Three Things I’ve Learned as a Personal Trainer

1. Fitness and weight loss are not the same things.

I currently have two of my fittest clients ever; one is at a very healthy body composition (high teens – very lean for a woman in her fifties), and one has, shall we say, opportunity remaining to be exploited in that arena.

But the truth is that the gentleman to which I’m referring is very strong and has a solid core that will safeguard against the back problems most Americans develop at some point. He also has a very high aerobic threshold, significantly lowering his risk of cardiovascular disease, our country’s most prolific killer.

So, should he lose the excess weight by increasing his adherence to the nutrition principles I teach? Yes, if he wants to reduce the load on his joints, be more agile and see the fruits of his labor in the mirror.

But unless you’re a competitive athlete, I’ll bet he can smoke you in a 20-yard beach sprint.

2. Muscle imbalances are rampant, rarely recognized and poorly understood.

When injuries happen, it’s our tendency to blame the offending event or some external condition that existed, like a wet floor causing a slip.

But often, what may be the most influential factor in the equation is ignored: The pre-existing muscle imbalances that compromised the movement and/or your ability to maintain or regain your balance during the fall or mishap.

Length-tension relationships for muscles that perform opposing functions are meant to be symmetrical. Your back muscles – pulling muscles - should be equally strong and tight as compared to your chest – a pushing muscle.

The same thing holds true for hamstrings and quadriceps (front and back of the upper thighs), biceps and triceps and front and back of the shoulders. Common imbalances like short, tight hamstrings and long, weak upper back muscles can lead to low back injuries, shoulder problems and significantly increase the incidence and severity of accidents and falls.

Yoga is a great discipline for neutralizing these functional imbalances, as is Pilates and a well-designed strength training program. Each of these will improve your posture as well, allowing you to breathe more deeply, feel and look better too.

3. There’s no underestimating the power of momentum.

There’s a momentum to exercising regularly, and there’s momentum to a sedentary lifestyle. Coming home and collapsing on the couch may feel like the most strenuous activity your body can handle at the end of a tough work day. But I assure you, if you were forced to exercise for 30 minutes before you started each day as though it was basic training in the military, you would not only experience a much-improved physical quality of life as compared to that of the first scenario I presented, but your body would start to crave the routine.

Why? Because there is a self-supporting response that accompanies each of these disparate approaches which encourages its continuance.

The lazier you are, the more seductive the sloth way is for you since you lose stamina, strength and flexibility. Conversely, challenging those capacities on a regular basis yields visceral and immediate improvements in those areas. It’s your body and your choice. You can always reverse your course.

Just keep in mind the final destination you’d like to reach, and start moving.
 
Want more useful information on how to eat well and get in shape? Contact Dan at http://trivalleywellness.com/