Fitness, Business, Fitness Business, & Achieving Life Goals

Alright, I admit it. Part of me just wanted to use meme in a sentence. While I’ve heard the term before, I didn’t really know what it was. As I was looking through some videos on ted.com (love those), I came across a video by Susan Blackmore on Memes and Temes that helped me understand better.

Memes (pronounced meems) are, to quote Wikipedia, are “cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena.”  Huh? Yeah, I know. Memes are evolved ideas/beliefs, copied with variation and passed on. They’re sort of ideas that mutate.

So what’s that got to do with Personal Training? Well, think of the fitness beliefs out there in the fitness world. How have ideas evolved… or not evolved? What beliefs do we hold on to that we might need to let go of to let the next generation come in? Less calories equals weight loss… long slow cardio for weight loss… etc. As they say, nothing is permanent but change. Evolve from the old and look for the new truths/ideas. Be open to them. Adopt those ideas. Adapt them for you and your clients and spread them like a virus. Be part of the evolution of the industry.

I was working on my mission of videoing 30 variations of the Tabata protocol (see Tabata Revisited), which requires specific timing, and was challenged trying to set up my stopwatch where I could see it. I’d done 12 variations before a colleague called out, “You know there’s an app for that.” I’ll be darned if she wasn’t right. Tabata timer not only times the specific protocol with audible and visual alarms, but gives incredible timing variety that I can use in boot camps and other circuit workouts. Love it!

So, as specific and obscure an app as you might think that is, think about other health/fitness/nutrition apps that could help you. Some are free and some have a nominal fee. There are so many for each area, I’m not recommending the ones I list, just using them as examples. Try some apps out and see how they work for you.

Diet: Any app (application) that makes it easier to journal what you eat and keep track of your calories, would be a great tool. Calorie Tracker and Lose It are two options.

Workout: Giving you ideas for exercise programs are apps from Men’s Health, iPump, and more.

Sports specific: there are apps that are programs to help you train for sporting events. i.e marathon training like Run Coach and Triathlon and Marathon training

Health: Managing your health is also included in programs such as Glucose Buddy for diabetics

Indeed there seems to be apps for every occasion. Go seee what’s out there for you.

That said, a word of CAUTION, nothing takes the place of having a professional create a program that meets your individual needs. That is always your best choice.

Happy app-ing, Mark Nutting

According to Wikipedia – Exergaming (a combination of “exercise” and “gaming”) is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming.

Wii Fit, while all the rage with consumers these days, is just one many exergames. One of the most popular has been Dance, Dance, Revolution (DDR), a dancing game following lighted squares on the floor. One of the downfalls of video games (and why I won’t let our kids play them) is the sedentary aspect of them. It (too much inactive time in front of video games, computer, and TV) is one of the contributing factors of the ongoing childhood obesity problem. Exergaming takes the individual off the sofa and gets them to move.

What’s the real health and fitness benefit from using these games/programs? Well, the benefits of physical activity include cardio-vascular health, better weight management, reduction of anxiety and stress, improved sensory-motor learning, and improved cognitive alertness and performance, and, this is physical activity. There is research that shows improvements in all of these areas with daily use of various exergames. There is even research that shows that “Wii-habilitation ‘could prevent elderly from falls”. Will this replace the need to do other types of exercise? Will it replace the need for health clubs?

I’m afraid the answer is a resounding, “No”. The catch to the whole thing is that maximal health and fitness requires ever-progressing workloads for continued adaptation. (If you don’t do more, you don’t get more.) The programs don’t create a personalized workout based on your individual special needs (i.e. high blood pressure or adapting for injuries). No one is checking your form or keeping you safe.

What exergaming does do well that it needs to be commended for is getting the sedentary individual up and moving. It also gives a physically active option for those that like video games. Anything that gets you to move more will have some health and fitness benefits. Let’s face it. People will use it because it’s fun and entertaining.

I guess the ultimate answer is that we will allow our sons to save their money and buy a Wii even though I’m dead set against video games. (Of course that comes with a 20 minute time limit. I’d still rather have them go outside and play.) The best way to reach your health and fitness goals is still to have a personalized program created by a certified Personal Trainer.

Americans spend about $40 BILLION a year on weight loss programs, books, products, etc. A huge chunk of this is weight loss supplements. I mean, why wouldn’t I buy a pill that burns belly fat while I’m asleep? Taking a pill is easy. Anyone can do it. Hmmn? Wouldn’t everyone do it? Why isn’t everyone doing it? They aren’t because it doesn’t work!!! Check out the fine print disclaimer below for “Results will vary.” and “with diet and exercise”. You’ll see statements like this in most “amazing results” product ads because they do very little if anything on their own.

I’ve said this before. The secret to long-term permanent fat loss is…. that there is no secret! There is no silver bullet or magic pill. Now, I’m not saying that none of them have any effect. But, in the scheme of things, they are not going to make or break a program.

You need to exercise and you need to get your eating in order. Not one or the other. Research shows that you need to do BOTH exercise AND proper diet to make sustainable weight loss happen.

Forget fat loss supplements. Doing the work, as much as you may hope that there’s an easier way, is the only way you will get the results that you want. The miracle is how you will enjoy your new life once you reach your goals.

As I prepare to go outside and shovel out my driveway and walks, I wanted to remind people why this is an activity that is responsible for many injured backs, shoulders, not to mention heart attacks. It doesn’t snow every day (thank goodness!), or even on a regular basis. It is sporadic. That means that your body has no way to “get used to it”. It can be traumatic.

The reasons for me writing about this are:

1. Don’t overdo. Take plenty of breaks. In wetter, heavier snow, take smaller shovel fulls so you don’t struggle throwing it off to the side. Alternate which side you’re shovelling from to avoid overusing one side.

2. This is a great reminder as to yet another reason to workout. You may feel fit enough to get by in your typical day to day life. What about those out of the ordinary situations, like shovelling, changing a tire, raking leaves, other yard work, etc. Being physically prepared for those atypical activities and situations is important because life is full of them.

Don’t let your sense of being “fine” lull you into being complacent about your health and fitness level. Life’s stresses are not simple and even. Among many other reasons for working out, you need to be physically ready to handle those times that are more demanding.

Shovel with care, Mark