Wonderfully Fit Personal Training

Locking the joints when you're lifting weight can put enormous strain on them and lead to muscle and joint injury.

Keep your immune system strong with zinc during winter months.  Zinc is a mineral linked to strengthening the immune system. 

Exercise helps your body metabolize stress hormones more quickly.

Have you ever stopped to think what would happen if you were not physically able to provide for others? Who would cook for the family? Who would do the housework; drop off and pick up the kids? Who would perform your job? Who would do the many many things we do daily and weekly to make life happen? Another critical question – are you doing what you can to take care of your health and fitness to make sure you are able to continue to do all of these things and be in the best shape and condition you can be? When we think about the plight of Americans, we have to agree that these are all great questions. I get run down too and am guilty of doing for everyone and leaving myself last. I know as a fitness professional I need to stay in the best condition I can and heading into 2014 I am making me a priority. I realize I cannot help my family, employer, clients, and friends if I am not able to physically do what I do. That’s a fact! We have some great end of year specials at Wonderfu

Without adequate amounts of the B vitamins, the body lacks the energy needed for exercise. 

Physically active women have a significantly lower risk of breast cancer.

Two good ways to build core strength include Pilates and exercises with stability balls.

Cardiorespiratory health involves the health of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. 

Recent studies show that even short intervals of activity, such as walking just 10 minutes a day, can increase your fitness level. 

Warming up and stretching are two different things.  Be sure to warm up first, then ease into stretching. 

Walking and running are examples of weight-bearing activities that can help you strengthen your bones and guard against osteoporosis.

Studies show that fatness can be reduced by regular physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity 3 to 5 times a week, for 30 to 60 minutes. 

Meet with your personal trainer to create an exercise plan.

Eat breakfast everyday.  It gets your metabolism up and running. 

Physically active people, especially women, appear to have a lower risk of hip fracture than do inactive people. 

Increase your metabolism through a general strength-training program.  The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn all day long. 

Stiffness, soreness or pain in muscles or joints deserves a rest for 24-48 hours.  

When resistance training is used to enhance muscle strength, one set of 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise is effective.

If you have a child, look for places where you both can exercise (e.g., a swimming pool, a running track).

Keep a bottle of water by your bed.  A few sips of water can feel good if you wake up thirsty in the middle of the night.

Protect your knees by including exercises for both quads (leg extensions) and hamstrings (leg curls) in a strength-training program. 

Cross training helps guard against overuse injuries that can result from doing only one type of workout. 

Do not over-stretch or you risk pulling a muscle.  Ease into any stretch.

Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, which is healthy for you.

Limit rest time in between abs exercises to about 1 minute or less, so that you can keep your metabolism high and burn fat quicker.

Eat fish on a regular basis.  Fish can promote better short-term memory.

Do not skip meals.  Your metabolism can actually slow down, leaving you more prone to store fat by the time the day is through.

The more you move around physically, the more calories you burn which increases your ability to lose fat more easily.

To get the most from your abdominal crunches, your lower back should stay pressed against the floor throughout each crunch. 

It's important to work all the major muscle groups of the body: the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms. 

A crash diet slows down your metabolic rate.  When this happens, your body will store energy instead of burning it and you will actually gain weight.

Adding 30 minutes of exercise to your daily schedule can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 15%.  More exercise can reduce the risk even further.

Challenge yourself by doing one extra workout per week.

To get a leaner look, gradually lose fat (through diet and exercise) and strength-train with weights.

Research shows that training with weights can reduce your risk of heart disease.

Everyone can gain the cardiovascular health benefits of physical activity. 

If done properly, crunches are one of the most effective abs exercises. 

The best way to be physically active is to be active for life. 

Working out with weights improves your strength and muscle tone and helps you lose weight by improving your metabolism. 

Jogging and power walking are excellent calorie burners.  You may also try the treadmill, the stair master or spinning. 

When choosing nutritional supplements, consider your personal fitness goals, and look for the products designed to meet those goals.

SATURDAY PILATES CLASS --  Can You Make It? Saturday, December 7, 2013 @ 12 pm Wonderfully Fit Studio 4180 Gardenia Avenue, LB COME JOIN US THIS SATURDAY  Tone and sculpt Your  Body  AWESOME CORE WORK!

Warming up and stretching before exercise, and stretching and cooling down afterwards, help protect you against muscle strain. 

Squats, lunges, lying leg press, and hip extensions are good exercises to do to strengthen your glutes, your butt muscles.

Work out and tone your entire body rather than just focusing on your abs area.  For example, work out your arms, legs as well as doing crunches.

Use olive oil to baste poultry before roasting.

Don't slouch! Standing up straight and keeping a good posture will help you look leaner and thinner.

Tae kwon do and kickboxing can provide a rigorous aerobic workout and also strengthen your abdominal muscles.

A general rule of thumb is that 2 minutes of moderate-intensity activity counts the same as 1 minute of vigorous-intensity activity. 

By working out with weights regularly, you increase your lean muscle mass, which burns calories at a much higher rate than fat does. 

Children younger than 6 should be physically active in ways appropriate for their age and stage of development. 

Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed. Paul Coelho

Get Back on the Saddle I know as mature women and men we often times find ourselves off track when it comes to taking care of ourselves in terms of our health and fitness due to many things. Often times work becomes overwhelming, hindering us from having time to take care of ourselves; family (children, grandchildren, mate) prevents us from focusing on our health; issues such as colds, flu, infections, sprained or injury to a leg, foot, knee, hip, back also can interfere with our exercise program. I recently experienced a problem with my foot – plantar fasciitis – that threw me off my exercise routine for weeks. I oftentimes run, box, dance and lift weights with my clients and having this injury really took its toll on me. I had my own exercise routine that was hampered. Also, when we are used to working out and something hinders our routine, our body lets us know it is not happy. Well I am “Back on the Saddle” and am so grateful. I am back to running, boxing, dancing, liftin

Most efficient belly fat loss will come as a result of both diet modification and exercise.  You don't have to go on an extreme diet to see results. 

SATURDAY PILATES CLASS --  Can You Make It? Saturday, November 30, 2013 @ 12 pm Wonderfully Fit Studio 4180 Gardenia Avenue, LB COME JOIN US THIS SATURDAY  Tone and sculpt Your  Body  AWESOME CORE WORK!

The health benefits of physical activity are generally independent of body weight. 

Choose foods lower in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol to keep your abs lean.

Inline skating is a great cardiovascular exercise, and it is much easier on your joints compared with running.

Once a person reaches a certain fitness level, he or she progresses to higher levels of physical activity by continued overload and adaptation. 

Running, jogging, or walking is a weight-bearing exercise that helps build and maintain bone.

Research shows that weight training can improve your self-esteem. 

A combination of eating right and working out regularly is a great method to lose weight and help prevent heart disease.

Try out new and different cardio activities such as tae kwon do, skiing, kickboxing, or dancing.

Choose to do types of physical activity that are appropriate for your current fitness level and health goals.

Aerobic activity helps slow the loss of muscle with aging. 

When adults with chronic conditions do activity according to their abilities, physical activity is safe. 

If you have any health problems, consult your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.

Limit your alcohol intake, as alcohol can add weight and fat to your belly area.

Burn more calories and belly fat through regular cardiovascular workouts, such as climbing stairs, running, swimming, or biking.

Pilates is a highly effective means of strengthening and toning the body's core muscles. 

Stretching is a must for a good workout.  Stretching prevents injury, increases performance, and can reduce the overall stress on your body. 

Learn how to do crunches and other abs exercises correctly.  For any abdominal exercise, 2 or 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions each is good. 

Push-ups are good for your chest, shoulders and triceps.

Do not bounce while stretching.  Instead, stretch as far as you can comfortably, and hold the stretch for up to 30 seconds.

Brisk walking, jumping rope, dancing, lifting weights, and doing yoga are all examples of healthy physical activity.

Don't eat too much pasta, bread, or rice.  These carbs convert to fat in your belly very quickly.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so don't skip breakfast.  Instead, eat a light and healthy snack to keep your belly happy.

A potent antioxidant, vitamin C protects the body against cell damage that can occur during exercise. 

Studies show that people who have a social support system are more successful in their weight loss efforts.

Increase your metabolism through strength-training. The more muscle mass you have, the more belly fat you burn all day long.

Push-ups and bench presses can improve overall upper-body strength. 

If you need to lose weight, do so gradually.  That means no more than 1 or 2 pounds a week. 

SATURDAY PILATES CLASS --  Can You Make It? Saturday, November 16, 2013 @ 12 pm Wonderfully Fit Studio 4180 Gardenia Avenue, LB COME JOIN US THIS SATURDAY  Tone and sculpt Your  Body  AWESOME CORE WORK!

The basic formula for treating sprains is "RICE": rest, ice, compression and elevation.

Exercise releases endorphins, which are naturally produced chemicals thought to relieve stress and promote a sense of well-being.

For adults who prefer walking as a form of aerobic activity, pedometers or step counters are useful in tracking progress toward personal goals. 

When you work out, your need for several vitamins and minerals increases.  So be sure to take a multivitamin to replace what's lost during exercise.

People who want to lose a substantial amount of weight need a high amount of physical activity unless they also reduce their caloric intake. 

Consult a personal trainer in starting your fitness plan.

Healthy older adults generally do not need to consult a health-care provider before becoming physically active. 

Burn more calories and belly fat through regular cardiovascular workouts, such as climbing stairs, running, swimming, or biking.

Strengthen shoulder muscles with side raises, front raises and/or shoulder presses. 

Eating vegetables may be useful in helping to lower your total caloric intake, thereby helping you to lose belly weight.

On your journey to success, equip yourself with will, hope and patience. Mohammed Sekout

Do abs crunches slowly, both during the bend and the return to the upright position, and keep your neck in a neutral position.

You should consider three factors in individualizing your rate of physical activity increase: age, level of fitness, and prior experience. 

Physical activity lowers blood pressure and blood cholesterol. 

When performing your weight-lifting workouts, it's important not to lock your joints (knees, elbows, etc.) during the exercises. 

Strengthening your abdominal muscles can help prevent lower back pain. 

Jumping rope and jumping jacks can improve footwork and will increase strength in the lateral muscles of the ankle. 

Provide time for both structured and unstructured physical activity for your children during school and outside of school. 

You can strength-train by doing basic exercises that use your body weight as resistance (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges).

Adults should strongly consider walking as one good way to get aerobic physical activity. 

Most adults should increase their aerobic activity to exceed the minimum level and move toward 5 hours a week. 

Proper hydration leads to a more efficient workout with better strength and endurance.

Regular physical activity over months and years can produce long-term health benefits. 

Remember that long workouts provide no additional benefit for your abs.  Effective abs workouts are typically short in duration.

Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes. 

Cool-downs help prevent muscle soreness, dizziness and fainting. 

Remember that strength training has a better effect on metabolism than cardio because lean muscle requires more energy usage.

Before reaching for snack food, drink some water or decaf green tea.  Green tea suppresses appetite. 

When we have weak core muscles, it's much harder to maintain good posture.

Exercise gets easier and you will be able to do more and more as time goes on. 

 Physical activity improves the quality of sleep. 

Burn more calories through regular cardiovascular workouts, such as walking, running, cycling, skating, etc...

Eating frequent meals keeps your body working throughout the day.

Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, and preferably, it should be spread throughout the week. 

Gradually decrease your intensity as you finish a cardio workout; do not stop abruptly.  This can be hard on your heart and your body. 

Keep working at it and don't give up.  It is hard to eat healthy and keep exercising regularly, but this is the key to getting flat abs.