I am currently on a journey around the world, literally. Our final destination, Kochi, India is a mere 4.5 hours away as we rest for a bit in Bahrain. As with anywhere I go, I notice local fitness/exercise habits. We have had a 15 hour layover in Bahrain so we were able to go explore the city and it’s vastly different culture. While I didn’t notice any fitness centers or any personal training studios, I saw quite a few locals jogging as we drove around. This is very inspiring to me. It’s really as if exercise is universal, no matter where you travel in the world. The culture here is so different, yet we are basically all humans who need and appreciate our individual wellness.

A common mistake made by too many people is “over training.”  Your fitness program should include days for rest to give your body proper rest and recovery.  To begin with, a properly designed fitness program should include elements that involve the principles of overloading.  Overloading is when demands are placed upon your muscles that are greater than what they are used to.  When your muscles become stronger to more easily handle these loads, heavier loads are placed.  

Strength training causes microscopic tears in the muscles, making it important to give proper rest to these muscles.  Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is what many experience as a result of this tearing.  DOMS may subside for a couple of days and should not be the only indicator for proper rest.  As a general rule, 48 to 72 hours is usually the time it takes for a given muscle or body part to fully recover and repair. Depending on fitness level, age, intensity, etc., many people may require more or less rest and recovery. 

Most athletes know of the importance of rest.  It is during this time that their muscles are actually repairing, building, and becoming stronger.  This translates to improved performance and fewer injuries.  Whether you are under the guidance of a fitness trainer or not, it is vital that you incorporate the rest days into your program for longevity and results.

As we age, a common condition known as frailty becomes quite prevalent.  Frailty is characterized by weakness, fatigue, mood disturbances, and a variety of diseases and/or disabilities.  It leads to loss of independence and risk of injury and death.  Fitness training has significant benefits for frail persons and working with a physical trainer becomes even more important at the age of most who are frail.  Some of the benefits of a regular fitness program include enhanced muscular strength, increased aerobic endurance, improved joint flexibility, balance, and coordination.  In addition, the weight loss that comes from exercise have been shown to reduce frailty symptoms.  Exercise training can also improve a person’s psychological status, which is important because depression and anxiety are prevalent in frail persons.

The primary goals of a strength and conditioning program for a frail person are as follows:

1) Aerobic Training- increase their functional capacity and independence, try to incorporate as many large muscle group activities as possible

2) Flexibility Training- increase the joint range of motion, relieve stress, improve balance, and decrease risk of falling

3) Resistance Training- improve mobility and reduce risk of falling, increase independence, concentrate on major muscle groups and multi-joint movements

4) Functional Training- increase body awareness and balance, coordination, flexibility, ambulation

We have all heard the term “core” thrown around in the fitness world, but I am sure that most don’t realize what exactly “core” means.  Your core muscles consist of all of the musculature of your abdominal section, lower back, and obliques region.  Core strength refers to the muscles of your abs and back and their ability to support your spine and keep your body stable and balanced.  Your core is the essence of everything you do, from your day-to-day activities, to your athletic pursuits.  It doesn’t matter how strong your arms and legs are if the muscles they’re attached to aren’t equally as strong.  Think of your core area as your body’s foundation.  Everything else comes crumbling down if you don’t have a solid support system to hold it all up.

A strong core is also responsible for your sense of balance.  Balance not only requires equilibrium, but also good stability of the core muscles and the joints, particularly the hip, knee, and ankle.

As we’re getting older, we should become less concerned with sculpting our body, and more concerned with staying active and functional.  With core training, your joints and muscles work in tandem, just the way they do in real life when, for example, you have to balance yourself while walking upstairs with bags of groceries in your arms.  Personal Training is a great way to learn how to use these support muscles and to gain the knowledge of a variety of core specific exercises.  A sports trainer may be that vital link that many need to sufficiently strengthen their core.

Running or jogging is an activity that is very helpful to fitness trainers in helping clients reach their goals. Whether it is a means of cardio to lose weight or improve speed for an athlete in his or her sport. Also, much like any other activity, it can be very simple or very technical and complex. The purpose here is to show two main concepts. The first is being able to teach proper form and general guidelines related to running as a fitness instructor would to their clientele. The other reason is to use the knowledge of running and relate it back to the weight room for your strength workouts. This will allow you do prescribe exercises that can help problems a client may have or need to work on.

Jogging Mechanics

Jogging is meant for everyone, but there are a few exceptions to every rule. Depending on the individual, the level of intensity or starting point may vary. However, the mechanics are the same for everyone. Jogging is not nearly as technical as people think. Many of the things described here are just proper form issues that will in turn prevent injury.

• Standing tall - big open chest, slightly leaning forward, 85 degree angle
• Arm swing - move from the shoulder, elbows roughly stay at 90 degree angle the entire swing, fingers relaxed, hip to cheek no more
• Foot striking - heel to toe, center of the heel
• Leg swing - speed changes leg swing and length, leg swings forward and back in a straight line, not out to side at any point, legs make a small circle

Sprinting Mechanics

Sprinting is much more involved than jogging is, but the better the form for both jogging and sprinting the better a person will be. Basically, even though there is more going on when sprinting, performing the proper technique is crucial both types of running. Also another factor that distinguishes sprinting from jogging is force production. Sprinting is all about generating the maximum amount of force when in contact with the ground and spending the least amount of time in contact with the ground as possible. Still another concept to consider is that there are different phases when sprinting, and each phases form changes slightly.

Acceleration Phase-start to 10 yards

• Body position-45 degree angle
• Arm swing-same as jogging, but recommended to always go hip to cheek
• Leg swing-straight forward and back in a straight line, knee drive forward hip height, leg extension back slightly behind hips when contacts ground

Max Velocity Phase-10 yards and beyond

• Body position-up tall like jogging form
• Arm swing-same as before
• Leg swing-changes from forward and back to circles, circles much more precise than when jogging, butt kicker, knee punch, leg extension, pull

Common Improper Running Form Mistakes

Upper body hunched over

Crossing center line of body with arms

Too much arm swing

Long back kick

Shuffling feet

Hip and leg swing

Over striding

Due to the increased stress concerning recent economic turmoil, many individuals are turning to exercise as a way to relieve tension. During this time, a regular exercise program is more vital than ever in helping a number of things that improve life productivity. These include increased energy, better sleep patterns, and reduced stress. All of these allow you to be more productive in your work and play. Physical activity also reduces the risk of depression, increases your self-confidence and in general helps improve your mental state.

NASA found that participants who engaged in a regular exercise program had improved stamina, work performance, enhanced concentration and decision-making powers. When compared to the average office worker whose efficiency decreases 50% for the final 2 hours of a working day, the employees who exercised regularly worked at full efficiency all day. This amounted to a 12.5% increase in overall productivity for the company.

A personal fitness regimen keeps you alert and relieves stress. You will feel good and sleep better too. Any edge that you can give yourself with the current unstable economy is very much to your advantage.

This is a time to stop making excuses about not having enough time. You must decide to make exercise a priority in your life and make the time for it as the known benefits will definitely flow into other areas of your life. Working with a personal trainer may be the boost that you need to make it happen!

With so much health and fitness information coming from so many different sources, it’s no wonder people are confused.  What does it take to get fit? Will crunches get rid of my spare tire? What’s the best way to lose weight? These are the types of questions ACE-certified Fitness Professionals hear on a daily basis.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Research shows that a vast majority (something like 98% of women) don’t have the appropriate amount of hormones to gain a significant amount of bulk.

2. Spot reducing is NOT possible.  You can do all of the crunches in the world and may not see a reduction in the abdominal area.  Your body chooses the order in which it loses weight and it is quite often the reverse order in which you gained it.  You simply need to create a caloric deficit with a combination of strength training and cardiovascular training.

3. You don’t have to have DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) after every session.  Depending upon the training cycle you are in, the soreness will vary, but you are still getting benefit from those non-sore days.

4. Think about how many hours are in a week- 168.  Do you think that out of 168 you could spare a measly 7?  That is probably all you need.  One hour per day of the week.  Don’t make the excuse of no time.  Make your exercise program a priority and it will find the time.

5. You cannot eat whatever you want just because you exercise.  Once again, the nutrition side of your program is just as important and a balance must be established.

6. Don’t kid yourself on this one.  Everyone wants the easy way out.  Of course everything that tastes good is bad for you and exercise is hard work, but in today’s society it is a necessity.  We’re not farmers anymore!