11 of my health and fitness pet peeves

Here are a few of my biggest pet peeves related to health and fitness:

1. Stuck on calories in/out – All of these calorie measurements are estimates. Eat good quality, nutritious food and let your body tell you when it’s full.
2. Barbie reps – Not burning calories or building muscle. Not getting benefit of a true resistance program that includes a challenge on the muscle.
3. Food puritans – Food choices are often limited anyway. Do the best that you can. Food is about replenishing our body and making the best choices possible given our circumstances.
4. Bro science –Don’t always follow the crowd, because sometimes the crowd is wrong. Do a little bit of research on your own.
5. Pre-workout stimulants – Avoid these. If you’re getting proper nutrition, that is all you need.
6. Fat loss supplements – If you’re eating a good diet and you’re moving around, your body will begin to burn fat without these supplements.
7. Flat stomach machines – Your body has a natural rhythm to how it wants to store fat. These machines will not be the difference maker.
8. Incomplete nutritional information in apps – You must do your own diligence to be sure what you’re eating is a true serving compared to the information within the app.
9. Ignoring food, stress, and sleep – You cannot ignore these, as you need them in your program just as much, if not more, than exercise.
10. Scale worship – The scale is not a good measure of health and fitness, but a measure of body mass. Focus on how you look and feel.
11. Irresponsible headlines – Misleading headlines cause people to make health decisions without understanding the real implications.

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The science of mind over body with Jo Marchant

Jo Marchant is an accomplished science journalist and the author of the new book, Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body. This book examines the role that the mind plays in healing the body.

One example of how the mind impacts healing within the body is displayed through the placebo effect. Jo explains that many people do get better simply by taking a placebo. Decades of research has shown that taking any medicine, including a placebo, triggers specific changes in the brain that eases our symptoms.

Many trials have shown that placebos even work when the patient knows the medication is a placebo. This may be because the brain gets the signal that the body is being cared for, and therefore backs off on its own symptom signals.

Similarly, the brain decides what level of the symptom we need to see based on the severity of the injury or issue. This is similar with fatigue. The sensation created is a psychological one of exhaustion and fatigue, so that we don’t push ourselves to a risk of death. This role that the brain plays shows that we have some control through our beliefs, hopes, attitudes, for example. Exercises such as HIIT can actually help improve our performance and break down this fatigue state, as the brain learns to let the body go a bit further each time based on previous experience.

Jo also speaks about the role of the vagus nerve within the parasympathetic nervous system in altering one’s heart rate. By slowing one’s breathing, the vagus nerve is triggered to keep the body and mind calm. This helps the body to better respond to stress.

Cure is a great primer to understanding how powerful mind can be for your body. To connect with Jo Marchant or to learn more about Cure, visit www.jomarchant.com.

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11 Health and fitness objections

There are many health and fitness objections, but many of them don’t hold up. Here are some of the most common:

1. Bad genetics – Your genetic potential is to be a better person. With the right amount of work and managing your health, you can accomplish any goal. Mindset is key. Your body will follow.
2. Tried everything – It’s not about the temporary fix. To make change, you must fix your lifestyle.
3. Boredom – A good walk outside is never boring. Many different machines in the gym will keep you entertained. There are options to increase variety.
4. Don’t want to get bulky – Those who get bulky often have genetic advantages and are using supplements. Focus on being lean and strong.
5. Intimidated by the gym – Consider hiring a personal trainer to introduce you to the equipment. Check out a gym before joining to be sure you feel comfortable and perhaps work out with a friend.
6. Unsupportive spouse – Have a conversation with your spouse about your goals and gaining their support. Encourage them to join you.
7. Can’t move like that – You’re not competing with others. You are competing with you. Over time, you will improve your mobility, strength, and endurance.
8. No time – This really shows a lack of priority. Make a commitment and schedule time on your calendar.
9. Illness – Don’t go to the gym if you are sick. Instead, try doing your workout at home.
10. Injury – There are ways to work around your injury. Avoid the area of injury, but focus on other areas of your body.
11. Don’t know where to start – First, solidify your goal and assemble the program to get you there. Consider hiring a personal trainer or joining the Surefire Results for Weight Loss

Need help? Reach out to me at main@forever.fitness.

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Becoming a certified personal trainer

There are multiple paths to becoming a certified personal trainer. I began my journey as a personal trainer because I wanted to get fit, but I didn’t have the time and availability to work with a trainer or get to the gym. In an effort to learn the skills and apply them to my own life, I chose to take part in the comprehensive certification program offered by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, or NASM. After six months of studying and learning, I was able to sit for the certification exam.

My daughter is also a personal trainer, but her path was a bit different. During college, she took kinesiology courses and acquired her L1 base level certification for CrossFit instructors. She is now studying to attain her certified strength conditioning coach certification.

Though the path to becoming a certified personal trainer can be quite varied, note that not all certifications are equal.

Is one type of certification better than the other? No; it simply comes down to the individual’s preference.

As a personal trainer, it’s more about working with your clients and being an overall good trainer. Here are a few tips in doing so:

1. Aim to teach the client everything you know so that he can move onto something bigger and better. A good trainer should not be striving to be a client’s trainer for life.

2. Focus on what the client wants. It may take time to get the client’s mindset to ease through a progression of what they should achieve.

3. It’s all about the relationship. The trainer and client must get along and communicate well. The relationship is based upon the client’s personal development.

When becoming a certified personal trainer, be choosy about the path that works best for you. A good personal trainer stands out not only because of his education but also because of his soft skills.

Here is the guide on selecting a personal trainer.  You can use this to assess your needs as you work toward this goal.

8 Things to Look for in a Personal Trainer

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Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)

After an intense workout, it’s normal to feel sore or stiff. You may even struggle to move. This is a natural physical reaction to the work you have done called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS for short.

What causes DOMS? The current popular thought is that when we do resistance style exercise, micro tears are created within the muscle, which allows these muscles to get stronger. Because of this, the autoimmune system often sends signals that we’ve overdone it, which manifests in the soreness we feel.

How can we manage DOMS?

1. Get into a mode of active rest. Though you will want to lay still to avoid the pain, you should actually try to move muscles in full range of motion throughout the day.

2. Drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated and flush out impurities, which will help to maintain your muscles. Make sure you’re getting enough electrolytes such as potassium and sodium.

3. Get an adequate amount of protein. This will help to add muscle and allow you to get stronger.

4. Rest at least 48 hours between exercise sessions. You may be sore, but you are still capable of doing work. You may consider toning down the workout slightly, but there is no need to skip a session if you have rested adequately.

There are smart ways to get fit and improve your physique without experiencing DOMS after every workout. By having a good plan in place and doing everything in moderation, you will be better able to manage delayed onset muscle soreness.

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Going too hard, too long with Lennard Zinn

Lennard Zinn is a professional frame builder, bike designer, and co-author of a new book entitled, The Haywire Heart. This new book examines the potential impact on the heart when pushing one’s self too hard during the course of exercise.

Though exercise is often viewed as a key to living a healthy life, research has indicated that we can actually go too far during exercise. At a certain point, there is potential for exercise-induced disease, especially concerning the heart.

A competitive cycler, Lennard explained that during one particular race, he noticed his heart rate was extremely high. He decided to get it checked out later in the day and was instructed to go to the ER. Though he was in denial for some time about the issues with his heart, he continued to train and race. Eventually these incidents became so frequent that he needed to stop.

Lennard was experiencing arrhythmias, which is an electrical problem of sorts with one’s heart, that causes an irregular or abnormal rhythm. Symptoms encompass a wide variety, ranging from a racing heart rate to general uneasiness. The most common type of arrhythmia is atrial fibrillation, which can present as a strange feeling in the chest or an erratic heartbeat. This can persist for hours or days and may require medical intervention. Anything that seems out of the ordinary should be evaluated by a medical professional.

To encourage heart health, Lennard recommends adding magnesium to one’s diet, as it is critical for the function of the heart. Other beneficial supplements include CoQ10, baby aspirin, hawthorn, L-carnitine taken with alpha-lipoic acid, and iodine.

To connect with Lennard Zinn or purchase The Haywire Heart, visit www.zinncycles.com.

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11 Health and fitness biohacks

There are four main tactics to employ when trying to lose weight: eating well, movement, quality sleep, and managing stress.  But if you're looking to find some incremental advantages, you can add some health and fitness biohacks.  These practices/foods won't move the needle, but they may be something for you to consider as you go on your health and fitness journey.

Health and Fitness Biohacks:

1. Cold – Submerging the body in cold water boosts the metabolism and helps to reduce body fat and inflammation.
2. High-intensity interval training – HIIT builds endurance and enhances your metabolism. Be sure to fully recover during recovery periods and between workouts.
3. Intermittent fasting –This keeps the body in fat burning mode for longer. One method involves eating during an eight-hour period and fasting for the other 16 hours each day.
4. Ketosis – Ketones in the blood can be used to fuel the body’s energy, which leads to fat loss.
5. Hormone management – Aging often leads to a lowering of estrogen or testosterone, which causes the body to store fat in different ways. Maintain good hormone levels through diet, exercise, and possibly supplementation under a physician’s care.
6. Treadmill desk – Do normal work while walking one to two miles per hour. This increases your activity level and improves core strength and balance.
7. Warm lemon water – Consuming this in the morning jumpstarts the metabolism, digestive track, and energy levels.
8. Apple cider vinegar – One tablespoon before bed each night can have a positive effect on lowering blood sugar.
9. Elimination diets – Added weight can be caused by inflammation from certain foods. Elimination diets will help you determine which foods cause you inflammation and should be removed from your diet permanently.
10. Manage your water – Flushing water from the body is one way to drop a few pounds fairly quickly.
11. Long, slow distance – This stress-reducing exercise keeps the metabolism going and allows you to stay in a fat burning mode.

While these health and fitness biohacks should not be used as a primary method of weight loss, they may be able to supplement the main four tactics.

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