If you are not yet following me on Facebook, you should be. In addition to the personal training that I provide to those in the Vancouver, Washington area, I also answer questions from people on Facebook. Since I specialize in working with seniors and baby boomers, many of those questions come from them. You may be able to relate to the question what it all really means, anyway. Recently I posted a question on my Facebook page and I got a question in return. A baby boomer wanted to know what it all means and how to best go about reaching one’s fitness goals. Let’s start with asking the question about how much extra fat you are carrying. Most people want to melt their extra fat away with exercise, so the amount of fat they have is a big issue. Most of the time when I give an answer about how to get extra fat off of one’s body I get a blank stare in return. It may even be followed with a response such as “I knew I was missing something. Grr.” Being that I’m ...Read More »
Although I’m a personal trainer in the Vancouver, Washington area, I do also frequently get asked questions. They come to me from all over the country, as well as some from close to home. One of the questions I recently got from Karen M. is one that I often get from people. Karen, like so many others, contacted me through Facebook in order to ask about how she can go about strengthening her arms and legs. She is retired now and looking for a way to build up strength. While she’s looking for a few good pointers, they can also be helpful to others who are seniors, retired, or who are baby boomers looking for a way to build up strength. First of all, let’s look at a few of the reasons why it is important to build up the strength in your arms and legs. It doesn’t matter how young or old someone is, it is important to have strong arm and leg muscles. When you build the muscles in your arms and legs you will be able to perform activities more ...
As a personal trainer in the Vancouver, Washington area, I get a lot of questions. Sometimes they come in person, while other times they come to my Facebook page. One of the questions I frequently get is how someone can increase their upper body strength so that they can do more push-ups. So let’s take a look at that now! Doing push-ups is essentially a great way to test your upper body strength. Many people, like Patty S., who recently asked the question on Facebook, found that as she was getting older she wasn’t able to do as many push-ups. Today she can only do 2-5 push-ups. In order to increase that, the upper body strength will also need to increase. Whether you have limited upper body strength as a result of recovering from an accident, like one of my baby boomer clients, or another reason, you can work on this. One client of mine went from being able to do 5-10 on a good day to being able to do 50 within 12 weeks of training. Another one of my clients, who was in the military, needed ...
Whether I am taking questions from my followers on Facebook, or meeting up with my personal training clients in the Vancouver, Washington area, many have similar concerns. One recent question that I received from a Lisa H. on Facebook involved getting back into shape after not exercising for so long. Perhaps you can relate! Lisa explained that she hasn’t worked out in years, and although she used to be in great shape, she has gained a significant amount of weight over the years. Like many people, she plans to start a new routine each Monday, only to not see it through. So she wants to know how to get out of the cycle so that she can make her way back to a healthy lifestyle. Great question! This is one of the top challenges that I run into with baby boomers who I work with in personal training. They want to exercise and be healthy, but they lack the motivation to get them going in the right direction. The key to this, I believe, is in having a strong reason for why you are going to exercise. You ...
What do baby boomers and the Olympians have in common? For those baby boomers who want to live life to the fullest, a lot! It may seem like baby boomers are just living their lives and going through the motions to some people, but for many of them their heart is filled with the same thing that fills the heart of an Olympian. And I mean beside the blood that’s pumping through it. I’m talking about passion, drive, and perseverance. A baby boomer who wants to live a healthy lifestyle, train and get fit can learn a lot from an Olympian. No, they don’t have to become an Olympian, but picking up the attitude is going to make a world of difference. The attitude of an Olympian is passion for what they are doing. They could not put in the time training that is required to make it to the Olympics if they were not passionate about what they were doing. They have a drive that keeps them going. If someone tells them they ...
Since the final episode of this season’s “The Biggest Loser,” there has been a lot of buzz. Many people are questioning the winner of the show this season. In a show that focuses on losing weight, people are wondering if the winner, Rachel Frederickson, actually lost too much weight. Anyone who has taken a look at her side by side before and after pictures is bound to wonder. They are also likely going to wonder if they can have similar results themselves. Rachel went from weight 260 pounds down to 105 pounds in the period of eight months. That’s a huge amount of weight to lose in that time! As a personal trainer in the Vancouver, Washington area I can say that it’s not only a lot of weight to lose in that time frame, but it’s also not based on reality. If you are thinking you can do the same, you have to evaluate the situation in order to see how her weight loss is not all that realistic. Those who are on the weight loss show have everything monitored for ...
What age is too old to start getting in shape? Would you think that someone who is a grandpa is far beyond his prime years for doing so? What if I told you that you were wrong? Completely wrong! Well that’s exactly what I’m saying. It is never too late to get fit. Baby boomers are doing it, senior citizens are doing it, and so are grandparents! A great example of it never being too late to get in shape and reach fitness goals is Robert Durbin. He’s a 64 year old grandfather who lives in Louisville, Ky. Just seven years ago this grandfather was overweight, had health problems, and needed a cane or walker to get around. But he decided to take control of the situation and become fit. While it may seem it was a feat against all odds, the results are impressive! Durbin spends about four hours every day working out. He’s retired, so he can put in that kind of time at the gym. It’s a bonus – it gives him something to do and is good for his health. He works ...
If you are like millions of others around the nation you will end up doing some type of traveling this holiday seasons. Most people seem to, whether it’s in the same state or around the country. We live in times when families are spread across the nation, prompting holiday travel from sea to shining sea. Whatever you do, don’t let your holiday travel become an excuse for not staying on track with your fitness goals and routine! Pushing your fitness plans aside while you are traveling will only leave you with regrets when you turn home, if not beforehand. Like many of you, I will do some traveling this month as well. I plan to head back to Wisconsin for a visit, attend a fitness seminar, and I’m always involved in travel away from home for my National Guard duties. Also like some of you, I could make a lot of excuses for not keeping up with my fitness routine during the travel. But I will not do that and for many good reasons. Staying the course and keeping up with your fitness routine will keep you ...
Have you ever heard of the slippery slope that takes place during the holidays each year? Maybe you haven’t heard of it, but you may have lived it. The slippery slope takes place when people get out of their usual routine this month, do more sitting on the couch, and next thing they know their fitness level has declined and they have gained weight. It’s a slope you don’t want to be on, and for good reason! I tell my personal training clients here in Vancouver, Washington that the slippery slope is no place to be during the holidays (or any time for that matter). It will leave you with a lot of regrets come January. Forget passing up on those workouts and sitting on the couch. Yes, life may be a bit busier this month, but if you stay the course you are much happier as a result. Here are a few tips for avoiding the slippery slope during the holidays: Continue on. Determine when will be the best time to get your workout in all month. Mornings are typically best because you get it out of ...
We have come to the end of the year and what a great year it has been. I wanted to take a moment to share my thanks and gratitude for having you all in my life. I love being a personal trainer and it wouldn’t be possible for me to do what I do, without all of you! You all make it possible for me to do what I love. My passion is in helping people in the with their fitness and healthy lifestyle goals. I set out on a mission to help people, especially baby boomers and seniors, with their fitness goals and I have achieved that. I have had the pleasure of working with many clients from diverse backgrounds in the Vancouver, Washington area. But it goes even beyond that. Over the last year I have had the ability to set up my own space in order to meet with and assist more people looking to get healthy. My own personal training goals have been kicked up a notch this year and they have been successful. Not only have I ...
