Monday, July 4, 2011

Top Five Ways To Keep YOUR Independence

Happy birthday, America!

It is during this time of year that we are reminded of the importance of being a free and independent American.

And, it is during this time of year that we'd like to remind you of how to keep your independence!
We're not talking about political independence, but of maintaining your physical independence.  As you know, Perfect Personal Training is passionate about keeping you free and clear of emergency rooms, overnight hospital stays, and debilitating diseases of the heart, brain, and joints.

So, we've put together our list of five key lifestyle changes that will go a long way in preventing disease and injury.  Please print this list and put it somewhere where it can serve as a daily reminder!

#5.  Keep a Food Journal:  While this may sound like a time-consuming task, just doing this for two or three days each month can give you a great idea of your intake.  It's not just total calories that you should be counting, but your approximate daily carbohydrate intake, your approximate daily protein intake, your water intake, and other important factors.  Of course, a Perfect Personal Trainer can assess your factors and make the appropriate recommendations.

#4.  Know Your Body Composition:  Knowing your weight is not enough!  Only your body composition score can truly assess how "fat" you are, and just how much change is needed, if any, to keep your risk for cardiovascular disease low.  This will also tell us how high (or low) your metabolism is.

#3.  Get Your Cardio In:  Five days per week are recommended for strong cardiovascular health, at a duration of 20-60 minutes per session, and at a "moderate to high" intensity.  This goes for everyone who is in generally good health and who is cleared for exercise by a physician.  This is not just for fat burning, but to keep your circulatory and cardiorespiratory systems functioning ideally.

#2.  Take Care of Your Muscles:  Let's face it - without healthy muscles, we're all in trouble as we age.  Stretch all major muscles safely every day, and perform appropriate strength training for every major muscle at least once or twice per week.  Statistically, even this low amount of strength training, when done properly, will improve metabolism and joint health, while maintaining your level of mobility year and after year.

And, the #1 thing that you should be doing to keep your independence.....

#1.  Load up on anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories!  Yes, more than anything, you need anti-oxidants to fight off free radicals.  Free radicals are worse than ever now, with environmental issues and other factors contributing regularly to our poorer health.  Fight them off by getting high amounts of anti-oxidants through fruits and vegetables, green teas, herbs, and vitamins.  And, by adhering to a diet that is high in anti-inflammatory foods, you will reduce your risk even further.  These are easy and very important components to keeping your body healthy, while minimizing risk for cancer and chronic disease.
Stay independent, America!  Your decisions have the ability to make or break your health, happiness, and long-term physical independence.  Make the right ones, and you'll make your "future self" a healthy one.