Perfect Fit Personal Training- Health and Fitness Blog

If  you're still thinking about working out in a Fat Burning Zone or an Aerobic Zone for weight loss as opposed to cardiovascular improvement, you may want to rethink that. Nowadays there is so much research to prove that working out HARD at a high intensity will get you burning lots of calories, burning FAT and getting you FIT. Here are a few for your light reading: http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v32/n4/full/0803781a.html http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/the-fat-burning-zone http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8231750 Essentially, all of these articles are showing how during their studies, people who worked out a a high intensity for short bursts (High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT) burnt off more fat those people that worked out at a steady state, or consistent level; a lower level. How do you like to work out?

Exercise to lose weight, or diet to lose weight? That is a very frequently asked question. So what's the right answer? Well, both are important. You can exercise every day and maintain your weight with the same diet, or you can eat nutritiously and have a lower volume of food and higher volume of exercise which will equal weight loss. You can exercise a lot and eat too much, and gain weight too! It's all about math. Calories have to be in a deficit to lose weight. Check out this study from Stanford University on what do do first; diet or exercise. Have a great day!

You may have heard of kettlebells, or tried them out yourself. You might think that it's just like a dumbbell, so what's the point of using a kettlebell? Kettlebells distribute weight differently than a dumbbell, and can be used as both a strength training and aerobic workout implement. Check out this study here on kettlebells. According to a study endorsed by ACE, "I n addition to the predictable strength gains, kettlebell training was also shown to markedly increase aerobic capacity, improve dynamic balance and dramatically increase core strength." See the full study here . As well, during the ACE study, they found a 70% increase in core strength! Wow; so you get cardio, strength and core benefits all from swinging a weight around? YES! Kettlebells are easy to integrate into your current routine; you can add in a few minutes of swinging following your cardio or strength training program. You'll be suprised how out of breath you get the first t...

My latest article in Alive Magazine  is out! This magazine is free in health food stores across Canada, or you can view it online here . If you're a runner, or even just an avid exerciser, this article can help you avoid unwanted injuries. Hope you enjoy my latest article !

The M word...Metabolism Metabolism can mean many things to you; how fast your burn food, how skinny you are, how fat your are, etc. What metabolism really means is:  Metabolism is the process by which your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function. Even when you're at rest, your body needs energy for all its "hidden" functions, such as breathing, circulating blood, adjusting hormone levels, and growing and repairing cells.  This info comes directly from the Mayo Clinic . Foods you eat can affect your metabolism differently, for instance, eating protein or carbs causes more calories to be burned during the metabolism process of said macro nutrients.   Here is a quick article with some tips on revving up your metabolism. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/9-tips-to-increase-metabolism.htm   Have a wo...

I love it when I see kids outside on the playground on the swings, running around playing tag, kicking the soccer ball...and drinking a high sugar energy drink containing 500 ml of liquid! I never understood why parents gave their kids drinks like Powerade or Gatorade when they've finished a 40 minute game of soccer where they played half the time (20 minutes of activity), or they were at the pool swimming for leisure and feel thirsty. Water is pretty good for thirst if you ask me! With some value, of course, energy drinks have exploded in the marketplace and are commonly found in vending machines in schools, rec centers, and malls. It seems to me that giving these options to our kids as a refreshing beverage after a short (less than 60 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular activity) is negligent. I would love to share here, a wonderful journal article from the The Journal of The International Society of Sports Nutrition:  http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/1 Here is a di...

It's November and Christmas is on it's way in a month. After Christmas is when many of us decide to set new goals for the year ahead, but why wait? Goal setting is so important all year round to help us reach our desires and dreams more quickly. Here is a goal setting sheet that I share with my personal training clients here in North and West Vancouver, and I wanted to share it with you. Print off this goal setting sheet and keep it some place where you will see it often. ·          GOALS This sheet is for yourself, for no one else.  Keep it close by for reference whenever you need some motivation, and to remember why you’re doing this! 1.     In one month, I would like to achieve the following goals: 2.     In six months, I would like to achieve the following goals: 3.     In one year, I would like to achieve the following goals: 4.     In the p...

Fitting in exercise can be a chore for most people. You have a busy day, many things to do; where do you fit in exercise? Here are 5 tips for fitting a workout into a busy day: Get up an hour earlier in the day and get your workout in before you start your regular day While you're on the phone, sneak in some squats and lunges Walking to work? Add some ankle or wrist weights to increase the intensity. On your lunch break, enlist some co-workers (to make you more accountable) and get out for a group walk or jog. Get up every 15 minutes and do one exercise, two sets of 15 (eg squats, lunges, push ups, crunches). By the end of the day you will have fit in your whole workout! I hope this helps you find the time to exercise, even it's just for a few minutes every day. What do you do right now to squeeze in exercise?

It's always easier to pop a pill and forget about it, but is that really the best way to get healthy, and lose real weight? Here is yet another "fad diet" pill to get you losing weight, fast. What do you think? http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2012/06/anti-obesity_pill_belvig_gets.html

Health and fitness habits can be hard to create, but once you do, your body starts to seek out the healthier options for food and activity. Here is a great article from Everyday Health on how to bust through some of your bad habits, and create new, healthy habits to get you in better shape. http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/bad-eating-habits-and-how-to-break-them.aspx

When was the last time you had your body fat tested? You may weigh yourself on the scale, but if you're not checking your body fat as well, you'll never know what your weight is really composed of...how much fat or muscle do you have? Body fat testing is a great tool to find out where you sit on the fat scale. For women, between 21-31% is healthy, for men, 14-25% is healthy. Age is also a factor. For a good idea of where you should be: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/library/blbodyfatcharts.htm I will be at Price Smart Foods on Marine Drive on: Tuesday, April 13th from 9:30-11:30 doing FREE body fat testing. Come and see me! Click Here!

Are you getting tired of looking less fit than you should? Maybe you've gained some weight over the last few years and haven't been able to get it off on your own. Are you unmotivated to exercise, or just plain hate going to the gym? I can help! I am currently adding more training slots to my schedule and would love to sit down with you to discuss your fitness and or weight loss goals. With a plan that we agree on, we can get you losing weight and inches in only a few short weeks. Is personal training not something you think you can afford? Try training with a friend or even two to lower the cost. Send me an email today and we can set up your free consultation. nicole@perfectfit.ws Happy Easter everyone! http://www.perfectfit.ws/

Here I am quoted in a recent article on fitness for newbies: http://www.hairloss.com/home/banish-your-gym-jitters.html Let me know what you think!

Have you changed your workout lately? It's so important to keep changing the way you work out in order to see changes in your body. Your body gets used to your workouts quickly; making a regular workout almost redundant. Interval training is a great way to keep your body guessing, and also a great way to keep your heart rate elevated continously to keep you burning fat. For a free circuit training workout, go to my website: http://perfectfit.ws/freeworkout.html Try interval training today and see how amazing you feel after just a quick 20 minute session. It can be done in your home with little to no equipment. Have fun and get sweating!

...Water that is! How much water did you drink in your day? You should be drinking more probably, as we all should. It's funny how many things we consume, but we forget about the really important things. Staying hydrated is an amazing way to stay healthy, and even lose weight. The feeling of thirst is often disguised as hunger, so we may eat instead of simply drinking some water. Give yourself a water challenge for the rest of the week. Every time you go to have a meal, have a large glass of water first. Every time you go to have a snack, have a glass of water with it. Try to switch up one cup of coffee or pop for water. See the changes in your health and the way you look; it's really amazing! Enjoy your Friday!

Have you ever wondered what would happened if you suddenly stopped eating out of habit? Do you find yourself nibbling on food when you're not even hungry? What would happen if you simply stopped? We fall into these snack traps where we find ourselves eating for comfort, or even out of boredom. Why not stop yourself in your tracks? Mindless munching gets you nowhere...good that is. It will help you gain weight and see less results than you'd like even after hard workouts day after day. How to stop: Eat at regular intervals throughout the day to stave off hunger, and make sure you're hydrated. When you're thirsty, you may mistake that for hunger and eat instead of drink. Drink water regularly Don't buy junk! If it's not in your house, you probably won't be eating it. Stay focussed: what are your goals? Write it down. Keep a food diary. Good luck and stop the mindless munching!

What is motivating you these days? Are you tired of feeling like you want something, but just don't know how to get it? Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to tone up? Do you want to look the way you feel inside? If you're lacking motivation, why not try the challenge? Take a 30 day challenge and fire up your motivation, your metabolism, and your energy levels. It could be a yoga, Pilates, eating, cleansing, weight training or anything challenge. Just take the challenge and change your life.