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Not again. Yesterday was free Taco Bell taco day. Today's free Chipotle burrito day. "Why?" you may ask. It's Halloween. On Halloween, if you dress up as a burrito, you get a free burrito. Are you kidding me? 
Today's the day! Today's the day that Taco Bell's World Series promotion "Steal A Base. Steal A Taco," comes to fruition. Taco Bell came up with this marketing strategy that if a player stole a base during the World Series, America would get a free taco. Well guess what? It happened! So today is the day. From 2pm to 5pm, if you go to Taco Bell, you can get yaself a free beef taco. 
My suggestion, don't do it. Look at what's in it. Wolf one of these 170 calorie shells of deliciousness down, and you win a snack made up of over 50% fat...yummy. This is the perfect example of making smart choices. To manage your weight, you'll be faced with all kinds of decisions like this. Stay wise out there!
Core, core, core. That's the new million dollar word in fitness. So what's considered the core? The core area of your body is the area above, below, and around your pelvis and hips. It's actually made up of inner muscles and outer muscles. The inner muscles surround the spine itself, while the outer muscles are the muscles everyone thinks of: abs, obliques, and low back muscles.
Strengthening the core really is an awesome way to give yourself a whole new you. The most important area to strengthen, though, is the inner core. Strengthening this area can decrease back pain, improve balance, prevent injury, aid in weight loss and muscle development, etc. A stronger core is the secret to happiness...well maybe that's a little much, but you know what I mean.
So how can I strengthen my core? Good question. One great and simple piece of equipment is a stability ball. A stability ball helps wake up the lazy core and gets those muscles working again.
So what size is right for you?
I recently had a client use a stability ball as a desk chair, that's right, a desk chair. What an awesome way to work your core while surfing the web, reading this blog, or doing whatever you do at your desk. Even though stability balls are a fun exercise tool, they still can be dangerous because if you're not careful, you'll roll right off. So be careful.
Scared about falling off, guess what? Try filling your ball with some sand or water. You still get the benefits of the ball, but now you can do so much more with it because it has a more stable base. BOSU is now marketing this concept; it's called the Ballast Ball. Don't worry, I'm not part of a marketing strategy for them. I just think it's a cool ball. I've used them before, and man let me tell you, you can really get a good workout with one. Has anybody else used them before. If so, let me know what you think.
I recently was reading a post on another blog about how our culture is constantly being pressured with achieving model looks. I feel this is becoming a big problem in our society. The Weighting Game talks about a study that found 1 in 7 women use illegal drugs to lose weight, not to mention all the eating disorders that are a result of trying to achieve the perfect body. The reality of this obsession is very disheartening, but I want to focus on a different aspect. So this blog was telling a story of a girl who was extremely upset by some comments made to her by a guy in the gym where she was working out. I feel it really is ridiculous that something like this happens, but sometimes we bring it on ourselves.
Having been a trainer in local gyms, I've seen some outfits that have really made me wonder what people were thinking walking into the gym wearing what they were wearing. Walk into a gym today and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. There's the girl who parades around the gym in a skin-tight outfit, does a biceps curl, and then goes back to parading around the gym again. Then there's the guy who walks in with a half cutoff T-shirt, does a set a biceps curls grunting as loud as he can, walks to the mirror and flexes, and then walks over to the parading girl and begins a lengthy flirtation session. By the time the two have finished their "workouts", they've gotten in about 10 minutes of exercising and 20 minutes of flirting. It really is a sad scene, but some gyms have really turned into nothing but a dating service. It can be a frustrating thing for those who really are there to work out, but until gyms start to enforce dress codes, which isn't going to be done anytime soon, your local gym will remain a circus of flirtation.
The only way to attempt to stop this, start wearing appropriate clothing like regular T-shirts and shorts. I understand there are a lot who are at the gym to get their workouts in and get out, but if we go into the gym wearing clothing that's somewhat revealing, we are only inviting trouble. If we really want to avoid those dreaded comments from Mr. or Miss Wrong, then we need to make a conscious effort to stay modest. I realize that no matter what we wear, there'll always be those people who'll attempt to score a new date for the weekend, but we can at least make an effort to reduce the likelihood of it happening.
I was reading an article from msnbc that talked about how a person's genes may make them fat. Turns out, there really may be a gene that makes some people fatter than others. You know how it is; you may watch what you eat and exercise consistently and your friend just sits at home and manages to not put a pound on while you see the scale steadily climb! Maybe now you have an excuse, right? Wrong! Yes, maybe you aren't blessed with the best family history or genetics, but that doesn't mean you can just throw in the towel and blame it on the "adipose" gene. I hope there really is a gene that contributes to how fat is stored because what a breakthrough it will be when a pill really can solve all your weight loss problems. Even if there is a pill someday, eating right and exercise still need to be a priority because there are so many other benefits to a healthy lifestyle besides weight loss, but you already know that, right?
One of my clients asked me a questioned today, "What makes a personal trainer a good trainer?" I really wanted to put some thought into this question because I feel it's a question that a lot of people probably have. If you decide not to go the online route, which can be very successful and convenient, then you're probably looking at hiring a trainer to work with you 1-on-1. If so, here's how to pick a good one.
So what does make a trainer a good trainer? Well for starters, a top certification gives some credibility to the trainer. Certifications from organizations like NASM, ACE, ACSM, NSCA, and AFFA are the top certifications to look for in a trainer. A bachelor's degree in a field such as Exercise Science/Physiology is also a benefit but doesn't necessarily mean the trainer is a good trainer. Though a trainer can have all the education in the world, if he doesn't know how to communicate that knowledge to a client, then that trainer might as well not even bothered learning his stuff.
The number one thing that makes a trainer a good trainer is whether or not she can motivate her clients to push themselves beyond what they normally would. If a trainer can help her clients dig deep and really work hard towards a goal, then that trainer will be successful. People are lazy; it's who we are. Why do you think this country is so fat? It's because we are too lazy to cook our own meals, so we go to McDonald's, and we are too lazy to exercise and burn off those 5,000 calories we just ate in our large Big Mac combo meal with a strawberry shake.
Number 2....what sets a trainer apart from other trainers is whether or not he can adjust his personality to fit his clients' personalities. I train a broad range of clients; some are loud, boisterous, and love to talk about politics, and some are quiet and love to talk about...well they don't really talk. My point is, if you decide to hire a trainer to work with you 1-on-1, your first appointment should be an interview. See if your personalities match up. If a trainer can't create a personality to fit yours, then it's going to be difficult to work hard when asked to. On top of having a good personality, a trainer needs to be sympathetic for his clients. Chances are you will become pretty close with your trainer. I'm sure there will be times where you will laugh together and may even cry together. It's surprising how close you can become with someone when you see that person for 30 minutes to an hour every other day and are both working towards the same goal. I feel a good trainer needs to become emotionally attached to his clients' goals. I hate it when my client isn't getting the results as fast as she wants. I go home sometimes just spaced out thinking about my clients because I want them to succeed so badly. If you find a trainer who can really make your goals his goals, then you've found a keeper!
So what else makes a trainer a good trainer? Another very important trait a trainer should possess is a knowledge of structuring and progressing a program. This is my personal bias, but I feel that trainers who've been educated by NASM are some of the best trainers in the business. This certification really teaches the trainer how to properly structure a program and how to progress it. A great trainer should take you through and initial assessment and use that assessment to see what areas need to be addressed in your program. Once you start your program, you'll most likely start out correcting muscle imbalances in your body. You'll then progress to teaching your body proper balance or stability. After that, you should next progress into an endurance phase, which would then lead to a strength phase. Your program may be different than this, but if you feel there really is no direction in your program (you are just doing an exercise to do it), ask your trainer why you're doing it. If she can't give you an answer, it's time to find a new trainer. Also, if you feel as your program progresses that you don't progress in the level of difficulty of the exercises you do, then it's time to get a new trainer. A trainer needs to ask more of you than you can ask of yourself. If not, then that trainer is in the wrong line of work!
Here are some other useful articles on things to look for in a trainer.
http://editorials.arrivenet.com/health/article.php/4464.html
http://diet.ivillage.com/motivate/mtrainer/0,,1216,00.html
http://exercise.about.com/cs/forprofessionals/a/choosetrainer.htm
My wife hasn't been feeling well recently; she finally is better, but for over two weeks, she had this horrible cough. The kinda cough that kept both of us from sleeping at night. We bought out the pharmacy with Zicam, Nyquil, Sudafed, Airborne, all kinds of stuff. I figured it was probably just a cold and just give it some time. We have a Health Savings Account, so we didn't want to have her go to a doctor if she didn't have too. Well, then comes the friends who insist that she go to the doctor and have it checked out. After about a week, we finally gave in, and my wife went to a family doctor that a fellow co-worker recommended (we didn't really have a family doctor since we just moved to Columbus). So my wife and I go to this doctor, and man let me tell you, what a waste!
First, we get called back to see the nurse, and once we go through the door, it opens up into a construction zone. Don't ask me how they're able to keep the office open with unpainted drywall everywhere, and pieces of wood and dust all over the floor, but they did. The nurse takes us into a room, sits behind a laptop, and then does all the basic work like taking her weight, blood pressure, etc. After doing this, she sits behind her laptop again. Then she says that we're going to love this doctor, she is great! A few minutes after the nurse leaves, the doctor walks in with her eyes glued to a computer. She has my wife take some deep breathes, and then tells us she has a cough. No joke! A cough. I look at my wife, she looks at me, and we both just roll our eyes. Keep in mind, the doctor told us she has a cough while she was starring at the laptop on her lap. We couldn't believe it. I could've told my wife that one.
That was it. A five minute appointment to tell us she had a cough and to let it run it's course. With heads dropped, we made our way to the lady sitting behind a half-assembled counter area. We stand there waiting for her to tell us what to do next. And we wait. And we wait some more. Finally, after my wife's cough is cured, she tells us to go to the other receptionist around the corner. We make our way to receptionist #2 who tells us that our appointment will be about $130, but we should wait to see if our insurance will cover any of it before crediting it to our Health Savings Account. We couldn't believe it. $130 for a five minute appointment with a doctor who spent more time looking at her laptop than she did looking at us, and who diagnosed my wife with a cough.
This got me thinking. What really is the point of some doctors? Needless to say, we'll never be going back to this doctor's office because if she was supposed to be a great doctor, I can only imagine what kind of personalities the other doctors have. As I was saying though, what is the point of some doctors? Do they really tell us anything we don't already know? You're sick, get more rest, drink more water, take these pills. I'm not saying doctors aren't knowledgeable. I know many doctors and know they are wonderful and very knowledgeable. I'm just saying that many of the common illnesses we suffer from could be prevented if we just took better care of ourselves with better sleep, better eating habits, taking a multivitamin, and exercising. Many common illnesses could be prevented by strengthening our immune systems through taking better care of ourselves. On the flip side though, sometimes we do need to see a doctor, but we really need to make sure that our doctors know what they're talking about. If you do see a doctor, hold them accountable. Through training clients, I have had several instances where a doctor's advice about exercise was totally against what research has shown. For instance, I once had a client with MS tell me her doctor told her not to lift weights anymore because they were making her weaker. I was completely taken back by her response because this totally goes against current research.
My point of all this, don't automatically assume that because it comes from the doctor's mouth, it's true. Challenge your doctor; do your own research about conditions you have. There are good personal trainers and there are bad personal trainers. There are good doctors and there are bad doctors. Instead of always resorting to a pill, look into other options. This is why osteopathic medicine is starting to become so popular is because people are realizing that more can be done to solve medical problems than just always taking a pill to solve the problems. Sometimes exercise and eating right really are all it takes.
So I went on a mission with my wife this weekend. We decided to go snap some pics of me for my About Me page. What a beautiful day it was! We went to a local park by us called Highbanks Metro Park; this park is unbelievably pretty. Out of all the parks I have run in, this has to be my favorite. The smell of fall, the sun shimmering through the trees, the sound of birds chirping and squirrels and chipmunks rustling in the leaves made this day in the park a wonderful day.
What do you think? Pretty cool pictures huh? I think they are. So what's the point? My point is, it's fall! This is the most beautiful time of year to get out and exercise. The leaves are starting to change, the temperature is just right, and the air has that crisp, fresh smell to it. And don't forget the sound of the leaves crunching below your feet as you walk along. If you are having trouble starting an exercise routine, fall is the perfect time to start. Not only is it ideal for outdoor activities, but fall is the precursor to all those New Year's resolutions to get in shape.
Going to the park with my wife is something that I always look forward to. We always have so much fun together when we get outside. And the best part about it, it's free! Imagine the money we have saved by going to a park instead of a movie. Imagine the money you could save.
There are all kinds of activities to try out besides walking. Go find a bike trail or jogging path. Or how about tennis or throwing a Frisbee around? What about walking your dog, or playing catch with your son or daughter? These are just a few; anybody else have any activities they love doing outside? The possibilities really are endless. Today's the day. Today's the day to start towards a better you; better sleep, lower stress levels, higher energy, and a happier mind, body, and spirit! So get out there and have fun because as you know, it's fall!
Hey there! Welcome to Fitsy Bitsy. Don't ask me how I came up with the name, well actually it kind of just popped into my head. It kind of explains this site. I really want this site to be a tool to share some nifty tips about fitness, but at the same time, I really want to just have a tool to be able to talk with you about my life. I'm so excited to see where this site goes. I have all kinds of ideas, but we'll just have to see what ends up being cool and what is just stupid. So let me know if you have any cool topics I could talk about sometime. Right now I'm just sitting in my home figuring out what to do next. I think I'll go get some dinner now. Something smells good!
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