The push for Americans, young and old, to increase the amount of physical activity they do is not new. For the last several years, the news regarding the skyrocketing obesity rates and diseases related to obesity, as well as the fears of aging, loss of mobility, and physical and even mental function have been a driving force behind the surge in the marketing of exercise devices, programs, fitness centers and personal trainers.

While I believe that any increase in activity is a good thing and that there is no “best” or “perfect” workout, I do think that the consumer should be informed and aware of the differences between the various types of fitness/wellness products and services that are available. Not all products or services are a good investment of your time and money. You have to match up the type of product or service that best meets your specific goals and needs. Then you have to “vet” that product or service to make sure that can live up to your expectations.

Once you have decided that you want/need to find a way to maintain a healthy level of physical activity in your life, you have to begin the search for what will work best for you. The first big decision you will make is to determine if you are looking for a product, a service or both.

Products are things like a treadmill, a bicycle, a weight machine, exercise videos, and even gym memberships. Services are personal training sessions, pilates or yoga instruction, group classes, wellness coaching, or specific event coaching.

For the purchase of a product to help you, you have to use them. Here is where an honest look at your personality comes in; are you someone who will use a treadmill that you bought and put in your bedroom, basement, etc.? Or will it just become a glorified clothes rack? The same goes for purchasing gym memberships; will you go? Health clubs know, count on, and budget for the fact that a large percentage of the members they sign up will never use the facility or use it very rarely. This is good for their bottom line but doesn’t help you increase your activity level and health.

Services you purchase are more likely to result in an actual increase in your activity level. Having an appointment that you are paying for is a great motivator; it gets you up and to the facility, which is half the battle. Deciding to use purchased services requires a look into the realities of you and your life too. Does your life allow you to schedule a regular appointment? Can you control your schedule enough to make most of your appointments? Does your budget allow for the purchase of this service? Are you someone who wants to share your goals, needs, weaknesses, and strengths with someone?

Group classes that are included with your gym membership are not considered an actual service unless you pay extra for them. Without extra pay, the likelihood of attending available classes falls and success is rare. Group classes that require you to pay in advance have a higher success rate, but if the cost per class is minimal, many people easily skip pre-paid classes and justify it by telling themselves it didn’t really “cost” that much.

Only you can determine what course will work best for you. Many people find that a combination of joining a gym, running/walking group, group class facility, AND hiring an individual to provide personal fitness services is the best combination. Keeping a regular appointment with a trainer or instructor keeps many people from falling completely off the fitness wagon. They may go a few weeks of only seeing their trainer and not doing their cardio work on their own, but usually the trainer can motivate them, or guilt them into getting back at it.

If you do hire a personal fitness professional/trainer to be a part of your physical activity program, you have to do more due diligence in making sure you are hiring someone who has the education and experience to help you with your specific goals/needs.

Professional trainers are not just supposed to lead you in exercise; making you sweat is not the totality of their job. If you are going to pay a fitness professional, they should be able to help you with your overall wellness program. A professional will look at all aspects of your physical health and be able to identify weaknesses that need attention and form a plan that will not only get you moving more but improve your health now and keep you healthy and at a high level of function in the future. Good professionals should be addressing things like your posture and any injuries you may have or develop. They should know what things you like to do in your life, like golf or gardening, and develop a program to address those things. They should educate you about your body and you should be learning how to take care of it with or without them. Remember, if you decide to use professional help, make sure they have developed professional skills to do so. The lack of state licensing for fitness professionals does put the burden on you, the consumer. You can seek information and referrals from trusted sources, but often it’s “buyer beware”.

Whatever the choices you make, try to base them on an honest accounting of who you are. The more honest you are with yourself, the more likely you are to make choices that will lead to success.

The bottom line is we all have to include physical activity in our lives; our bodies are designed for this and do not run well without it. It is our responsibility to take care of our bodies and exercise is an important component to that maintenance. How you incorporate activity in your life is your choice; there are many out there and one will work for you.

Differences between fitness products and services

“Don’t over think it”; “Paralysis through analysis”. These are two well know mantras of sports psychologists, used regarding competitive athletic performance. However, I think the principle can apply to general fitness and weight loss.

Too often, people “overthink” the fitness and weight loss issue. They read every book and article out there and examine every fitness machine and weight loss food or drink, only to be “paralyzed” by all the information. The result is often little action and little success.

I am in favor of a simpler approach. Believe it or not, in this case, it means a scientific approach. Often people equate anything “scientific” as complicated; not so. Science can clarify many issues, thereby simplifying those issues.

For example, look at diets. If you try to find “the” diet, by researching all of the diets on the market today, you will be confused and overwhelmed. Every diet will have a different plan that is “guaranteed” to work and have different reasons why it is “the” one for you. Without applying science to the diet issue you will put yourself in danger of beginning an ongoing cycle of trying one fad diet after another.

Science can clarify these issues for you, but only if you open your mind to it. Science will tell you that gaining or losing weight depends on ONE thing: calories in vs. calories out. That’s it! It’s simple. If you want to lose weight, then burn more calories than you take in. If you want to gain weight, then take in more calories than you burn. If you are trying to stabilize your weight, then you have to get in “energy balance”; by taking in and burning an equal amount of calories. How much simpler can it be?

Sure, there are nutritional issues. You can lose weight eating only French fries and ice cream, if you only eat a small amount, but this would not be a wise nutritional choice. You can also gain weight eating the healthiest of foods; again, it is a matter of calories in vs. calories out, when it comes to weight gain and weight loss. DON’T OVER THINK IT.

Spend some time getting familiar with the caloric value of foods. Compare this with the nutritional value of food. This is the approach that should be used when determining what and how much to eat. Don’t be fooled by non-scientific explanations of why you gain and lose weight, stick with science, and keep it simple and you will succeed.

The same principle of “don’t overthink it” applies to fitness too. Again, you can be “paralyzed” into inactivity, if you try to examine and then choose the “best” type of exercise to do, or the “best” machine to buy, or the “best” gym to join. Instead, turn to science and simplify your life.

Science will help you separate fact from fiction, about fitness. Your body does not know what kind of machine you are using; if you are lifting a gold-plated dumbbell or a can of beans. It doesn’t know or care if you are working out in a fancy gym or a dirty garage. Science says that your body responds to the “stress” of exercise, not matter what vehicle delivers that “stress”. By “stress”, I mean the load or the work of exercise. In scientific terms, any activity above resting is called a “stress”. Exercise stress is measured in a unit called METS or metabolic equivalents. Exercise physiologists talk in this language because it makes all exercise universal. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, just how many METS an activity is or how much the exercise “stress”.

Again, there is still a right and wrong way to exercise. Programs should be designed to be safe and appropriate. The point here is that is not what kind of exercise you do; whether it’s spinning, pilates, walking or cycling, but are you putting your body under the proper and appropriate stress. The proper and regular exposure to the stress of exercise WILL produce a positive response, Don’t over think it!

Science can be your friend. It can help you make clear and simple choices that can lead to positive results. Don’t turn away from sound science. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true…………..you know the rest.

Do not overthink your fitness and weight loss plan

“Eat This, Not That”, the book written by 

editor-in-chief, David Zinczenko, has become extremely popular over the last few years. If you watch TV or read popular magazines, it has been hard to miss David spreading his information on how to make better food choices that will save you thousands of calories.

His book typifies the attitude change that I see taking place in our society today. It seems like we have reached a “tipping point” of sorts, involving food and weight issues. David’s book emphasizes that YOU have choices when it comes to what food you put in your mouth, and depending on the choices that YOU make, you may eat a lunch that is close to 2000 calories or have something similar for only 600 calories. The choice YOU make will result in either you continuing to gain weight or turn the tide and begin losing weight.

It was just a few short years ago that all of the attitudes regarding how best to lose weight were focused on the 

 of food you eat. Popular diets were either all about carbohydrates or all about avoiding them; no-fat diets or “smart” fat diets, raw foods vs. cooked foods, no white foods, etc. The point is that none of these diets focused on the real reason you gain weight; IF YOU ARE OVERWEIGHT IT IS BECAUSE YOU CONSUME OR CONSUMED TOO MANY CALORIES! Instead, these diets let eaters off the hook and convinced them that if they just chose a different 

 of food, even if they ate it in mass quantities, they would lose weight.

These, “blame the food”, diets have been quite popular over the last 20 years. And if you look at the trend in the rate of overweight and obesity over the last 20 years, it is clear to see that these diets were not helping the American people. In fact, the rate of obesity is higher than it has ever been in our society. If you want to see something scary, go to the CDC's website and watch the graphic that shows the rate of obesity over the last 20 years. It shows that by 2007, only one state (Colorado) had a prevalence of obesity of less than 20%. Thirty states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; three of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.

It is clear to me that the only way America is going to turn the tide on the obesity epidemic is for everyone to take PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY for the choices that they make, especially regarding diet and exercise.YOU have to admit to yourself that you 

 have a lot of control in how your body develops, ages and even dies. You do not have to get fat as you get old, if you don’t want to. You can not continue to use excuses like, “I have to eat on the road, so I can’t eat healthy”, or “I just don’t have the time to exercise” or even worse, “everyone in my family is fat; it’s just in my genes”.

Taking personal responsibility is just that……………taking responsibility for you own self, your own choices. No one MAKES you eat a double cheeseburger and an order of fries 4 days a week for lunch. No one MAKES you sleep an extra hour in the morning instead of getting out of bed and going for a walk. No one MAKES you grab the donuts in the break area, even though you had breakfast at home. You are the boss of your own life. You can make whatever choices you want. If you want to be overweight and unhealthy, it is your choice (although, millions of people making that choice is a major reason why healthcare is so expensive for everyone). If you do choose that life, then at least have the guts to take responsibility for it. Just say it! Just say, “I don’t want to limit my food intake. I want to eat whatever I want to eat and I don’t care if I am fat. I hate exercise and I will not do it” Don’t blame everyone else or your busy life or the fast food restaurants…………take responsibility for your own choices.

If you would like to start making more positive choices, then I applaud you and am willing to help you. My best advice is to START SMALL. Don’t go making huge changes to your life all at once; you will quit before the first week is up. Make small changes to your diet; buy the book “Eat This, Not That” and begin to learn how a few small changes can make a big difference in your daily caloric intake.

As for exercise, again, start small. Go for a walk that is about a mile, or 20 minutes. Do this at the same time Monday through Friday. Try to double that distance at least one day on the weekend and take one day off. Slowly build where that walk or jog is closer to 3 or 4 miles, this should take about 4 to 5 weeks. Then begin to add some strength training. Substitute a good weight workout (30-45 minutes of lifting) for your walk on 2 of the 6 days you exercise. Have a qualified personal trainer work with you to develop a good routine.

By subtracting a few hundred calories a day from your food intake and adding a few hundred calories burned through exercise, you will lose extra weight at a slow, but steady pace. The BEST part about losing weight with a process like this is that weight lost this way is RARELY EVER gained back. Weight lost quickly and in massive chunks returns within one year 90% of the time.

I am sorry if my words sounded harsh, but I felt it necessary to be very direct: YOU are in charge of YOU; how you age, your health, and your quality of life. Don’t waste time blaming other things…………the choices you make are yours and yours alone.

Eat This Not That

OK, let’s get real about trying to lose weight. No gimmicks, no miracle pill, no magic belly busting workout; just the facts and some real, usable information that can help you find success in losing weight or to stop gaining.

Winter is the season of weight gain. If you can learn and apply just a couple of good weight loss tips into your daily life now, during the weight gaining season, you will avoid being completely behind the 8 ball when spring comes around.

First things first, you have to understand what causes weight gain and weight loss, on a physiological level……………this is science people, not theory. It’s calories in vs. calories out; that’s it! If you consume fewer calories than you burn, you lose weight. If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight, plain and simple.

If you give your body fewer calories, or less energy, than it needs to carry out its daily functions, it will be forced to get energy from another source than the food you eat. Guess where that is……………….it’s the fat that is stored in your body, from previous bouts of overeating. Your body has thousands and thousands of calories/energy stored as fat throughout your body. That’s why people can live for quite a long time with no food, as long as they have plenty of water.

You see, when you feel hunger in your belly and feel like you are “starving”, you actually are not. Your body has plenty of energy, stored as fat, to keep you going for days, even weeks without eating a bite! So, why does our body give us these strong signals telling us to “eat or die”? Most of that has to do with our brain and the sugar (glucose) it uses for energy.

Your brains preferred source of energy is sugar (glucose) that is found in the bloodstream. When you go several hours without eating, the level of sugar in your blood drops. When this happens your body starts to get a little worried that the brain may not have enough available energy, so it sends out the “hungry monster” to rumble in your stomach and give you that feeling of being starved. Your body wants you to do something to get your blood sugar up, so the brain has enough energy.

The problem is that when these hunger pangs kick in, we think we need to eat LOTS of food, when, all you need is between 30-100 calories of an easily digestible sugar that can quickly get into the blood stream. When that happens, the hunger goes away.

So, when you feel hungry or starved, make sure you have some 30-100 calorie, sugar based foods to get in your system about 15 minutes BEFORE you make the decision to order something to big and too high in calories. A few examples would be a small bottle of “G-2” Gatorade (40 Kcals a bottle); a piece of hard candy (30 kcals); half a glass of juice (55 Kcals); small banana (80 Kcals); a 90 or 100 Kcal nutrition bar of some sort. There are several of these on the market.

In addition to knowing how your hunger/eating system works, it is important to educate yourself on how many calories are in the foods that you like to eat. I think trying to completely change the foods you eat, when you begin a serious diet, is a bad idea. It is a better choice to familiarize yourself with the foods you already eat. Figure out how many calories are in some of your favorites and then figure out how you can still work some of these into your routine, without them pushing you over the caloric edge.

For example, let’s say you LOVE burgers. Go online and check out the calories in ground beef, vs. ground sirloin. Get familiar with different caloric content of buns, some are 300, some are 100. Check out the calories of cheese, mayo, etc. Then figure out how you can “build a better burger”. You can still have the burger, but maybe now, it’s 250 Kcals less! A hint with fast food burgers: ask for the bun not to be toasted (they use butter to do this) and it could save you 100 Kcals. There is a lot of information on the web that can help you re-tool many of the foods you currently eat and reduce the amount of calories you consume.

Increased knowledge, in both how your body works and what exactly you are eating, are 2 keys in finding success in losing weight. You can not get around the fact that you have to consume LESS calories than you use; how you want to do that is up to you. I believe a combination of eating a little less (200-400 kcals per day) and burning a little more via exercise (100-300 kcals) is the way to go.

Stick with the physiological facts; avoid the hype and promises of “magic” pills and food. Be sensible, be strong and arm yourself with knowledge.

How to Lose Weight

The question I’ve been asked is not about how long each workout should be, but rather, how strong, fast, flexible, or balanced should one aim to become. Essentially, people want to know: Should they always be pushing to lift more, run faster, jump higher, or hold a plank longer?

Here’s why. Most of us exercise regularly to stay healthy—maybe lose a few pounds or maintain our current weight. We aren’t training for the Olympics, aiming to win the Boston Marathon, or gearing up for the Ironman Triathlon. We just want to feel and look better while avoiding issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. If you're in the small group training for elite competition, this article isn’t for you—find a coach and go for it!

But for the rest of us, including me (a former professional athlete), the following information applies.

Numerous studies (feel free to contact me for references) show that 

 delivers the best health results. Notice, I didn’t say it wins the most medals, trophies, or sets world records. Research overwhelmingly supports that the greatest health benefits come from adopting a moderate, healthy lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet and regular, moderate exercise—like 30 minutes of walking a day plus strength training a couple of times a week.

This means you don’t need to constantly set new goals to lift heavier or run faster. It’s perfectly normal to hit what I call a "natural plateau" and stay there for years. Take my experience: While I change up my strength training routines, I’ve essentially been lifting the same weight at 49 years old as I did at 35. Am I failing? Am I lazy? No. I pushed myself early on, reached my natural plateau, and now maintain it. The key is to challenge yourself without risking injury. Seek advice from a qualified trainer to understand what weight is appropriate for your age and goals. Remember, you don’t need to be a champion—just healthy.

As we age, the risk of injury increases with more physical strain. So, it's essential to balance challenging your body with staying safe. Keep your personal goals in mind, and ensure your workout plan is realistic. If you're in your mid-50s trying to lose a lot of weight, avoid adopting a routine designed for college athletes or people in their 30s. Leave your ego behind and be comfortable with what your body can do.

Yes, I still time my runs, but the routes I once ran competitively in my 20s now take me several minutes longer. That’s fine because competition is no longer my goal—maintaining my heart health and overall well-being is. I’m not the strongest in the gym, and that’s OK. You should feel the same.

Challenge yourself, but accept the natural plateau your body will reach. In my view, it’s healthy and safe to work at around 70-80% of what you could do if you had to give it your absolute all. This approach ensures you'll be able to exercise for years without burning out or injuring yourself. Challenge yourself—yes. But don’t push yourself to the brink.

How Much is Enough When It Comes to Working Out?

Trends in style are always changing—whether it's the length of hemlines, the cut of a suit, makeup, hairstyles, shoes, food, music, diets, or even exercise routines. What's "in" comes and goes, but if you wait long enough, it always circles back around.

Right now, the fitness and diet world is in a “low-carb/high-intensity” phase. The Paleo diet is hugely popular—essentially a modern version of the Atkins diet that was all the rage in the 1970s and then again in the 1990s. It’s been given a fresh name and tweaked just enough to seem new, different, and better.

The same is true for high-intensity exercise programs and gyms. They’re basically revamped versions of old-fashioned calisthenics. Movements like squat thrusts, pull-ups, push-ups, and even straight-leg sit-ups are staples in today’s workouts. The equipment might look a little different—kettlebells, resistance bands, fancy sandbags, and heavy ropes have replaced basic dumbbells—but the workout principles remain unchanged.

I’m not criticizing these trends; they can be effective. But just because they’re popular now doesn’t mean they are the only path to fitness or weight control. There are many ways to achieve those goals. If these particular methods don’t appeal to you, that’s completely fine—there are other options.

Still not convinced? Let’s compare two well-known TV shows: NBC’s 

, the focus is weight loss. You see intense, grueling workouts, often with trainers pushing their clients to tears. The result? Many contestants lose a lot of weight and learn how to exercise with high intensity.

. Here, the goal is to master dance moves, not lose weight. The contestants practice dancing for hours, but there are no dumbbells, kettlebell swings, or tire flips involved. The result? Many contestants also lose weight, demonstrating that dancing can be a fun and effective form of exercise that promotes fitness and weight loss.

Surprised? Who would’ve thought ballroom dancing could achieve similar results as high-intensity tire flipping and stair running?

The truth is, any combination of moving more and eating less can lead to weight loss. Depending on where you’re starting, even mild exercise—like walking—can significantly improve your fitness. A basic strength training routine can increase your strength, balance, core stability, and metabolism, all of which can help you lose weight.

There’s nothing wrong with high-intensity exercise, as long as:

You’re in good enough shape to handle it without getting injured, and

But if you don’t like that style of exercise, you probably won’t stick with it. Sadly, most contestants from 

 regain their weight within a year or two. Why? Because they associate working out with the misery of those high-intensity workouts and, over time, can’t find the motivation to keep going. On the other hand, many 

 contestants who lost weight kept it off. They enjoy dancing and continue to do it, as well as other moderate activities that feel more like fun than torture.

The key is to choose a workout intensity that suits your needs and personality. This is a far better formula for long-term success than forcing yourself into something you dislike from the start.

The Never-Ending Cycle of Fitness Trends

Spring is in the air and the gardening season is approaching fast, in fact, many of us can not wait.

Gardening is an activity that is participated in by millions of people all across the country. It is a wonderful hobby that lets people express their creativity, their knowledge, and their personality. Gardening is an activity that brings instant gratification that we Americans live for. But what many people forget is that gardening can also be a great form of exercise.

Research shows that, in areas that have a cold winter, as spring approaches and the weather gets warmer, people increase the amount of calories they burn. This is directly due to an increase in outdoor activity. Certainly, people go out and walk, run, ride bikes, much more in the warmer months than in the colder months, but it’s not just formal exercise that accounts for the increase in caloric expenditure.

Many of these “extra” calories that we burn come from “ADL’s” or Activities of Daily Living. ADL’s are the things we do in our lives that are not formal exercises. They can be as simple as getting dressed and eating or involved activities like painting, mowing the grass, or….gardening. Gardening and other yard work is a great way to use your ADL’s to burn calories, help you lose weight, and get fit.

Now, please don’t get overly excited and think that if you plant one flat of pansies in April it will be enough exercise to sustain you through the entire summer. One bout of working in the garden or yard is not going to do it. But regular work in your garden or yard can become a significant addition to your exercise program. It can be an addition to both your aerobic exercise routine, your strength training routine, and your stretching routine.

For instance, doing “spring cleaning” in your yard by raking up all the winter yuk and putting it in bags to be hauled away can be a vigorous aerobic workout. How? Well, for an exercise to be considered aerobic it must be 1) Rhythmical, 2) Use large muscle masses, such as your back or legs, 3) Elevate your heart rate to at least 50% of your maximum heart rate, and 4) Be sustained for at least 20 minutes. Raking your yard and flower beds can meet all these criteria, not to mention hauling all your bags of yard waste down to the end of your driveway.

Trimming and pruning as well as mulching and planting can be a great strength training workout. Using hedge clippers to trim large bushes or beds of ivy is a great way to work your upper body muscles. Hauling wheel barrels or bags full of mulch to various parts of your yard works legs, back, and chest. Digging new beds or edging existing beds is also a great challenge to your upper body and back muscles. And because of all the bending and twisting that you do while you are working your abs get a great workout trying to help you keep your balance.

Vigorous gardening can get you in some pretty precarious and “twisted” situations. Many of which are a challenge to your flexibility. Your range of motion of many muscles will be challenged during an afternoon in the garden leaving you feeling as if you have had a day of yoga-like stretching.

These are just a few general examples to help you see how much exercise gardening can be. However, not everyone gets the same benefits. It depends on how hard you want to work. It’s like bike riding. Many people think that just because they get on a bike and stay on it for an hour or so that they had a good workout. Biking is only good exercise if you pedal continuously and at a rate of at least 50 rpms, pedaling a few easy strokes and then coasting down every hill you can find is not the same thing. My point is, to be honest with yourself. You can use gardening as a substitute for a workout in the gym or a bout of walking or running, but only if you honestly can say that the effort you put in the yard is the same or greater. You’ll know when you have worked hard enough in the yard to call it a “workout”.

That being said, it is also important that I mention that gardening and yard work can also be a great source of pain and injury. Gardeners are especially prone to low back pain, due to the stooped position they are often in. Gardening is great exercise, but you have to be in shape to do it. If you do not regularly exercise, you can not go out on the first nice spring day and rake and haul for 4 hours. You will be in bed for a week afterward! If you are out of shape, especially in gardening shape, you must START SLOW! Also, if you are currently in an exercise program, start to gear it a little more towards getting you ready to attack your yard. Increase leg work, ab work, low back exercises, shoulder work, and stretching.

Enjoy this gardening season and get the bonus of including it as part of your exercise routine……………happy gardening!

Getting exercise with spring gardening

“Tis the season”, so it seems. The holiday season is upon us. Even in these gloomy economic times, gifts will still be exchanged; however, being a smart shopper has never been more important.

With the New Year’s resolution season coming right on the heels of the holiday giving season, fitness equipment and fitness-related gifts are often on many lists. The ocean of choices that are out there can leave the average consumer “dazed and confused”. If you are considering purchasing or even asking for fitness-related gifts this holiday season, I’d like to help you negotiate these confusing waters.

You can spend a lot of money very quickly when shopping for fitness equipment, etc. Sometimes the old adage, “you get what you pay for” is true, and sometimes it is not. Being in the business, I have learned a few secrets over the years that can save you time, money, and aggravation.

First, let’s talk about strength training equipment. Remember, strength training is an important part of ALL fitness programs; aerobic exercise IS NOT ENOUGH. If you are not a “gym person” and want to stay at home, then you will need some kind of strength training equipment.

Whether purchasing for yourself or someone else, you will have to decide to go the machine route, or the dumbbell and bands route. What’s the best? There is no best, except what fits you and your personality. Machines (I am speaking of the all-in one machines) can be great, but only if you know how to use them. Knowing how to use them will take some time; there is a learning curve. If you do not put in the time to learn how to use the machine effectively, change the positions, etc, then don’t go this route; your machine will become an expensive clothing rack.

Two good choices for home machines on the market today are, 1) the “Total Gym” and 2) the “Bow Flex”. There are several reasons that I gravitate to these: They are built well; can provide a full body workout; are fairly easy to use and adjust and are priced well, for what they offer. Although both men and women can use each of these machines effectively, I think the Bow flex is more geared and built for men. The Total Gym is less expensive, with the basic model starting as low as $399.00 and the top-of-the-line model going for about $1600.00. The Bow flex starts at $900.00 and goes to $2500.00. The good news here is that both of these machines can easily be found “used” or “refurbished” on eBay or from actual dealers. As long as you get some type of guarantee or warranty, I think buying used or refurbished equipment is a smart thing to do.

If machines are not your style or are too pricey, don’t worry. You can get a great, full-body workout with a combination of dumbbells, rubber tubing, and a stability ball at a fraction of the price of any machine. Dumbbells are all priced about the same (about .50c a pound). Some are iron, some are coated in vinyl, and some that are interlocking to make storing easier. Most women need dumbbells that go from 3 to 20 pounds; most men will do fine with 5 to 50 pounds. Rubber tubing is sold in most fitness stores and several sources online. The price range is from $3.00 to $15.00 per tube. They come in several different resistances, usually called “easy, moderate, hard, and extremely hard”. I recommend one of each. Stability balls are about $15.00 each and come in a variety of sizes; the size of the ball depends on the height of the person using it. Getting a proper workout at home, using this equipment, will take some instruction. Believe me, it is well worth paying for a couple of at-home training sessions, to keep you from hurting yourself and making the best use of the time you put into working out.

Now, let’s talk about treadmills. Always a popular fitness gift, but often not an educated purchase. Treadmills are priced based on two specific things; the size of the motor and the construction of the frame. Computerized bells and whistles do not make a better treadmill. It is often the cheaper treadmills that have all the fancy computerized displays and programs. This is because, in today’s world, computerized components are cheap. What is expensive is a strong motor that can go and go and go and a solid steel frame that can take day after day of pounding and hold up to corrosion caused by sweat.

In treadmills, and cardio equipment in general, you get what you pay for. A cheaper treadmill will not perform as well as a more expensive one. However, if you are just going to walk 30 minutes a day at 3.5 or 4.0 mph, and weigh less than 180 lbs. then a cheaper treadmill is fine. “Weslo” is a good brand that makes a 2.2 horsepower treadmill, for about $400.00. If you weigh more than 180 lbs. or want to run on a treadmill, then you will have to go with the stronger motor and frame models. The brands are many, but for my money, you can not beat “Precor”; they have the best reputation in the business. The difference in the motor and the frame takes the price for the basic, at-home, Precor treadmill up to about $1900.00 and you can go as high as $4600.00. I know this may be a little sticker shock, but it is worth it. A treadmill like this will last you years and years and will be good to your body. Treadmills can be found “used” and “refurbished” also, but I would only get them from the actual dealer or a large used equipment dealer. I would not buy a used treadmill from another consumer unless I had it checked out thoroughly by a professional.

A final note about fitness/workout clothing; another popular gift. While I do not think you have to pay top dollar for the fanciest brands, you do have to choose things that are made well. Most workout clothing has spandex, lycra, and elastic. Cheap clothing loses its elasticity and shapes quickly; it can look really bad, really quickly. My advice to get good quality clothes, at a good price is twofold: 1) check out the “C-9” brand at Target. This a special line, made just for Target, by Champion (a leader in the workout clothing field), 2) check out stores like Marshall’s and TJ Maxx for brand-name workout gear; it is hit and miss, but you can get some great stuff at unbelievable deals.

I hope this helps some of you make smart purchases, for others or yourself. Have a great holiday season.

How to go about your holiday fitness shopping?

Helping people get the most out of every workout is my job, as a trainer. People are busy and they want to burn the most calories in the least amount of time, generally with the least amount of discomfort.

This desire often leads people to be enticed by whatever the latest exercise craze that is being pushed by mainstream marketing. The marketing is all the same; whatever this “new” thing is, it will make you thin, fit, and beautiful in very little time with minimal effort.

Right now one of these products is kettlebells. These weights are shaped like little round balls with a handle (to me, they look more like a little handbag than a kettle).

There are a plethora of advertisements about the use of kettlebells in the market-place right now. You can find infomercials that guarantee that you need nothing else except a kettle bell. You will also see many gyms advertise that they have special kettlebell classes.

So, is this the new magic bullet? If you have read my articles in the past, you already know the answer is no. However, kettlebells are a good and useful workout tool, but they are no more than that; one more tool in your workout tool chest.

At their essence, kettlebells are a dumbbell. They are a different shape than the dumbbells that you are used to seeing, but they are still just a weight that gives your resistance to your muscles. They don’t do anything magical, but because they are shaped differently, you can use them to do different exercises than a traditional dumbbell.

Kettlebells can help you increase the kinds of exercises you do in your workout and because they are different can challenge your body in a way that can produce results; increased strength and fat loss. It’s not because they are magical, it’s because they force you to do different things. When your body does something new and different, it is often inefficient at the new activity. This inefficiency burns a lot of calories; the more inefficient you are at an activity, the more calories you burn doing that activity. As you master any activity, you become more efficient at it and burn fewer calories doing it. That is why you are usually sore whenever you do something new and different, even if you are in really good shape.

For example, if you ask a marathon runner to swim in the pool, he will burn more calories per lap than an Olympic swimmer. Why? Because the runner is a lousy swimmer and he wastes energy with every stroke. This is a generalization of the physiological concept but delivers the point I am trying to make.

Now, how can kettlebells help you burn more calories and have a more efficient workout?

First, you can find many kettlebell workouts on the web; just search “kettlebell workouts”. There is a lot of hype out there, but you can find some good, free workout info. If you are looking for a good product, and a tough workout, search for the “TRX Kettlebell” workout. This combines the suspension trainer TRX along with kettlebells. I like that this product has choices for beginner, intermediate, and advanced people. Also, I like the core/balance component that the TRX brings in.

Another good choice to learn about kettlebells is to ask a qualified personal trainer. Although kettlebells can provide you with good exercises that can add to your current workout, there are many dangers with them if used incorrectly. The most common injuries when using kettlebells improperly are in the shoulders, wrists, and low back. The kettlebell “swing” and the “snatch” are 2 of the most common kettlebell exercises, but they are not for everyone. This exercise can hurt your rotator cuff or your low back if done incorrectly. During many kettlebell exercises the bell itself rotates over your hand and lands on your wrist; the force of this landing can do some real harm, if you do not prepare for this impact correctly.

Bottom line, kettlebells are a great tool to add to your workout routine, but you must take the time to learn how to use them correctly. If you have any questions or concerns about using kettlebells, seek the advice of a qualified trainer.

Are kettlebells a good choice for your exercise program?

Who do you think is responsible for keeping you healthy? Who do you think is responsible for keeping you up to date on the latest health information? Who do you think should put you on a weight loss and exercise program to help you avoid certain diseases in the future?

It may come as a shock to some of you, but the one person who is 

 responsible for any of the above questions is your doctor. Who is? Well, it is mainly your responsibility, but only in that it is up to you to find, seek out, hire, etc. the necessary people who can help you be and stay healthy.

Please do not think that I don’t have faith in your doctors’ knowledge regarding health and fitness. On the contrary, most doctors I have met have a good handle on fitness and its importance in your life. However, medical care in our society is set up to deal with immediate health problems, not focus on preventative care.

When you visit your doctor, for an annual physical or a specific problem, he only has a few minutes to address exactly what you came in for. He can run some tests on you and diagnose where you are and tell you that information. He can treat obvious symptoms of illness, etc. with medicine that will take effect immediately. What he can not do is teach, prepare, and lead you to live a life of wellness; a life that includes a proper workout program and exercise regimen, a healthy and balanced diet, healthy lifestyle choices, etc.

“Treatment” like this would take hours and hours of private consulting and continual meetings to adjust these preventative programs. It is not feasible to think that a few minutes with your doctor is what you should be counting on to 

 you healthy. At this point in the American healthcare system, you have to realize that your doctor is someone who will be dedicated to 

The reason I make this point is that all too often I meet people who are proud to tell me that they do not exercise or eat particularly healthy, because every time they see their doctor, the doctor tells them that they are doing great and that all their “numbers” are “normal”.

NORMAL? What does that mean? Believe me; the one thing you do not want to be in this country is “normal”. In the United States, “normal” means you have a 50% chance of dying of heart disease and that you have a one in 4 chance of dying earlier than you have to of a completely preventable disease! Do you want to just be “normal”?

Be careful not to confuse what your doctor tells you with what you want to hear. If your doctor tells you that your cholesterol, etc. is “normal” he is not saying that it can not or should not improve. “Normal” cholesterol in this country is 205; that is too high! If you have a cholesterol level of 200 you should be working to lower it. This is true with many of the numbers that are looked at during a regular physical. Again, “normal” does not necessarily mean healthy or ideal.

I think it is best not to rely on your doctor as the person who will have the most important role in keeping you healthy, fit, of normal weight, and disease-free. This has got to be YOUR responsibility. You have got to figure out what you have to do to prevent the onset of disease.

There are many professionals out there whose job is to keep you healthy and whose job it is to spend many hours with you working on this goal with you; it’s just not your doctor.

Most doctors are very encouraging to their patients who want to work on the prevention of disease; your doctor may even recommend certain health professionals that can help you with this; they just don’t have the time to be that person.

Dieticians, personal trainers, health educators, etc. are all professionals who can take on certain roles in your quest for preventable wellness, however, for the most part; insurance does not cover this kind of care. It is unfortunate, but you will have to put the time, money, and effort into getting and staying healthy. The upside is that your overall healthcare cost could be reduced significantly if you get on the preventative track.

My message to all of you is this: realize that YOU are responsible for your health. Your doctor is there to diagnose, manage, and help cure illnesses, but he cannot be responsible for you living a healthy lifestyle. Do not look to your doctor for this……….look in the mirror.

Who is responsible for keeping you healthy

As people age, their priorities and their concerns change. Somewhere around 50, health starts to move up on the “concern list”. Unfortunately, for most, health does not move up on the “priority list” and for far too many, it doesn’t even make the list at all.

It is sad but true, that just being concerned about your health will not do much to improve it. Making your health a priority in your life is what is needed to make real change and improvement in your health.

In order to truly make your health a priority in your life you must first take personal responsibility for your health. You have to accept the fact that you and only you are in control of the lifestyle you want to live. From eating to exercising to sleeping, you have to take responsibility for your choices. Sure, it’s easier to “externalize” and blame unhealthy choices on someone or something else: “My spouse does not cook healthy meals for me”, “I don’t have time to exercise due to my work schedule”, “My kids won’t eat healthy food, so I don’t fix it”, “and I have a bad back, so I can’t exercise”, etc.

As a trainer, I hear excuses like these often during consultations with potential clients. When I hear someone blame external factors for their own poor choices, I know that they are not truly ready to make lasting changes in their lives. My, over 20 years of experience tells me that until someone stops blaming other people and factors, they will not reach their goals.

So, have you taken personal responsibility for your health? Take some time to think about it and be totally honest with yourself. If you are not who or where you want to be in your life, with regards to your health, do you accept the fact that you are in charge of this reality? If you can take this first step, the rest of journey becomes easier.

Most humans like to be “in control”. Taking personal responsibility for your health gives you control. Getting over this hurdle is very freeing for many people. Taking control of your choices is a way of giving yourself permission to be selfish and do what’s best for you and your health. When you take control of your choices and you want to improve your health, then all of the sudden you find a way to get healthy food, make time to get to the gym and find the money to hire a trainer. When you truly realize that you are the only person that can create a healthy lifestyle for yourself, you will find a way to get there.

Not taking personal responsibility for your choices regarding your health and fitness hurts you more than anyone else. Think about this: nursing homes are not full of sick people; they are full of weak people. Sickness lands you in the hospital; weakness lands you in the nursing home. If you don’t have the strength and coordination to control your own body, then you have to rely on others to care for you. Keeping your mobility is the key to keeping your independence.Keeping fit is the key to keeping your mobility.

Spend some time thinking about who and where you want to be as life goes on. Know that you have a lot of control over that vision. If you want to be active, independent and keep a high quality of life, then make daily choices to support that vision. Look at the choices you are making in your daily life now.Are they putting you on the path to where you want to be? If not, do you realize that you are the only one that can change this?

Embrace the control you have over your life; make the choices that create the vision you want for yourself and your life.

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