Gym Etiquette

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/03/gym.etiquette/index.html




As an avid gym rat and a fitness instructor I found this article to be very pertinent to my everyday life. Etiquette is very important no matter where you go and every environment has its own set of rules. As a member of Gold's Gym I would have to say that I haven't noticed the problems being too bad on my day to day gym experiences. They always have disinfectant bottles and paper towels available to wipe up after you're done. In the spin classes they even have the instructors ask you to wipe your bikes down after class is over.
The key points i got from this article are to wipe up your sweat when you are finished, it's not only the right thing to do so that the next person doesn't have to sit in your bodily fluids but it's more hygienic and reduces the risks of injury while using the equipment. Moving away from the sweat part of the problems there is also the noise to consider. Turning the TVs up super loud or blasting your ipod can be distracting for the gym goers and also the staff.
My favorite place in the whole wide world is the gym, it's my sanctuary for when I'm having a bad day, my playground for when i want to have some fun and get good and sweaty. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way even if you think I may be a bit off my rocker. Just remember while you are into your workout to be courteous to others so that everyone can enjoy all the options the gym has to offer.

How we Percieve Our Health

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/fitness/quiz.jsp?quizId=/templatedata/fitness/quiz/data/1140635888562.xml

www.mypyramidtracker.gov


Fitness and health are not just a practice, a lifestyle, it's also how we perceive ourselves. For instance, looking at my food tracker on Mypyramid.gov, when i did the assignment i picked the day that i had not followed my normal eating habits. To be truthful i felt as if my diet that day was absolute garbage and I was embarrassed to even enter in some of the foods I had consumed that day.
After filling out everything and looking at the results i expected to see a bad score, and yet I was completely surprised to see that I had actually done really well as far as nutrient levels and calorie intake. I am not and never will be a calorie counter, it's too much time and stress added to my already busy and stressful life. I only ever measured out portions when i was first starting to learn what a portion really looks like.
This is when i realized that most of us who are trying to eat healthy and watch what we put in our bodies probably spend a lot of time feeling guilty or beating ourselves up over some food choices that we make. I've also realized that for those who do beat ourselves up, as long as you don't notice a drastic change in your eating habits or energy levels you're probably not doing as badly as you think you are. That's why sometimes it's helpful to keep track of your food for a couple days, or just not worry yourself about it so much. chances are if you're more often then not careful about what you eat the slip up every now and then won't spiral you into unhealthy eating habits.

Workout Girl's Story

As many of you can tell I am a fitness freak, I teach Bodypump 3 times a week and I teach Turbokick twice a week and I absolutely LOVE every second of it. If anyone gets to know me they will notice that I am a strong believer that exercise and nutrition go hand in hand, and shame on anyone for thinking otherwise.
I started my journey a year ago, I weighed almost 200 lbs, I ate horrible amounts of nasty, greasy foods, I was overweight, unhealthy, and extremely unhappy with my body. The beginning of my journey started with my ordering Tony Horton's P90X from www.beachbody.com.
So on December 27th I started the program. It was hard, I was lifting weights two times a week, cardio three times a week, and yoga once a week and the nutrition guide was a challenge for me to follow. Tony had me doing pushups and pullups, crazy cardio moves to strengthen your core like the superman banana. But from the very first week i started losing, I felt stronger, healthier, more powerful, I became this crazy workout beast constantly craving more. After the first 90 days i had lost 20 lbs, i gave myself a weeks recovery and started the program again, the second round losing 10 lbs.
I was completely hooked, my entire outlook on life and what I am capable of had shifted. I joined Gold's Gym and started going to the group exercise classes, as many different kinds as i could make it to. I decided that i had found my passion and what i wanted to do for the rest of my life. My goal is to help people reach their goals, change their lives, and help them find their true strength. When I started this journey I had just about lost hope of becoming thin and healthy, i thought that it just wasn't in my genes to be the way I wanted to be since obesity runs in my family. I will tell anyone that will listen to me that fitness is a lifestyle change, and anyone can become healthier, stronger, and more confident you just have to make the changes.

The Power of Motivation

www.beachbody.com

www.kashi.com



I've found as I've made my journey from unhealthy to fit, and as I continue down this path to wellbeing motivation is one of the most important aspects of your journey. Unless one is a fitness freak like I am motivation can be hard to keep going, as soon as you have a downfall, or you're having trouble seeing results motivation seems to leave right along with it. Luckily there are many different ways to stay motivated, theres the old stand bys and then some newer ones that are becoming more popular as technology is more readily available to people.
The old stand bys
1) set reasonable and attainable goals, little steps are easier to start off with
2) find a buddy to partake on this journey with you
3)set up treats for every goal you reach
4) write out a set schedule

There are many other old stand bys that people have been using for years and then theres the new communities that are forming online in the form of online forums. Beachbody.com and Kashi are just a few of the many online forums that are available to anyone connected to the internet. I, personally, am a part of both above mentioned sites and have found them extremely helpful. The forums allow you to make connections with other people all around the world who are sharing the same goals and problems that you yourself may be having. The best part is that people from all walks of life are part of these communities, there are personal trainers, fitness instructors, beginners, advanced, and everyone in between that can add their input. Granted none of these people claim to be doctors and whenever anyone makes a post about an injury or any other health question they are always going to suggest to speak to your doctor which is how it should be.
With the Beachbody forum you also have access to the trainers that provide the products sold on their website, Chalene ( the creator of turbojams and turbokick), Tony Horton (creator of P90X, power 90), and all the other at home fitness creators are on the forums regularly to answer questions and make suggestions.
For anyone who is just starting out on a fitness or even just a healthier journey, for those who are struggling with their journey, or for those who just want to meet more freaks forums may be a positive addition to your arsenal of motivational tricks.