Fitness and the family: how to succeed in getting into shape with the missus and the kids

Fitness and the Family: How to Succeed in Getting Into Shape With the Missus and the Kids

Fitness should be a family affair. If families share nice movie nights together, exercise should be just as uniting. According to Willie Gault, a former football star:

“You’ve got to find something that children like to do and do it as a family.”

Gault was referring of course to exercising. If exercising is to become a family affair, it has to be something that all the members of the family would love to do.

Ill health becomes a family affair, unfortunately

Just what kinds of health problems do families share? The list is nearly limitless, but let’s go back to the root of the problem. There is a disproportionately large disparity between unhealthy eating habits and physical activity. Often, folks who are engaged in office work are the least likely to start exercising on their own.

According to the Olympian Florence Griffith-Joyner, the co-chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness:

“I can’t think of a person who’s doing so much, that they can’t make the time [to exercise]. It’s just that we’re choosing other things as a priority.”

Exercise time is quality time

Exercise would work best if you do it everyday. However, if you want to develop a rhythm first with the family, schedule exercises three to four times a week. Put gaps in between exercises.

Walking is a good exercise for the family. To make things more interesting, schedule regular walks around the city. Then once every two weeks, or even once a week, go on nature hikes. Most US states are close to reserves or small nature parks. Camp out with your kids and emphasize the need to be more physically fit.

Climbing is also a good way to bond with the family. At the same time, an hour of climbing can burn between 400 to 700 calories. That’s a lot of burnt flab, don’t you think?
With climbing, you only have to invest in some quality training gear. Climbing shoes (thinner and more flexible than regular athletic shoes), climbing wear (made of spandex or a mixture of polyester and some other light materials like cotton) and of course, safety harnesses.

If you have enough training with safety harnesses, you can choose to use your own and waive the right to use a gym or health club’s own equipment. After a month or so in the health club, you can join a community mountain climbing club and partake of the real deal.

Goals

Keeping physically fit with the family is all about setting goals. You don’t have to write down goals, but if you’re actually making progress with stubborn kids, then you’re already investing in the future.

Being physically fit and the capacity to follow a discipline life is something that every child needs to learn. It’s a harsh world out there, and without discipline, who knows what will happen?

Other benefits of exercising together with your family are of course better health, and for the kids, improved self-image and bolstered self-confidence. There’s no way to go but up for the family that stays fit together.

Are you fit to run your own business

Are you fit to run your own business?

Talking to people who run their own business is inspiring. They’re invariably passionate, driven and knowledgeable about what they do. For people like them, the benefits are as much personal as financial. They manage their own time, their own development and they’re unconstrained by the inertia of a large employer.

They’re free from the stress and bureaucracy that comes with working for a large corporate company. But any business owner will tell you that they have really swapped one set of challenges for another.

The physical challenge

You’ll likely to be working outside of the standard nine-to-five as you work when your customers need you to work. You may well work longer hours too. But there’s an ever-visible link between your efforts and the bottom line to spur you on!

The mental challenge

You’re no longer just a specialist in your field: you need different hats for each day of the week. You need to be structured to plan, track and manage your business. You need to be a sales person and a networker to promote your business. And you need to be creative to beat the competition.

The emotional challenge

You’ll thrive on the highs but if things go wrong it’s all on your shoulders. The support network of a large company is gone and it’s up to you to stay motivated and determined to pull the company back up.

As a personal trainer, people come to me and talk about their fitness goals. A few sessions down the line, they’re reaping the physical benefits, but they’re also talking about the psychological and emotional benefits, many of which are having a direct effect on their work life.

So, are you fit enough to run your own business? Following a good exercise regime will directly benefit you in dealing with the challenges in your business.

That old wives’ tale of exercise being good for the mind is true. Getting away from the office to exercise will, at the very least, give you the chance to clear your mind and take a break. At best it could provide you with a “eureka” moment that inspires you to push your business on the next level.

Regular exercise increases your energy levels and provides you with the endurance you need to give your best throughout your working day.

Don’t know where to start? Get out and try new things. Tackling new physical challenge can give you the confidence to push yourself beyond your comfort zone in other areas of your life, including your business.

If you’re running your own business, it’s likely that you are your company’s most valuable asset. So treat your body as an asset: maintain it, develop it and look after it! You and your business will feel better for it!

Fitting effective exercise into a busy lifestyle

Fitting Effective Exercise Into A Busy Lifestyle

In today’s busy lifestyles, getting rock hard abs and a beautifully toned body is one of those items that keeps getting bumped to the bottom of your to do list. After all, who has the large amounts of time and money to invest in a gym membership?

If you want to get fit, think quality rather than quantity. You can increase the intensity of the exercise you already get, add exercise where there normally isn’t any, and add in high-intensity workouts like the Ten Minute Trainer into your day. This allows you to make the most of the few moments you do have and incorporate them into your daily activities.

Increase The Exercise Already In Your Daily Routine

We all exercise every day, but if you want it to increase the level of fitness in your day, you need to up the intensity a bit. Commuting to work is a great place to start. If you already walk or bike to work, you simply need to increase the speed.

Even basic house and yard work makes a great workout! Simply work faster to get your heart rate up or carry a weight along. Fun activities you do with your significant other are another great way to add some toning and building; you can increase the results of your 10 Minute Trainer and other exercises by going dancing, playing sports, or other physical activities. Playing with your kids helps a lot too.

Adding Activity Into Non-Physical Jobs

If you happen to sit at a desk all day, cleaning your office for exercise may not be the best idea. Instead, use a quick minute here or there to do a few stretches. This will keep you relaxed at work and ensure you are ready for the Ten Minute Trainer or other exercise program when you get home.

Simple exercises like tightening and relaxing your stomach muscles and flexing your arms and legs can be done while you are working. If you bring a towel and an extra set of clothes, you can use your lunch break to get in a jog, a game of tennis with a coworker, or other activity for a quick workout.

Add In A Home Workout Program

When you don’t have time to include a full workout video that can easily take up to an hour or more of your time, look for quality. Programs such as the 10 Minute Trainer take moves that are proven to work and pack them into a short program. This type of system also has a variety of workouts that take only ten minutes so that you get the benefit of a well-rounded exercise program without the time commitment.

Getting physically fit and toned doesn’t have to involve a lot of time, you simply need to make the most out of the time you do have. Increasing the intensity of the exercise you already get, adding exercise into situations where you normally get none, and starting an intense workout program like Ten Minute Trainer are great ways to get started. Besides, researchers have found that short periods of intense exercise can be just as effective as an hour straight in the gym!

Choosing a gym 101

Choosing a Gym 101

Whether you want to lose weight for health reasons or you are someone who is training for a marathon, joining a gym could be the motivation that you need! Exercise equipment is very expensive. It makes a huge difference to have several different types of great weight machines, classes, and aerobic equipment available to you. It definitely beats saving your money to purchase a treadmill that you grow tired of after six months. If you are interested in joining a gym near you, you have several choices! It is important to remember that the fanciest gym, even if it does have a sauna room, is not necessarily the best gym for you. Here are a few tips one should consider before they sign a three-year contract for a fitness center.

The first step is to determine what your fitness goals are. Do you want to lose weight? Are you training for a competition? Are you looking for a way to release stress after the long workday?

Once you have your goals in place, you can start your search! If your friends already attend gyms in the area, talk to them about their choice. Why did they choose this place instead of a different one? It is always helpful to chose a gym of which potential gym buddies are already members; setting up gym dates are extremely motivating!

Start visiting gyms and talk to the sales office. It is important to keep in mind that these individuals are salesmen; they will do everything they can to sign you up that day. Ask for a tour of the facilities, including the amenities like a pool or steam room, ask about classes (are they free with membership?), and try to talk to a personal trainer if that is a program in which you are interested.

People often visit the chain fitness centers first but these are extremely busy especially at peak times (right before and after work). If you prefer to have more personal space, try a smaller, non-chain gym in your area. These programs are often more expensive but if you want more individual attention and you value extra elbow room, this choice might be the best for you.

Just because a fancy gym has a brand new racquetball court and a sauna room does not mean they are the perfect gym for your needs! Do you research and chose the gym that makes you feel the most comfortable and is in your price range!