Sunday, November 10, 2013

5 Physical Losses You Can't Blame On Age

5 Physical Losses
You Can't Blame On Age
 
We've been conditioned to believe that the aging process has to be accompanied by reduced comfort and quality of life.  But, what many consider to be common knowledge is actually an antiquated perception of what the aging process really is. Below are five of the most common complaints surrounding aging and physical loss that don't have to happen if we don't let them!
 
#1.  Arthritis: Let's start with the most prevalent.  As we posted in a recently on this blog, preventing arthritis comes down to having a strong exercise science and nutrition plan in place, providing the joints with just what they need to stay healthy.  Sleep, stress, and hydration also play vital roles, but with a personalized PPT wellness plan in place, your joints' integrities will be well-guarded against arthritic pains.  Generally healthy living isn't quite enough (and often involves decisions that worsen arthritis rather than help it), but a calculated program will protect cartilege and keep the muscle function around them strong.
 
#2.  Dementia:  While this may surprise you, dementia prevention very greatly involves cardiovascular conditioning at the appropriate intensity and duration, a solid nutrition science protocol, and an ACSM-driven strength program.  As with arthritis, sleep quality, sleep quantity, and Additionally, regular massage care and daily flexibility conditioning help to eliminate toxin build-up and improve circulation, keeping the mind healthy.
 
#3. Muscle Loss (Atrophy): No, losing significant muscle tissue is not part of the normal aging process.  While it's true that hormone changes make it more of an effort to sustain muscle, the truth is that most Americans don't adhere to the kind of wellness program that will keep muscles from atrophy.  If you're not yet a PPT client, then your muscles are missing out on helpful opportunities to grow strong and stay strong.
#2.  Bone Loss:  Osteopenia and osteoporosis (also called "brittle bones disease") are costly, painful, and risky to one's health, and are often the precursors to fractures and loss of mobility and quality of life.  They are also barriers to more productive exercise for heart conditioning and other important wellness factors.  What many lose sight of is that loss of bone mineral density is only "normal" because we let it be.  An appropriate strength program, accompanied by proper sleep and nutrition, will prevent bone mineral loss.  PPT's rich history has seen many clients reverse their osteoporotic conditions smoothly and safely, even in their 70s and 80s.  Why risk a fracture when you don't need to?
 
And, of course, we have the big one:
 
#1.  Weight Gain:  Scientifically speaking, storing more body fat is not a normal part of aging physiology.  While our hearts and other organs can't last forever, our muscle-to-fat ratio does not have to change if the right strategy is firmly in place.  Many tend to let their muscle tissue, resting metabolism, and other physical factors deteriorate due to a lifestyle that isn't necessarily "risky" but that isn't very productive either, which slowly gains body fat (usually about one pound per year, on average, for most adults) unnecessarily.  Regular body composition assessments and a clinically-crafted personalized PPT regimen will keep your bodyweight in a healthy range for the rest of your life!

 
There is a lot of information here that we'd like to help you understand on a more precise and personalized basis. Are you not yet a PPT client? It all starts with a free in-home consultation and fitness assessment from a top Perfect Personal Trainer and health coach.  Request yours today at http://perfectpersonaltraining.com/signup.php

See these insightful PPT Videos from our Youtube channel!
 
Learn more and purchase your holiday gift certificates at http://perfectpersonaltraining.com
Questions?  Comment below or simply call us at (877)698-3648 ext 0
 
 
 


Friday, November 1, 2013

Find The Motivation! Perfect Personal Trainers Weight In On Staying The Course

We've all heard it 1000 times:  The hardest part is getting started.  The hard work falls into place well once we put our shoes on and get through those first few minutes of our warm-up.

But, this is often easier said than done.  For some, it's easy to find distractions and lose that self-starting drive that is so important to achieving fitness and weight loss.




"Staying the course involves finding and keeping intrinsic motivation," states PPT staff manager Brian Walters.  "When all the social outlets and external voices are no longer driving you, you need to hear your own voice that wants and needs you to succeed.  That, along with the right combination of exercise intensity and strategy, is what brings it home for people."

Client service director Val Fiott had this to add:  "Our most successful clients and the most successful fitness stories of all time all come from the same root:  The subject always remembered the sweet joys of success as well as the feeling of failure.  How do you feel when you stray from your meal plan and see yourself looking and feeling less healthy?  It's not a good feeling, and remembering those downfalls is as important to success as remembering the successes and celebrations. They all shape our drive."

"Measurable short-term goals are a large part of the equation for a fit body and mind," explains Aaron Dunn, longtime Perfect Personal Trainer, scheduling manager and exercise physiologist.  "Unless you have something realistic to shoot for, you're likely to lose sight of what you're working so hard for."

Kinisiologist and PPT weight loss coach Ian Sherman had this to add: "If [an exerciser] fails to see why the program is so crucial for the long-run, he or she will surely quit."

"The key is to help them keep their eye on the prize", confirms Val, "but with attainable benchmarks to remind them, 'you're on the right track, and here is the proof.' These benchmarks are a big part of why we conduct fitness testing.  Clients sometimes feel like their efforts are being tested, but it isn't an assessment of how hard a client is working.  Rather, it helps us, as physiologists, determine how the clinical programmatic pieces need to change and what we need to look for. It also reflects information regarding the psychological factors involved and how we can affect them positively."

In short, these three pieces of advice should help anyone aiming to lose excess bodyfat and achieve fitness success:

(1) One should have a long-term end goal, but short-term benchmarks to also reflect the smaller successes along the way (ie, "lost four pounds in my first three weeks"). 


(2) The program needs to be clinically-sound, preventing injury and physiologically designed to enhance appropriate change
(3) One needs to hear his or her own internal voice and remember how good success feels and how negative it can feel to stray from the plan

Are you not yet a PPT client?  Visit http://perfectpersonaltraining.com and click SIGN UP to request your free in-home consultation and fitness screening.  This will determine risk factors for illness and injury as well as biomechanical advantages

Already involved in a PPT program?  Aside from working with your PPT exercise professional, check in with your assigned health coach often to re-assess and update your nutrition & lifestyle.  This will keep adherence high and identify risks.