Developing A Workout Routine

If you are focusing on improving your health by losing weight and getting fit, one healthy habit you should not overlook (aside from improving your nutrition) is developing a workout routine.
Naturally this can be a bit awkward especially when starting out for the first couple months. It takes a considerable amount of effort to remove yourself from the couch or bed and get that body moving again. For many, it will be a slow process as your legs, arms, and body get used to exercising.
However once you make it past that initial stage and are able to exercise for 30 minutes to an hour, you've crossed the first and most difficult hurdle. Now the fun can really begin!
The Importance of Developing A Workout Routine

 

  The next item of business is figuring out exactly which activities you want to continue doing on a weekly basis which is why developing a workout routine can really help.
One important point to remember in regards to exercise is that you don't want feelings of boredom to creep in. These thoughts can fester leading you to slowly give up this healthy habit and that's the last thing you want to happen.

This can be compared to the types of foods you eat. It would become extremely boring to eat the same meal each and every day. Who would want to eat in this manner unless you absolutely had no other option?
You should consider exercise in the same way. Doing the same workout day after day may be fine for a couple of months but eventually you may get bored with this routine. Granted this is not true for everyone, and if you are able to run the same course 4-5 times per week month after month, then by all means stick with that.

However for those of you who like change and want to have a diversified portfolio of workouts, then creating a workout routine can really help keep you motivated and focused.
Naturally before you can create a workout routine, you need to not only have some options, but also the abilities to do the activities safely and properly. That's not to say you can't try out something new like a sport or activity you've always wanted to learn. If that's the case just be sure you get someone who is qualified to teach you how to do the activity properly.

Personally, my workout routine has grown immensely over the past two years. When I first started exercising, the only activity I did was walking - four times a week for about an hour at a time.
Sure that doesn't sound all too exciting, but my 300 pound self at the time could only handle that amount of activity safely.

After a couple of months, walking turned into hiking, then a couple of months later into jogging. Once I was able to run for an hour without feeling completely drained afterwards, I knew I had developed a newfound endurance and energy level I had not enjoyed in over a decade.
Over the past year I have experimented with a number of different activities. I started playing tennis again, attending a local Bootcamp class, biking with my dog, snowboarding regularly during the winter, a gym membership to my local LA Fitness, and even did the Insanity at-home workout program to see what that was like.

 

  These days I have a consistent workout routine that I usually stick with week after week. Monday and Wednesday is Bootcamp class, Tuesday and Thursday is tennis, and I usually either run or bike my dog on Friday and on one of the weekend days.

Maintaining this diverse workout routine keeps me motivated to stick with my plan every week. Best yet, I never go more than two days in a row without some type of exercise.
If you have had issues sticking with a consistent fitness routine, developing a workout routine so you can regularly exercise which will not only get you into better shape but you'll lose weight too! The best of both worlds.

Source Gregory L. Gomez

10 Fitness Trends to Look Out For in 2015

 

One of the most elusive traits coveted by humankind is the ability to predict the future. Based on the study of past events we can develop a hypothesis about what might occur, but there is no way to know for sure what can happen in the coming days, weeks or years.

This is especially true in the fitness industry. It is almost impossible to predict what new trend will encourage the masses to get up and start sweating. A specific piece of equipment, workout program or exercise technique may become popular because it helps people achieve results or because it’s just a fun way to exercise and creates an enjoyable experience. CrossFit is an example of a trend that exploded in popularity because the high-intensity exercises and varied programming of the Workouts of the Day (WOD) produce results. Plus, the group component of CrossFit, the competition-based programming and its Spartan setting creates a unique experience that is completely different than the traditional big box gym, which has helped elevate it to a fitness lifestyle.

As we begin the process of closing out 2014, it’s time to identify the programs or products that could become the next CrossFit and shape the fitness landscape in 2015. As a fitness educator and consultant who works with certification organizations, equipment manufacturers, apparel companies and health clubs, I’m in a unique position to be able to identify upcoming fitness trends. In an effort to pinpoint the trends that we will see in the coming year, I reached out to a number of other educators and industry thought leaders to develop a list of what is in store for 2015.

1. More people will utilize wearable technology to monitor and record biometric data.

Heart-rate monitors have been worn for years to monitor exercise intensity during a workout, but in the past few years a number of wearable devices have been introduced that help us track calorie burning all day long, while also monitoring our sleep habits at night. The New Year will see the release of the Apple iWatch, which is ushering in a whole new category of wearable technology that can help us develop a greater understanding of how our bodies function. The most interesting feature is that Apple’s new mobile operating system (iOS 8) will create a dashboard on your phone that can be used to monitor and record a variety of important health data that can help you live your life to the fullest.

2. Online video-on-demand workout programs will become increasingly common.

From television shows to VHS tapes to DVDs, people have long used video technology to follow a home-based workout led by an experienced instructor. Video-on-demand services have been growing in popularity and the coming year will see an explosion of online, video-on-demand workout programs developed specifically for mobile devices that will allow fitness consumers to enjoy an instructor-led workout anywhere they choose.

3. Online personal training goes mainstream.

When it was first introduced, online personal training was been considered a poor substitute for working with a real live trainer. From video conferencing to wearable devices used to record activity levels, technology has recently made it more feasible to offer personalized fitness coaching services via an online or mobile platform. The next year will see further growth in this segment as personal trainers become more comfortable using technology to offer virtual coaching services. The primary difference between video-on-demand workout programs and online personal training is that the former offers workouts for general goals while the latter delivers specific, progressively challenging programs to achieve well-defined fitness outcomes.

4. “Functional training” will recede from our lexicon and the concept of loaded movement training will become more popular.

Traditional free-weight resistance training features curvilinear movement patterns that move the resistance directly against the downward force of gravity. On the other hand, loaded movement training (LMT) is defined as the process of moving a mass through gravity (the definition of the term shifting) in a task-based, multiplanar movement pattern. LMT is the progression of functional training, which has become an overused term to describe a variety of activities more suited for a circus performance than a weight room.

5. Group-based training programs will be personalized to each individual participating in the workout.

In the past, taking a group exercise class meant moving the same way at the same time and same speed as everyone else in the room. Technology to track intensity and work-rate (via heart-rate monitors) on a screen in the front of a studio allows an instructor to provide a group workout that allows each participant to work at his or her own comfort level. While this technology itself is not new, 2015 will see a rapid growth in personalized group workout programs.

6. Participation in one-on-one personal training will decline at large health clubs in favor of small group or semi-private training programs.

Small-group training programs will continue to grow in popularity and more health clubs will feature fee-based small-group programs as the primary way to deliver an instructor-led workout experience to their members. This may be the year we see revenue from small-group programming surpass revenue generated by one-on-one personal training.

7. Workout programs will move away from pure High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and start featuring more intelligent program design that allows for proper recovery from the stresses of exercise.

Recovery is the component of the workout program that is most often overlooked, even though the body becomes stronger in the time period after workout, not during the workout itself. HIIT is popular because it produces results, but performing too much high-intensity training too frequently could lead to overtraining or soft-tissue injury. It also could be a reason why participants stop exercising. This is starting to change as educated fitness professionals are beginning to recognize that recovery is key for their clients’ success.

8. Trainers and clients will begin to use biomarkers to track progress from an exercise program.

For years, researchers have used hormone levels and metabolic markers in the bloodstream to study how exercise affects human physiology. As the costs of blood tests drop, 2015 will see personal trainers starting to use blood testing to help assess a client’s fitness level and physiological status. Don’t worry—personal trainers won’t be taking blood from their clients. Clients will use a dedicated collection sight to withdraw blood, which will then be sent to a lab for processing. Personal trainers will not diagnose any health issues, but instead will watch markers such as testosterone or cortisol to identify whether a client is in an optimal anabolic (muscle building) state or is experiencing a period of stress, which could elevate levels of cortisol and be an indicator of overtraining.

9. Competitive formats like American Ninja Warrior, parkour, Spartan Race and obstacle course races will continue to grow in popularity.

Thanks in part to the success of Kacy Catanzaro in the American Ninja Warrior challenge, the fact that NBC Sports is now televising Spartan Races, and the emergence of gyms designed specifically for parkour or free-running, this category of extreme bodyweight training will continue to experience exponential growth over the coming year.

10. Old-school group-exercise programs and full-service health clubs will make a comeback.

This is my long-shot, against-the-grain prediction, but I do think that 2015 may become the year for the retro workout craze as many group exercise programs that have faded from the mainstream will make a resurgence. We may see a return of programs like dance aerobics, instructor-led treadmill and stair climber-based workouts and group kickboxing classes. In addition, while small studios have turned the industry on its head over the past five years, in 2015 we will begin to see fitness enthusiasts gravitate back to multipurpose health clubs that can offer a variety of different workout experiences under a single roof.

There is no easy way to tell which of these trends could become the next CrossFit, but this list should give you an idea of what we’ll see in the fitness industry in 2015. You can use this information to plan your continuing education so you can be up-to-date on the latest trends before they become popular.
Source : By Pete McCall, MS  McCall has an MS in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. In addition, he is an ACE-certified Personal Trainer (ACE-CPT)

Apple's iWatch and HealthKit: What They Mean for Health and Fitness Pros and Their Clients

The fusion of technology and the fitness industry continues at warp speed. This brings both excitement and concern, with users around the world waiting for the release of the new iPhone 6, new iOS 8 and the closely guarded Apple iWatch. Rumors suggest the devices will be both fashionable and practical.
Wall Street has also been watching the buzz around the new Apple products, as this is the most significant event for Apple under the leadership of Tim Cook (and not Steve Jobs). With the introduction of HealthKit, it is also Apple’s attempt to make the iPhone not only the center of the user’s digital world, but also of his or her physical world as well.
The HealthKit framework within iOS 8 will offer more health and fitness functionality by linking devices with a user’s health information, using the iPhone as the central hub. Now users will be able to capture and monitor health and fitness information such as pulse, steps, blood pressure and sleep habits. These health measures offer a clear and current overview of a person’s overall well-being. While it is true that individual apps have been doing this for years, the new HealthKit will allow these health and fitness apps to sync data about the user’s health and fitness across a variety of wearables and apps, organizing them all into one dashboard application—the iPhone.
Within the fitness industry, excitement started a year ago when Apple hired fitness-industry expert and ACE Pro Jay Blahnik as one of the first of many hires specific to health and fitness. After years spent consulting with Gatorade, Nautilus, Schwinn and Nike, Blahnik was all in with Apple. In December 2013, Apple met with the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. governing arm of the federal government for all things medical, to discuss mobile medical applications, likely to ensure that HealthKit would not cross a regulatory line.
This is exciting news for our industry, so how can personal trainers and health coaches benefit from such technology? Here are three things I will be watching for in the weeks and months that follow the announcement:
Being Connected. Our world continues to become even more connected. It is through being connected that trainers and health coaches can engage with their clients, keeping them on the path to wellness. Through the new iPhone platform, clients will be able to share with you integrated insights into their daily lives (activity, sleep, steps, food, pulse rate, etc.) that wasn’t previously possible. No longer will you need to guess what your clients did outside of training or if they took your advice—it will all be there with a click of a button. How’s that for accountability? New business models for training and coaching will be developed to take advantage of this technology and the job of a trainer or coach will no longer be limited to inside the four physical walls of a gym, opening up new markets not only down the street but around the world.
Deeper Collaboration. We’ve seen that it takes a team to make a real difference in the lives of our clients. From trainer to physician, coach to nutritionist, the power of collaboration, being in sync and in real time, is one highlight of the new HealthKit. It will take time for each team member to understand his or her place in the overall HealthKit matrix, but what is exciting is the possibility of overall health for our collective clients. More teamwork between practitioners allows trainers and coaches to stay within their scope of practice and seek partnerships with others in the healthcare industry.
Proceed with Caution. Apple is late to the game with regards to fitness tracking, but many expect it to succeed where others have not. While Jawbone and FitBit do a good job of tracking activity, many consumers still see wearables as “unstylish” and the buzz of the wearable soon wears off with a sharp decline in use after just six months. A device has yet to emerge with enough authority to encourage mass adoption (not good if you are relying on this data). Apple could change that perception with their historic strengths in design and new hires in fashion, which means more people will be more inclined to wear a device and thus more health data will be collected.
As we share more personal and confidential information across the cloud, there will be more debate surrounding security and privacy with this type of information. Apple has taken steps to ensure our privacy, with requirements that apps using HealthKit not store information on the cloud and not share information without user consent. Of course, there will always be a risk when sharing data through the cloud, but does the benefit of sharing outweigh the concern over privacy? Or vice versa?
Remember, Apple is not the only kid on the block using smartphones for health. In the US, there are nearly 170 million cellphone users, 70 percent of whom use smartphones. Within the smartphone category, the iPhone is by far the most popular, with 42 percent of users, followed by Samsung at 28 percent, 7 percent for LG, 6 percent Motorola and 5 percent for HTC. However, when looking at the operating systems of these smartphones, Android takes the lead with 52 percent, Apple at 42 percent, and Microsoft, BlackBerry and others making up the remaining 8 percent (ComScore, 2014). The takeaway? If you only work with Apple, you will be missing out on 58 percent of the population that uses a smartphone other than an iPhone.
I am a believer in effective uses of technology and am excited about the Apple announcement, as well as the upcoming announcements from Microsoft and Google within the health and fitness space. New technologies and innovations like the iPhone, the Apple iWatch and HealthKit are not a magic bullet, but they can be a very powerful tool that, when properly implemented into trainers’ and coaches’ businesses, can lead to new clients, new revenue streams and new partnerships. These technologies will never replace a qualified and certified personal trainer or health coach. After all, clients hire us for our knowledge and accountability, but they keep us for our personality and ability to connect with them.

Source : By Ted Vickey Ted Vickey Ted Vickey, M.S., is the Senior Consultant - Fitness Technology for ACE. He’s been an ACE Certified Personal Trainer since 1992

Music Tames (or Revs Up) the Savage Exercising Beast

There's no doubt that music is powerful—in some cases, it has the ability to calm our senses and put us at ease; at other times, it serves to rev us up. For those who listen to music while working out, it can even make us push harder in our fitness routine than we would have without it. With all the modern technologies, including the ubiquitous iPod, which gives you access to an entire music library in the palm of your hand, using music during your workout has never been easier. And, it turns out, those who prefer to work out while listening to music may actually have an advantage. Studies show that music may aid almost every aspect of our workout, including pacing, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), explosiveness of movement, warm-up and lactate clearance during recovery. In fact, simply telling someone that music increases their enjoyment of exercise will enhance their enjoyment of exercise!

Get with the Beat!

According to a recent study, discussed in this New York Times article, our step frequency often changes with speed so that our bodies operate at maximum efficiency. Dr. Max Donelan, a professor at Simon Fraser University and co-author in the study, tried changing visual cues with projections on a curtain around a treadmill, and found that the step frequency briefly changed, only to quickly settle back to the normal frequency. The ONLY factor that helped exercisers maintain a fast step frequency was faster tempo music. Based on his findings, Dr. Donelan launched an iPhone app called Cruise Control that chooses the songs from your music library featuring a specified cadence. Another website, www.clickmix.com, does something similar, but from a song-selection standpoint, allowing the user to search for songs based on beats per minute and run time.
 

In an ACE-sponsored study, researchers Dr. Carl Foster and Dr. John Porcari of the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, reviewed the effects of music on exercise intensity and reinforced the idea that people will not only exercise to the beat of the drum they are listening to, they also enjoy exercise more, perceive it to be less taxing and often exercise harder as a result. In their review, the researchers quoted Costas Karageorghis, Ph.D., from the Brunel University School of Sport and Education, who is a leading authority on music and exercise. "Music is like a legal drug for athletes," wrote Karageorghis. "…it can reduce the perception of effort significantly and increase endurance by as much as 15 percent." In his research, Karageorghis found three possible mechanisms for this improved exercise performance:
The tendency to move in time with synchronous sounds
The tendency of music to increase arousal
The tendency of music to distract the exerciser from the discomfort of exercise

Foster and Porcari have supervised several studies investigating the effect of music on intensity and generally find that the faster the tempo, the higher the individual's intensity and the more aroused they will become. "All things being equal," says Foster, "I think the stronger and more obvious the beat, the more likely you will follow it." Many experts in running claim an efficient cadence for almost all runners is between 170 and 180 steps per minute, which is pretty fast. Foster and Porcari believe the tempo or beats per minute should correspond to the heart’s beats per minute—running should have a tempo of 147-169 bpm, cycling should be set at 135-170 bpm, and power walking should be lower and more accurately set at 137-139 bpm.

It is common to see athletes listening to music on their headphones before a competition. In fact, Olympic swimmers and track athletes are famous for literally "tuning out the world" with their music. It has been shown to improve peak power output when delivered during the warm-up for the supramaximal Wingate test. Surprisingly, other variables such as heart rate, fatigue index or RPE did not show any difference (Jarraya et al., 2012). In another study from an Italian university, the researchers were testing if an arousal auditory stimulus could improve bench-press power. Researchers found that an auditory stimulus significantly improved power output (Murgia et al., 2012). Finally, a study on self-selected music (SSM) effects on explosive strength in a bench press and squat jump found SSM did not improve bench-press performance or increase jump height. However, it did improve the rate of force and take-off velocity. The RPE and mood scores for vigor, tension and fatigue were greater in the music condition. The researchers concluded that listening to SSM might be beneficial for acute power performance (Biagini et al., 2012).

In a study from Brazil, time to finish, heart rate, RPE and mood state were not significantly different when music was delivered before or during the 5km cycling time trial. However, the RPE may be slightly lower with music (Bigliassi et al., 2012). The effect of music was even tested on recovery from intense exercise. Music proved to be beneficial in the number of steps the person would take in recovering and this was associated with a faster lactate clearance and lower RPE. Like the other studies, there was no difference in mean heart rate during the recovery. A study by Whitehead and Knight (2012) found that simply creating an expectancy of enjoyment for exercise with music is all it takes to get people to actually enjoy the exercise experience more. Thus, the placebo effect may be very real with music and exercise.

In conclusion, music is beneficial for most of the psychological aspects of exercise and may be beneficial for short-term, power activities. While endurance performance is not enhanced, recovery and possibly step frequency may be increased with the right kind of music. The primary benefit of music seems to be that it helps us endure the pain and discomfort associated with exercise. Personally, I never listened to music for 25 years of working out and yet now I can hardly go running without it!

Source : By Mark Kelly Dr. Mark Kelly Mark P. Kelly, Ph.D., CSCS is an exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise.