Simple Steps to Follow in Achieving Your Long Term Health, Fitness and Diet Goals

If you want to be worth 1million pounds by the time you retire then you should have the desire to live very long to enjoy this wealth. There are some basic and simple steps you can follow to achieve your long term health goals.

  • Work - Work to achieve those goals
  • Discipline - Discipline yourself to achieve your health and weight loss goals
  • Determination - Be determined to succeed
  • Plan - Have a routine of activities that will help you in achieving your goals; for example you can decide to walk for 20 minutes everyday, dance for 30 minutes every day, or do any form of exercise but you need a plan
  • Enjoyment - Choose your workout activities carefully. One factor is key - enjoyment - once you enjoy what you do the motivation will be there to do it continuously
  • Don't over task yourself - Be kind to yourself. If you are not able to fulfil a goal for a particular day be determined to start as soon as possible without being 'bitter'
  • Network - Find people who have the same objectives or goals as you and try to form a good relationship with them - there is strength in unity. They are likely to understand you better and will encourage you when you need it most
  • Be Healthy - Your main goal should be 'to be healthy' and not 'to grow thin'. Once you think of being healthy you will make healthy choices with respect to what you eat and drink
  • Consistent - With consistency and determination you sure will achieve your health, fitness and weight loss goals.

Personal Trainers - The Complete Guide

You've seen the men with the bulging muscles and women with tightly toned bodies instructing clients in the gym and outdoors... But what are personal trainers all about?

What makes a "good" trainer and should you consider hiring one?

The health and fitness community is overwhelmed with gimmicks, flashy individuals, and under-qualified "professionals" but do not let this dissuade you from seeking out a trainer. Many men and women in the fitness industry take pride in helping their clients reach their fitness goals! Here is what to expect...

The Purpose Of A Personal Trainer

A quality trainer will provide education, guidance, and expertise to their clients in the following areas:

  • Proper Exercise Form
  • Workout and Training Programming
  • Motivation
  • Accountability
  • ...and so much more

A trainer can save you valuable hours and days of wasted exercise - ensuring that each of your workouts are progressing you towards your fitness goals! Many will offer to create a program to follow on your own and keep you focused and out of the dreaded fitness "plateau!"

Personal Trainer Certifications

You should always inquire about the credentials of a fitness trainer before hiring them. Along with insurance and CPR training, the top certifications for personal training are:

  • ACE (American Council of Exercise)
  • ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine)
  • NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine )
  • ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association)
  • AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates)

Also ask about any certifications or degrees from colleges and universities. Any fitness professional will be proud to show you these. It is essential that your trainer is certified. This means that they were tested to ensure they have the fundamental knowledge of anatomy and exercise to keep you safe and out of harm's way!

Finding The Best Personal Trainer

You should never settle for the first personal trainer you run across. Always interview multiple trainers before making a commitment. You should be looking to stick with this individual and reach your goals within a reasonable time period. Obviously, you wouldn't want to continue training if your results are not satisfactory, but you should not form the habit of hopping from one individual to another - constantly restarting your program! Here is a basic timeline of events that a quality fitness trainer should follow:

  1. Initial Interview - Discussing your fitness goals, exercise history, and basic medical concerns
  2. Facility Walk-Through - A tour of the facility you will be training at
  3. Fitness Assesment - A thorough test and evaluation of your strength, endurance, and coordination
  4. Fitness Programming - A customized plan to progress you to your final goal(s)
  5. Periodic Evaluations - Re-evaluations of your progress and amending the program if needed

Do You Need A Personal Trainer?

The short answer - it depends on you an your goals!
Fitness trainers are not always needed. However, it would be a wise decision if you are:

  • A Fitness Beginner
  • Recovering From or Working Around An Injury
  • Lacking Motivation
  • Bored With Your Fitness Routine

A high quality personal trainer will ensure your safety, save you time and frustration in the gym, and keep you on track and motivates to reach any fitness goals that you may have!

Do your homework, get to know the trainer personally, and feel confident that you are taking a step to a healthier lifestyle!

New Online Health & Fitness Alternative - Personal Training Certificate

No doubt about it; acquiring your personal training certificate can be a very rewarding thing to do. However, what is the real reason for doing it? Usually in the end, the reason is to be able to earn more money as a qualified health and fitness trainer.

I considered the same thing too because I realized that I am a good motivator of people and it seemed like a very good move, but what happened along the way is that I found that I could become a personal coach to many and not have to be get personal training certification to do it.

The money earned can be staggering and at any time that I decided that I still wanted to pursue other avenues, I still could. In fact, in the effort of becoming a personal coach, I have found many athletes past and present, personal trainers, nutritionist and many other health and fitness related type people are under taking this relatively new way to earn huge income with less time and not be required to get more education or a personal training certificate.

The point of what I am attempting to drive home to you is that if you love working with people and are considering getting your personal training certificate or have it all ready then at least open your eyes up to new, creative, innovative and profitable ways to serve people, BUT really add some rocket fuel to your income potential.

As a personal coach, there are opportunities to where at least one company will set you up with your own online product store which is great of course for referring client to. They will even go further for those who qualify and literally provide customer directly to you.

Look as you probably already know any time somebody can get you a customer that is usually automatic cash flow just waiting to happen and you did nothing to make it happen. How nice would that be?

If I am you, I would be learning more and review other avenues to work if you like the idea of being a personal coach and making even more money. On yeah, one more thing... this is all done online! Totally cool!

Because I love fitness and health and have encourage many to take that path over the years I would not want to ever want to discourage someone for pursuing more education, licensing or certifications in that arena. I am just really attempting to drive home the point that technology now allows for a new wave of business for all of to capitalize on.

This means the future is extremely bright for becoming an online personal coach and not give up anything else that you are pursuing!

Indoor Sports Are A Fun Way To Get Into Great Shape

Health maintenance is a big concern for most people. Everybody likes to stay physically and mentally fit and healthy. For this, they make use of balanced diet, regular exercise and indulgence in sports. Playing sports is a fun way to keep in shape but this can be hindered by extreme weather conditions. Too cold and too hot weather prevents you from playing sports such as cricket and volleyball. Sports clubs offer facilities to play indoor cricket and other sports so you can improve your health and make playing a fun and socially interactive activity.

Whether you are young or old, beginner or expert, indoor sports can be your best choice for keeping healthy and staying in shape during summer. The summer sun can be harsh on your skin and specially while playing an outdoor sports, it can really dehydrate your body. Playing the sports that you love in an indoor facility would be a better way to enjoy and be healthy at the same time as you do not have to rely upon the weather to be just right for your sport.

The positive effects gained from any physical exercise is already widely known, especially among health-conscious individuals. After a long and stressful day at work, you can blow off the steam by playing the sports which would improve your mood. It would also help you fight the chronic illnesses such as blood pressure. Regular physical exercise also helps in managing your weight. No matter what the weather is outside, indoor sports give you all the health benefits that your body requires.

As much fun sports are, joining an indoor sports club can be a good way of socializing, meeting new people and making new friends. It is a great opportunity to have a relaxing time with your family, friends and even colleagues which helps building up a friendly atmosphere at your workplace as well.

At the sports club you can choose to play indoor cricket, soccer, netball, volleyball and handball. If you do not have a team, you do not have to worry about making one as you will be placed in a team according to your level of expertise. If you are a beginner and need coaching, that would also be arranged for you.

It can also be a good fun place for younger children. They can enjoy sports through the junior sports program which includes indoor soccer and netball. Coaching is provided to improve the sporting skills, umpires are available and supervision is also provided. Children can also enjoy the same fun facility and make new friends at the club.

Health - Fitness Training

In health terms, to be physically and mentally sharp and alert, such that we cane ward off any imminent diseases is what being in a state of physical and mental fitness means. The human body needs to be maintained to reach perfect health.

There are many reasons why you may want to go into training. These may be because we want to cut some weight or because we want to become more fit. A fitness program is essential. A fitness program helps us fit training schedules like weight loss training into our normal routine.

A good and well-designed fitness-training program depends with the kid of person undergoing it. There are fitness-training programs that will help the trainee to increase body strength, tone some weight or maintain a level of strength and fitness.

There are training programs that will address weight issues while there are those that will help us improve strength levels and co-ordination in the body. It is however possible to have one single program that gels all these into one.

There is no ideal fitness-training program. They have to be tailor made to suit the person's characteristics

There are fitness programs for kids and for all other ages. These can all serve the desired purposes of maintaining the right metabolism rate (for losing or gaining weight) and toning the muscles. These may be sport specific. There are training programs for football players and different ones for basketball players who all have different demands.

It is possible to cover all the relevant points when training, if you are in a good schedule. Therefore, a fitness trainer has to be consulted when it is time to design a program. This should be regardless of whether we are looking for endurance, strength or flexibility.

These days there is a professional fitness-training center on just about every block. These have selected equipment that you can work your sweat on, with professionals and medical specialists all over to answer those puzzling questions you may have.

Career Related Sports Physical Therapy Info

Looking for a direction in your career? Have always had the passion for Health and Fitness? Ready to make a career move? Perhaps you may consider the rewarding field of sports physical therapy!

Sports physical therapy is booming right now with the number of people choosing to stay active in their later years and just plain common sports injuries that occur daily. Lets face it, we are not the healthiest country as well and helping other improve their health will make us contribute to a better America.

If you think you may be interested becoming a Sports Physical Therapist, the first thing to do is to find reliable sports physical therapy info and make your decision from there. Here is a look at what happens each day on the job and what kind of education you need to become a licensed professional.

One very important piece of sports physical therapy info you need is the type of educational requirements are involved in becoming a sports physical therapists. You will be required to graduate from a physical therapist educational program with a minimum of a master's degree and maximum of a doctoral degree. As part of your studies, you will gain knowledge of human growth, biology, and chemistry just to name a few. You will also learn how to perform exams and the latest therapeutic procedures.. After your education, you will need to pass a licensing exam. It is important to know that each state's requirements may be a little different so you will have to check with your local licensing authority to make sure you are on track

Many people go into this profession with the idea that they will be treating professional or world class athletes and that is possible, but another bit of sports physical therapy info you need in relation to a career is that all kinds of people use sports therapy for healing. You will be seeing the amateur athlete, people with chronic illness like heart disease, arthritis, and head injuries. It isn't uncommon for patients with cerebral palsy and sports related injuries to seek healing from sports physical therapists as well.

You can be assured that your days will be full as a sports physical therapists as well. A huge part of your job will be to share sports physical therapy info with your patients and make sure they understand the correct technique and purpose of the exercises you feel could help them. You will also be taking patients' medical histories, determining when and if the patient will be able to resume normal activities, and constantly monitoring patient progress in terms of strength, flexibility, and range of motion.

The Internet is a great resource for finding sports physical therapy info as related to a career move. If you discover this is the right option for you, prepare yourself for a rewarding career helping others regain their prior good health and activity level.

You will need to carefully review the sports physical therapy info before making a decision relating to your career. There are many reasons to want to enter onto this rewarding field and lots of people who can benefit from your education.

Once you graduate and pass your license, you will be presented with three main options:

  1. Working for a P.T Clinic
  2. Opening your own PT Clinic
  3. Joining a Health & Wellness Franchise

Working for a P.T Clinic

Working for another Physical Therapist allow you to enter the field and gain experience working with an experienced Physical Therapist. Needless to say that job security is also a plus, yet the salary/compensation will most likely be moderate.

Opening your own PT Clinic

Another option is to open your own PT Clinic. This presents business opportunities and opportunity for growth. However, since Physical Therapy School do not focus on teaching "How to operate the business side of a PT Clinic", this could be quite challenging for a Physical Therapist and catastrophic for some.

Join a Health & Wellness Franchise

One option that allow you to start your own PT Clinic, presents business opportunities and opportunity for growth, and yet help minimizing your risk would be to join a Health & Wellness Franchise. There are limited amount of Franchise opportunities for Physical Therapist. Joining a Health & Wellness Franchise provides you with expertise, proven models, and a structural add-on model to your PT Clinic that has for goal to enhance your practice while maximizing and/or contributing to its success.

Useful Tips for Sports Fitness

Every sports man or woman needs to know what it takes to remain physically fit all the time. You can't do well as a sports person when you're always sick as result of poor nutrition, disease or any other likely factor. You really need to discover various sports fitness tips that can help you become a star in the sports world.

Let's take a look at some of the tips that can be of help.

• Participate in a Specific Sport
You'll achieve real sports fitness when you engage in specific sports. It's always very important for you to locate the best sporting event you'll always like to engage in. There's nothing wrong in engaging in two or more sports but still, you may never succeed like that. It's always better to be a master in a particular sport. For instance, if you love football, all you need is to be totally involved in a club and focus all your attention on that. Before too long, you'll become a star or a celebrity in that area.

• Engage in Consistent Stretching exercise
You can maintain proper sports fitness when you engage in regular stretching exercise. You may not need to do it every single moment but you can always do it every day especially when you go out to enjoy your favorite sports. Stretching exercise makes you to be very flexible all the time. This helps you to do well in any game.

• Eat Properly
Proper nutrition is necessary for achieving quality sports fitness. As a sports person, there are certain food items you need to take at some points. There are also others you have to completely avoid. For instance, it's not advisable to take heavy food before you participate in an oncoming game. On regular basis, you need to eat balanced diets. Go for approved food supplements in order to augment your daily diets. Fruits and vegetables must never be lacking in your daily feeding. You have to avoid smoking, hard drugs and alcohol. These substances can damage your system and therefore render you unfit for any kind of sports.

• Have Proper Rest
You need to have proper rest at various intervals in order to maintain sports fitness. You must squeeze out time to have enough sleep both during the day and at night. When you don't have any oncoming sporting event, you need to take time to rest well as you also engage in your sports. This will help you maintain the right balance in your sporting career.

• Train Daily
If you must maintain quality sports fitness, you need to engage in daily training especially when you don't have any oncoming sporting event. Daily training ensures you're always physically fit. Your metabolism and immune system are sure to be on the normal healthy level when you train daily.

Finally, you need to be very consistent in your sporting activity. Do well to be going for proper medical check-up from time to time in order to forestall any sign of ailment that may want to rear its ugly head in your body system.