Singapore Personal Trainer|The Fitness Truth

With so much emphasis on weight loss, both young boys and girls are turning to extreme methods to obtain an unrealistic weight.  These methods include but aren’t limited to bulimia, anorexia, and harmful drugs.  Everyone’s body is different.  Same goes for each individual’s body mass to muscle ratio which makes it unrealistic to look at your favorite thin model or actress and compare yourself. 

If you are 20 pounds overweight you are putting your body at risk for diseases such as heart disease.  Additionally, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can produce similar health problems.  Being overweight is a great reason to want to lose weight for health purposes. 

If you want to become pregnant it is also a good idea to take a look at what your current weight is and assess whether or not weight loss is right for you.  Being overweight before becoming pregnant can not only cause health problems for you but can unfortunately be passed onto your child. 

There are times, however when weight loss can actually cause health problems.  Mainly the reason weight loss can become dangerous is when you are at an average weight for your body and frame yet you still diet to lose weight.  Being underweight is as much of a problem as overweight issues can be. 

Self image is also a reason not to diet.  If you have a poor self image, losing weight when you are at a normal fat-muscle ratio will not solve confidence problems.  Instead, work on yourself, your soul, your happiness.  Once you find out what about you, you appreciate most, you will see that losing weight will not make things easier or better for you.  Being happy and healthy should be your only concerns when decided whether or not weight loss is right for you. 

The goal of exercising is to burn excess fat, build toned muscles, and to maintain a healthier lifestyle.  One of the best ways to attain these goals is by joining the gym.  It’s a myth that the perfect gym must be the most expensive one.  In fact, as long as you have your personal preferences in mind when choosing a gym then no matter which type of gym your choose, it will be what’s perfect for you. 

Class & Training

Do you want to take that new “kickboxing to the oldies” class?  How about working your muscles to “bodybuilding” status?  Whichever types of classes or body-building needs you may have, you will need to make sure that the gym you choose has the features you want. 

Equipment

If you are targeting weight-loss and expect to use the treadmill or stairmaster for most of your workouts you want to make sure the gym you choose has more than one available.  There is nothing worse than waiting in line to use the one and only treadmill machine at the gym. 

Hours

If you get off of work at 6pm and look forward to a workout you want to be sure the gym you choose is open during the hours that you need.  Some people prefer to work out before they go to work, this means that they would have to make sure the gym chosen has “extended” hours that veer from the normal 9-5 schedule. 

Cleanliness

Take a tour of the gym’s facilities to inspect the level of cleanliness of the gym’s space.  If equipment is not sterilized or if the shower facility seems to not have been cleaned in a while, you may want to double think joining that particular gym.  Cleanliness is of the utmost importance in places such as the gym because of the amount of sweat and germs that can produce illness. 

Pricing

Last but not least, always find out what kind of charges will apply when you join the gym of your choice.  Be sure to read all of the fine print if a contract is involved as well.  Make sure before you purchase a membership you are signing up for an obtainable amount.  If you know you can only visit the gym once or twice a week you can inquire about discounted rates and possibly even a partial membership.  Whatever your concerns are regarding the price, the sales associates of the gym will be able to assist you.   

Conjuring up the motivation to exercise can sometimes prove to be difficult.  Because of this, we are tempted to skip the most essential part of a workout, the warmup.  Warmup exercises may seem time consuming when you are trying to fit it into your routine, however, to omit this crucial part of your workout will only hurt you and your body in the long run. 

Thankfully, warmup exercises do not necessarily have to a long drawn out process.  An effective warmup can be completed in as little as five minutes.  A properly performed warmup will accelerate your heartbeat which, in turn, will increase blood flow to your muscles as well as stretch out the muscles you will be targeting during your exercise. 

The purpose of warming up is to allow your body to build-up the intensity it will need to benefit from your workout.  Preparing your heart, with a gradual build-up of movements is the safest way to increase your heartbeat.  When your blood begins to pump faster it provides oxygen to the muscles used during your workout.  The warming up will “wake up” muscles that haven’t been used all day as well as prevent any injuries that can be sustained during a workout. 

These mini-exercises can improve your form and flexibility.  For example, lunges are a great way to prep the body for exercises targeting your ability to remain balanced, such as yoga or pilates.  Alternatively, stretching your calves and taking a brisk walk will properly prepare your body for cardiovascular activities such as running and aerobics. 

A properly executed warmup can only benefit you and your body when exercising.  Keep in mind these mini-exercises prepare your body for more strenuous activities and help build up the intensity, which will make shedding those extra pounds an attainable feat. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or jog instead of walking on your way into the gym.  These are simple ways to get your blood pumping and your muscles ready to go. 

Hello people.

It’s the 4th of January and have you started taking action on your New Year’s resolutions?

I hope so coz admittedly, I started late myself this year!

I just started today and this is to remind you that I’m human too. But I’m glad I kicked my rear into gear before I fall off the wagon soon.

Every January, gyms would be crowded but as February or worse still, March approaches, the number dwindles down.

Good for the gyms, but not for your wallets.

Do you have a plan? If yes, keep working on it.

If not, start having one. It doesn’t matter how big or difficult your goals are.

A journey of a thousand stpes starts with the first one. So, JUST DO IT! Because there’s only 361 days left before 2010.

Happy New Year!