Before you balk, remember that even a few minutes of exercise is better than none. Next, remember that you do not need to have a home gym full of equipment to get in some cardio or strength training. Here are a few things you can do at home, with no equipment, when you are pressed for time.

Jogging

Yes, you can jog in your house. Jog in place, or around your living room, while you are watching the news in the morning. Make sure you remember to put on your shoes as many people find jogging in bare feet to be uncomfortable and stressful to the joints.

Aerobic Programs

If you have cable television, check your provider’s listings for fitness programs. Many of today’s cable providers have fitness stations that run aerobic programs all day long. Depending on the type of service you have, you’ll either be stuck with whatever program is on when you start working out or you may get to choose a favorite.

Jumping Jacks

That’s right – we want you to get up and do some jumping jacks. They’ll get you moving, wake you up, and raise your heart rate. Do them as a warmup or as part of your home fitness routine.

Pushups

No arguments. Do some pushups. If you don’t have the upper body strength to do a traditional pushup, make a modification by working from your knees or by doing standing pushups against a wall. As the muscles in your arms and chest become stronger, so will your ability to do different forms of this exercise.

These are just a few examples of the things you can do when you’re stuck at home without a fitness personal trainer to help you out. Make sure you talk to your trainer while you are in the gym to get some suggestions for exercises that are catered to your specific needs!

Avoid Exercising During Mid-Day

Do your best to schedule your workouts for the earlier or later parts of the day. The hours between 10am and 3pm are usually the warmest, so you’ll want to avoid overexertion during those times. If for some reason you have to exercise during that time of day, make sure you limit your sessions until your body gets used to the heat.

Don’t Stop Eating

Are you the kind of person who loses his appetite when the weather gets steamy? Your body, despite your appetite, still needs food to survive and to fuel your exercise regime. Try eating lighter foods, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and consider splitting your meals into smaller portions spread throughout the day.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Contrary to popular belief, the sensation of thirst means your body is becoming dehydrated. You should drink water before, during, and after your workout. Participating in a group activity? Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty for stopping for a water break.

Wear a Hat

You should be wearing sunscreen during any outdoor workout – hopefully that’s a given. But what about your poor scalp? Most of us forget about our heads when applying sunscreen. Either slather some hair-safe lotion along your part or wear a baseball cap (dark in color) to protect your head from the sun’s rays.

Switch Your Routine

The summer heat will make your heart rate rise faster. This means you can actually knock back the intensity of your workouts while still obtaining the results you desire. Make sure you monitor your heart rate and adjust your workout pace so that you don’t tax your heart.

Talk to your personal trainer about other things you can do to modify your workout during the summer months. There’s nothing macho about this stuff. It’s always better to be safe than it is to end up the guy who passed out due to heat exhaustion!

Don’t Get Dehydrated

There is a little myth in the exercise world that says you should only drink when you are thirsty. Nothing could be further from the truth and the reality of the situation is that if you actually feel the sensation of thirst you are already partially dehydrated. Any decent personal trainer will tell you that you should be drinking fluids before, during, and after every workout.

Most people do not drink enough water on a daily basis. The more hydrated you are, the less your chances of developing cramps Water will also help you to avoid overheating during your workout, which can also lead to severe cramps.

Warmup Before and Stretch After Working Out

Make sure you do some very light cardiovascular warmups before you start your real exercise routine. Warmups promote circulation and blood flow throughout the body and will warm your muscles, giving them greater flexibility. Stretching after your workout will help you to relax your muscles and bring them back to a normal state without a sudden stop in your routine.

Vitamin Supplements

Muscle cramps often occur when your body is experiencing a lack of certain vitamins and nutrients. Commonly recommended vitamins for the prevention of cramps include calcium, magnesium, vitamin E, and potassium. Vitamin supplements should be treated carefully as some can cause side effects if you have certain medical conditions; for example, a person with a kidney disorder may not be able to take extra magnesium. Make sure you speak to your physician before adding extra supplements to your daily routine.

Don’t let muscle cramps stop you from working out. Talk to your personal fitness trainer about the right warmups, cool downs, and stretches to use with your current routine. The sooner you work to prevent cramping, the sooner they’ll stop occurring.

 If you’ve hit a plateau it may be time to take a closer look at your habits in the kitchen. There are several foods and drinks that will totally destroy your diet, adding tons of sneaky calories. Here are a few things you should be staying away from.

Sauces, Salad Dressings, and Condiments

Sauces, salad dressings, and condiments taste great and can really spice up an otherwise bland diet. If you’re not watching what you’re doing, though, you could be adding tons of calories, sugar, and fat – totally undoing what you did in preparing a healthy meal to start with.

The good news is that you can easily replace these things with spices, all of which are virtually calorie-free and can add a ton of flavor to your food. Staples you should have in the house include pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and anything else that packs a flavor you enjoy. Try to stay away from seasoned salts as they’ll add too much sodium to your diet.

Energy Drinks

Energy drinks, like Red Bull, may give you a quick burst of energy but the damage they’re doing to your diet can be devastating. A little can with just over 8 ounces of beverage can have 27 grams of pure sugar. If you’re trying to restrict your carb intake, you’ll completely blow your limit for the day out of the water. If you’re merely trying to eat a healthier diet, you’re replacing healthy, complex carbs with simple sugars. It simply doesn’t work. Ask your personal trainer to recommend a healthier alternative.

Alcohol

Alcohol is bad for your diet and physical goals. Period. End of statement. No matter what “reduced” calorie or reduced carb concoction you pick up, it will still be packed with empty calories (ie. absolutely no nutritional value). To make things worse, most people drink alcohol at night, which is when your body is more likely to try to store it as fat. If you’re really serious about your physical fitness goals, you’ll need to put alcohol on the back burner.

There are plenty of other dietary changes you can make to jump-start your weight loss and physical fitness goals. Talk to your personal fitness trainer about making modifications to your current plan. You’ll begin to see results again before you know it.

Physician’s Clearance

One of the first things your trainer will ask is whether or not you have any medical conditions he should be aware of. Be honest and as complete as possible when answer this question. Fitness trainers are well-versed in anatomy and physiology and know how exercise impacts the body. He or she may ask you to get some sort of physician’s clearance before you start your new workout routine. This is not to make your life difficult, but to keep you safe. Your doctor’s report will help your trainer develop a routine that is appropriate for your needs.

Choosing the Right Type of Regular Exercise

Some people prefer strength training or weight lifting. Others prefer aerobic exercise in the form of walking, running, biking, or even taking a class. A great workout routine will combine a little of both, even if you aren’t doing both each and every day. Talk to your trainer about when you should do each type of exercise and try to map out a daily or weekly routine. Having something in writing will make your new plan easier to follow.

Don’t Go Overboard

Start small and work your way into longer and more frequent workouts. A brief, 30-minute workout every other day will give your body a chance to recover, especially if it isn’t used to any exercise at all. As your stamina improves, you can make your workouts more frequent, aiming for 6 or 7 days per week. Once you are doing more frequent workouts, you can experiment with increasing the length of your sessions. Remember, even 10 minutes of activity can have huge health benefits. Don’t push yourself into doing something you aren’t ready for.

Talk to your personal fitness trainer and your doctor before starting a new regular exercise workout routine, especially if you are not used to exercising regularly. Your health care team will be able to ease you into exercise safely, reducing your risk of illness or injury!

Physically Active People are Happier People

It’s true. Those who get at least 30-minutes of exercise tend to have a more positive outlook than those who do not. Why? The movement and exertion aids in the stimulation and production of chemicals in your brain. These chemicals soothe your nerves and help you to feel relaxed.

Decreased Cholesterol Levels

We start our lives free of medications and, as we age, tend to find ourselves adding more and more in the way of supplements and prescription medications. It is not uncommon for individuals to end needing cholesterol medications to control their LDL (bad cholesterol) and HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Exercise helps you to keep your HDL levels high so that you can combat that LDL. Excess levels of LDL can build up in your arteries and cause heart disease and strokes. So which would you prefer in this case – exercise or medication?

Blood Pressure Control

While many people with high blood pressure shy away from exercise because they believe it could make things worse, the truth is that moderate exercise will actually help to strengthen your heart and lower your blood pressure. The more active you are, the less likely you are to see your blood pressure creep up on you as you age.

Weight Management

It is no secret that exercise will help you to burn calories, allowing you to either lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. Exercising regularly will have a number of benefits. Your body has a resting metabolic rate, where you burn a certain number of calories per hour. Exercise not only gives you the initial rush and calorie burn from your workout, but increases your resting metabolic rate as well. You’ll essentially become a calorie crushing machine.

Quality of Sleep

Sleep is as essential to a healthy life as food. Exercising on a regular basis will help your body to fall asleep, stay asleep, and sleep at a deeper level. As you start to sleep better, you’ll become more productive and have less trouble concentrating during the day. Your body will also have the proper amount of rest time to make much needed repairs, leaving you feeling healthier and more energized.

Prevention of Diabetes

Adults who develop diabetes later in life tend to do so because their bodies are storing too much fat. It doesn’t matter how much you weigh, though – exercising can help to fend off the onset of diabetes. This type of exercise doesn’t need to be intense, either. You could walk approximately ½ mile per day and still reap the benefits of diabetes prevention.

Exercise and Your Energy Levels

Your increased energy levels will be caused by two things. First, that extra sleep we mentioned before will help you to feel more alert. Second, moving around and exercising allows oxygen to move through your body and to your tissues. As your heart and lungs are able to work more efficiently, you’ll start to have higher energy levels!

Exercise is for everyone, no matter what your background or current physical condition. Talk to your doctor and a fitness personal trainer about how you can safely begin incorporating more exercise into your daily routine. This is one decision you’ll never regret.

Banana Protein Shakes

Grab one half of a banana and combine it with your favorite protein powder and some water to make a tasty post-workout shake. The combination will give you both protein and healthy carbohydrates – the perfect combination for creating an energy boost after you’re done in the gym.

Chicken Breast

Lean chicken breast is a great source of protein, a nutrient you need to aid in muscle recovery. We’re not saying you have to go home and cook when you’re done in the gym. You can easily cook up some chicken breast early in the week and store it to munch on later. You can also buy precooked chicken breast strips in the grocery store. Throw them in your bag before you leave the house or store them in the fridge at work and you’ll always have a power producing snack on hand.

Vegetable Omelets

Those who love eggs and veggies will really enjoy an energizing omelet after a hard workout. You can use whole eggs or you can use a container of egg whites to avoid the added cholesterol intake. The eggs will provide protein while the vegetables will give you extra fiber and nutrients. This snack will of course only work if you have time to go home after you’re done at the gym.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal has definitely earned a reputation as a great, healthy food for any type of diet. Oatmeal is full of healthy carbohydrates, fiber, and even some protein. While the stove-top version is usually healthiest, you could simply throw a microwave pack into your bag to eat wherever you have the opportunity to heat it up and chow down.

Low Fat Yogurt

Yogurt is jam packed with healthy nutrients including not only protein but essential amino acids as well. Eating yogurt after a workout will help your muscles to recover and repair themselves. Adding some fruit to your low fat yogurt will add a little carbohydrate kick to your snack, too.

Cheese and Crackers

You’re probably thinking about carbs and fat but low-fat cheese and high-fiber crackers are actually a great post-workout snack combination. Make sure you’re sticking to healthy serving sizes, though. One piece of string cheese and about 6 crackers should do the trick.

Almonds

Almonds are another super snack to munch o after a workout. You only need a handful (about 20) to get a mega-dose of unsaturated fat, vitamins, protein, and antioxidants. Make sure you pick up the unsalted variety.

Take your time and find a personal trainer who understands the nutritional needs of those who spend a lot of time working out. He or she should be able to either help you create a post-workout snack plan or can refer you to a nutritionist who can help.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

You Lack Motivation

You may be able to get out of bed in the morning and roll into the gym, but are you really giving your all once you arrive? A personal trainer has the skill to help you structure your routines, changing them up so that they’re always fresh, interesting, and beneficial. Your trainer will also hold you accountable for your achievements in between sessions.

Individuality

Group fitness classes are great but they’re not tailored to your specific needs. A good personal trainer can talk to you about your specific health issues and physical limitations, tailoring an individualized program aimed at meeting your needs. You’ll work together to take any illnesses, chronic conditions, or old injuries into consideration, ensuring your workouts are as safe as they are beneficial.

Exercise Newbie

Wait. You’ve never exercised a day in your life? That’s OK, too. Hiring a personal trainer, at least for a few sessions, will ensure you are able to learn how to properly use all of the equipment in the gym without injury. Your trainer will also be able to work with you to ensure you’re using proper form, whether you’re on machines, using free weights, or doing body weight exercises. Safety in the gym is just as important as your results. Making a beginner’s mistake that causes an injury may set you back for days, weeks, or even months.

There’s no doubt about it. You need a personal trainer to help you get a jump start on your workout routines and goals. You may not work with him forever, but his advice will definitely have a lasting impression as you move forward with your healthier life.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

Family and Friends

Do you have family and friends who work with, or have worked with, personal trainers? Ask them to for referrals to help you find a personal trainer. Asking for referrals will ensure you learn not only about qualified trainers but about the ones who do not have a great reputation as well. When you do start interviewing trainers, ask them to put you in touch with other clients or references so that you can gauge their abilities.

Watch the Trainer in Action

Are you considering the services of a trainer who works in the gym you already frequent? If so, spend some time during your workouts watching him in action. Does he pay attention to his clients or does he spend time talking to other gym members or trainers? Does he take notes in order to track the progress of his clients? Does he look energized or does he constantly look tired and drained? Watching how they interact with others will make it easy to find a personal trainer with skills rather than one who simply wants to get paid.

Interview Your Top 3

Narrow your list down to 3 trainers and make appointments to meet and interview each one. Ask about their educational credentials and pay close attention to the questions they ask you. Do they completely understand your current physical condition, medical ailments, and goals? Choose the trainer best able to work with you over the ones who try to stuff you into their preconceived workout box.

It isn’t difficult to find a personal trainer but it is tough to find one you will trust and enjoy working with. Take your time and don’t jump into any long-term relationships. You’ll be glad you spent the extra time searching for a talented trainer.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!

Entertaining Yourself

People who stick with an exercise and nutrition program normally do not get bored with their routine. Instead they view their fitness program as fun and exciting and challenging. They also see the personal rewards of reaching fitness goals.

But keeping the fun in an exercise program is not particularly easy. When you go to a gym, you usually see people doing the same exercises visit after visit until one day they drop out. A fitness program with lack of variety creates both physical and mental boredom.

No one likes being bored, but it can be difficult to know how to make regular changes in a fitness program in order to keep the variety and interest levels high. That’s where a personal trainer can provide an invaluable service to you.

An Exton personal trainer can take the boredom out of your workout in two ways. First the trainer can design a variety of exercises that change from visit to visit. You will never know what the trainer has in mind so there’s no way you will get bored. Second the trainer can add some specific fun activities that you can do on your own as you pursue your fitness goals.

Diversionary Tactics

Boredom with a fitness program usually arises from doing the same repetitive exercises until you either hit a plateau or cease to see the challenge in your activities. When an Exton personal trainer designs a fun fitness program, the routine aspect of the exercises is removed. That’s what it means to “amuse” – to distract yourself from a routine activity or supply a diversion through planned events.

• Add new exercises regularly that challenge the body
• Learn to reward yourself when you reach a particular goal
• Create personal challenges that keep the program motivating
• Add new activities that combine fun and exercise

An Exton personal trainer knows many different ways to divert your attention from the boring repetition most exercise programs seem to rely on. Instead you can begin a fun program that combines traditional exercises with entertaining activities such as sports or outdoor events. You can begin to count calories you burn when you go dancing, ride a bike or start walking the neighborhood.

Exercise programs are also a lot more fun when you alternate the types of exercises you do. Variety really is the spice of a fitness program. For example, your Exton personal trainer may alternate resistance training with strength training using free weights. You can take a vigorous bike ride and then improve your flexibility with a yoga session.

The one thing you don’t have to do is the same thing over and over again.

Premier Personal Training with Dennis Carroll is located in West Chester, PA and serves clients in West Chester, Downingtown and Exton. Every client at Premier receives the individual training needed to successfully reach their goals. All programs come with a 100% money back guarantee, so why not get started today? Don’t hesitate! Sign up for a Free Consult now!