Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
A good start?
Iceland says goodbye to the Big Mac
McDonald's closes in Iceland as currency collapse takes a bite out of Big Mac profits
By Gudjon Helgason and Jane Wardell, Associated Press Writers
On 3:41 pm EDT, Monday October 26, 2009
McDonald's closes in Iceland as currency collapse takes a bite out of Big Mac profits
By Gudjon Helgason and Jane Wardell, Associated Press Writers
On 3:41 pm EDT, Monday October 26, 2009
Like many americans working the "9-5'er" it can be difficult to stay on track at the office. Many obstacles present themselves in the form of the birthday cake for Pam in Accounting, your Manager Bill's luncheon/think tank the first monday of every month, or the all too familiar Pot Luck lunch (just because). Whatever the case may be, these scenarios are all too common in the work place and provide an avenue for tempation. These tempations are enough to have you waiver from the thin and narrow line that is your fitness journey. I like cake and pot luck lunches like any other person, and too have found myself in a compromising situation a time or two. By taking the right measures it is easy to keep yourself on track.
What's the trick you say? It's real real REAL easy. We humans are easily swayed and influenced by our environment, and we all have a sense of what we SHOULD be doing and what we SHOULD NOT be doing. That said, a solution to fitting in that extra 30 to 45 minutes of exercise in your day is looking at your lunch hour. Think about it, its an hour, and it could be as simple as walking around the block or spending 30 minutes climbing stairs. Whatever your choice of activity is, the point is to GET MOVING! Once you begin this practice watch and see how much of a following you will begin to observe. At first, yes, you may get a strange look or a smart alec remark but I guarantee that Pam in accounting and Bill your manager are probably thinking "I need to do something with my health" along with many other of your co-workers. What are they waiting for? Someone like you to take the reigns and start a routine.
Let's break it down a little further. We have established that we could utilize half of our lunch hour, what about the other half? That time is used to clean up a little and eat. What to eat, the remnants of the birthday cake? The scraps from the pot luck lunch? No, why? Because you thought ahead and packed your lunch. Packing your lunch gives you complete control on what you put in your body. You will also find that your are more motivated to make better nutritional choices after your exercise bout. Once you have your personal routine underway, it's time to "infect" the populace with your good habits. When there is an occasion that calls for food to be present, take it upon yourself to bring a healthier option for yourself and others. By bringing your own Hors d'oeuvres you now have control on what your eating. This healthier option becomes your safety net in case less healthy options are present.
Once others see you making these healthy choices it will then spread throughout the office. Within two weeks you'll be walking with other co-workes and discussing your weekend activities over your salad and tuna instead of the local fast food favorites. It only takes one person to make a difference. BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, and SUCCEED!
Further reading:
Top 10 benefits of excercise
Exercise makes employees more productive
What's the trick you say? It's real real REAL easy. We humans are easily swayed and influenced by our environment, and we all have a sense of what we SHOULD be doing and what we SHOULD NOT be doing. That said, a solution to fitting in that extra 30 to 45 minutes of exercise in your day is looking at your lunch hour. Think about it, its an hour, and it could be as simple as walking around the block or spending 30 minutes climbing stairs. Whatever your choice of activity is, the point is to GET MOVING! Once you begin this practice watch and see how much of a following you will begin to observe. At first, yes, you may get a strange look or a smart alec remark but I guarantee that Pam in accounting and Bill your manager are probably thinking "I need to do something with my health" along with many other of your co-workers. What are they waiting for? Someone like you to take the reigns and start a routine.
Let's break it down a little further. We have established that we could utilize half of our lunch hour, what about the other half? That time is used to clean up a little and eat. What to eat, the remnants of the birthday cake? The scraps from the pot luck lunch? No, why? Because you thought ahead and packed your lunch. Packing your lunch gives you complete control on what you put in your body. You will also find that your are more motivated to make better nutritional choices after your exercise bout. Once you have your personal routine underway, it's time to "infect" the populace with your good habits. When there is an occasion that calls for food to be present, take it upon yourself to bring a healthier option for yourself and others. By bringing your own Hors d'oeuvres you now have control on what your eating. This healthier option becomes your safety net in case less healthy options are present.
Once others see you making these healthy choices it will then spread throughout the office. Within two weeks you'll be walking with other co-workes and discussing your weekend activities over your salad and tuna instead of the local fast food favorites. It only takes one person to make a difference. BELIEVE, ACHIEVE, and SUCCEED!
Further reading:
Top 10 benefits of excercise
Exercise makes employees more productive
Friday, October 23, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Who's to blame?
Accountability (n) - the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for ones actions.
This is a subject that is very near and dear to me. It is a mutual element that must exist between both between trainer and client. Our clientele hold us (fitness professionals) accountable to deliver them to their goals Those goals could be anything from weight loss to completing their first marathon. We as fitness professionals hold our clientele accountable to show up on time, continuing to exercise on days when not with their trainer, and make the right nutritional choices. See the pattern?
Commonly I see the case were the client is unhappy with his/her results and/or progress that they have made. They start to get discouraged because they “expected more” from their trainer or they feel that the trainer is not holding up their end of the agreement. So who is the blame here? The trainer or the client….both are.
Lets start with the client. Lets say that this individual meets with a trainer twice a week. That is two out of seven days. Lets break it down a little more.
There are 168 hrs in a week
The average person works 40hrs a week, leaving a balance of 128hrs
Throw in sleep: 7hrs a day of sleep, 49hrs a week, leaving a balance of 79 hours.
The commute to and from work: 1.5hrs round trip (and that’s accounting for traffic): 7.5hrs.
Time working with a trainer: 2.5 hrs a week.
I’ll also account for random mishaps, IE. flat tire, doctor visits, etc.: 5hrs.
This leaves a balance of around 65hrs or roughly 2.7 days. My point here is this: two hours a week is not enough exercise for anyone to make any progress at all. ACSM guidelines recommend between 4-7hrs of exercise a week.
In terms of weight loss, a person needs to burn roughly 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat, the only caveat to that is IF the person is following a healthy diet (but that’s another topic). So 3500 calories in two days = 1750 calories an hour, as an elite cyclist that is a huge number for even me to burn in an hour’s time. Another option is to take that 3500 and divide and conquer! 3500/7days is 500 calories a day, roughly 1 hour of moderate exercise. Doesn’t seem so bad, eh?
Now for trainer accountability. The trainer is accountable to make sure the clients program is specific to their needs. There are cases were the trainer just does things to eat up an hour and sends their client on their way. As a trainer I make sure to communicate the significance of holding me accountable, I also expect my clients to allow me to hold them accountable. I personally check up on my clients to make sure they are coming in on their own time. I set a target number of days that they should be exercising in relation to their own personal goals. Ultimately it is the client that has to be more diligent. Yes, I said it. The client has to be more diligent. “Well I’m paying you (the trainer) to get me to my goals.” Yes, this is true, but realistically the trainer is only in contact with you for approximately 2-3 percent of a persons week. Take a look at the numbers I provided earlier. To think that we can make a lifestyle change in a matter only two hours a week is laughable.
Fitness and overall wellness is a lifestyle choice that one must choose to live. It essence it is a full time job. Just like your 40 hour a week job, you must hold yourself accountable for your actions. Trainers, this applies to you also. Your clients are your income, you are accountable for insuring they are getting the best support you can service them during and after their contract has been satisfied.
So I ask you, are you holding yourself accountable?
Mr. Nelson
It doesn’t get easier, you just go faster.
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