Welcome to Volume 5 of the Fitness Destinations Journal!
First of all, we want to welcome our newest featured author, Jason Vance. Jason has written several informative fitness articles, and we have featured 2 pieces of his work in this edition of the Journal. See the articles below on working out safely at home, as well as on the future of the Personal Training industry.
Please remember that if you have comments or questions about the content of articles submitted by a featured author, you should contact that author directly. Articles that are authored by Fitness Destinations will clearly state that fact at the end of the article.
We are also featuring content from one of our most important partners in the fitness industry, Global Health and Fitness. Their services and bonuses that are offered to the fitness community rank them near the top of overall usefulness for anyone who is looking for great health and fitness products!
Also, we are very happy to have partnered with none other than Apple Computers! For those of you who aren't "in the know", Apple is the creator of the incredibly popular iPod MP3 players, and our website visitors now have access to their entire collection. Click here for more info!
That's it for this week. Have a great weekend!
Fitness Article - Think Safety First when Working out at Home
A study by “The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology” from The American Psychological Association revealed that the NUMBER ONE reason for people who do not start any exercise program is because they just don’t have time. You don’t necessarily have to work out at the gym or play some sport to stay fit. Working out at home is a great alternative for those of us who are always on the run, complain about no free time, are too lazy to go to the neighborhood gym, or simply cannot afford to join a fitness club. Exercising in the privacy of your own home where you are not confined by specific gym hours is truly a huge motivating factor.
There are plenty of basic exercises to start with. Subsequently, you can move over to a full-fledged workout plan by investing in various equipment and machines to give a whole new look to your home gym. However, safety should always be the biggest concern when working out at home.
Why is safety so important?
While exercising (especially when you try out a new exercise), you may not be following proper technique and would not be aware of your poor position, bad posture and faulty technique. While working out at a gym, you always have your instructor (or even a friend) to monitor your technique. This is not the case at home as there is no gym instructor around to guide you. Also, home exercise videos and books might not be as detailed as you would have wanted them to be. Naturally, in case of some injury or fall, you would want to be well prepared and equipped to handle an emergency situation. It is thus important that you follow the following safety guidelines and ensure that you make your home workout a safe, enjoyable and fruitful experience.
Safety tips when working out at home:
* The first thing you should do before starting your home-workout regimen is to consult with your doctor or a qualified health professional and ensure that you are fit to commence your exercises. This is especially true in case you are doing exercises after a long hiatus. If you have any specific medical conditions or are under medication, make sure you inform your doctor about it. Also, lay out your exercise plan and check whether you are unfit to perform any of the listed exercises.
* Exercises are often customized for each individual based on age, gender, weight, height and medical conditions. Additionally, before beginning any strength training program, undergo a complete physical check up. Specific conditions such as joint problems, cardio-vascular diseases, asthma, high blood pressure, or previous injuries require some exercises to be modified to suit your needs.
* Keep the workout area at your home well ventilated and free of clutter. This will enable free movement and reduce the risk of tripping over and injuring yourself while exercising. If possible devote an entire room, or if not at least allot a spacious corner of your room for your workouts.
* Do not place sharp or pointed objects, tables, chairs, glass objects and fragile items near your workout area.
* Do not leave equipment such as weights, jump ropes, and any other gym equipment lying around on the floor as someone and possibly even you can trip over and get injured.
* While choosing exercise equipment, keep in mind the safety of other people sharing your household, particularly kids. Resistance training equipment or some cardiovascular training machines can be hazardous for young children. Ensure that motorized equipment has a safety latch which cannot be accessed by young children. In a nutshell, as much as possible do not allow children near your workout area. Also, do not let children play with weights and other gym equipment as they may cause serious injuries.
* Before purchasing any kind of home gym equipment, check its specifications thoroughly. Inspect it for safety, durability and functionality. The equipment should be adjustable, not too complicated and allow for smooth and secure body movements. It should come with an easy to understand instruction booklet with specific information about the parts that can be replaced and other servicing information. Make sure to check for any design flaws or such weaknesses that could probably raise the injury risk.
* Many people assume that working out at home may not require wearing proper fitness wear and clothing. Contrary to this belief, it is very important that you wear well-fitted and appropriate clothing while exercising. Wear proper footwear and do not wear loose clothes that might get stuck in fitness equipment and hinder your movement.
* Always do warm ups and cool downs before and after each workout. Most people tend to forget this important aspect of exercising while working out at home since there is no one to watch over them. Warming up will help reduce the risk of injury during more vigorous activities that are about to follow and cooling down will bring down the heart rate and relax your muscles. Stretching should also be an important part of your workout routine.
* Do not overdo your exercises or you will again increase your chances of getting injured. Follow a moderate routine and take essential breaks from your workout routines. For weight-lifting exercises, begin with light weights so that your body gets used to the pressure. Move on to heavier weights gradually. However, do not neglect your routine just because you have the flexibility of working out anytime at home.
* Proper breathing is also an integral part of any exercise and hence must not be ignored.
* Drink enough water during and after your workout to keep yourself hydrated. If your workout extends to more than an hour, you might want to consider a good sports drink as a viable option. Sports drinks help restore the lost electrolytes and carbohydrates. Alcohol and caffeine before, during, and after your workouts are a complete NO-NO.
* Always listen to your body. When in pain, STOP. Do not push yourself as it will only worsen your chances of getting injured. Keep a first aid box handy and educate yourself about common workout related injuries. Follow appropriate resting patterns before resuming your exercises. In case of an injury, consult a healthcare professional who is aware of musculoskeletal injuries and can give accurate diagnosis. For immediate first aid, remember the following steps:
- Rest the injured area to avoid further harm
- Apply ice on that area to soothe injury
- Apply compress on that area to minimize swelling and reduce pain
- Raise the area at an elevation so that there is appropriate blood circulation
* While selecting weights for machine workouts ensure that the pin goes in all the way. It is recommended that you wear a weightlifting belt for exercises that put pressure on your lower back.
* Finally, keep your home gym clean. Wipe down the equipment with a disinfectant after each workout. Even if you are the only one using your home gym, it is still better to be cautious. Wash your hands with soap before and after you use your home gym. Also keep your workout area exclusive. Do not eat, drink or entertain guests in that area.
The benefits of working out at home are myriad. By following the safety guidelines mentioned above, you will surely achieve productive results and the satisfaction of a safe, effective and skilled workout.
About the Author
Jason Vance is a fitness enthusiast that offers valuable tips and insight for people looking to purchase their own home gym, including exercise equipment, exercise bikes and heart rate monitors.
Personal Training: Future of Personal Training
Online personal training is the latest trend in the fitness industry. It offers great value added services to personal trainers, fitness instructors at health clubs and fitness enthusiasts. There is fierce competition among fitness organizations and in order to add more fitness clients to your customer base, you must offer something unique. Online fitness websites, which also provide information on personal training, are just the right thing to set the cash register ringing and to establish a reputed standing in the fitness industry.
The internet is a great medium for obtaining, distributing and exchanging valuable information throughout the world. You are not confined to a specific location or place. Besides, you can access information about anything that you fancy with the click of a button. Online shopping, auctions, discussion groups, instant messages, troubleshooting forums and many more services have made the internet an indispensable tool in today’s day and age. Imagine how a fitness instructor sitting in the United States can provide motivation and fitness assistance to someone sitting in far away Turkey! An online personal training website does just that. Additionally an online community can be a meeting ground for like-minded people to share ideas, strategies and enhance mutually beneficial relationships.
Online personal training websites usually have a ‘members only’ section which provides exclusive information and services to its members. Some of these services can be exclusive articles and studies, newsletters, personalized fitness plan, tips and strategies, interaction with experts and many more. Online Training programs are extremely effective and convenient. However, finding the right training program would involve considerable research on your part. How do you select the right online training program?
The following is a list of features that you should look for in an online program that offers services for personal trainers and health club instructors.
Secure access:
Access to the website and virtual program is secured with the help of a username and password to ensure that each member gets unique and specific information
based on the type of membership.
Newsletters:
You can communicate with other trainers or fitness enthusiasts in your community and inform them about seminars, workshops, news or articles. Specific
information about special events such as marathons, sporting events and charity events can be sent to all members in the form of a newsletter.
Resource library:
Numerous articles on various topics such as general health and fitness, nutritional supplements, Yoga/Pilates, and exercise machines are available for members. Personal trainers can share their insights and valuable information with other trainers and the member community. Plus, if you get your article published on the website, your reputation also gets a boost.
Discussion Forums
Discussion forums are a great tool to interact with fellow trainers and other members. You can share tips, strategies and hot trends in the personal training industry.
Client-trainer interaction
Clients and trainers can establish a personal rapport by using the messaging system on the website. This is a great way to ensure that all personal training
communication stays in one central location.
Profiles of Personal Trainers
Personal trainers can create their profiles by including a short biography, what club they work out of, as well as their area of expertise. These profiles become part of a personal trainer library where members can search for trainers at their club, or read more about other trainers that offer different levels of expertise across the world.
Feedback system
This tool enables the members to rate the trainer for his or her service and knowledge. This way the trainer gets to build his or her reputation and attract a bigger online client base.
Exercise Database
An online fitness program or training website should have an excellent and exhaustive database of exercises and also explain the correct method to perform them. This is a great service to the online fitness community which is also highly appreciated by them as it is a one stop service for all their fitness requirements. Everything that a fitness instructor needs such as planning a workout for the clients, managing the client profiles and using a reference database is rolled into one at an online fitness program. Additionally, you can add your own exercises, pictures and movies for the benefit of your patrons.
Client Management and Profiling:
This tool can help you track contact information of your client, monitor their progress, interact with the clients by messaging them about their progress and if there is any need to modify their program, and build client profiles based on their fitness goals, lifestyle, general health, measurements and other details. You can create customized workout plans for your clients using the workout creation tool. An easy-to-use interface makes it more functional. If you have a few fitness programs that are used for multiple clients, you can save them in the form of a template so that you do not have to recreate the same program again. A workout log and report for each client will help personal trainers to do their job more efficiently.
Surveys and polls
You can make your service more efficient by asking your members survey questions based on your services. This is a great tool to reach out to your clients
and involve them in the decision making process.
Expert advice from professional members and FAQs
You don’t need to worry about where to get the precise information about your problem. Whatever is bothering you, you can find a solution at a great one-stop fitness service. The service provided by such websites and online fitness programs is remarkable. Where else can you find dependable information from experts in their respective fields without worrying about the credibility of the information? The FAQ section can help the users of your website or online training program to get answers to their most common questions such as how to use the program/website, queries about personal trainers and other common fitness related queries.
Web Links and resources
Links to reference guides, fitness associations, news articles or other useful information is a great service to your members. The links can be directed to either outside sources or links within your own website.
Online Training Programs are at a nascent stage. However, they have gained enough popularity in recent times to suggest that they are going to be the next big thing as far as fitness and training is concerned.
About the Author
Jason Vance is a writer and
fitness enthusiast who can provide valuable tips and advice for fitness professionals and personal trainers alike when it comes to making decisions about adding online training to their suite of services. Check out his article library.
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