Beginning Your New Wellness & Fitness Program

The “Big five”: Health Related Benefits
of Physical Fitness and Exercise

Being “physically fit” can mean many different things. It means looking good, feeling good and having the strength and the energy to do the things you want to do each day. There are five major areas that every workout program should cover: Cardiovascular Endurance, Strength Training, Flexibility, Body Composition / Weight Control / Nutrition and Stress Management.

With a regular fitness program you should see some of the following benefits within the first 6 – 8 weeks of consistent training:

• Cardio Respiratory Endurance
  • Lowered heart rate
  • Decreased blood pressure
  • Improvements in circulation
• Muscular Strength and Endurance
  • Improved strength abilities
  • Less muscle fatigue in daily activities
  • Increased work efficiency
• Flexibility
  • Improved range of motion
  • Improved performance, in sports and everyday activities
  • Decreased risk of injuries due to tight muscles and joints
• Body Composition
  • Increased lean muscle mass
  • Decreases in body fat
• Psychological
  • Increased energy and elevated mood
  • Improved self-image and confidence
  • Improvements in your ability to deal with daily stress

Cardio Training

Cardiovascular training is one of the most important components of your workout program. It helps burn fat, increases your strength and endurance and improves your circulation. And it doesn’t take much to begin to see results – you can see huge benefits with only 20 minutes a day.

It doesn't matter what you choose to do for cardiovascular exercise, so long as it gets your body moving and your heart pumping. You can use one of the many great machines here in the gym or can do your cardio work outside by walking, biking or just going up and down the stairs at work. A few suggestions:

Biking • Cross Country Ski Machine • Jogging or Running • Rowing Machine
Stair Master • Dancing • Elliptical Trainers • Swimming

WEIGHT TRAINING

Weight training is an integral part of any physical fitness program. It increases your strength, can increase bone density and is the key to building lean, strong muscles.

Most people think of weight training as just “pumping iron,” but weight training involves a wide variety of activities and exercises, all of which are designed to strengthen and build your muscles.

For a weight training program to be the most effective, you need to work each and every one of your muscles about once a week. You also need to plan for rest days where you do no training at all. This allows your muscles to recover from your workouts and helps prevent injury or “burn-out.”

STRETCHING FOR FLEXIBILITY

Stretching is the one component of a workout program that most people forget. But it is very important to stretch both before and after your workouts. Stretching helps to loosen up your muscles and can reduce post-workout stiffness and soreness, it can also relieve tension built up after a long day of sitting at a desk or running errands,. As your body becomes more and more flexible, you also become much less prone to injury. A few tips for stretching out:

• Never stretch a "cold" muscle or force a muscle to go further than it wants to. Stretch to the point of a mild tightness, never to the point of pain, or to where it begins to shake or tighten itself up. If you experience either, back off the stretch a little bit.
• The best stretches are slow and easy. Avoid bouncing stretches or using weights to stretch yourself. Hold each stretch for 20 - 30 seconds without moving.
• After a workout, stretch every muscle group you used, and any others that may feel tight.

LAST MINUTE TIPS:

• Start every workout with a 10 - 15 minute cardio warm up.
• When lifting weights, go slowly and concentrate on form. Tighten the muscle first and then lift slow enough that you can count to 3 on the way up and 3 on the way down as you release.
• Have something to eat before you begin your workouts.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after you work out.
• End each workout with 5 - 10 minutes of light cardio followed by stretching to cool down.

Most important of all, find something you enjoy. When you love coming into the gym, it becomes an escape from all the other stresses in your life. Learn to see your time in the gym as your time each day to do something good for yourself.

GOAL SETTING

The concept for goal setting utilizes four basic questions.

1. Where am I? (medical screening, fitness/nutrition assessment)
2. Where do I want to be? (goal setting)
3. How do I get there? (exercise/nutrition prescription)
4. How do I stay there? (supervision, education, motivation and feedback)

The fitness/nutrition assessment will provide a snapshot of your current fitness/nutrition level. Four of the Big Five listed to the left are used for setting goals – Cardio, Muscular strength, Flexibility and Body Composition. This data along with your personal desires for change will assist you in creating realistic, measurable, achievable goals. Using realistic time frames to achieve your goals is also very important. The average time it takes to see improvement in the measured areas is:

Cardio – 12 weeks
Muscular Strength – 8 weeks
Flexibility – 8 weeks
Body Composition – 12-16 weeks

Realize that there is no magic solution to getting in shape. Only your hard work will get you where you want to go. At Fitness Exchange, we all want to see you achieve your goals and we are always here to help you look and feel your best. Thanks for working looking us up on line and know that we are here to work with you. If you have any questions or concerns, schedule a session with one of our Personal Fitness Trainers and we will do our very best to help you make that healthy lifestyle change and achieve all your health and fitness goals. Good luck!

Our fitness professionals are veterans who have helped people of all ages, shapes and sizes, take charge of their health and well-being. They each understand the importance of teaching the three principles that will lead to fitness success -- eating to support your body, challenging your body to develop lean muscle to boost metabolism and incorporating moderate aerobic activity for cardiovascular conditioning. It’s this approach that helps us deliver results time after time. Come talk with us. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll learn.

Meet Our Exceptional Fitness Coaches

Chris Sokol Email: chsokol@yahoo.com A message from Chris: Do you have fitness goals? Would you like the knowledge and/or motivation to effectively reach them? From a beginner to advanced client; I have the skill set that can help you realize your potential. If its motivation you lack, I will keep you going by monitoring your progress and regularly changing your exercise regimen to keep you interested and inspired. After an initial Fitness Assessment, I will custom design a work out program for you and your fitness level. Your individualized plan will encompass Flexibility, Core/Stability Training, Strength Training, Cardio and Nutrition. As you advance toward your goal, your program will be changed to match your progress. Together we can turn your fitness dreams into reality! Personal Background: I graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Anthropology in 2003 and began working in corporate America. I had always worked out through college but had reached a plateau. In January 2006, I started working out with my first trainer and saw amazing results. I acquired my certification from the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) in February 2007. My own fitness success inspires me to help others reach their own goals! AREAS OF EXPERTISE -Proper Weight Management -Core/Stability Training -Flexibility -Cardio and Strength Training -Program Design/Nutritional Guidance -Certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)