The best way to get fit
Talk to 10 people and you'll get 10 different opinions on the best way to get fit.
One will tell you to attend an aerobics class. Another will swear by jogging. Yet another will tell you that dance and biking worked for them.
The truth is that there's really only one effective way to get fit.
Before I get into the details, it’s important that we agree on the definition of 'fit'.
Too often thin is mistaken for fit, and that's not what you should strive for.
When someone is thin, but has very little muscle tissue, they aren't truly fit.
Here’s why thin doesn’t equal fit:
- Their body fat percentage will be higher than ideal—even though you won't see a lot of fat on them, if their muscle percentage is low then fat percentage will be higher.
- Their resting metabolism will be low, since little muscle is present to burn calories at rest.
- Their body won't be functionally strong, which will lead to injuries and frustrations.
So how does one get truly fit? It’s this simple: Resistance Training.
Resistance training is when resistance is used to challenge your muscles in order to gain strength and endurance. You could do this with traditional weights, exercise bands, medicine balls, cable machines, sandbags, kettle bells or even just using your own body weight.
Consistent resistance training has the following side effects…
- Strength and muscle tone
- Cardiovascular capacity
- Speed, Agility and Flexibility
- Resistance to injury and disease
If that’s not enough to convince you that resistance training is the only way to truly become fit, then read on…
Top 9 Benefits to Resistance Training
1. To Build Muscle and Gain Strength: Don’t worry, ladies. This does NOT mean that you’re going to ‘bulk up’ or look too masculine. What will happen is that your arms, tummy and legs will become tighter, leaner and more defined.
2. To Lose Fat: When it comes to losing size, all that you want to see go is fat, not muscle. Strength training ensures that you maintain and grow those muscles and only lose fat.
3. To Build Strong Bones: The older we get, the more important our bone density is. A good strength training program is one of your best defenses when it comes to osteoporosis.
4. To Alleviate Anxiety, Stress and Depression: Sure there are plenty of pills out there that claim to give these benefits, but you and I both know that strength training is more wholesome and effective way. And besides, who really wants pharmaceutical side effects?
5. To Sleep Better: Here’s another pill you can stop taking once you start strength training. Study after study have proven that strength training improves sleep.
6. To Improve Chronic Back Pain: If you are one of the millions across the globe who suffer from back pain then you’ll love the benefit of lowered pain.
7. To Improve Insulin Sensitivity: Today diabetes is a huge threat. Minimize your risk by improving insulin sensitivity through regular, challenging strength training.
8. To Improve Good to Bad Cholesterol Ratio: Here is yet another pill that you could potentially stop taking while on a strength training routine. Blood pressure and heart health are of utmost concern, so why not give yourself the advantage of a strength training routine?
9. To Raise your Metabolism: This helps to reduce body fat and to keep that body fat off, even on the days that you aren’t able to exercise. Pretty awesome, right?
A solid resistance training routine will tone your legs, lift your buns, strengthen your core, and will result in inches and pounds lost.
If you’re ready to begin your body transformation then feel free to reach out to me.
Call or email me today and we will get you started on the exercise program that will reshape your body once and for all!
Super-fit, from Alaska to ‘Golden Bachelor’  Diane Firmani, 71, plays ice hockey, competes in triathlons, and rides her bike on the snow-covered Iditarod trail at home in Alaska.
The super-fit retired librarian found a surprising group of similar women this year when she participated in “The Golden Bachelor” reality TV show, “competing” for the “heart” of a retired NFL player. Diane applied as a lark, a few years after her husband died.
“All the women were physically fit there,” Diane says. “It was a common thread.”
She shared some other commonalities about staying fit later in life. (More on the show here.)
- It helps to stay active with friends who will encourage you and share the good times. “And that’s how that bunch of women were, as far as being likeminded about fitness,” Diane says.
- “My motto is ‘Sign up and show up,’” Diane says. In other words, register for that 5K in the spring – and then do it! “It’s a commitment to yourself and to others who are depending on you.”
- Finally, enjoy the fact that exercise makes you look better. “It’s more fun to buy clothes, to go places, to have more confidence.” Diane recently attended her son’s wedding in Hawaii, happy with how she was presenting.
Staying active in the cold, dark north isn’t always easy, but neither is fitness for anyone anywhere.
“Everything is a choice,” Diane says. “You can be miserable, or you can get out there and enjoy it.”
Addictive Foods and their Harmful Consequences Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. These products include exercise stimulant drinks (they come in cans and look like cola), fizzy aerated drinks, tobacco, betel nut, betel leaf, strong coffee, strong tea, ma huang (an ephedrine-like compound consumed in china), and alcohol.
Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products, I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.
>span class="qowt-font6-Arial">heart beat, a little sweating, dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye, a warm flush on the face, and a sense of greater sensitivity, concentration and perception.
These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours, and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again, to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle.
The physiology of addictions is as follows:
When you eat an addictive food, it stimulates the hormone like substances found at the end of your nerves, which triggers an avalanche of similar stimulatory substances and you experience a high. As the substances near the nerves are depleted, you get into the low phase, which leads
you to crave that food again. This yo-yo phase of nerve stimulation and depletion leads to a pattern of addiction.
Consuming addictive foods is one of the oldest unhealthy food practices and, despite a revolution in health consciousness; it shows no signs of dying out.
Below are some side effects of certain addictive foods.
Alcohol Addiction: Erosion of stomach and intestinal lining, liver damage, nutritional deficiency.
Tobacco: Erosion of gum and tongue can lead to cancer of the buccal mucosa.
Betel nut: Leads to the discoloration of teeth, erosion of the lining of the mouth, and cancer of the mouth and upper tract. It also leads to heart problems among people who already have a weak heart.
Ma huang: It contains ephedrine and leads to heart problems.
Aerated drinks: High doses of caffeine.
Caffeine and xanthine: Found in tea, coffee. These become harmful only in very high doses; don’t consume more than five cups a day.
Mixed drug reactions: People who consume medications for the heart, hypertension and asthma have to be very careful about the interactions of the drugs with stimulant foods, as mixing the two can be fatal. After years of experience, all doctors know how difficult it is to break the food addictions of their patients. So like them, I can only advise a good compromise. If you can’t break the addiction, then at least you should practice moderation.
Greek Yogurt Parfait

This recipe makes a tasty breakfast or a high energy snack. Plain Greek yogurt is a fantastic filler that’s packed with protein and makes the perfect backdrop for ripe fruit and a sprinkle of crunchy, natural granola. To lighten this recipe up even more feel free to leave out the granola. Enjoy!
What you need Serves 3
¾ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
A few drops of stevia
2 cups sliced mixed plums, peaches, nectarines, and sprinkle of cinnamon
¾ cup granola
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, mix the yogurt with the stevia.
2. In another medium bowl, mix the sliced fruit with the cinnamon.
3. In serving dishes, layer the yogurt, fruit, and granola.
Nutrition One serving equals 146 calories, 16g fat, 34mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, and 15g protein
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GRAND PA STRONG Online Life Transformation Online Coaching/Training is a new and exciting way for me to provide more effective, and more cost effective, body transformation services for people looking to be their best and Move Well to Age Well. Your virtual Personal Trainer - Anytime or Anywhere!! Learn more: Move Well Age Well
Drops of Inspiration "The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."
~ J.P. Morgan
3 Ways to GET MORE From Your Workout
Use the following three tips to bring your routine up to the next level:
1. Be Unstable: Use your entire body, and target your core, by performing exercises that engage stabilizing muscles. To do this use an exercise ball, a balance board, a balance disk, or you could simply stand on one leg.
2. Add Resistance: The more resistance that you incorporate with your routine translates into higher intensity and more calories burned. Some ideas for adding resistance include: carrying dumbbells while doing lunges, wearing a weighted vest while walking or jogging, or putting a weight between your feet while doing leg raises.
3. Use Intervals: Interval training is an amazing tool for creating short yet effective workouts. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Interval training is simply alternating between different short bursts of activity.
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