People seeking physical activity will use a great playlist to keep them going during a long work out like a long walk or a run. Most people will use this to help with mental motivation during the workout phase. Troy always recommends a good playlist for people looking at doing a long physical exercise provided you are in a safe place.

People have different musical tastes and work out to different types of music. Younger generations might respond more to something faster while the baby boomer might listen to something more acoustic. Whatever your music taste, it is important to use it if it can help motivate you to achieve your fitness goals.

What type of music motivates you to work out?

Google

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Medical experts recommend drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water every day. When it comes to working out it is important to constantly hydrate your body and quench your thirst. The important factor to take note of is that drinking water can keep you energized, active and in shape. Water is critical to the balance of all the body’s systems, including the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys and muscles.

You will notice a trend with anyone who keeps up with an active lifestyle.  They always have a bottle of water with them at the gym or on a hike. It is always recommended to have a bottle of water with you and hydrate yourself throughout your workout. During the workday it is important to fill up on water and have a glass every 1-2 hours. A glass of water every morning when you wake up can work wonders to refresh yourself and get the digestion working.

How many glasses of water do you drink a day?

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If you ask many graduates of weight loss programs they will tell you that meal planning is essential and critical to sticking to a diet. Most people are so distracted with the physical activities that they tend to resort to comfort foods. It is important to prepare for this pitfall and plan ahead of time. Personal Trainer studies say that when you plan your meals ahead of time it gives you less temptation to make bad choices.

Planning your meals gives you an opportunity to come up with healthy substitutes and to avoid failure. It allow you prepare healthy food the day or evening before and to powerfully set you up for success in your fitness and weight loss program.

Are you planning your meals right?

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We started by getting him to reprogram his daily activities and focus on getting off the couch. This habit took some time to change. The TV became a reward after an evening of physical activity but over time my client lost interest in the television. He was more focused on his healthy and his schedule was not controlled by earlier poor habits. Most of the time goals are failed because the person making them has good intentions but poor follow through. Are you aware of someone that fits this criteria?

Here are a few tips to get off the couch:

• Plan out your evening
• Fill the evening with physical activity
• Hire a fitness instructor
• Hold yourself accountable
• Join a friend and share common health goals
• Come up with active interests
• Become active and enjoy the outdoors
• Take action

Are you taking on any of these recommended suggestions? How are you holding yourself accountable to ensure you are staying active?

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I recently have had quite a few successful case studies of people shedding a ton of weight in the first few weeks of their healthy cycle. When I personally interviewed them their secret wasn’t a magic pill, a secret smoothie or exercise. It had to do with completely cutting out soda pop from their daily intake.

Carbonated soft drinks or soda pop contain elements of phosphoric acid, aspartame, caffeine and high volumes of sugar. Research have linked soda to osteoporosis, obesity, tooth decay and heart disease. I wanted to highlight not only the dangers of drinking soda pop but how I have seen people meet success when they give up drinking soda pop.

I recently had a client who was border line pre-diabetic. In many cases he was forced to change his lifestyle because he had no other choice. He was experiencing symptoms including constant thirst and multiple trips to the washroom. The first thing I recommended was completely overhaul his dietary intake and increase the flow of water. This was very hard for my client as he thought he could substitute his soft drinks with diet drinks or juices. The challenge is most of these substitutes still contained a high volume of sugar and he needed to bring his blood sugar down to the regular levels. Within a few weeks of withdrawals and restless nights he had managed to go through an entire 3 weeks without any pop and he started to walk everyday.

Within a month the craving for the sugar declined and he had lost 30 pounds. He started to look and feel healthier. He managed to control his blood sugar and is continuing on his path to a better and healthier lifestyle. The biggest hurdle he had to overcome was the first few weeks. His motivation was the fact that he had no other choice, his life was on the line! Sometimes we are driven to change only when we are forced to. Are you one of those people struggling today? If so I recommend you call me to share your challenges with me. I am here to help!

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Starting a physical fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for yourself and it will benefit your health. Physical activity will help reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your muscle tone, coordination and balance, one of the greatest benifits to starting a fitness program is it will help you lose weight , improve your sleep habits and self-esteem. And there’s more good news. You can do it in just five steps.

The first Step consider your fitness ability

You might have several idea’s of how fit you are or may not be. Assessing and recording Your baseline fitness level will allow you target where you are and to measure your progress. If you gauge your abilities in aerobic , muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, you will want to consider recording:

• Your pulse rate before and after do your exercise of choice
• How long it takes you to do that exercise
• How many push-ups you can do at a time
• Your flexibility
• Your waist perimeter as careful measured around your unclothed abdomen just above your hipbone

Second Step create your fitness program

You will need to design your fitness program, keep these points in mind: you’ll need a plan. You may want to hire an personal trainer to assist you in identifying where you are

• Set your fitness goals. Did you start a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have a further driving force, such as preparing for a marathon? If you Have clear goals that will help you gauge your progress it will set you up for success.
• Create an objective routine. Most people should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — or 15 minutes of dynamic aerobic activity — a day. You will also need two or more days of strength training a week.
• Set a pace and make improvements every day no matter how small. If you’re just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly. If you have an injury or a medical condition, consult your doctor or a personal trainer for help designing a fitness program that will gradually improve your range of motion, strength and endurance.
• Build movement into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be very testing. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment like your Dr or Dentist. Plan to watch your favorite show while walking on the treadmill, or audio book while riding a stationary bike don’t read anything if you can read your not working hard enough.
• Plan to embrace diverse activities. diverse activities (cross-training) can keep exercise tediousness at bay. Cross-training also reduces your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Plan to alternate among activities that emphasize different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.
• Allow time to recover. Many people start exercising with furious enthusiasm , working out too long or too intensely never giving up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.
• Record it . A written or recorded plan will encourage you to continue on following your plans.

Third Step bring together your gear

You’ll probably start with athletic shoes. Be sure to seek professional advice to pick shoes designed for the physical activity you have in mind.

If you’re setting up to invest in exercise equipment, choose something that’s realistic, agreeable and easy to use. You may want to try out certain types of equipment at a fitness gym or with a personal trainer before spending hard earned dollars on your own equipment. To stretch your exercise dollars, consider buying used equipment. Or get creative. Make your own weights by filling old socks with beans or pennies, or by partially filling a half-gallon milk jug with water or sand and securing the tops with duct tape.

Forth Step Get happening

Now you’re ready for action. As you begin your fitness program, keep these tips in mind:

• Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the amount of time you exercise. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
• Break things up if you have to. You don’t have to do all your exercise at one time. Shorter but more-frequent sessions have aerobic benefits, too. Fifteen minutes of exercise a couple of times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session.
• Be creative. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling or rowing. But don’t stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing.
• Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
• Be flexible. If you’re not feeling good, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.

Fifth Step keep an eye on your improvements

Retake your personal fitness assessment within six weeks after you start your fitness program and then again every 6 to 9 weeks. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or taking a class at a fitness center may help, too.

Starting an exercise program is an important decision. But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming one. By planning carefully and pacing yourself, you can establish a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.

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