Personal Trainer Austin Texas

This exercise for strengthening your trunk/core requires no equipment; just you and gravity.  The picture above demonstrates “plank”.  During this time of year when many of you struggle with exercise time; do plank to hit those abs. A strong core is key to wellness.  Hold plank for 15 seconds, relax, then work up to 30 seconds, or a minute. You will feel your arms and shoulders too.

More advance moves include raising a leg or an arm; but let’s keep it simple for the start of this New Year on our heels.  If you own a Bosu, you can do this as shown below to add difficulty and stability to this move.

More exercise and nutrition tips coming for 2010!

Warm regards,

Margo

I’m going to address one particular do and don’t here today:  SWEETS!

This is the week where everyone is bringing candy and baked goods to work, the gym even (yes, I see instructors and trainers do this, it annoys me), as gifts from friends, and as hostess gifts to dinner parties,etc. MODERATION is key. What you see in my hand?  NOT moderation. I got this today, for FREE. It came as a gift with purchase, so to speak, and it is going right in my freezer (out of sight out of mind, remember that!!!).

Remember what I just said above: Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Keep sweets OFF of your kitchen countertop and off your desk. You will avoid that amnesia, unconscious nibbling if you do this. A few more tips:

1) Don’t have sweets on an empty stomach. Eat NORMALLY this week in particular, especially breakfast, so you are set up to be in good blood sugar, to help keep those cravings for sugar ‘in sight’ at bay.

2) Don’t skip lunch to “save calories” if you ate candy or baked goods mid morning. I digress, eat lunch to tame the sugar buzz from stuff you may have tried, so come later afternoon you don’t feel the enemy beckoning “eat me….c’mon…eat some more….”. SELF-CONTOL IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU ARE IN ‘BAD’ BLOOD SUGAR. EAT REGULAR FOOD, AND YOU WILL EAT LESS SUGARY STUFF.

3) Drink water. Sweets will make you thirsty, and thirst will feel like hunger (it’s mostly just thirst)

4) Last but not least. MODERATION. Have a holiday treat you love. Don’t eat stuff just because it’s there; be discriminating. But DO have it. Have what you love. A piece of cake. A cookie or two. A few candies. It won’t kill you, or throw off your weight loss if that is the goal. MODERATION. BE DISCRIMINATING. BE IN GOOD BLOOD SUGAR by not skipping regular healthy meals this week and next, and all will be just fine.

Take care,

Margo

This time of year especially, many of you struggle with the whole “moderation” thing, and can feel pressured to have alcohol to fit in, or will not decline the offer for fear of hurting the hosts feelings. Look, it’s time to realize you won’t make anyone feel badly by saying “no thank you”. That’s their issue, not yours.

That said, I too, get tired of a plain old glass of water at parties, or even just with dinner at home.  My clients often ask if diet soda is okay. My answer is this: “If sugared soda or alcohol is the other option, diet soda is fine”. Then I suggest the very thing I do, as pictured below.  Club soda, aka “Sparkling Water”. Simple, interesting from  my usual tap water, and HEB has a low cost, recycle can, that comes in a case of 12. I prefer the individual can, as the larger bottles can lose their fizz.  Other brands are La Croix, Perrier, Pellegrino, etc., but for a higher price tag. Me? I’m easy, HEB’s is great and under 3 bucks usually, and it kills that craving for when I want something else, not so healthy.

Remember two things while you’re here: Thirst will often rear itself as hunger, so if you feel hungry you may very well just be thirsty.  Secondly, diet sodas, even this club soda, will not necessarily kill your thirst; they can make you feel thirstier! Chase or precede a carbonated beverage with regular water. If you drink alcohol, alternate with water.

Take care,

Margo