Perfect Fit Personal Training- Health and Fitness Blog

Here's a recent study done on how dieting really depends on the individual. If you are interested in learning more, check it out here :

If you're like me, sometimes you don't have time to get the gym; you need to work out at home.  You'd rather sit on the couch... It can be a little unmotivating sometimes to get your workout in when you have so many other things going on; dishes, laundry, errands etc. Having a workout that you can follow along can be much easier; you don't even have to think about it. In searching around on the internet, I found this great workout! It's short, intense, and you need NO EQUIPMENT! Amazing. I wanted to share this fun and effective workout with you that I found on FitnessBlender.com I hope you can try this fun FitnessBlender.com workout at home. Tell me what you think! Did you try it? What's your favorite go-to workout at home? As a bonus, I'd like to offer you a FREE workout in your home! I can come to you, put you through an hour long workout and get you going on your road to fitness. This free workout is included when you purchase 6 sessions...

Most people have experienced low back pain at some point in their lives. Maybe post partum, after a car accident, or from too much sitting. Low back pain is a prevalent issue in today's society, and there are too many reasons for people to experience it these days. Here is a great link to some easy at-home low back exercises and stretches to do to help prevent low back pain or help you if you already have it. What has caused your low back pain? How are you managing it? Pinterest also has some great handouts you can print out on low back pain exercises and stretches.

Don't have much time to prepare healthy meals? Here is a great link to some easy and quick HEALTHY meal ideas! I am so excited to try the chocolate blueberry smoothie! What's your favorite quick to-go meal?

These days it's getting a little warmer, and you may want something chilling with your breakfast or after your workout. Here is a really yummy smoothie that I tried today; it's very refreshing! Pineapple Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup frozen pineapple (I chopped up a fresh pineapple and froze it in chunks) 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt 1/3 cup milk 2 teaspoons honey 4 ice cubes Directions Place the frozen pineapple, yogurt, honey, ice cubes and milk in a blender blend 2 minutes or until smooth. Add more milk if too thick or ice if too thin. * taken from: http://www.bestyummyrecipes.com/pineapple-frozen-yogurt-smoothie/ I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I did!

Staying fit at work can be tough, especially if you have a desk job. Here are some easy tips to stay as active as you can while sitting at your desk: Get up- get up off your chair every 10-15 minutes and do 10 squats, alternate with 10 lunges Move your feet- sitting in your chair, move your feet up and down off the floor Squeeze your abs- staying in  your chair, pull your belly button to your spine and hold for 10 seconds. Do this on the hour, every hour for hard abs! Squeeze your butt- staying in  your chair, squeeze your butt muscles as hard as you can and hold for 10 seconds. Do this on the half hour every half hour. Make jokes- laughing is a great ab workout At lunch, go for a walk Get water frequently Getting to the gym before or after work will get you in shape even faster, but every bit counts!

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...

Personal Trainer - North Vancouver, British Columbia Nicole Palacios Training Specialties : boot camp training, functional training, group fitness, personal training, rehab training Hi there,I've been a key part of the fitness industry for 18 years; working one one one, as a group fitness leader, writing articles on health and fitness, and helping rehabilitate people with issues such as supraspinatous surgery, car accidents, hip replacement surgery, and arthritis. I've helped countless people lose unwanted fat and pounds with education, feedback, and support, and I can help you too! Training Since : 1998 Gender Female Philosophy Build up a strong foundation before you build the house; I don't jump into difficult exercises that are for advanced exercisers if I have a novice who needs the basics first. Languages spoken : English, Spanish Rates : 65 One on One Availability : Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday : 6am-3pm ...

Hello out there! I'm currently working on an e-book; stay tuned! One of the sections is on stretching, and of course I'm including some yoga poses in this section. On my search for some of the best poses for flexibility, I came across a neat site I thought I would share. http://www.ekhartyoga.com/blog/category/yoga-poses If you're on the lookout for some poses to start at home, this site has a wealth of information. I hope you have a great and healthy holiday, and that I will see you back in the New Year! All the best for health and happiness, Nicole

Perseverance and motivation hard at work here! My amazing client of two years just loves lifting heavy, and wanted to keep going on the pulley row. Last week we did 80lbs, then 90 and she wanted to try 100. She just kept going for it. Today she said, let's try 110, how about 120? Eventually she said, let's try 130! She did a set of 12 reps after already doing her other three sets at the above weights. She continues to amaze me with her strength and hard work. She was so pleased with her success! Way to go!

I just found this great blog site with lots of easy/quick and healthy snack ideas!   Snacks are important during our day (not doritos or chocolate bars...) but healthy snacks like yogurt, veggies, fruit, and nuts.   Check it out: http://www.snack-girl.com/a/100-healthy-snack-ideas/   What are your favorite snack ideas? I am currently leaning towards parfait: Layer 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt with two tablespoons of oats, 1/4 cup raspberries, another layer of each. So yummy! Have a great night.

Are you a big nut eater? Nuts have so many great health properties, but eat too many when  you're watching your weight, and you could see the numbers on the scale go up. Here is some great information on calories in nuts, fat grams in nuts: An online newsletter about food, nutrition & food safety for consumers Get  E-mail Delivery of Food Reflections March 2004 Check for Food Theme Month Links  HERE Resources for Educators (many FREE!), click  HERE . NUTS for Nutrition A lice Henneman, MS, RD, Extension Educator ahenneman1@unl.edu University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension - Lancaster County Can a handful of nuts a day help keep you healthy? And how much, exactly, is a handful? Nuts and Your Health Heart Health In 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this package label "qualified" health claim for nuts: “Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part o...

3 FITNESS TIPS FOR A SEXY SUMMER BODY! By Anna Renderer, Fitness Director at Burn 60 27, 2012 1. Cut Calories During Happy Hour! Summer is a social time for everyone! Who doesn’t like cold refreshments with friends? Ways to cut calories when out to eat or socializing at a party: • Try a spritzer! By adding soda water to your white wine or beer, you can eliminate several unnecessary calories. • Add water! By alternating a glass of water in between your beer or wine, you will slow down on drinking that extra two or three high calorie drinks and stay hydrated instead. Not only will you eliminate a hangover from staying hydrated, you will feel ready for a great workout the next day! • Avoid the mixers! All those fancy cocktails that sound so delicious are like eating a candy bar! It’s about 250 calories of mostly sugar…so avoid them and stick to fresh ingredients for flavor such as fresh lime, lemon, mint, or berries. 2. Add variety by enjoying the outdoors and cross train ...

Breast Cancer in Women Under age 40 may not be talked about enough, but here is some information on Breast Cancer in Women Under age 40: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among American women, and the leading cause of death for women ages 40 - 59. Early detection is key to helping women survive. In fact, according to Cleveland Clinic “More than 90 percent of women whose breast cancer is found in an early stage will survive.” [i] 5 percent of all breast cancer cases occur in women under 40 years old, [i] and when it does it's often harder to detect and more aggressive [ii] than in older women. Assuming that breast cancer only occurs in older women, younger women often ignore the warning signs and delay treatment. By being proactive and adhering to the following tips women of all ages can reduce their risks, and increase the odds of early detection, diagnosis and effective treatment. Breast Cancer Prevention Tips · High Risk Factors in young women ...

I love body weight workouts;you can do them anywhere, no equipment needed. Check out this article I wrote on body weight workouts for LIVESTONG.com last year: Do you do body weight workouts? What are your favorite body weight exercises?

Hello out there! Please check out my latest article, published in this month's Parents Canada magazine: http://www.parentscanada.com/family-life/how-to-make-time-for-mom-time Let me know what you think...how do you make mom time?

Meal planning apps are the way to go if you're trying to lose weight! Have you tried one yet? Here's some info from a new meal planner called Ziplist: Eating out. Unplanned trips to the drive thru. Impulse buys at the grocery store. Fad diets. It’s a fact: sensible meal planning incorporating a healthy balance of foods is the only way to prevent unwanted overeating and snacking to help you lose weight successfully and keep it off. Enter Ziplist, the popular digital shopping list and recipe box resource known for making the lives of everyday cooks infinitely easier. Ziplist just launched the simplest way on the web to plan a week’s or month’s worth of meals, making it virtually effortless for dieters and fitness enthusiasts to plan out the healthy foods they should be eating each day. Ziplist’s free Meal Planner enables users to create a meal queue – just like Netflix for things you want to make sometime soon. Users can assign dates to different meals based on how much p...