We all have something that motivates us, be it a material item we want and must work hard to get, or our desire for our bodies look a certain way. It can also be much more personal, like our family history or just being there for our family and friends for the long haul.
Whatever our personal motivation is, we need to find it and use it to be able to keep ourselves going strong in our journey to take care of our bodies and health. Continue reading “Using Our Motivators For Success”
As a personal trainer, the majority of my clientele are middle-aged women who are for the first time — or the first in a long time — making their health a priority.
It is so easy for women to get caught up in motherhood, careers, friendships, family, and succeeding in their expectations for each that they often put themselves and their health goals to the wayside.
This National Women’s Health and Fitness Day, take time for yourself to relax, exercise, and get healthy. Continue reading “National Women’s Health & Fitness Day”
In the world of women’s fitness, women are constantly told they should not “bulk up” when exercising by magazines, websites, even some gyms. Instead, the term “toned” is used to refer to gaining lean muscle and maintain a feminine figure at the same time. It’s time to put all of that nonsense to rest and provide you with the real goods about women’s health and weight training.
Many women steer clear of weight training exercises because they fear becoming bulky from the added muscle. Don’t be! Every person, no matter their age or gender, has a unique body that requires different needs. Women today need to become more accepting of their body type and avoid trying to conform to what society says is right.
Society has always pushed a specific perception of what women should look like, but these views are arbitrary, change constantly, and don’t necessarily match up with staying physically fit and healthy. In order to reach your fullest physical potential, incorporate cardio and weight training into your workout regimen.
Despite popular belief, gaining muscle mass is not “masculine”; it’s simply how the human body gets stronger. If you become “bulky,” that doesn’t mean that you are any less feminine or more masculine. It means that you are strong and physically fit and healthy. By ridding yourself of the notion of what’s “feminine”  or “masculine,” you will be able to work out with confidence and improve your mental and emotional health.
Weight training has many benefits that you need to take advantage of in order to maintain your physical fitness. Building muscle burns calories just like cardio does, but it does so in a different way and targets different areas of the body. This targeted exercise is necessary for physical improvement and should be incorporated into your fitness routine. Becoming stronger is not only essential for our physical health but empowers women…especially when it comes to tackling tasks that require increased strength.
During pregnancy, it’s normal and natural for weight-gain to occur. Once the delivery date arrives, many women are extremely eager to get rid of the extra baby weight and often partake in fads and bad habits in order to see faster results. However, when working towards your fitness goals after pregnancy, it’s important to make sure you are doing it in a way that’s healthy for both your body and mind. Continue reading “Post-Pregnancy Fitness: Don’t Go Backwards in Life”
Exercise is beneficial for everyone. But for pregnant women, exercising is an important part of staying healthy that’s beneficial for them and their baby. By remaining active during your pregnancy, you can rest assured that you are taking advantage of the many benefits that come along with exercising:
By exercising while pregnant, you will not only be improving your health but your baby’s. Exercising prepares your body for the labor process and may reduce the need for pain medications. It also helps reduce the chances of:
You also potentially improve your baby’s:
How you take care of yourself during pregnancy also affects your baby not only in-utero but throughout its entire life. According to research, children of mothers who exercised during pregnancy had better memories and higher scores on intelligence and language tests. Mothers who exercised and ate healthy during their pregnancies also tended to have babies with healthier birth weight.
Pregnant or not, exercising will help boost your immune system and fight off harmful germs and viruses. A healthy immune system is especially important when you are pregnant.
When pregnant, women’s immune systems tend to overreact when faced with invaders like the flu. In addition to exercise, it’s very important to stay up-to-date on your immunizations. Not only are you protecting your own health, but the health of your baby.
Exercising while pregnant is a great way to reduce stress, both mentally and physically. Keep your body in shape and your body will feel less of the negative physical effects of pregnancy. It’s also a great way to unwind and boost your mood.
Wedding season is right around the corner. Women whose wedding is coming up often try to lose weight or tone up to look great in their wedding dress. While it’s okay to want to look good on your big day, going to extreme measures will do you more harm than good.
Once your dress is fitted, don’t lose a lot of weight at the last minute. Not only will your dress not fit correctly, but you won’t have time to get it altered. Continue reading “Fitness Dos And Don’ts For Looking Great In Your Wedding Dress”
If you’re pregnant and want to exercise, you’ve probably wondered if it’s safe. On top of that, you may have been bombarded with advice from well-meaning family and friends on what you should and shouldn’t do.
While it may seem rude, your doctor’s advice is the one that matters above friends or family. Hiring a trainer who specializes in pregnancy can help you exercise safely and motivate you to stay healthy. Before continuing or beginning an exercise regimen when pregnant with or without a trainer, get your doctor’s okay. Continue reading “A Guide to Safe Exercise While Pregnant”
With the media constantly barraging women with images of the “perfect” body, it can be difficult to know what being fit actually means. Contrary to popular belief, being skinny and sculpted doesn’t equal being fit.
Being fit is a lot more than just looking sexy at the gym or in a bathing suit. You can look amazing and still be unhealthy. Being fit means that you have a body that is healthy and can endure the daily physical strains you put on it, like running a distance or picking up that big bag of mulch. Continue reading “What Does a Fit Body Really Look Like?”