Tag Archives: workout

Are You Aware Of The Health Benefits Of Walking?

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Many people shy away from exercise as they imagine that it will be too taxing for them. It’s as if they think that they need to already be fit before they can get in shape. It’s hardly surprising that many of us tend to associate getting in shape with high energy fitness routines and getting hot, sweaty and out of breath.

Conversely, many people find it difficult to believe that a low impact, low intensity workout – based around activity which most people do every day without thinking about it – could deliver very significant health benefits and help you to make significant improvements to your overall level of health and fitness. However, that is precisely what walking, a low impact form of exercise which requires no special equipment, expertise or training, can do for you.

A quick look at the long list of health benefits which can be achieved through nothing more strenuous than walking on a regular basis is only likely to increase your sense of disbelief. Regular walking can boost the capacity of your lungs whilst reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. It will help to lower your blood pressure level. It will help you to sleep better at night, boost your energy levels, make you feel generally better and help to combat depression. It can help to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer – and recent research in the UK suggests that it may help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. It will certainly help you to shed pounds and inches and get into better shape.

Reading that list you might think that it was an ad for some new wonder drug, or maybe an expensive health supplement. Small wonder that it’s hard to credit it. Don’t forget, you can get started on your walking exercise plan without any special exercise equipment. All you need is a good, comfortable pair of shoes and you’re all set. Neither are there any expensive monthly membership fees to pay – walking is free. What’s more, you can slot walking into your day whenever it suits you best.

Health professionals seem to agree that we should be targeting 10,000 steps a day on a regular basis in order to get the health benefits previously discussed. That equivalent to just under five miles for most people, although it depends upon your stride length somewhat. It sounds like a fair old distance – but it’s easier to achieve than you think. Walk to work and leave the car at home. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Get off the bus a stop before your destination and walk the last leg of your journey. These are just a few examples of ways to increase your daily step count – there are plenty more, and they all add up.

If you haven’t exercised for a while, if you have any medical conditions, or if you’re over 40 years of age, then be sure to take medical advice before you start any new fitness programme. However, as long as you’re sensible and start off slowly, walking will, in all probability, be extremely good for your health. You will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you both see and feel the results.

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Increase Your Metabolism With A Walking Workout

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More and more people are beginning to realise the many advantages of walking as a way to take exercise. It’s easy to do – it’s a low impact, low intensity, low injury risk workout that you already know how to do. It doesn’t need any special equipment or training and you can do it wherever and whenever you feel like it. You can walk in the street, in the park, on a treadmill – wherever you like and you can fit it into you day when it’s most convenient for you. It’s suitable for people of all ages as well.

If you’re trying to get in shape and shed a few pounds then it’s extremely effective. Watching the amount that you eat and drink is very important of course, but dieting alone is not a highly efficient way to lose weight. Combining an element of exercise with dietary control will get you better results – and faster. Obviously you will burn calories when you exercise, which is great, but regular exercise will also help to raise your metabolic rate – the speed at which you burn calories. This means that even when you’re not exercising – sitting at your computer, watching TV or listening to music for example – you will burn calories more rapidly which will promote further weight loss.

The benefits to be had from walking are numerous. It can increase your lung capacity, lower the risk of heart disease and stroke and also help to lower your blood pressure level. It can lower bad cholesterol levels whilst raising good cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of developing two types of diabetes and even reduce the risk of developing certain forms of cancer. It will help you to sleep better at night and is effective in combating anxiety and depression. It will give you more energy and you will feel less fatigued throughout the day.

That list of benefits reads like the advertising spiel for the latest miracle cure. It should be all the motivation you need to get started with a walking exercise programme. If you’re eager to get going, the good news is that, as previously mentioned, you don’t need any special equipment. As long as you have a good, comfortable pair of shoes that don’t give you blisters, you’re all set.

Although not strictly necessary, you might find that a pedometer is one piece of equipment that you would find useful. It will help you to stay motivated by recording your progress and displaying it in terms of the number of steps taken, the distance covered or the number of calories burned – whatever is most interesting for you.

Before you embark on a walking exercise regime – or any exercise programme for that matter – it’s a good idea to seek your doctor’s opinion, especially if you haven’t exercised for a while or have any medical conditions. Walking is certainly a low impact, low injury risk mode of exercising – but it’s still exercise and a few stretches before you begin – and again when you’re finished – will help to make sure that you avoid any strains or sprains and get the most out of your exercise routine.

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How To Most Effectively Work With A Personal Trainer

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As a personal trainer, my clients will ask me, “How often should we meet?” This is a good question and one that takes some careful consideration because everybody’s needs and wants are different. Most of what personal training is about is instruction, support, and accountability. Here are some things to consider when deciding how often to see your trainer: How experienced are you? How fit are you right now? Do you tend to fall off your exercise schedule? What can you afford?

If you are new to exercise I suggest meeting with a trainer 2 or 3 times a week. I realize this adds up quickly but the beginning stages of a new exercise regiment are a critical time. For example people with great intentions of getting in shape often injure themselves quickly because they don’t really know what they’re doing. The supervision by a trainer in the beginning will get you off to a great start by learning the basics about good form. This will help to prevent injuries down the road. Also, most people fall off course during the first 3 weeks of a new attempt at exercise. By having several training appointments early on you will gain the momentum you need in order to hang on through this tough period.

If falling off your exercise schedule is a pattern for you then I suggest having once or twice weekly appointments with your trainer indefinitely. Here’s why: An appointment with your trainer once a week makes you accountable and that’s good. I have clients that I’ve worked with once or twice a week for 9 years and counting! Before they started working with me, their exercise came in waves. Not now. I keep them on track. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had clients say to me “I never would have worked out today if we didn’t have this appointment.” Be honest with yourself, there’s no shame in admitting that you just won’t do it on your own but then do something about it. Trainers understand.

If you are at a pretty good level of fitness but you do the same exercises all the time, having an appointment once a month to spice up your routine is a great idea. Here’s why: Have you heard people talk about the need to ‘confuse your body’? What it basically means is that you don’t want you body to become too comfortable. This happens when you do the same thing all the time. Ideally, you should be challenging your body and ‘confusing’ it by doing different exercises with different levels of exertion. This is the best way to optimize your exercise. So, if you find yourself bored in your routine or not challenged but motivated enough to do it on your own, you would greatly benefit from a once a month appointment. The new material will keep you challenged and engaged.

Of course another big part of this decision is how much you can afford. I suggest figuring out your budget and telling your trainer what you can spend. Then ask your trainer what they think would be the best way to spread out the sessions. I always encourage my beginner clients to do more sessions in the begging and then start spreading the gap. So, let’s say my beginner client can do 10 sessions. I would do 3 appointments the first 2 weeks, 2 appointments the following week and 1 appointment for the last 2 weeks. Here’s why: Practicing repeatedly with your trainer will ensure that you know the correct way to exercise using good form so that you won’t hurt yourself. Also, it’s very important in the beginning of any exercise program to get off to a good start. Meeting your trainer frequently will help you gain the momentum you need to carry you through a successful long-term program.

Remember that the frequency of your training is not set in stone. Sometimes it may be more frequently, other times less frequently depending on what’s going on in your life. Your trainer will always work with you to do what is appropriate at any given time. If you’re lucky enough to have a trainer that you really enjoy and that’s helping you to get the results you want, they’re probably going to be in your life for a long time!

Choosing the right Denver Personal Trainer can make or break your resolution to get in shape. We can be your fitness confidant and sketch a personal workout plan that is best for you. Visit www.filettifitness.com right now for more information.

Why Walking Should Be Included In Your Weight Loss Efforts

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If you are one of the many people who would like to get in shape and lose a few pounds, then this is a goal which is readily obtainable. It really is very simple – if you wish to lose weight then you must take on fewer calories in the form of food and drink than you use up in the form of physical activity. Consistently burning off more calories than you take on will, over time, result in weight loss. There is no magic formula, pill or wonder drug that will modify that simple equation.

Simply put, if you wish to shed pounds then you need to reduce the amount that you eat and drink (dieting), increase the number of calories that you burn (exercising) – or both. There’s little doubt that doing both simultaneously is the optimum solution. When you take exercise on a regular basis your metabolic rate – the speed at which you use up calories – is increased. Exercising consistently will mean that you burn calories faster even when you are not exercising – when you’re typing on your computer, when you’re reading a book – even when you’re sleeping.

Of course, the very thought of exercising can be off-putting for many people – but there’s no reason to avoid exercise, it needn’t involve getting all hot, sweaty and out of breath. One of the very best exercises that you can do is walking, something which the large majority of us do every single day. You just need to walk a little more often and a little further and you will soon reap the rewards – and there are many health benefits available to those who walk on a regular basis.

The recommendation of many health and fitness professionals is that we should try to walk 10,000 steps a day. That equates to a distance of between four and a half and five miles for the average person. It sounds like a long way – but you may be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to achieve. Remember, that 10,000 steps is the total distance, it includes the normal walking that you do every day anyway. You’re not starting from scratch.

Leave the car at home and walk to work – or get off the bus a couple of stops early and finish the last part of your journey on foot. If you do take the car then park it in a corner of the parking lot that’s well away from the entrance so that you have further to walk. Take the stairs instead of the lift. Take a fifteen minute walk at lunch time. It all adds up.

Apart from a pair of comfortable shoes, you don’t need any special equipment to get the benefits of walking for exercise. However, you might find it useful to invest in a pedometer – especially if you’re walking is broken up into short sessions throughout your day. It will help you to keep track of your progress and to stay motivated.

If you are able to fit longer walks into your day then you might also want to think about getting an mp3 player if you don’t already have one. Listening to your favourite music as you walk along will make both the miles and the time fly by much more quickly.

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