Proper nutrition is a critical component of your fitness regimen. Understanding the physical demands of exercise is the first step to making informed choices-fueling up pre-workout is as important as choosing the right foods to guarantee a good recovery post workout. Feeling sluggish and lightheaded before or after your workout? You may not be feeding your body properly before exercise or refueling adequately enough to be ready to hit the treadmill running the next day. Understanding what... more
Mark Allen, six time Ironman Champion, answers the most common questions beginners have in getting into triathlons. There are a handful of questions that most people just starting in the sport of triathlon have. The answers can make a big difference in both your performance and also your peace of mind. I'd like to give you my top six starter questions as well as my thoughts. So here we go! What bike should I ride? The first step in answering this question is to determine how much ... more
Diabetes or diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterised by hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose levels) caused by impairment in insulin secretion and/or action. Exercise is an important factor in the prevention and management of diabetes. About Benefits One of the major problems associated with diabetes is a poor response of the body's tissues to insulin. This is called 'insulin resistance'. It has been clearly demonstrated that regular physical activity can improve the body... more
Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss but there are current aspects of research worth pondering-and implementing. It just may be that those who eat a combination of fruit and fibre are skinnier than those who don't. Food fads tend to replicate the whims of fashion-when you're hot you're hot and when you're not...well, when's the last time you saw anyone wearing love beads? While low-carb diets show signs of receding they are perhaps more resilient than some ... more
Exercise addiction is rare but real. For every person who over exercises, there are more than a hundred people who rarely exercise. Usually people who exercise regularly get along better at home and at work. To investigate how commonly exercise has an adverse impact, researchers surveyed the families of 1,500 members of a running club. The vast majority of families reported that they thought exercise was a good thing, and less than 5 percent reported that running was a cause of conflicts or ... more
These are the essential principles to bear in mind whenever you perform Pilates exercises: 1. Concentration: Concentration is fundamental to this way of exercising. This is not only because it is important that every part of your body is moving or positioned correctly - a part of a synchronised whole. It is also because when you concentrate on your body in this way, it actually leads your mind away from any immediate concerns or anxieties, and is profoundly relaxing. Constant focus o... more
Pilates is one of the most popular forms of exercise around, mainly because it produces real fitness results without much of the 'strain and burn' involved in more typical workouts. Pilates is one of the few forms of 'real' exercise that can be performed by those with prior back, muscle, and joint injuries (as long as it done under the supervision of an expert instructor). Pilates exercise relies on a variety of special body movements, which stretch, strengthen, and tone the various muscle gr... more
Feeling a little frustrated that your clients sometimes don't follow your weight loss advice? It could be a lack of willpower on their part, but it might also be a signal that you really need to make a better connection with your client. Being a good weight loss coach is more about asking the right questions than dishing out the latest food and fitness news. Here are ten tips for fine-tuning your approach to client counselling. Each tip is followed by three key questions. Add these to your co... more
There are many 'tricks and techniques' used today to encourage people to close more sales. Judging personality types, watching particular eye movements, analyzing a prospects body language, mirroring and matching prospects movements and many more. I think many club owners and sales staff should be focusing on the basics of sales on what to do when a new prospect enters their gym. So here is an easy way to make sure that you and your staff are getting the critical information required to clos... more
Ten Ways to Improve Your Conversion Rates You've managed to get your prospect interested. Now comes the hard part - converting him into a customer. Here are ten ways to address the challenge in the age of accountability. 1. Acknowledge leads immediately and personally. In the age of the nanosecond and instant messaging, don't wait days to follow up a lead. If you do, forget about it. Timing is crucial when you're in a competitive situation. And make sure your "thanks for your in... more
Direct mail experts spend ample amounts of time reviewing and testing direct mail pieces debating the colour, texture, print, tone, wording, phrasing, size of the piece and numerous other issues. Direct mail is unique in that it is a tangible item that your recipient can hold, read, save or throw out, depending on his or her need for the product or service and the interest created by the piece. A 5% return on investment (ROI) is considered extremely good when embarking on a direct mail ca... more
If you are feeling in the mood for a big clean, then using that time to get some body conditioning in as well makes a lot of sense. Pilates is still the fitness craze of the moment, and although not aerobic, it combines body mechanics, balance, co-ordination, strength and flexibility in its approach to resculpting the body. Why not put Pilates into your cleaning schedule and get toned while you scrub? Abs the Pilates way "When bending, reaching or lifting anything, your stomach muscl... more
It's one of those things you always mean to do. 'We must go running together sometime' you both say, as he heads out in his trainers and you turn on the soaps. 'Next time' you sigh, as you kiss him goodbye on your way out to yoga. There just never seems to be the right time - or is there? Are you really both avoiding the experience, out of embarrassment at the thought of seeing each other at your sweaty best? Or is it because the thought of having to make conversation at the gym when you're g... more
Find it hard to stay motivated when you work out on your own? Or to push yourself enough to break into a real sweat? Group exercise classes may be the answer. But it's not always easy to get started. Exercise classes can be intimidating, for one thing. And it can be a challenge to find a class - and instructor - right for you. Here's one aspiring exerciser's story, from a Weight Watchers Member: "I once took a kickboxing-type class and, not being very co-ordinated, was having a hard time keep... more
Our fascination with self-improvement shows no signs of waning, and there's no shortage of new exercise trends aimed at helping us meet our health goals. Watchers of fitness trends say the road to better health is paved with new possibilities -- along with some old ones that are poised to make a comeback. According to experts, some of the exercise and diet trends that appear to be past their prime are: High-impact aerobic workouts. Expensive home gym equipment. Health trends on... more