Have you thought about the health and fitness changes you want to make for 2012? Instead of simply setting goals like losing weight or getting to the gym more often, think of your health like a business plan. Companies do not aimlessly go along hoping that profit margins will increase one day. They set specific goals and timelines defining what they want to do and when they want to get there; then they take action to make those happen. Here are some tips to help you develop your health and fitness “business” plan for the New Year!

Make your goals specific and measurable.

When setting your goals, try considering all of the benefits that exercise can bring your life no matter how small the accomplishments might seem. Be specific and make sure your goals are measureable. If you want to lose body fat or weight, how much do you want to lose? If you would love to be able to do a push-up, how many? Instead of setting goals like “feeling” healthier or stronger, try defining them more concretely such as being able to walk up a set of stairs without feeling breathless or reducing the medications you take. By setting specific, measureable goals you can see exactly what you have improved upon, because a tangible start and finish exists.

Create a short-term and long-term timeline for accomplishment.

Once you have set your goals, develop a long-term timeline for accomplishing them. Which ones do you want to achieve in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year? Put your timeline on paper and make sure it is realistic. Once you have this big picture in mind, now you must decide the steps necessary to hit those marks. Spend some time creating daily and weekly short-term action plans, such as getting to the gym three times per week or taking time to stretch every morning after getting out of bed. These daily and weekly activities bridge the gap between today and your long-term timeline.

Know yourself and what you need.

Half of the battle with reaching your goals is knowing yourself. Be honest with yourself and what it is that you need in order to succeed. If you are the type of person who cannot work out once you get home from the office, work around it. Instead of expecting that this will change, hit the gym before you get home or at lunch and get it out of the way. If you know you do not work as hard by yourself as much you would like, hire a personal trainer or take a class and let someone else push you.

Forgive yourself.

Setting fitness goals and striving to meet them will positively impact your life, however you will experience bumps along the way. There may be some days that you miss your work-out or some days when you do not push yourself in the gym as much as you had intended. Know that this is okay from time to time and recommit yourself to your goals. Instead of beating yourself up for what you did not accomplish or how you failed, focus on the positives! Find small victories in what you have accomplished so far and continue to move forward!

Remember to enjoy the journey.

You cannot know how far you have come until you know where you have been. Remember to look at each day as a new challenge while keeping your long-term vision on the horizon. Try not to look so far ahead that you lose sight of what you need to accomplish every day. Instead, master those baby steps along the way as they are your keys to success!!

We are here to support you in reaching your fitness goals at the Rittenhouse Women’s Wellness Center, and we wish you the best as the New Year approaches!

As a personal trainer I naturally like working the muscles of the body and utilizing the functions of them. In fact, throughout my earlier days, I would create a favorite “muscle of the month” that I would choose to work on to find new exercises for muscle leanness. In those days it was largely about the bigger superficial muscles and less about the smaller supporting muscles. As I became more experienced as a trainer I began to have a deeper appreciation for those muscles groups that really stabilize and support the body from the inside out. Two internal muscles come to mind that are beneficial for the foundational and metabolic support of the body. These two muscles are the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. These two internal muscles of the body are big supporters of the respiratory system (diaphragm) and the endocrine system (pelvic floor muscles).

The Diaphragm Muscle

The diaphragm aids the body with breathing. This muscle is dome-shaped and is located between the breast and abdominal region of the body.

We contract the diaphragm to breathe in and out. When you breathe in, the diaphragm moves downward towards the abdomen and when you exhale the diaphragm moves upward towards the wall of the chest.

When the diaphragm is conscientiously stimulated through various breathing exercises it promotes good lung capacity and better circulation for the body. It can also aide in keeping various ailments at bay such as acid reflux.

Exercise systems that promote the use of the breath extensively would be yoga and Pilates. Most health professionals and body workers consider breathing an exercise in itself. Breathing exercises are highly beneficial to incorporate as a part of your weekly wellness regimen.

Exercise to try – Belly Breathing

1. Lie flat on your back to get a proper sense of deep breathing.

(Have some small pillows available to reduce strain by tucking them under the neck and knees. The natural course of breathing in that position will create a slight rise in the stomach upon inhaling and a slight fall upon exhaling).

2. Place your hands palm down on your stomach at the base of the rib cage (The lungs go that far down). What fills the lungs deeper with air is the pushing down of the diaphragm.

The diaphragm creates a suction which draws air into the lungs. The air is then expelled when the diaphragm pushes up. In this process, the life-giving oxygen fills the lungs and gets into the blood stream for distribution to the cells. Carbon dioxide is expelled from the blood into the about-to-be exhaled breath, thus cleansing the body and blood of waste products.

3. Lay the palms of your hands on your stomach just below the rib cage, middle fingers barely touching each other, and take a slow deep breath. (As the diaphragm pushes down, the stomach will slightly expand causing the fingertips to separate somewhat).

This movement indicates full use of the lungs, resulting in a truly deep breath rather than the “puffed chest” breath experienced by many as the greatest lung capacity.

4. FOR BEST RESULTS, PRACTICE THIS EXERCISE FOR 5 MINUTES.

The Pelvic Floor Muscles

The pelvic floor muscles are a group of muscles, nerves and fascia that are complex. These guys are found within the pelvic region of both men and women’s bodies that attach to the front pelvic bones of the body and the back of the coccyx.

The pelvic floor muscles have three main functions which are to support internal smooth muscle functions of the anus, to support and control the flow of urine through the bladder to help supply sexual function.

A loss in the support of the pelvic floor muscles is often common in more women than in men and at earlier stages in life. This is largely due to a woman baring multiple children.

When a woman is pregnant, the pelvic floor muscles can become strained over time due to the weight of the baby. For men pelvic floor concerns are attributed from poor prostate health which can result in a lack of urinal flow in older age.

However, certain exercises such as contracting and isolating the pelvic floor muscles can help tone and prevent the effects dysfunctions from happening or further increasing in both men and women. Exercise systems that support pelvic floor toning are Pilates and some forms of yoga.

Exercise to Try – The Kegal (for both men and women):

1. Find the right muscles. The next time your body requires you to urinate try to stop the flow of urine. If you succeed, you’ve found the pelvic floor muscles. Don’t make a habit of starting and stopping your urine stream, though. Doing Kegel exercises with a full bladder or while emptying your bladder can actually weaken the muscles, as well as lead to incomplete emptying of the bladder — which increases the risk of a urinary tract infection.
2. Perfect your technique. Once you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles, empty your bladder and sit or lie down. Contract your pelvic floor muscles, hold the contraction for five seconds, and then relax for five seconds. Try it four or five times in a row. Work up to keeping the muscles contracted for 10 seconds at a time, relaxing for 10 seconds between contractions.
3. Maintain your focus. For best results, focus on tightening only your pelvic floor muscles. Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks. Avoid holding your breath. Instead, breathe freely during the exercises.
4. Repeat three times a day. Aim for at least three sets of 10 repetitions a day. You might make a practice of fitting in a set every time you do a routine task, such as checking email, commuting to work, preparing meals or watching TV.

With the surging interest in body creams, surgical procedures, and exercise gadgets out there professing to eliminate fat in specific parts of the body, such as thighs or under the arms, it is no wonder that clients come to personal trainers and exercise specialists expecting to “correct” their problem areas. Exercising a specific area of the body with the expectation that this will eliminate fat in that particular location is called Spot-Training. Spot-Training does not take into account a person’s scientific make-up, and it is virtually impossible to eliminate fat in a specific area of the body with an exercise-only strategy. To combat these problem areas, other factors must be considered and addressed along with fitness, such as hormonal imbalances and diet.

Every person’s genetic make-up is different, and exercising (whether cardio, strength training, etc.) burns fat in places where a person’s physiological make-up dictates that it burns fat first. For instance, in 1984 a study was performed with 13 male subjects who completed a total of 5000 sit-ups over the course of 27 days. At the end of the study, scientists took measurements to examine how much fat was lost and where it was lost. If Spot-Training existed, it would make sense that these men would lose all the fat in their abdomens. In actuality, they lost fat equally from three measurement sites: glutes, upper back, and abdomen (Katch, F.I., P.M. Clarkson, W. Kroll, et al). In another study, a group of women doing mostly leg exercises for nearly 9 hours each week lost an average of 5.7 pounds. However, none of this weight came off of their legs; instead, 2.9 pounds came from their trunks and 2.8 pounds came from their arms (Nindl, B.C., Harman, E.A., Marx, J.O., Gotshalk, L.A., Frykman, P.N., Lammi, E., Palmer, C., & Kraemer, W.J.). Both of these studies demonstrate that regardless of the type of exercise performed, fat is lost throughout the body and not just in the particular area an exercise may focus on.

While exercising properly is a highly important part of staying healthy and lean, it is not the only factor to consider when trying to lose fat in certain areas of the body; diet and balancing hormonal levels plays a major role in the storage of fat as well. According to Charles Poliquin, a world premier Strength Coach who has worked with Olympic athletes, carrying fat in certain areas directly correlates with certain hormones. For instance, a large amount of fat in the triceps relates to the hormone, androgen, whereas a significant amount of fat in the hips relates to insulin levels. If a client carries fat in her glutes, estrogen levels may be out of balance. These hormonal imbalances can be addressed through a proper nutrition plan.

In order to properly address those problem areas that clients want to correct, an approach that combines exercise, assessing any hormonal imbalances, and creating a proper dietary plan specific to a client’s needs is key. This total body approach which includes output (i.e. exercise) and input (i.e. nutritional intake) speaks to the core of our philosophy of total wellness at Rittenhouse Women’s Wellness Center. Please contact us to set up your fitness appointment so you can get started today with a plan specifically tailored to fit your fitness and dietary needs and goals!!

Aristotle once said, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Applied to fitness, exercise should focus on enhancing one’s total health, not simply aesthetics. To achieve total health, you must first understand that the human body exists and moves through three dimensions. Instead of dividing the body into individual elements by focusing on exercising specific muscle groups, you should add a Multi-Planar approach and incorporate Functional Movements into your routine. By taking this approach one can better improve strength, joint integrity, coordination, and thus, total health.

The body does not move one-dimensionally; rather it moves three dimensionally in the Frontal (coronal), Sagittal, and Transverse planes. The Frontal plane divides the body from front to back, the Sagittal left to right, and the Transverse from top to bottom. Here are some examples of exercises in each plane:

Frontal : Shoulder Press

Sagittal: Chin-Ups

Transverse: Bench Press

As a trainer, I observe many fitness routines that include exercises in one or two of the planes but not all three. Not only can this produce an unbalanced musculoskeletal structure, it can also lead to overuse injuries.

In order to maintain a balanced approach to total health and avoid injury, you should introduce Multi-Planar, Total Body Functional Movements to your routine. Total Body Functional Movements train muscles in a way that “makes everyday activities easier, safer and more efficient and improve a person’s ability to function in the real world” (Kennedy, Carol. “Functional Exercise Progression.”) For instance, performing a Lunge together with a Dumbbell Bicep Curl is a Total Body Movement because it involves the upper body, lower body, and core; it is also Multi-Planar because it requires work in the Frontal, Sagittal, and Transverse planes. Because of the complexity of this move, a higher demand is placed on the neuromuscular system, which more effectively improves overall strength and coordination than if the exercises were performed independently of each other. We would love to help you enhance your work-outs! Give us a call to set up a fitness appointment so you can learn how to start adding these Multi-Planer, Total Body Functional Movements to your routine today!

As a personal trainer, I hear clients tell me all the time that they started a new work-out routine and saw improvements in strength, energy levels, and overall fitness during the first 4-6 weeks. However, after performing the same routine past this initial period, they notice they are no longer seeing results and express frustration at the lack of progress. The client has hit a plateau, and this phenomenon is one of the most significant reasons why people give up exercising. In order to avoid this common pitfall, it is important to understand how to continually alter your fitness routine by applying the principle of Muscle Confusion.

Muscle Confusion, sometimes more properly called Periodization, is essential if you want to make continual gains in your muscle composition and strength, which in turn will increase resting metabolism and decrease body fat. The human body is quite skilled at adapting to its surroundings and by performing the same exercises at the same amount of weight and with the same number of repetitions during every workout, your muscles become accustomed to the workload and simply maintainrather than improving. According to the “Fitness Professionals Handbook,” Muscle Confusion or Periodization is “nothing more than a systematic variation in a resistance training program.” Basically, in order to see peak results you need to change your workout program regularly so your muscles do not have time to adapt to the work you put them through.

So how do you keep your muscles guessing?! Here are some easy ways to alter your workout routine:

1. Increase Intensity – Some examples of this include increasing the amount of weight you’re lifting, keeping the same resistance but increasing the number of repetitions, and/or reducing rest time between sets.
2. Change Exercises – Don’t perform the same exercises all the time and make sure your muscles are experiencing a wide array of activities
3. Switch Equipment – Instead of a Bicep Curl with dumbbells, try a Bicep Curl with a resistance band or try a Push-up with your own body weight versus a Chest Press with a barbell.
4. Vary The Days You Work Muscle Groups – If you work out your Lower Body and Abs on Monday, Chest and Triceps on Wednesday, and Back and Biceps on Friday, try to switch up the days you work these muscle groups. For instance, try Chest and Triceps on Monday, Back and Biceps on Wednesday, and Lower Body and Abs on Friday.
5. Change The Order Of Exercises – Perform the same routine for a few weeks, however switch up the order in which you perform those exercises during your routine.

Not only does Muscle Confusion help you build lean muscle mass and improve strength, it also helps prevent you from getting bored doing the same routine several days a week! If you need assistance in introducing this principle into your workouts, contact us to set up a Personal Training appointment as we are always here to help!

How many times have you said to yourself, “I want to lose weight?” You start an exercise routine or intensify a current routine in order to shed pounds, rather than focusing on changing your actual body composition. Losing weight will simply reduce your BMI, but decreasing your Body Fat Percentage should be the main focus.

BMI, which stands for Body Mass Index, measures whether a person is healthy, overweight, or underweight. To calculate your BMI, use the following formula:

Weight (in pounds) x 703

Height (in inches)²

The following table displays BMI ranges:

BMI can often be misleading. For instance, a female athlete whose body is mainly composed of lean muscle mass and whose weight may be “high” due to her body composition could find that her BMI falls in the Obese range. On the other hand, someone whose BMI falls within the Normal range can still have a high percentage of fat mass, which indicates poorer health. This is why Body Fat Percentage better indicates overall health.

Body Fat Percentage measures the amount of fat that makes up your body. There are several ways to determine this, such as handheld devices and skin caliper testing. In order to calculate pounds of fat mass, multiply your total weight by your Body Fat Percentage; the rest of your weight is lean tissue. For instance, if someone weighs 150 pounds and has a Body Fat Percentage of 20%, she carries 30 pounds of fat and 120 pounds of lean tissue mass on her frame. The following ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) chart describes Body Fat Percentage ranges for females based on age:

When trying to lose weight, keep in mind that it’s more important to pay attention to how much body fat you’re losing rather than focusing solely on what the scale says! Ask a fitness professional to measure your Body Fat Percentage every 4 weeks to track your progress!

Summer is here, which means that many of us will be taking time away from work to relax, recharge, and explore somewhere new and exciting. Whether you’re headed across the globe or just a car ride away, taking a vacation means that your typical routine is shaken up a bit. While this may do wonders for your frame of mind, it often means that your workout schedule suffers as a result.

1. Try to find a hotel or other lodging situation with a gym or fitness room. While this may not be up to par with what you use at home, even a small space with treadmills, exercise balls and free weights can be enough to help keep you fit while you’re away. Many hotels and motels, even lower-budget ones, includes some sort of workout facility available to use for their guests. Spending a little bit of time there every day will ensure that you don’t fall off the fitness wagon while you’re enjoying your trip.

2. Swimming is a wonderful and relaxing way to burn calories and build strength. Doing laps in the hotel pool or going for a dip in the ocean will complement any other form of exercise in which you partake during your vacation.

3. Walking on the beach also burns more calories than walking on flat ground. (Some experts suggest that you can burn twice as many calories walking in soft sand!). Grab some water and go for a stroll – you’ll be surprised at the resistance sand offers.

4. Bringing along a few workout DVDs to play on your computer or television is a safe way to be certain that you’ll be active- even in the potential absence of a gym or pool, or in the event of bad weather. This way, you can spend free hours in your room ensuring that you stay toned and energized. DVDs are much easier to pack than other workout materials, and don’t require extra time or travel to access.

5. Exploring your vacation area on foot, walking to and from meals, and going for hikes is not only a great way to take in your new surroundings, but it helps to offset any extra calories you might be eating. Find walking paths or ask the front desk of your hotel where the best places are for walks, hikes, and strolls.

You’ve been procrastinating on your workout plan for Memorial Day — this just might be your last minute strategy for success! (Repeat this circuit 3x a week, with cardio, for best results.)

Inchworm — Works abs, chest, arms. Bend forward, place hands on floor in front of toes, and walk hands forward, until you reach plank position. Do a push-up, then inch back to start. (Keep belly button pulled in.) Do 8 to 12 reps.

Side Plank — Works abs, Oblique’s, butt, hips, thighs. Lie on right side with legs extended, hips and feet stacked; prop yourself up on your right forearm, elbow under shoulder, and place left hand on your waist. Slowly lift hips off the floor as high as you can, hold for 15 to 30 seconds each side.

Lunge Twist — Works calves, hamstrings, butt. Stand with arms at shoulder height, palms down. Step forward with right foot, crossing it in front of left. Lower into a curtsy-like lunge (right knee shouldn’t go past toes) while twisting torso right. Untwist, push off right foot, return to start. Do 8 to 12 reps; switch legs and repeat.

Squat Shoulder Press — Works butt, thighs, shoulders, back. Stand with feet hip-width apart holding five-pound weights in each hand, arms bent, palms facing in. Bend knees and squat, pause, then stand and press arms straight up over shoulders. Do 8 to 12 reps.

Wood Choppers — Works obliques, back, shoulders. Stand with left foot in front of right, holding one weight with both hands, arms extended so weight is by right hip. Rotate arms up and across, (don’t twist torso) pause, then return to start. Do 8 to 12 reps; switch sides and repeat.

Erica Umosella received her Bachelor of Arts in Health and Exercise Science with emphasis in Physical Education from Rowan University. She also earned a degree as a certified personal trainer and nutritional consultant from the National Personal Training Institute of Philadelphia. For more information on Erica, click here.

Spring is here and summer is just around the corner. You know what that means… Bathing suit season is approaching! I am going to tell you how you can achieve the body you want by summer.

Interval Training is the best way to burn fat in the shortest amount of time, which is only one of many advantages achieved through interval training.

Running at a higher intensity for shorter periods of time results in a metabolism boost for several hours after. This means more calories are burned even at rest, which aids in weight loss. Now who does not want to burn calories after your done working out?

Some other Benefits of Interval Training:

• Strengthens both the heart and lungs
• Reduces blood pressure
• Creates a general feeling of well-being and decreases the chance of depression and anxiety
• Breaks up the boredom of long, steady runs
• Your body becomes more efficient at dealing with lactic acid build up
• Cuts your workout time in half

The calorie bursting plan takes just 20-30 minutes but outperforms workouts that last twice as long. The secret is alternating high intensity intervals with easier recovery periods. Women who have switched up their cardio routines to intervals have lost three times more body fat during a 15-week period than those who worked out for 40 minutes at a steady pace. Studies have shown that bursts of high intensity activity increases levels of fat burning compounds in the body.

What to Do

Pick a cardio machine and warm-up at a steady pace that is at moderate intensity. After a 5 minute warm-up, increase the pace or resistance to a level that is a bit more challenging. This is the recovery period that will be done in 90-second increments. After the 90 seconds, increase the intensity or incline to a challenging 30-second burst. Once you have figured out the two speeds or resistance levels that are best for you then continue the workout changing the speeds or resistance levels in 90- and 30-second increments. Be sure to give yourself about 5 minutes at the end of your workout for a cool-down.

Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned runner, or anywhere in-between, if you are looking to get fit faster, lose weight, look/feel good, then interval training is the quickest most efficient way to go.

Example

• 5-minute warm-up
• 90 seconds (slower speed)
• 30 seconds (very fast speed)
• (Repeat the 90/30 intervals up to 10 times, but start with less. Once you reach 10 and it becomes easier, increase the speed to make it more challenging)
• 5-minute cool-down

Let’s face it — many people forget about their New Year’s fitness resolutions by February. Perhaps results did not come quickly enough, or the “daily grind” has sidetracked them from their goals. However, goals don’t happen overnight. Working to create a healthy lifestyle that includes a fitness routine is an ongoing process for everyone — it doesn’t have to be an “all-or-none” situation.

Here are some tips for getting started and staying motivated…

Plan Ahead — The best results come from a well-planned strategy.

• Discover 20-30 minutes 3-5x a week when you know that you can make time for yourself. Stick to your schedule, but also allow for a little wiggle room or variation. If you can’t make it to the gym on a certain day, look up some exercises online and work with what you have at home. Something, even 10 minutes, is better than nothing.
• If you’re a morning person, lay out your exercise clothes and gym bag the night before. If you plan on going after work, pack your gym bag the night before and leave it by the door so you don’t forget it.
• Think about how good you will feel after only 30 minutes of exercise.

Get Psyched — Visualize how you will look and feel as you become more physically fit.

• Take measurements. The scale is only one way to measure progress. Make sure to measure your chest, waist, and hips every month or so, as these will show the most amount of change as you build muscle.
• Stay realistic. There is no quick fix or magic pill for fitness! Getting into shape is a science — if you complete the formula (consistent exercise + healthy eating) you will get steady results. Just be patient and remember that every healthy decision you make will lead you closer to your goal.

Hire a Trainer — If you know that you have someone who is waiting for you at the gym you will most likely show up.

• A trainer can show you the best routines for the fastest results and push you in ways that you cannot push yourself.
• A trainer will show you the best routines for YOU, which you will be able to carry with you for the rest of your life.

Always dig deep and train hard and realize that your goals ARE attainable. Stick with your plan and before you know it, you’ll be exactly where you want to be.