Personal Trainer Information

I'm starting to really love the Y.  I didn't realize how much responsibility I felt for trying to figure out or remember everything when I was trying to get healthy by myself at home.  Most of the information from the Y is common-sense fare, but I love being able to ask an expert if I'm unsure or want current information.  And I love that the classes are carefully designed to work on core, cardio, flexibility/balance, and strength training in one easy package.  The last time I did group exercise was back in college.  Things have come an awful long way since then!  (More about this soon.)

The Y membership comes with three free personal trainer sessions, so I met with a lady named Tracy on the day after Thanksgiving.  First we talked about my goals and pitfalls, which was very helpful.  Ultimately, we'll create a plan that suits my needs and preferences, which makes it a lot more likely that I'll stick with it.  I have another session with her this week to actually learn the plan, but here are the main aspects she asked me to keep in mind:

1.  Core strength.  This is the most important aspect to begin with because it will keep you from getting injured and makes the other aspects easier.  Building the core includes exercises like bridges, planks, swimmer's kicks, and crunches but also classics like sit ups and push ups.  It also means better posture, standing up straight and pulling in your belly button when you walk.  Tracy says, "You can only be as strong as your core muscles."
2.  Cardio.  Three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes.  If you exercise for a shorter time, pick something that raises your target heart rate higher than you would for a longer time.
3.  Flexibility and balance.  Do five to ten minutes of stretches to warm up your major muscle groups before exercising and then again after you're done.  Flexibility and balance prevents injuries and makes all types of activities easier to do from team sports to simply getting out of bed.
4.  Diet.  Eat quality fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.  Be aware of portion sizes.  Eat five to nine servings of vegetables and fruits a day that are a variety of colors.  As much as possible, reduce processed foods in your diet.  I haven't peeked at it yet, but she said there is a free website that you can use to track your eating at www.sparkpeople.com.
5.  Strength training.  Do two to three times a week.  Work on all major muscle groups, doing 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.  This can be free weights, exercise machines, or group exercise work.

One of the things Tracy stresses is that these five aspects really work together and feed into each other.  Doing just one makes it hard to get a positive, healthy spiral going.  On the other hand, chipping away at all of them does enough good that people are likely to love how they feel and continue.