Lately, I’ve had a few people ask me how to become a personal trainer.  I remember asking that same question when I was getting started.  I worked out at Bally Total Fitness and also a much smaller gym run by bodybuilders.  (Incidentally, that’s when I was eventually introduced to bodybuilding shows, but this was before the “Figure” category existed).  It was after working out at this smaller gym that I asked one of the trainers how to become a personal trainer.  “Get certified,” he said. 

“How do I do that?”

“Take a test.”

What do you mean by “tummy troubles”? I am referring to upset stomachs, including stomachaches, excess bloating and gas, and/or a nervous feeling in the stomach. 

What are the symptoms?  We all experience the above symptoms from time to time, but if this happens to you consistently, read on.

How can I treat it naturally?  First, try the usual: use the process of elimination to find out if a particular type of food is bothering you.  Is it milk, cheese, or creamy foods and desserts?  Maybe you’re lactose intolerant.

Sometimes it’s hard to reach our goals.  Oh, it’s easy to start.  It’s even manageable to keep it up for a few days, or even weeks, but when the hard stuff hits, we are thrown off track.  And when we mess up, we figure we’ve ruined everything, so we stop.  Sometimes the hard part is continuing.  We don’t fail because we don’t start.  We don’t fail because it’s too difficult.  We fail because we don’t finish.  We can be our own worst enemy.  

Have you ever stopped doing something, only to look back months later and say “If only I had stuck with it, I would be much further along by now?”  

I recently purchased a new elliptical for home use, and I figured I’d review it in case anyone else is in the market as well.  Although I didn’t want the commercial equipment price tag, I was concerned at first about getting cardio equipment that was designed for home use because of what I call the “cheese factor” – meaning some machines feel cheesy, flimsy, and/or rickety. 

I know I will use my elliptical often and I don’t want it falling apart on me.  I started by going to the sports stores and actually getting on the ellipticals and trying them out, then I looked up the ones I was interested in online.  

Injuries are very real obstacles for fitness enthusiasts and athletes.  Most of the time, we can prevent them by warming up before exercise, executing proper form during our workouts, and cooling down afterwards.  But try as we might to avoid them, injuries sometimes do occur.  You may remember learning about the acronym RICE.  This is the general rule of thumb for initial treatment of injuries. 

It stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Too often, people implement the RICE technique, and do nothing further.   A doctor needs to be consulted in order to determine the extent of the injury. 

There are many ways to increase the intensity of your workouts.  In order to do so, you could increase the weight you lift, increase the amount of reps you perform, or increase the number of sets you do.  Incorporating any or all of these three factors can give you an unlimited number of combinations for changing your workout.  But there is another, often overlooked, factor: time.  Shortening your rest periods or performing an exercise for a certain amount of time can give you a big boost in intensity.

The Tabata method incorporates this time factor.  This method got its name from a Japanese researcher who found a way to increase aerobic and anaerobic pathways at the same time. 

Echinacea, which is highly regarded as the most important immune stimulant, has been used for over a century as a treatment for a wide variety of problems.  In the early 1900’s, Echinacea attracted even more attention and has become a popular treatment for colds and flu. 

The interesting thing about this herb is that it does not simply attack the infection that has invaded your body.  Echinacea contains a substance that prevents the infection from invading the cells.  In other words, Echinacea helps your body fight the infection on its own – it stimulates your immune system.

One of the first things you can do to help improve your eating habits is to stop drinking soft drinks.  Soft drinks include sodas, punches, and juice cocktails, and they add unnecessary calories and sugar to your daily intake.  Liquid calories that go down easy will quickly sneak up on you. 

In addition to the calories, the sweetness in soft drinks encourages the desire for more sweet stuff.  Most sweet snacks, for many, are a hindrance to weight loss, as they are calorie dense and nutritionally deficient.  It’s easy to see how regular soft drinks can derail your wellness and weight loss efforts.  

When we have a problem with our bodies, our first thought is to see a doctor. But not everyone has easy access to doctors or their advice. And sometimes the medicines we take have side effects or leave our bodies weak. 

Knowledge is power, so the more we know, the better equipped we are to deal with the curveballs life throws at us. It’s imperative that we do the best we can for the bodies we have, so I began this series entitled “Natural Remedies”. I’ll take ailments and diseases that directly or indirectly affect us all, and give natural remedies that can help.

Part of the way you look can be controlled by exercise and eating habits. The other part is genetics. People are classified using 3 different body types, called somatotypes. This method of classification was developed by scientist W.H. Sheldon. As you read ahead, know that most likely you will be a combination of somatotypes. Most people have one type that is dominant, while still displaying some characteristics of the other two. The average person may display characteristics of all 3 somewhat evenly.

When we have a problem with our bodies, our first thought is to see a doctor. But not everyone has easy access to doctors or their advice. And sometimes the medicines we take have side effects or leave our bodies weak. 

Knowledge is power, so the more we know, the better equipped we are to deal with the curveballs life throws at us. It’s imperative that we do the best we can for the bodies we have, so I began this series entitled “Natural Remedies”.

When we have a problem with our bodies, our first thought is to see a doctor. But not everyone has easy access to doctors or their advice. And sometimes the medicines we take have side effects or leave our bodies weak. 

Knowledge is power, so the more we know, the better equipped we are to deal with the curveballs life throws at us. It’s imperative that we do the best we can for the bodies we have, so I began this series entitled “Natural Remedies”. 

The world has been searching for the fountain of youth for centuries. Not only do we want to look younger and live longer, we want those extra years to be full of independence and vigor. We don’t just want to survive. We want to feel younger and be strong. We hold the key to our own fountain of youth; we just need to unlock the door. 

The secret is exercise. More than half of adults over 55 feel that they get enough exercise by walking and performing other leisure activities, but more strenuous work provides greater benefits to the body. 

Yesterday, the news reported that the government is on the verge of allowing meat and milk from cloned pigs and cows to be sold for food. After years of study, the FDA determined that it’s safe, insisting that products from cloned animals are no different than those of naturally bred animals.

Watchdog groups and scientists are not so sure, however, stating that defects can and do occur during the cloning process, and more investigation is needed before these products are released for mass consumption.