, or as I affectionately call it, “quality soreness,” which my personal training clients and I jokingly recall upon each follow up session. This is the period where you can be certain that you are embarking on a new phase of results. It may last two weeks to a month.
- Adaptation, or Progress Stage. Within two to three weeks of a new fitness program, you start to notice positive changes. Your clothing feels different to your body, you start to see certain muscles- maybe the separation between your triceps and deltoids (back of the arm and outer shoulder). Your muscles feel firmer. Your shirts, blouses, and pants are now looser around the midsection and hips. You now feel comfortable and proud to tuck in your shirt!
- Plateau, or Stagnation Stage. It happens too commonly to too many of us. We get comfortable in the same old routine. People say,”I’m just looking for a good routine,” but routine is not what you want for success in fitness. Maybe you always hit the circuit, the easy to use, no mess, no fuss machines. Too many members stick to this workout for years, several times a week, and wonder why they no longer see results. You don’t want haphazard workouts without direction, but you do want exercises you can come back to periodically to gauge progress. This is where the personal trainer is most beneficial.
A NC personal trainer will help guide you one on one with appropriate exercises, just for you, at the stage you are currently in. A personal trainer will carefully work with you during the first stage, so you are learning the exercises, how to perform them safely, and how to get the most benefit out of them and will enable you through the Progress stage, as this ideally should be never ending. He or she will also make sure you do not enter the Plateau stage, or will get you out of the Plateau if you have never worked with a personal trainer before.
There are many beneficial techniques that may be new to you when you work with a personal trainer. They are best learned in person. Contact O2 Fitness today to reignite the Progress phase!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: exercise and stress, exercising, physical activity, physical stress, stress Categories: Fitness Tips
Thu / 08 / 04 / 11
Submitted by: Steven Sade, Raleigh Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Brennan Station 
Yes, strength training will add definition to your muscles and give men and women alike more fit and toned bodies, but working out with weights does so much more! Here are 6 reasons to add strength training to your workout plan:
1. Strength training protects bone health and muscle mass.
After puberty, whether you are a man or a woman, you begin to lose about 1 percent of your bone and muscle strength every year. One of the best ways to stop, prevent, and even reverse bone and muscle loss is to add strength training to your workouts.
2. Strength training makes you stronger and fitter.
Strength training is also called resistance training because it involves strengthening and toning your muscles by contracting them against a resisting force. There are two types of resistance training:
- Isometric resistance involves contracting your muscles against a non-moving object, such as against the floor in a push-up.
- Isotonic strength training involves contracting your muscles through a range of motion as in weight lifting.
Both make you stronger and can get you into better shape. Remember that with strength training your muscles need time to recover, so it should only be done on alternate days. Always take some time to warm up and cool down after strength training.
3. Strength training helps you develop better body mechanics.
Strength training has benefits that go well beyond the appearance of nicely toned muscles. Your balance and coordination will improve, as will your posture. More importantly, if you have poor flexibility and balance, strength training can reduce your risk of falling by as much as 40 percent, a crucial benefit, especially as you get older.
4. Strength training plays a role in disease prevention.
Studies have documented the many wellness benefits of strength training. If you have arthritis, strength training can be as effective as medication in decreasing arthritis pain. Strength training can help post-menopausal women increase their bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures. And for the 14 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, strength training along with other healthy lifestyle changes can help improve glucose control.
5. Strength training boosts energy levels and improves your mood.
Strength training will elevate your level of endorphins (natural opiates produced by the brain), which will make you feel great. As if that isn’t enough to convince you, strength training has also been shown to be a great antidepressant, to help you sleep better, and to improve your overall quality of life.
6. Strength training translates to more calories burned.
You burn calories during strength training, and your body continues to burn calories after strength training, a process called “physiologic homework.” More calories are used to make and maintain muscle than fat, and in fact strength training can boost your metabolism by 15 percent — that can really jumpstart a weight loss plan.
Strength Training: Getting Started
Don’t limit yourself to thinking that lifting weights, expensive machines, or gym membership is the only way to do strength training. Push-ups, jump squats, lunges, and mountain climbing are all examples of exercises that provide strength training.Who doesn’t want to look better, feel better, and live a longer, healthier life? So what are you waiting for? Talk to one of our NC personal trainers, and get started now with a complete workout program that includes strength training.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: exercise plans, fitness advice, Fitness Tips, nc fitness clubs, raleigh gym, raleigh gyms, strength train, strength training, workout Categories: Fitness Tips
Wed / 08 / 03 / 11
Written by Drew Schultz, Kinesis Instructor and Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Falls/540
One valuable asset that will motivate and ultimately deliver you to your goals is the proper mindset- a Warrior Mentality. The Warrior Mentality accepts no excuses, thus defeat is not an option. There is no time to negotiate- you must DO IT NOW!
We find many excuses that will come to the forefront of our mind when the prospect of a workout draws near. “Oh, I don’t feel like it. I’ll do it tomorrow.” Unfortunately, tomorrow never comes, as it becomes a vicious cycle of putting it off continually. Sometimes we are good for a few days, even weeks, only to never open the door of the club for another six months.
This is where accountability through personal training comes in. When someone is waiting for you, and believes in your capabilities more than you do, then you will perform. When you see that you are indeed capable of pushing through the physical and psychological barriers, then you will be thankful you did it. You will be well on your way to developing the Warrior Mentality.
One personal example for you- I often have early morning and late evening sessions. If I finish at 9pm, and I realize the club closes at 10pm, then I have one hour to get it done. I know what needs to be done. If I put it off, then I have failed. I could talk myself into going out for coffee, in the hopes of waking up, but then I could just as well tell myself that by the time I get back, there will not be enough time to make it worthwhile. At that point the Warrior Mentality comes to the forefront of my mind, and I know what I have to do. I tell myself, “DO IT NOW!”
The Warrior Mentality can also be applied to one’s diet. Every time you are about to put food in your mouth, ask yourself this question: “Is this going to enhance, or impede, my fitness goals? If you ask this question every time, you will absolutely guarantee more accountability and thus more success.
The Warrior Mentality must be applied 24/7/365, not just in January as a New Year’s Resolution. Our health, longevity, and fitness will not wait for us. The time is now.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 1 -
Tags: fitness goals, gym, personal trainers cary, personal trainers Raleigh, personal training, personal training fuquay varina, personal training wilmington, Raleigh, raleigh gyms Categories: Fitness Tips
Wed / 07 / 27 / 11
Written By: Jessica Curfman, NC Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Falconbridge
Psychology is defined as the study of the mind and behavior and exercise is defined as any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. So how in the world do these two terms relate? One can tie the two together by viewing exercise as a certain behavior many of us add to our everyday routine that needs extra attention and modification.
In Psychology, psychological theories are viewed as the foundation for behavioral change. One of the most important theories that can be used to encourage exercise adoption, maintenance, and improvement in exercise adherence is the learning theory. Learning theories propose overall complex behavior arises from many small, simple behaviors. These theories propose that it is possible to shape a desired behavior by reinforcing “partial behaviors” and modifying cues in the environment.
Techniques from learning theories such as shaping, reinforcement and antecedent control can be used to increase adoption and maintenance of exercising.
3 Techniques from Learning Theories:
- Shaping: involves setting a series of intermediate goals that lead to a long term goal. This can be especially appropriate when initiating an exercise program
- Reinforcement: is the positive or negative consequence for performing or not performing a behavior. Positive consequences motivate behavior! These consequences can be viewed as rewards that can help motivate us. Rewarding ourselves when goals are accomplished is important. But be careful not to use food as a reward, in this instance we can be creating another bad habit and in the long run “punishing” ourselves!
- Antecedent control: uses techniques that prompt the initiation of behavior Such prompts may include: Telephone reminders, packing a gym bag for the next day before going to bed, taking your gym clothes to work with you, scheduling time for exercise in one’s daily schedule and scheduling pop up reminders on the computer.
Now that we know exercise can be viewed as a behavior we should pay more attention to it and take the initiative to modify it when needed so we can adopt and maintain a life-long behavior!
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: exercise, exercise behavior, fitness, learning theories, physical fitness, psychology Categories: Fitness Tips
Mon / 07 / 25 / 11
Written by: Stewart Young, Raleigh Personal Trainer @ O2 Fitness Falconbridge
If you are like most people these days, your time is very important to you. And if you are also one of those people who does not want to spend all of their leisure time at the gym but still want to see results, then let me introduce (or reintroduce) you to something you have probably already heard of – circuit training.
As a basic definition, circuit training is combining several exercises and completing them in sequence for your workout. Circuit training can be as tough or challenging as you want it to be because you can design it! The great thing about circuit training is that it is designed to increase strength, muscular endurance, and cardiorespiratory endurance (kind of like an all-in-one workout!). If designed properly, only 30-40 minutes of circuit training can burn as many calories as over an hour of aerobic exercise alone!
One great way to get the most out of your circuit training is to add some different exercises in. To really get a great cardio workout in your circuit, try adding some aerobic exercises in between your weight stations (some call this super circuit resistance training). For example, you can do a set of leg press and then hop on a treadmill for a 1-2 min jog/run before moving to the next exercise. These aerobic exercises can be added in between every few weight stations.
As you get in better shape, try adding more time on your exercises and shorten your rest time, this will really increase the intensity of your circuit. Lastly, make sure you plan out your circuit so that exercises are easily accessible and can be moved to quickly from the previous station. Circuit training does take a little bit of planning but it is something everyone can do, so grab a stop watch and get started!
Don’t forget: Make sure to ask a personal trainer what exercises are the best to include in your circuit to help you reach your goals and improve your fitness.
Share on Facebook!
COMMENTS: 0 -
Tags: circuit, circuit training, fitness, personal training, raleigh gym, raleigh gyms, training, workout Categories: Fitness Tips
