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.

Hiring a Personal Trainer - Benefits of Working With a Trainer Vs. Doing it Alone

As I began working as a personal trainer I found it a bit surprising that there were people who were willing to pay me for guiding them through a workout. I would even be hired by people who were already in relative good shape. Working out seemed to be so intuitive to me, I was involved in sports and fitness ever since I was in high school. Erroneously, I thought that exercise was equally intuitive to everyone.

Expertise and Knowledge

Exercise is not intuitive to most people. Common generalizations about application of exercise and exercise program design are often wrong. Grabbing an exercise program from magazine or a book might not be the best option. All clients are different and therefore they all respond differently to exercises. A skilled personal trainer will accurately asses a client and design a program that best matches the client's physical capacity and help the client achieve his/her goal most efficiently.

For example, I have been working with a client who is in his early fifties. He is an avid tennis player. Therefore, the program reflected his need to improve as an athlete. The exercise program first focused on his weaknesses. As his balance and stability improved we included exercises often found in football strengthening program. According to generalizations, heavy dead-lifts and push-presses might be incorrect exercises for someone in his early fifties. Yet with prudent planning he was able to perform these exercises while avoiding any dangers (and dominating the tennis courts).

On the other hand, I have worked with competitive young athletes whose performance on the court/field was decreasing because their bodies might not have been properly progressed to the exercises they were performing. Most of them believed that in order to improve their speed and explosiveness they needed to perform plyometrics. This is true and often suggested to young athletes. However, in this case, the athletes were not properly prepared for plyometrics and benefited far more from stability and balance exercises in the first three weeks, after which plyometrics were implemented.

Another good example is a client who I have worked with who wanted to loose weight. So she focused on cardio, since common knowledge says that cardio is the superior form of weight loss exercise. Excessive running caused her severe knee pain. As a result, she ran less and began to put on weight again. When I started working with her, I focused on strengthening and balancing her hips. Her workouts were challenging, but far less stressful to her system. Taking the stress caused by running away appeared to help her loose some weight alone (cortisol, stress induced hormone, will make you FAT)! Six weeks later she was running again and several months after that she ran a marathon. Of course, as she resumed running and included a strength routine in her regiment she began to loose weight.

The main point is that exercises can be easy learned. There are hundreds of magazines and websites where anyone can look up exercise for specific goal (i.e. weight loss, toning, and sport specific). However the correct design of an effective exercise program requires skill, experience, and understanding of a client's physical capacity.

Efficiency

According to literature, program design is number one reason why consumers hire a personal trainer. Most of consumers who can afford a personal trainer are successful people and, as a consequence, are very busy. Busy people do not want to go to gym and plan what they are going to do. These consumers want to get in and out of the gym as quickly as possible yet still feel like their time was productive. In fact, many of my clients often "turn off" their brain while they workout. They simply do what they are told. Often these clients forget what exercises they did about five minutes ago.

The last thing busy successful people want to do in the gym is to think and plan. They do that all day long, workout to them is most often a retreat from daily grind of thinking and planning. Moreover, if they were to plan a workout as thoroughly as I would they would need resources (like magazines and websites) and time to plan. It therefore makes complete sense to delegate that responsibility to a personal trainer. If my clients were to calculate their hourly wage (most of them do not work for hourly wage) it would be between $60 and -$200 an hour. If they would spend an hour a week planning a workout (reading magazines articles, searching for websites, learning the exercises, writing down exercises, logging weights) they would end up ripping themselves off.

Motivation

I recently got a chance to appreciate being trained as I bartered some session with a Pilates instructor. I am sure that I could figure out Pilates exercise if I have looked them up, given my fitness experience. However, I doubt that I would maintain the same level of focus had I not been guided through these exercise by a certified instructor. The fact that there was someone standing over me and CARED what I did made me work just that much harder and focus on the task. Human feedback is extremely powerful. This is obviously clear in realm of sports where playing on the home field is a great advantage.

Working with a personal trainer also makes people feel more committed and more compliant to their fitness goals. Clients know that they are responsible for their work and that a personal trainer will hold them to that responsibility. Consequently, the client and his/her personal trainer form a bond, a professional relationship so to speak. Psychologists often claim that such a relationship can be therapeutic. Naturally, overcoming a daunting task, like getting into shape, is far easier when there is someone else that cares.

Furthermore, as clients become fit and healthier they inevitably feel happier. A common observation I made is that clients that do achieve their set fitness goals often tell me how other domains in their life have changed. They often take bolder career choices, are more confident in their interpersonal relationships and so on. It would appear that positive health/fitness changes have a truly synergistic effect.

Accountability

Another clear advantage of working with a personal trainer is accountability. It is less likely that you will skip a training session when you have a scheduled appointment. This is especially true when a personal trainer has a 24 hour cancellation policy, and most of us do strictly enforce it.

Conclusion

In sum, hiring a personal trainer has clear advantages to working out alone. A personal trainer will plan an efficient workout based on his extensive knowledge. Personal trainer will also keep a client motivated by forming a team with the client and therefore keep him/her accountable for the work.

A personal trainer is, on the other hand, a very expensive investment. In fact, I do not think that it is a service for everyone. However, if the previously described factors are important, it is an investment that will pay dividends many times over.

Training For Your Sport - Get a Personal Trainer!

Every athlete who is serious in his sport will always need expert help during the course of his career. After all, no athlete has ever been born with everything that he needed to become the best in his sport. To be able to do that, a sports man or woman must seek help from third-parties whose jobs are to assess his or her game and suggest the necessary adjustments in the areas where he or she is judged to be weak.

Basketball players who are weak in shooting free throws will benefit from getting a good basketball trainer that specializes in shooting accuracy. Bodybuilders aiming for a target weight and muscle gain would need help from weight training and nutrition experts. Volleyball players having difficulty reaching certain vertical jump height for those powerful spikes will need help from plyometrics and jump consultants to to help them improve on those aspects. Even whole teams need other people to help them. This is why coaches have jobs!

Athletes need coaches and personal trainers to improve their game so their careers will reach their true potential.

How do personal trainers help athletes reach their true potential?

The personal trainer's main job is to create that unique training program that will tailor-fit to the physical and athletic capabilities of his trainee. Not all athletes were born equal and with the same skills and athletic capabilities. A personal trainer's job is to make sure that his ward is trained in such a way that targets are reached within the shortest possible time but with minimum risks of injury.

For example, an athlete trying to gain weight through weight training will need an expert trainer to formulate a regimen that will reach a realistic weight target without injuring the athlete. That will mean a deliberate, step-by-step regimen, put together by the trainer, will have to be carefully followed by the trainee. Deviating from that regimen will increase the risk of injury for the athlete.

One good way to get a personal trainer is by word-of-mouth. After all, the best business cards are the athletes themselves who have been trained successfully by an expert trainer.

The good news is that, because of the internet, finding good trainers has become easier because trainers and trainees will not always need to have face-to-face training relationships anymore. Through the use of online tools and media, sports trainers can now check on their client athletes even if they are miles apart. You can consult with professional trainers through email, video or phone, and get feedback through the same methods.

Getting a good personal trainer is one of the keys to an athlete's success because experts are needed to help maximize his or her athletic skills and prolong his or her career while minimizing risks of serious injury.

Health & Fitness Club

Many people find it easier to invest money into health achievement process through one of the health clubs or the fitness centers. Besides, most of them go for products and accessories like a treadmill, diet pills or colon cleanses.

Among all of the above, they are likely to get a membership of a fitness center as here they do not have to bother much in detail to lose a weight or keep fit. These centers are ideal and provide with every necessary gadgets and health training on a regular basis. It is often an easy process to get a member of such a center however some of them have certain conditions which are hard to cancel. So, to make a good start with one of these fitness centers it is required that you collect a good deal of prior information on it. Here are some of them that may help you:

1. Prepare for the things needed. First of all, as already discussed, be sure that you have a detail on what kind of body type you possess, what are your main problems and why are you in need of a fitness center. With all these information, it would be easy to determine the right kind of the fitness center for yourself. If you have a plan of developing your sports fitness rather than the conventional physical fitness then you better stick to one that has good sports infrastructures and not a treadmill or so.

2. be wise while shopping. It is a better idea to go for a shopping before joining one of the fitness centers. While you get to know a lot about the latest prices of the fitness accessories, you become equally eligible to make comparison with ones found in the fitness centers. By this time, you are certainly going to get the affordable yet effective fitness center.

3. Look through your pocket. For fitness, it does not mean that you pay off your entire budget just because you have a lot of it in the bank. You can be wise while making a membership with one of the fitness centers that you have found. In fact there are many of the fitness centers that are meant for quality services yet affordable. So, you can go through standard internet search or make use of your social network for this job.

4. Be sensible to notice the output. It is once you pay and in return you must get the most out of it. That is to say, if the fitness center is making you lose weight and keep fit, then you are well paid off.

5. Feel free to inquire into the physical attributes and the hygiene of the center. As you have as according to the center demands, it is equally important for you to know whether it has full package of everything that it vowed for. So, look for the accessories if they are a complete set or not, whether the room is well ventilated or not, and if does possess a well trained health professional. Make sure that all the exercise equipments are in a good working condition.

It is not necessary to that a fitness center has to be ideal from all respective but compromises can be made if it is successful in meeting your body demands and that it is generating a good output.

Marketing for Health & Fitness Clubs - Placing Lead Boxes

As a sales and marketing professional, it really warms me when I'm in a new town and walk into a shop or restaurant and come across a Health Club lead box. What pains me, is to see those amazing lead generators sitting there with no entry slips on them or no pens attached or even just pushed in the corner of a shop.

......Some Simple Steps to get the most from your lead boxes....,

1. Get out there and work them!

Contrary to belief they don't fill up by themselves. Unless you are checking them regularly, (Synergy recommend Mon, Wed and Fri) the next time you go to collect them you might not even be able to find them. Ensure they are in a visible location, at least where people have time to stop for 30 seconds and fill them in. Ensure they have pens (that work) and entry slips attached.

2. Find an internal Champion

You can triple your chances of success with your lead boxes if you have a an internal champion in the shop, restaurant, company who is in a position to enforce your lead box staying in a good location and even better, they can encourage customers to enter their details.

In a recent sales promotion Synergy conducted for a client we received over 30 leads per day from 1 hairdressing salon. The owner (who is now a member) has the reception staff asking customers if they would like them to enter their details in a prize draw for a health club membership. The staff even complete the details for them. These leads alone equate to an average of 12 appointments per day, 8 shows, and 5-6 sales per day. (from only 1 lead box!)

3. Build a Relationship - no relationship - no lead box

Sounds simple and it is. Many membership consultants all know how it feels to walk into a shop and ask if they can display a lead box and they say "no" or "head office wont allow it". McDonalds is one of my favourite, but I guarantee if you just walk in cold or even call up to ask about placing a lead box they will say "sorry, we are not allowed to display anything that is not agreed by the McDonalds corporation." I can equate 20% of sales in our last 5 promotions to lead boxes in McDonalds with only 2 lead boxes at the tills.

One of the ways we begin the relationship is by calling the business and speaking to the boss and informing them that each month we select 5 local businesses to receive some Free £50 club vouchers (5 day trials), we arrange to call by when they are there to give them directly to him or her so that he/she may distribute them personally. When we take the trial passes we spend time building rapport and getting to know the owner/boss.

4. Get them out there!

Then a few days later we arrange to collect a list of names of those who he gave the passes to. At this point we take the lead boxes with us and agree to furnish them with some discounted joining fees for his staff, as long as they display the lead boxes. By this time it is much easier to get an agreement as we already have a good relationship with the business.

Our sales teams find this a much easier approach than just turning up or cold calling to place lead boxes. Don't forget a set of 10 lead boxes can be worth an extra 20 - 50 sales per month (for the cost of 1-2 members). Now get out there and make them work for you!

If you would like further information on Leadbox selling or to purchase leadboxes [http://www.synergy-training.com/market_lead_boxes.php] and artwork, just click

Stay Protected With Coach Sports Insurance

What a rewarding experience to have the job of a personal trainer or a sports coach. It's a great experience to be able to assist an athlete by training them to perform the exercises that best fit their body. It is not only important that the sports coach or trainer helps other people to stay physically healthy, but they should also have protection for themselves as well. There are so many accident situations that can happen during training sessions, and this is why a coach should be protected at all times. For the most part, the athlete's protection is what the trainers and couches are most focused on, but what about the safety of the trainer too?

The great news is that there is insurance coverage available for the coaches and training instructors. The fact of the matter is that coaches have every right to be protected just like the athlete because they can never know what kind of injury accidents might incur during training sessions. Choosing to take advantage of sports coach insurance is a great way to stay safely covered in the case that such an accident might occur. Sports coach insurance is also a great option for coaches or trainers that have their own business as well.

Depending on what factors might be most important to a coach or a trainer there are different policies of insurance to choose from. These policies also depend on what kind of sport or routine an individual is the trainer of. If you are involved in coaching more than one type of sport you can still have one coverage plan provided for both. There are many policies of insurance that offer flexibility depending on what you want on your coverage plan. It would be an easy process for you if you obtained a sports insurance quote online. It is a much simpler than having to fill out several pages of paperwork at an insurance office. You can find what coverage you need very fast and easily when applying online and you can get approved for insurance coverage faster as well if you do it online. It could perhaps take as long as an hour for approval, but once you are approved you can relax and have peace of mind knowing that you are covered in case an accident occurs.

The Best Personal Trainer

The hardest part of training is when you get bored of doing the same things on a daily basis. Building up stamina and strength when you start out can be a very tiresome routine. Trying to stay on track is one of the essential things you must focus on to slowly develop your skills.

It is like listening to the same tune every single day for the remainder of your life. And the feeling of eternal gratefulness would creep on you just to have something different for a change, and this is one of the reasons you need a good trainer to keep you motivated.

An excellent fitness trainer can understand the necessity of your daily regimen. It is up to that person to provide variations in your routine to keep your fitness program intact and create effective results.

It is the job of fitness trainers to analyze and create suitable fitness programs for individuals based on their aptitude and interest towards a certain sport. They have the means to determine the proper fitness level and design a program for their specific requirements, and at the same time, carry the responsibility of keeping them in line with their training. They do this by creating activities that will give them the results and not bore them into losing their drive.

Reality of it though is that not all fitness trainers have the same capability as the next one. Here are some factors you should look into for selecting a proper trainer for you:

1. Certifications they may have

A good background can tell you what kind of a trainer you have. If he has the credibility for it, he will most likely invest in certifications from a highly recognized association. A fitness trainer with first aid and CPR credentials would also be good.

2. Education and achievement history

Although there are some very good trainers that may not actually perform like the athletes they make, it would still be best for the trainer to have adequate amount of training and a history of achievement.

3. Knows where to tickle you best

This is a skill that is hard to learn. This pertains to knowing how to provide the best motivation for the one in practice. Sometimes, no matter how good the intentions of the trainer are, if you deal with the problem straight on, it may not prove to be constructive. It may take a way of knowing how to go around the problem to provide better results.

It may sometimes come to the choice of which trainer you can work best with. If you are comfortable working with that person, then perhaps this would turn out for the best.

Health & Fitness

Health Fitness is for everybody. It is not only for athletes and those who are living active outdoors lives but physical activities and exercise are necessary to keep up with everyday life.

Just because you have an 8 to 5 job in a high-rise building that doesn't allow you to get up from your chair more that 10 minutes in a day doesn't mean you do not have any reason to think health fitness.

Never for one moment believe that since your job does not require any physical activities or physical stamina you really don't need to exercise and stay fit. On the contrary, living a sedentary life in the office is a big threat to your well being that you must counter this by performing some physical activities after you leave the office if you don't want to end up becoming sick.

Health fitness should not be taken for granted especially when you are still young. So many young people think that they are invincible and their body can withstand just about anything. Never for one moment believe that because you are young you can easily escape the possibilities of getting sick because of poor diet and lack of exercise. More and more cases of obesity related illness are now reported among the younger generation that some experts reported that there is obesity pandemic among the younger generations all over the world. Clearly health fitness should never be taken for granted whether you are young or old.

Studies show that there are so many people who have been living sedentary lives in the office suffer so many life threatening illnesses as time goes on. The lack of exercise coupled with consumption of unhealthy food and snacks during break time is very taxing on the human body. The effects of the lack of exercise and poor diet may not be felt immediately but sooner or later you will soon begin to feel the effects especially during the later part of your life.

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LA Fitness Gyms

One of the major reasons that people Opt for a health exercise is to get rid of a disease that they have. In fact, the diseases are those caused as a result of obesity so they go for an exercise to lose their weight. It happens that many of the practitioners do not get well with it and get frustrated in life. But the sole objective should be to eliminate diseases from the body however you might not end up with a slim body. If a reduced heart disease risk and a better blood glucose level are at least achieved out of a health work out then you can think to get paid off for your labor and the money.

If from exercise alone you can feel better physically and mentally then why not go for one? As a result of a regular exercise, you can have an increased energy and stamina level and with the secretion of endorphins, the sense of well being can be boosted. So, to end up well with the achievements of the projected fitness, one must start well and continue with vigor and interest. When you are on the internet surfing about health, you will likely run into large information regarding the fitness centers. One of the ideal examples will be the LA fitness which has its own website on the internet and it is serving for 24 hours a day to provide information about its objectives and the plans regarding health fitness for the welfare of the people.

With a network of a large number of fitness centers in the United States, it is emerging as a leading association dedicated for the peoples health and fitness. Since 1984 when it was first established, it has been continuously working hard on providing its services through different sports club in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, California, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, Connecticut, Washington, and New Jersey. Among its projected plans is establishment of 135 more such sports club in the country. Thus, it is no doubt that LA fitness is an ideal and mega health institute in the country. The following points may be helpful for you to understand more accurately why LA fitness is so popular among the fitness seekers:

1. Commitment to service. This LA Fitness is not like all others in the market already but in fact meant for its quality management. Besides the staff working over here are equally capable to understand the clients needs and treat them the way they want so as to meet their body demands. They are also wise enough to update their existing fitness and exercising health equipments from older versions to the newer ones and try to give the maximum satisfaction out of their service.

2. Fitness programs. Besides having a good service, it provides its members with appropriate fitness programs from time to time. Some of its fitness programs include yoga, indoor cycling, aqua aerobics mat Pilates and kick boxing also. They have a good choice for those who wants to develop his/her sports fitness and for those too who want to increase their energy and stamina levels as well. They are often too smart to hold tournaments and leagues for their members so as to ensure the development of sportsmanship and the camaraderie. These are in fact a good alternative for those who do not just like to get fixed at the notion of the aerobic fitness or so.

3. Revolutionary approach in aerobics. LA fitness is an ideal place for the aerobics alone while it has programs that emphasizes mainly on the revolutionary approach to achieve the projected goals. As a result the members find it easier to build in them a motivation to acquire fitness for a lifetime and for generations to come. What you pay at LA fitness will surely pay you back in the form a satisfied and aesthetic life- this is what its members think about it.

Preparing For Fitness

So now you have decided exactly what you want to achieve with your new fitness regime. You have your objectives, you have your motivation and the time is right for action. The next thing to do is to make sure you have all the resources you need to get going. There are a few vital items you need to give a little thought to.

Clothing

Footwear

Equipment

Training environment

Clothing

Make sure you have the right clothing for every type of exercise you will be doing. There is no need to spend a fortune on loads of fancy gear but you do need to be comfortable and you need to be supported in all the right places. Invest in the right underwear for your body shape, and some light clothing that allows you to move freely and keep cool. If you intend to exercise outdoors, having some waterproofs, or at least some items that protect you when it rains, will ensure you still take exercise when the weather is not being kind. Fitness is not fashion and you may not look as trendy as you might like in your workout gear, but there are some really great clothing lines for fitness on the market so you should be able to find gear that makes you feel confident as you exercise. And remember, with better fitness and a more toned body, you will look great in anything.

Footwear

Footwear is very important and worth spending a bit of time thinking about. Avoid choosing trainers just on looks and think instead about what you will be using them for. If you are intending to do a variety of exercise including visiting the gym and taking part in some classes, cross-trainers will be best for you. They can vary quite a lot in weight and in the shape of the shoe around your foot, particularly the height of the shoe around your ankle, so tryon a few different pairs and move around in them to ensure you will be comfortable when exerClsmg.

Exercise Shows How To Get Health Fitness

When we want to succeed at any goal in life, we have to first put our foot through the door. Sometimes it can be the simple mistakes that hold us back or it may also be our lack of inspiration to see the other side. Either way any type of goal will require you to go through a phase, complete a few tasks, or just follow steps given to you in order to finish the objective.

A goal that everybody should strive to get better in is Health. Why is Health such an important aspect in life? Health is why you are still alive till this day. Without Health you wouldn't be able to do normal everyday activities, such as reading an article. One other thing that goes with increasing your Health is working on your Fitness. Currently about half of the world is obese or overweight. Which is due to a lack of Fitness and that causes many Health problems to occur.

Without Exercise you can go through life threatening experiences, but the benefit of working out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is that you won't have to worry about those problems. After you put in the effort you will see results immediately. You don't have to go out and stress out your whole body in one day. There are multiple exercises for different body parts. So you can decide to workout on your arms one day, then turn around and workout on your legs another. It's that simple, going at your pace is the best way so you don't feel rushed or lost in between. We all go through occasions where we absolutely have zero energy, but if you continue to exercise for better health fitness and keep up with your diet, you will find yourself with more energy on days you didn't expect.

Normally someone would just accept those problems and keep moving forward because they couldn't find an answer. There is always a solution; it just depends on how bad you want to get the problem resolved. Too many people have problems with their Health and Fitness. That do not know the main problem that can be affecting their Health and Fitness is Exercise. There are so many benefits to Exercising, but it is blocked away by illusions and temptations to go a different route.

Your Health and Fitness can only change if you put the effort in to change it. So remember, if you can set-up and complete a goal in life. You can use this as a resource to start to your Diet Plans, then to Exercise and get to the Health and Fitness you've always wanted and needed.

Health and Sports Clubs - Exercising the Enjoyable Way

Nobody had ever given thought to the fact that a health and sports club could operate on a 24 hour basis-until they actually came into existence a few years ago; thanks to a marked awareness on living a healthy lifestyle. With more than enough of these clubs in the union, there is no reason for you to have an expanded girth or cellulite-filled hindquarters. This is because you can access a health and sports club at anytime of the day or night and make it fit into your schedule. Top notch exercise equipments are the hallmark of a 24 hour health and sports club. To make the deal even juicier is the fact that all these facilities are available to you without any formal contract. Monthly payments can be made to the gym but there is not obligation for you to sign up for an annual contract.

With the kind of busy lifestyles that we lead today, there is hardly any time for exercising. Most of us spend our work time sitting in front of a computer or answering some phone calls and will not resist the opportunity to woof down a whole pizza or some McDonald's french fries every time we feel we need to freshen up. The lifestyle diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure are all caused by a sedentary kind of lifestyle and despite some of these being genetically transmitted to us; we can reduce the chances of getting a lifestyle disease by doing some exercises each day even if it means 15 minutes every single day. A 24 hour health and sports club is designed to fit into your schedule easily.

Since you don't have to sign any contract with the 24 hour health and sports club, you will not be feeling like a waste if you decide to go out of town for sometime.

Fully trained nutrition and exercise staff are available at your disposal in a health and sports club; and with them, you can discuss and weigh your options whatever your weight gain or loss goals are. If you plan to get rid of the extra flab of flesh on your midsection or thighs or gain some muscle to impress a pretty damsel, they will help you by giving you a diet plan that is tailor cut to suit your needs. The exercises include cardiovascular and resistance training

The staff will want to know if you are already suffering from any disease so that they can make a program for you. If you follow through with this program for several weeks, you will notice a marked improvement in your energy levels and in several months, you will not need anymore hypertension medication. In a few more months, you will have achieved a fitness level that is admirable- and who knows- you might not even need insulin injections any more. The key to all this is consistency. Maintain some consistency level so that you don't fall back into the sedentary lifestyle. In time you will be able to kick out the bad carb habits.

Does Your Personal Trainer Know Squat?

Is your personal trainer qualified? How experienced are they? How can you know before committing to a long-term agreement? These are all questions that clients looking to hire a personal trainer have or should have.

Personal trainers hold a great deal of responsibility in their hands, as they "direct" their clients how to exercise safely and effectively. Personal training can be a lucrative career too, with some trainers charging as much if not more than doctor or lawyer consultation rates.

It is unlikely that you would hire a lawyer or a doctor strictly on heresy, popularity or if they "looked the role" but rather you would spend a good deal of time researching his or her credentials, track record and education. So why if you're going to pay a personal trainer equivalent fees should choosing an exercise professional be any different?

Rather than re-hash the details of the typical "How to Choose a Personal Trainer" cliche, this article provides the lay consumer just two helpful pieces of information to help when deciding on how to choose a personal trainer.

Grade the trainer's qualifications

A personal trainer is an exercise professional so their credentials should demonstrate this. Check to see if the trainer has had a formal education in exercise science, physiology or sports medicine.

Exercise is about science and is grounded firmly in the fields of anatomy, physiology and nutrition. Each field complements and builds on the other. Even the most experienced (or well-built!) personal trainer cannot fake knowledge he does not have. A thorough understanding of these fields is essential to effective and safe exercise instruction and is unlikely to be gained in a weekend or even a multiple week study course.

The client looking to hire a personal trainer should also check the certifying organization. Currently the most respected credentials are offered by the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association), NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine), ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) and ACE (American Council on Exercise).

Some certifying bodies such the NSCA require certain educational requirements to be completed before sitting for the exam. An example is the NSCA's Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), which requires a bachelors degree in a related field to sit for the exam.

Grade the trainer's experience

An experienced and well-educated exercise professional can easily recognize others on par with themselves simply by observing the manner in how they work with their client and by watching the client's exercise technique.

But what about the casual exerciser who knows nothing of exercise or fitness? How can they discern the small details that give clues to a trainer's experience and quality of instruction? After all, certification only means that the personal trainer passed a written exam.

The answer is that it is very tricky for a layperson to judge personal trainers themselves from simple observation and as a result, may rely too heavily on the opinion of others.

Don't get me wrong there is nothing more valuable to a personal trainer than a good reputation and "word of mouth", but an informed consumer looking for a quality exercise professional should do a little more homework.

While there may be dozens of time consuming and complicated ways to assess a personal trainer's instruction quality and experience, this article describes a single test that will give the client a basic insight before committing to a contract or agreement. A client should not be embarrassed or scared to use this test; it is the full right and privilege of the client to interview and consult with the trainer before committing on a long-term or contractual basis.

The importance of the squat

The squat is a very functional movement that mimics everyday tasks such as lifting and getting out of the seated position. The squat is also quite a complex movement to both learn and teach and must be performed correctly with optimal technique to ensure safety and effectiveness.

Consider the importance of instructing safe technique in the squat. A loaded bar resting on a client's back places them in a compromising position, opening the door to the possibility of a crippling injury. A personal trainer then needs to be particularly attentive to detail when their client performs such an exercise.

The squat test then is a good means of roughly assessing the trainer's instructional ability and experience.

How can I use the squat test for grading my personal trainer?

If you can do it before signing with the trainer, try to observe him or her instructing other clients in the performance of a squat. Does the trainer carefully observe the client's technique (in a mirror if spotting) and offer pointers if necessary or does he or she look around or out the window and seem indifferent? As I mentioned, a squat can be a dangerous exercise to perform, especially for the inexperienced exerciser so attentiveness to detail is essential here.

If you are unable to observe the personal trainer's technique beforehand, request a free consultation and during this time have him or her instruct you in the performance of a body weight squat (even if you hate squats and never plan on doing them as part of an exercise routine, request that the trainer observe your technique and offer pointers as if it were a barbell loaded squat).

In either situation, if the observed client's technique demonstrates the following pointers, or if the personal trainer confidently makes mention of most or all of them, it indicates a good working knowledge in how to teach and ensure safety and correct form in the squat.

If the trainer passes the squat test, the experience and skill they demonstrate will most likely transfer to the instruction of other exercises too.

Here are some of the most important pointers for safe and effective performance of the back squat:

· The bar rests on a platform base of the lower neck and shoulders

· The feet shoulder/hip width apart and very slightly toed out; the heels should only be placed on blocks if the instructor observes the heels rising off the floor in the decent (tight calf muscles)

· The lifter inhales before the descent and holds his/her breath (kudos if the instructor mentions avoiding the "Valsalva Maneuver"* here)

· The legs "buckle" under control - like "sitting down in a chair"

· As the knees bend, they remain directly in line with the toes and do not move past the toes

· The spine remains straight and very close to vertical throughout the entire movement (a slight "hole" is allowed in the lower back, but it is essential that the upper back does not "round")

· The chest remains up and out (extra points if the instructor mentions keeping the gaze straight ahead or slightly above to prevent spinal rounding)

· The back of the head remains approximately parallel to a vertical line from the back of the heels - which remain flat on the floor

· The bar tracks a near vertical line throughout the movement while "pressing with the heels"

· The client exhales through the "sticking point" **

(Your flexibility may limit the performance of a perfect squat but the pointers are still valid).

While a client must consider the other attributes of a personal trainer such as personality and rapport, it is important to have some means of measuring his or her experience and credentials before making a decision to commit to a contract or long-term agreement. Hopefully this article has provided some very basic information for the lay fitness consumer to be a slightly more "informed" one.

* Valsalva maneuver - when a lifter "holds his breath" and strains against a closed glottis. This maneuver is acceptable for experienced lifters, but performing it leads to great increases in blood pressure and chest cavity compression.

** Sticking point - the transition point from descending into the squat and ascending out of it.

Private Labeled Bottled Water for Sporting Events and Participants

Sports and athletics are such a pervasive force in American culture that few people can avoid their impact. Memories of an important game, event, score, or sports outing are often long lasting whether they are at the institution, team or individual level.

Personalized bottled drinking water is an excellent way to create lasting memories and produce high quality messages. Branding messages are available for teams, institutions and individuals.

Private label water is also an ideal vehicle for fund raising by schools, teams and individuals. Sales revenue through personalized bottled water sales at school sporting events helps ease current budget restrictions.

Sports in America

America is a sporting country with a substantial amount of time and resources devoted to the enjoyment of competitive sporting activities. Sports go hand in hand with a health and wellness life style and competitiveness is an important element in building character in our country's youth and future leadership.

From childhood until post retirement, sports and athletics serve to entertain and create role models as part of programs of exercise and healthy living. As children and young adults combine competition with sound programs of academics and extra curricular activities character and integrity are created. Continuing through adulthood, middle age and retirement athletics are a constant factor in American life. Many retirees spend a great deal of their free time pursuing sports based healthy lifestyles.

Sports in America is a major multi-billion dollar industry. Professional teams represent the major cities in America and engage in all major sports. Colleges base a significant amount of their activities and fund raising on sports and this approach permeates high schools, middle schools and grammar schools throughout the nation. Club teams and private leagues can be found in many towns and cities. Suppliers of sports products rank among the Fortune 500 of companies.

In addition to team sports, almost every family in the country is engaged in some form of sports activity with such sports as golf, skiing, water sports, bowling, outdoor events and others ranking high on the list of family oriented activities.

The Value of Memorable Events

Pleasant memories of unique performance or events are the result of many sporting activities. Often the powerful memories of a winning season for a local team, the big game that a child participates in, the unforgettable birdie, eagle or hole in one on the golf course and other memories remind one time and again. Many people derive significant pleasure from these memories.

Over time however, even the most powerful memories fade and memorabilia are often valuable as reminders. These reminders take many forms but serve to create continuity and continued interest in the healthy lifestyle of sports and athletic competition. Since individual and team performance is often the result of many hours of practice and hard work, a reminder of accomplishment is often valuable.

Personalized Bottled Water Memories

Personalized bottled water is an excellent way to preserve the memory of important sporting events. With a custom designed label for each and every occasion, water can be consumed at the event or at a later date. In addition, personalized bottled water is ideal for team sports or individual participants and is an effective vehicle for fund raising events.

The technology is available to create a cost effective, high quality personalized label that imparts a lasting message. Application of a custom designed label to a quality water bottle adds a powerful individualized advertising component to a high quality refreshment drink.

Often referred to as consumable advertising, personalized bottled water can include graphics and pictures as well as text that can refer to a specific event and can often be modified for subsequent events. Designed labels can be stored for future use and other occasions.

An additional feature of personalized bottled water is the fact that water bottles can be stored for future occasions and for extended periods if the water contains no minerals or contaminants. An important feature of branded drinking water is the long term nature of the message. Many people who receive private label water tend to retain the bottles because of the uniqueness of the message and quality of the label.

Create a Personal Message and Brand

Although brand creation has been identified with businesses, individuals can create their own brand image related to their interest in sports. Private labeled water for the golfer, hunter, fisherman or sports car enthusiast can convey a personal message or one related to an individual's club or organization. Personalized branding can create interest and enjoyment at later events or family gatherings.

The key to the creation of an effective message is the development of a focused, crisp, unique message that is simple yet powerful. As a result, care must be taken during label design to stay on message and keep the communication simple

For those individuals that are involved in sports and athletics as a business, personalized bottled water can provide a powerful brand image and message and complement marketing and business development efforts.

An Ideal Fund Raiser

Personalized bottled water is ideal for events and fund raising with a custom designed label prepared for the particular event. Often, bottles of water can be sold at these events at a profit and represent a wholesome, effective way of raising funds for booster clubs and other organizations.

Private labeled water is flexible for fund raising because the basic label can be modified for other sporting events at a later date. In addition, schedules and other information pertinent to sporting events can be easily added or altered.

Today, many schools are under significant budget reduction pressure and sporting events for schools offer new ways to increase revenue. Sales of water with a branding message attached in the form of custom label have proved very popular and water can be sold at a profit at events. Further, when the label is retained by the school or the supplier, modifications for latter events are easy and fast.

Water is a major component of a healthy life style and, compared to other fund raising products like candy, pizza and sugar laden soft drinks, offers a quality alternative to the consumer.

Personalized Bottled Water for the Individual

For many individuals sports like golf, sport fishing, running and other outdoor activities represent important parts of their lives and private labeled drinking water can serve as a reminder of their enjoyment with the sport.

Specific uses include boat outings, golf weekends, hunting parties, bowling teams and leagues and many other sports applications that are made more memorable and enjoyable with personalized water for the individual or occasion. The applications are only limited by the user's imagination.

Some bottled water companies can create a custom background label that serves as a template for many different types of events or sports activities. Some vendors include standard templates that an individual can use for their own message. The best suppliers have technology that gives the individual, team or institution the ability to design their own labels. .

The Element of Quality

An overriding feature in the creation of personalized bottled water is the consideration of quality in three areas:

o Quality of water

The basic element of private labeled bottled water is, of course, water and there are many differences in the quality of bottled water. Ultra pure bottled water produced by a combination distillation/filtration/ozonation process is considered by many to be the best quality because it does not contain minerals, contaminants or bacteria.

o Quality of packaging

Since personalized bottled water combines health, refreshment and advertising, the packaging component of the mix must make a quality statement. Substandard bottle quality will seriously compromise the strength of the message.

o Quality of labeling design, printing and application

The label is the element that states the message and the message must be communicated in the strongest and clearest possible way. The label should be developed by a graphics designer or with technology that will aid the consumer in developing their own quality image. Printing is especially critical and the printing process should allow labels are guaranteed to have the same quality of any top-shelf brand in your grocer or quality food store.

All labels should be water proof and preferably laminated to ensure a long service life.

What to Look For In Private Label Water

Personalized bottled water has become increasingly popular for sporting events, teams and participants. This is particularly true with the advent of e-commerce that allows users the ability to design a label and purchase water online through the internet.

Quality is the critical issue because the label serves as a statement for the team, institution or individual. If any portion of the water/package/label mix contains substandard quality, then the entire message is compromised.

Dealing with a reputable vendor with a reputation for quality, customer service and the ability to design labels and place orders on line will guarantee customer satisfaction.

Health, Fitness and Beauty

No matter how careful we are with our skin, from time to time flare ups of an unsightly nature can occur. Modern life with its skin-drying accessories of central heating and air conditioning can have an unhealthy impact on the skin, and even the weather can wreak havoc with even a usually flawless complexion. But instead of frowning at ourselves in the mirror, take action! Beat the beauty blues with these 100% natural quick fixes. For guaranteed gorgeousness the organic way.

1. The problem: Lank hair

The solution: Hair guacamole. When hair gets lank and greasy it is tempting to try to dry it out, but often it needs a boost in the form of some fatty acids and proteins. Give your locks some super-nourishment in the form of a simple avocado.

How to: Mash up a nice ripe avocado with a tablespoon of olive oil and apply to damp hair, leave on for at least 20 mins then wash out thoroughly. It may take more than one wash to remove every trace of lovely green avocado.

2. The problem: Flaky skin on the body

The solution: Silky sugar body polish. When legs and other body parts start resembling crocodile skin it's time to treat yourself to a low-cost yet indulgent body polish. This will slough off the flaky bits and smooth the skin all over to leave you glowing and gorgeous.

How to: In a bowl mix up two tablespoons of fine white organic sugar with two tablespoons of organic unrefined sunflower oil. Finely grate the outer skin of an orange into the blend for a zesty smell. Massage the sugar scrub gently into damp skin and rinse off in the shower. Pat the skin dry to retain all that nourishing oil and enjoy silky flake free skin.

3. The problem: Dull complexion

The solution: Go live with yoghourt. The face, especially in the winter months, can develop a dull patina. A super quick and easy fix is plain simple yoghourt. Due to the presence of lactic acid yoghourt has a very mild bleaching effect and evens out skin tone making for a brighter healthier glow.

How to: Pat two tablespoons of plain live organic yoghourt over the face and neck, avoiding the eyes, leave for 5-10 minutes then rinse off. Pat the skin dry gently and look in the mirror to see a healthy complexion revealed before your eyes.

4. The problem: Puffy eyes

The solution: Chamomile tea. Waking up to eyes that resemble two wrinkly raisins pushed into uncooked bread dough can be a depressing sight. Luckily chamomile tea is a great friend to the eyes. Chamomile, rich in healing properties, is anti-inflammatory and so helping to reduce puffiness. Chamomile is also great for when the eyes are sore, red, itchy or tired.

How to: Simply make a cup of chamomile tea with two organic chamomile tea bags, leave to cool then fish out the bags and wring them out so that they're not dripping. Lay back for 10 minutes with a bag on each eye. Rinse off afterwards and enjoy sparkling eyes.

5. The problem: Eczema and other sensitive flare-ups

The solution: Porridge oats. Itchy eczema can be maddening to those who suffer from it; it can look unsightly as well as itch like crazy. It is almost impossible not to scratch it and when scratched it bleeds and flakes. However, soothing silky oats can offer relief.

How to: Cut a section from an old pair of thin nylon tights and tie up at one end to make a fabric container. Into the tights put a large handful or two of organic porridge oats and tie up the remaining end so that you have a closed pouch of oaty tights. This may seem odd but trust me, it really does work. Use this oat bag in the bath or shower to wash with and soak in, the warm water will cause the oats to turn mushy and they will release a milky liquid which cleanses the skin beautifully and soothes the soreness of eczema.

For really acute areas of eczema, make up a porridge pack; mix a tablespoon of organic oats with enough warm water to form a thick sticky mush. Apply this to the area affected and leave for 10-20 minutes then rinse thoroughly. Repeat this twice a day or more for a really simple soothing solution.

6. The Problem: Sunburn (the mild type)

The solution: Witchhazel and lavender. Tight pink skin from an accidental sun exposure can cause lots of damage to the underlying tissues of the skin and makes you look permanently embarrassed too. It is imperative to take the heat out of the area as soon as possible. Lavender has long been used for all types of burns and is also skin-repairing as well as antiseptic. Witchhazel offers a wonderfully cooling and astringent helping hand.

How to: Buy a bottle of witchhazel and add 30 drops of pure essential oil of lavender to it. Keep this bottle in the fridge and at the first suspicion of mild sunburn, shake it up and douse the skin liberally. Reapply every half an hour at least until the heat has been taken out of the skin.

7. The problem: Pimples

The Solution: Lemons and steam. Just when you thought it was safe to come out, a dreaded red angry spot appears somewhere glaringly obvious (and it is always somewhere very obvious, like on the end of the nose) to spoil your day. A spot is really just a blocked pore and will need to be treated the night before so that it has time to heal. But it is possible to banish these pimples with simple lemon juice and a pore-cleansing facial steam.

How to: When you can feel a spot brewing under the skin apply fresh lemon juice to it before bed, the next day when it has come to a head it can be gently steamed to loosen it up. Half fill a large heatproof bowl with very hot water just off the boil (never use boiling water as the steam will damage the skin), chuck in 5 chamomile tea bags and lean over the bowl so that the steam gently wafts against the face. Ensure that the spot is getting a fair dose of the steam. Keep steaming for at least 10 minutes and then massage the area around the pimple. Applying gentle pressure around the spot helps the skin to unblock the pore but never directly squeeze a spot! After the spot has been purged dab once more with fresh lemon juice to close up the pore and keep it clean.

8. The problem: Chapped lips
The Solution: DIY healing lip balm. Sore cracked lips are no fun and most commercial lip balms offer little in the way of real healing as they are mostly made from petroleum jelly which just coats the lips, smothering them. A natural handmade version containing nourishing oils and lip-protecting beeswax is the best cure and preventative.

How to: Making your own lip balm is very simple and takes no time at all. All the ingredients below should be easy to find in health food shops.

Ingredients:
20g Natural Beeswax
25ml Organic cold-pressed Sunflower oil
10ml Cold-pressed wild/organic Honey

Method:
Chop up the beeswax roughly and melt together honey, wax and oil in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water (like melting chocolate) Remove carefully from heat and pour the molten lipbalm into small pots then leave to cool. Once cool put on the lip and label them. These balms will keep for a year.

9. The problem: Un-sweet feet

The solution: Bicarbonate of Soda. It's one of those embarrassing issues isn't it; no one likes to be told that their tootsies smell offensive. Nylon socks, plastic trainers and even diet all can contribute to the problem. It is always beneficial to the feet ton allow them some daily naked time, so kick off those shoes and socks and enjoy the feeling of freedom. Afterwards treat your toes to this footbath daily. Bicarb is one of nature's great odour absorbers and is cheaply available too.

How to: Half fill a large bowl with warm water and add a heaped tablespoon of Bicarbonate of Soda, soak the feet for at least 20 minutes daily. You can also sprinkle Bicarb into your shoes and leave overnight to absorb odours there. Just remember to tip out the powder in the morning before putting on the shoes.

10. The problem: Greasy skin.

The solution: Rosewater. Distilled rose petals make a simple skin tonic to alleviate shiny oily skin. Rosewater is gentle enough not to cause the skin to over-compensate by producing even more oil. Use rosewater to cleanse the skin, do not use harsh cleansers or soaps. Find pure rosewater in health food shops.

How to: Soak natural cotton pad in the rosewater and gently wipe over the skin to cleanse. Use as often as is necessary. This beautiful cleanser allows you to wake up and smell the roses!

Search Results

Fat-burning techniques and fitness equipment technology have become so advanced that obesity may very well become a thing of the past. The main missing component is that of a willing, moving spirits!

With any fat-burning technique such as physical activity, the annihilation of fat becomes accelerated to such an extent that obesity obliteration isn't a far-fetched concept at all. New home gym equipment and health club technology cater for every age group, from kids to seniors. The fitness machines target individual comfort zones and areas of interest, sport specialties, and at the same time exercise ego's when the gratifying results are paraded in front of full-length mirrors.

Males and females enjoy displaying well-defined upper body muscles. The Fortex air-resistance trainer targets this area successful. This simple, compact trainer works on muscle tone and strength in all 9 major upper body muscle groups. The fat-burning technique tones, trims and develops the upper back, shoulders, chest, and arms. Satisfying results are seen when using the system for just a few minutes per day, four days a week. Lithe ladies who continue to battle to tame that exasperating, pendulous upper arm flab, will experience a marked improvement with this resistance trainer.

Life Fitness Well Versed In Fat-Burning Techniques

The well-known Life Fitness Equipment company used their expert exercise scientists to design a unique, specialized circuit to facilitate well-rounded activity, mobility and flexibility in the senior population. In 2006, this development received an Industry Equipment Innovator Award.

With its 11 strength-training machines, featuring a patented Lifeband Resistance System, the Life Fitness circuit has become popular for its efficiency and incorporated fat-burning techniques. The circuit has been engineered to keep starting resistance at a low level, while building strength in small increments. This characteristic makes it highly accessible for people of all fitness levels.

The Life Fitness Circuit System is particularly favored in the hospitality industry. A number of scientifically designed training plans are incorporated into the system. If you want to brush up on fat-burning techniques, this circuit can be highly effective and will coordinate well with a sensible weight loss program. It will also help you to maintain a healthy weight.

Turn Your Golf Game Into A Geared-Up Fat-Burning Technique

If your golf game is your major pleasure in life, how does a gym workout combined with a marked improvement in your golf swing sound? When World Gym introduced the innovative Butch Harmon Golf Fitness Training Program, golf lovers took notice. Any sport-specific fitness training is usually accompanied by a high level of motivation. While working on weight loss or fat-burning techniques, aerobic conditioning and muscle fitness, you will be seeing an improvement in the technique behind your golf swing, your strength will increase, and you will become more flexible.

The Butch Harmon Golf Fitness program include ground-breaking devices such as the FreeMotion Fitness system, and the ProFlex Stretching system. The main benefit will be seen in the user's range of motion.

Phenomenal Fat-Burning Technique Of Life Fitness Elliptical CrossTrainer 95Xi

If you want to target fat-burning techniques while using your home gym equipment, you can scarcely do better than employing an Elliptical Cross-Trainer. This fat-burning phenomenon and total-body trainer incinerates calories at an astonishing rate. The Life Fitness company is known for its powerfully researched designs in space-age scientific laboratories. This industry leader recently introduced the new Life Fitness 95Xi Elliptical Cross-Trainer, sporting an impressive vault of expertly compiled programs.

This piece of new, fat-burning technology features one of the best monitoring systems, a state-of-the-art feedback console, and an EZ-TV Console or an attachable entertainment center. This superb exercise and weight loss solution, much more effective than a recumbent exercise bike, sports a comfortable 20" stride length.

Time-Tested Fat-Burning Techniques

New technology never negates the value in time-tested equipment and exercise programs. At Activity-Sports-Fitness.com your fat-burning technique can include working on firming up and motivating flabby brain cells, by digesting refreshing articles on a wealth of fitness equipment subjects, from Winsor Pilates, to recumbent exercise bikes, and taking trusted old home treadmills for test-runs.

Go and munch energetically on the creatively compiled consumer information. You may just get the inspiration you need to join the bulk bashing masses by making informed buying decisions and stocking up on the latest fat-burning techniques.

Interesting Sports Fit Camp

People find less time to do regular exercises and have balanced diet throughout. When a person fails to take care of his health, it ultimately results in body illness and overweight. Weight loss boot camp are conducted especially for the people who finds less time in enjoying the fun over their. Sports are one of the good ways of getting healthier and fitter. Most of the people have specific goal in their life time and they act accordingly with some sort of inspiration.

Sports & fitness are related to each other where people used to do exercise, so that it helps clients to be fit and healthier. More number of institutions is coming forward to offer the fitness retreat courses to the clients revolving around the world. The charges claimed for the program provided will be differed accordingly to the type of institution offering the service. Special fitness & sports camps are conducted all over the world to encourage the people to define themselves and to reduce the over weight caused due to over accumulation of fats presented in the body.

Here in sports fitness center, special exercise will be provided to the people initiating with more number of regular stuffs which helps not to strain their body too much. Good health, physical condition enhances long live to human and increases the life duration with healthier life. Different kinds of sports activities will be coached to the clients to make them sensible, enjoying and come up with reduction of body weight. Special weight loss boot trainers will be employed in the institution where the service is offered to the people.

Well experienced, qualified and knowledgeable trainers are appointed, so that individual attention will be paid and service will be offered. Make sure that you have joined the best weight loss institutions where you can come across more number of matters. The special program is specially designed and offered for the kids, women and men who find better result by reducing their weight without losing of body energy. So, join the sports fitness camp offered and enjoy the benefit.

Health and Fitness of Nations - Where is Money Best Spent When it Comes to Fitness?

It was interesting to see an editorial in the Vancouver Sun Newspaper questioning the spending of Canadian taxpayers money on Olympic sports. The Winter Olympics were a great success both in a logistical sense for Canada and in terms of medals. The Canadian Olympic Committee (C.O.C.) asked for an additional $11 million per year on top of the current $47 million.

The paper suggested that the C.O.C. had wanted to act quickly whilst the glow of success was still fresh in peoples' minds. The same situation has occurred after summer Olympics in Australia and I suspect these issues come up in other countries too.

The paper noted that several medal winning athletes had said they could not have succeeded without funding. It then made the key point "...we have been buying medals. We know now that we can do it. But should we do it? Maybe the money should be spread around to give kids across the country more chances to ski, skate, hockey, curl and even bobsleigh."

Last year an Australian Government report suggested funding for Olympic sports are reduced and monies directed more to sports with greater participation. It has been estimated that each Olympic gold at Beijing cost Australia about $15million.

Not surprisingly this call brought howls of protest from Olympic officials and athletes who not only do not want funding cut, they want more funding. One former medalist was quoted in the paper as saying how disappointed she would be if youngsters were not able to achieve their dreams because of lack of funds.

Now it is great for people to have dreams and go for them. However why should certain dreams be supported by taxpayers and others not be? If your dream is to be an Olympic athlete then significant money may be directed your way in terms of training and other support. What about if your dream is to be a musician or to be a scientist or anything other than an Olympic athlete, you have to manage on your own. Keep in mind also that Olympic medals are actually won by individuals not countries, even though medal counts are done by country.

More importantly is the issue of how government money should be spent. Given the demands on "health" dollars from lifestyle related conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even forms of cancer, all of which are in part improved or reduced by exercise, is pouring millions into elite sports a good investment compared to putting money into facilities for more people to do sport and exercise. There is not a "trickle down" effect of fitness.

There is another aspect to this, which I saw at close quarters last year. The Australian Institute of Sport (A.I.S.) is the training ground for Olympic athletes in Australia. On a Tuesday morning tour at around 10 am there were two six year old children doing gymnastics. I asked the guide why they were not in school? Apparently they have a compressed school day of four hours from 11 till 3 sandwiched between training for six hours per day. The families are moved to Canberra so that the children are not separated from parents. The children are "picked " as young as three for their potential in the sport.

Exactly when do these children play and whom do they play with? What if their potential is not as great as the talent scouts thought? If certain Key Performance Indicators are not met then they will be ejected from the institute. The Australian community pays for this. I know some countries are much worse than this in their quest for gold but this does not make it any better.

Putting six year old children in an institute away from their friends and robbing them of a childhood is close to child abuse in my book. The carrot of a gold medal does not change this.

If individuals want to pursue dreams, be it sport or anything else that is great. If they are able to get external support, that is great too. Governments have a responsibility to the entire community. With 75% of the disease burden being lifestyle related conditions do we really want to buy gold medals for a handful of people or do we want to use money to build facilities and provide support in communities so more children (and adults) can be physically active and encouraged to be.

How many sports balls could be bought and how many community fitness trainers could be employed for a year, for the cost of a gold medal. Being active is vital for good health. Nations will get healthier if more people do a bit of sport or exercise than if a few do a lot.

The benefits of regular exercise are many and varied. You only get the benefit if you do it. Governments, which are supposedly interested in the health of the people they serve need to think long and hard about the best way to spend their dollars.

Is Your Health/Fitness Sinking or Swimming

Did you know that when you are eating properly & have enough fiber in
your diet that your waste will float in the toilet. Are you floating
or sinking?

The eating of plenty of fresh raw fruits & vegetables will not only
provide life-producing enzymes for health maintenance, but the
vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, & fibers for a healthy colon. When
you go to the bathroom, it should only be a long trip if you want to
steal away for some quiet time away from the family or some moments
of peace of mind or reading - not because you need the time to
eliminate. Your solid waste elimination process can & should be just
as quick as the process of urination, & it should be at least 1 or
more times a day.

There are some people who eliminate waste only once or twice a week
or even a month. These people need a serious overhaul of their eating
habits & /or their colon.

If you are having an elimination problem, try natural sources of help
like prunes, prune juice, psyllium or senna tablets. Psyllium is a
natural fiber that can help with the elimination process. Senna
provides a gentle stool-softening effect rather than the harsh effect
of some laxatives. Natural foods & remedies should always be our first
choice of action. You should try your local health food store & /or
try a naturapathic doctor for advice on foods & other remedies & make
some lifestyle changes vs. quick fixes might help for the short run.
If you keep on doing what you're doing, you will keep on getting what
you're getting.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth, & the Life (John 14:6) & when we seek
Him w/our whole hearts, we will find the truth & the help that we
need for every area of our life.

Cordially,

Karen

the Way, Truth & Life Club
www.thewtlclub.com [http://www.thewtlclub.com]

Wii Personal Trainer Reviews - What Others Had to Say!

What happens when you combine one of the top game console manufacturers, and the top sports game developer? You have an unbeatable team! That is exactly what EA Sports has brought to the table, err Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit. The top developer of sports games brings their unique expertise to the Nintendo Wii entertainment system and the result is nothing less than fantastic.

When anyone thinks hockey or football, they think EA (Electronic Arts). After getting beat by Sega's ESPN NFL 2K5, EA signed major licensing deals with the NFL, ESPN and CLC for exclusive rights to content. Strong licensing deals, combined with fantastic game play helped propel EA to the forefront of sports gaming along with games in other categories.

EA Sports publishes all the realistic sports-based titles, including FIFA Football, Madden NFL, Tiger Woods PGA, NASCAR and Rugby to name a few.

It's no surprise then that EA Sports Active has been a hit with gamers. Amazon purchasers have given this title four starts out of five - that is 768 customer reviews, so it holds quite a bit of relevance. In fact within the sports category this title is rated number 10 for well over one year since it has been introduced.

What makes EA Sports Active one of the most talked about games? The answer to that is simple. One of the key game features are the 20-minute circuits that target the upper and lower body as well as cardio. Like a real gym, you start off with a light jog, work through bicep curls and then really get your heart beating with cardio boxing.

If you want to start quickly, the 30-day challenge allows you to track calories, intensity and your progress through 20-minute workouts that are tailor made and that you follow for 30-days. Many user reviews praise this feature and say it's the quickest way to get started with EA Sports Active.

The other key feature is that you get the benefit of a virtual personal trainer. The trainer will give you feedback throughout your workout, helping you stay on track to reach your fitness goals.

While the Wii will never be able to compete with a real-life personal trainer, the software is progressing and what is now available will help those that are unable to gain the advantage of a personal trainer. Using the Wii allows individuals to exercise and get feedback to help them progress naturally.

Factors to Consider in Hiring a Personal Trainer

If you have been out of shape for a while and wish to embark on a serious exercise program, hiring a personal trainer would be a very sensible decision. A good trainer can give you excellent advice on what routines to do or not do, and he can provide the motivation you need to keep going. What are the things to look for in a trainer? How do we weed out the poseurs from the real guys? Here are some factors to consider when looking for one:

1. Certification - Just like other occupations, the fitness industry offers certification programs for personal trainers. A certification program ensures the trainer has passed the minimum skills and competence required for the job. Most of these certifications expire after a year of two unless the trainer gets continuing education classes, so make sure that your trainer's certification is current.

Some the best organizations that provide trainer certification are the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), American Council on Exercise (ACE), International Sports Science Association (ISSA), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA). In addition, there are organizations that provide certification for specialized courses like yoga, Pilates, and kickboxing. Many colleges and universities also offer their own certification programs.

2. Educational background - Look for trainers who have a degree in a fitness-related course, like exercise physiology, physical therapy, exercise science, sports medicine, physical education, or occupational therapy.

3. Experience - Hire someone who has at least 2 years' experience either on his/her own, or at a club. Feedback is valuable; get opinions and recommendations from other people.

4. Brochures and/or Web site - A printed brochure and/or a web site reveal a high degree of professionalism. Be sure to check out critical details like fees, payment terms, and cancellation policies.

5. Interview - Find out if you are compatible with your prospective trainer's style or temperament. Things may look good on paper so be sure to validate by asking questions.

6. Fees - Call gyms or ask friends in order to find out the usual fees for a trainer in your city. Be wary of those who charge too low as this may mean the person is less than qualified. If you belong to a health club, it would be best to hire through them as clubs usually keep a close tab on their trainers.

7. Liability insurance - Lastly, make sure that the trainer has liability insurance in case problems occur. Although you are asked to sign a waiver, it does not necessarily absolve the trainer in case of gross ignorance or negligence on his or her part.