Category: Health Blog

With the obesity epidemic being full body tackled in America today, exercise has become a trending topic.  If you are getting on board the train of fitness and have wondered how you are going to keep your motivation in check, here are five reasons why you should consider hiring a personal trainer.  

Motivation and Encouragement:  Personal trainers in Chicago help individuals to overcome feeling discouraged.  Having the right personal trainer can motivate and encourage you when your confidence needs a boost to reach the end of a workout. Personal trainers monitor all exercise routines to ensure you are moving properly and avoiding injury. They give you that extra push to overcome your fears and show you first hand what your body is fully capable of.

Personalized Fitness and Nutrition Plans: Each one of us have a different body type.  Some of us have higher metabolisms, crave different foods, and have a certain goals of what we want to achieve physically.  A personal trainer will discuss your long-term and short-term goals with you, as well as keep you on track with a nutrition plan. Personal trainers guide clients step by step toward success by personally staying involved.

Challenging and Changing Routines:  It’s never necessary to become bored with your workout regimen and if you hire a personal trainer to work with you one-on-one, odds are he or she will keep you entertained.  Personal trainers build up one’s endurance by gradually increasing the challenge of the workout.  Your trainer will keep you from becoming tired of the routine by switching exercises up and keeping you engaged in a fun and exciting routine.

Skill and Discipline Building:  Personal trainers are great at teaching us things about our bodies that we never knew before. They also teach us skills to carry with us throughout everyday life and how to discipline ourselves to get the results we want. Personal trainers are tough on us in the beginning to set us up for how dull or difficult exercise may become in the future.  A personal trainer will teach you how to utilize your self discipline skills for when you feel like you are falling off of the band-wagon.

Fast, Successful Results:  Hiring a personal trainer to keep you consistent with a physical regimen holds fast and successful results.  It’s the trainer’s job to keep you hard at work to maintain health and stay in tip-top shape.  Personal trainers are passionate about the fitness world and take pride in you looking in the mirror to see your successful results.

Its summer time, so going out for a run in the Windy City is back on the menu for the workout happy citizens of Chicago. The Second City has some of the most scenic and enjoyable outdoor landscapes of any major metropolitan city in the U.S.

The Chicagoland area is a hotspot for runners looking for a great place to take a jog or go for a healthy walk. The best personal trainers in Chicago would be able to give a rundown of the best outdoor locations for a great workout.

Lets take a look at a few of the best the city has to offer.

Mandrake Park on Pershing Rd. has a wide four-lane, half-mile track that is made of a composite rubber material. This allows for less strain on the knees of any runner than a traditional concrete surface. Located in the Oakland Community, Mandrake Park also offers basketball courts, tennis courts and baseball diamonds. The park is often bustling with residents of Chicago until well after dark and there are lights that come on late in the day, lending to a workout long after the sun goes down. The park is open seven days a week from 6am to 11pm.

Another of Chicago’s top parks for an outdoor summer workout is Northerly Island located right on Lake Michigan in the middle of the city’s gorgeous museum district. This little-known hotspot has started to gain appreciation for its low-key vibe unlike some of Chicago’s more treacherous bike paths. As long as you go for a workout on a night that is not set up for an outdoor concert, this is a perfect spot for running, cycling and rollerblading. The grassy areas lend to bringing a mat or resistance bands to get a full workout right in the park. The park is available from 9am-5pm on weekdays and closes at 4pm on the weekends.

Looking to get out of the city for a run, Waterfall Glen in Darien will replace the Chicago skyscrapers with beautiful foliage and creeks. In addition to the preserve’s nearly 10-mile loop, there are additional physical activities such as cycling, rowing, golf and hiking through the woods. This scenic alternative is open daily from before sunrise until after sunset.

The best personal trainers in Chicago will always help you get the best out of your routine in the gym, but its hard not to take advantage of these and other great outdoor spots while the weather is nice.

There are a number of professions that allow for all-day exercise made essential by the nature of the work. Construction workers, fishermen and freight handlers have the benefit of getting their daily exercise from the ritual routine of their work.

For the majority of people in the workforce, burning calories throughout the day does not come easy. However, there are ways for those people stuck at a desk or behind a counter all day to get a good workout.

Take a walk during lunch

For many the daily lunch break is a way to unwind and escape from the stresses of work.  These 30-minute segments often result in the brisk consumption of overly gluttonous meals hastily engulfed in an attempt to get back to work promptly. Taking a quick walk a few blocks away to the local deli or through the park each day can help to improve health and get the blood flowing.

Skip the elevator, take the stairs

No one is going to suggest trudging up 38 flights of stairs to reach your desk in a complete sweaty mess. However, taking the stairs up or down a few floors to a meeting or lunch each day will get the heart moving and metabolism up during the day. If taking a break, try going to a bathroom or coffee machine on a different floor by way of the stairs. Think of how many times each day you go for a quick cup of pick me up. Then add up the number a stairs you could climb by using another floor.

Ditch the office chair and find the balance of a better core

Sitting in an office chair no matter how comfortable can lead to a bad back and a sedentary lifestyle. An alternative to this office setting standard can be found with the use of a balance ball. By simply sitting on and balancing yourself on one of these spheres you can work your core and improve posture all at the same time while still allowing you be productive at your post.

Park that spare tire

Everyone that commutes to work in an congested metropolis knows that getting to the parking structure early is the key to that prime spot right next to the elevator. This leaves spots on the seventh floor in the back just waiting to get your heart up.  Choose the road less traveled and it will pay off over time with more energy and a trimmer waistline.

Accepting these and other changes into your daily routine will increase heart rate, burn calories and may help prevent health risks like diabetes that plague the office workforce. For other tips on how to get a little workout during the day consult one of our  personal trainers at Transform..

There are countless benefits to working out with a personal trainer or going for a jog several times each week. Better health, a trimmer waistline and longer life expectancy are all a direct result of regular physical activity. But can routinely exercising result in a more youthful appearance? Scientific research and common sense says yes.

What happens when we work out on a regular basis? Most would say it leads to increased energy, improved self-esteem and more restful sleep. All of which can bring about younger looks.

Regular exercise also improves the human immune system. Science tells us that people that work out each day in some fashion will have increased white blood cells. This means fewer viruses and bacteria in the system. Not having that worn out look everyday will do wonders for anyone’s appearance.

Ever wake up with those dark circles that make you want to put a fist-sized hole in a mirror each morning. This is caused by insomnia, which in turn is often the result of stress. The dark circles are from the increase of cortisol in the bloodstream. This build up will end with those dark circles swirling around your eyes each day.  This cortisol stockpile can be alleviated with exercise. More restful sleep means a fresher feeling and cleaner look each morning.

A sedentary lifestyle free of exercise can also cause poor posture. Sitting at your desk each day punching buttons causes workers to hunch over and leads to damage in the back muscles and spine.  Ever see that older looking man or woman that seems to be unable to lift their head without pain? It’s not a youthful look. Regular exercise not only helps to eliminate this look in those too young to be saddled with it. Staying active can even make you taller. Yes taller! Activities such as yoga can help stretch out the muscles and decompress the spine, leading to a longer and leaner look.

Getting fit can also lead to enhanced sex hormones. Yes, getting into shape will make you more appealing to the opposite sex, but it also makes you feel sexier. The rush of testosterone in males allows for a more active sex life. What makes a person feel younger than a great sex life?

Getting fit and exercising has multiple benefits for everyone. Staying in shape and living longer are the goals everyone works towards, but looking a few years younger never hurt anyone.

The first step in starting an exercise program is getting up the nerve to get going. For those that have had a lapse in working out it can be hard to get going in the first place. Once an individual makes the commitment to start an exercise program, the number one thing that puts a stop to it is overdoing it at the start and getting frustrated and disruption to every day life.

Fitting a new program of exercise into a busy lifestyle can be difficult. Changing habits after years of ignoring your body is tough, but altering your perception of a daily routine is critical to success.

Going in, it is also essential to understand that no one gets into shape overnight. Finding the right balance of exercise is important to make sure your mental state stays positive and frustration is kept to a minimum. Getting advice and setting up a program to fit your goals with a qualified personal trainer will keep you on track and away from those negative thoughts. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Every gym has a personal trainer that is there to help you reach your ideal body.

It is also important before starting a workout program that you check with your doctor first. Make sure to know of any restrictions that you may need to put on yourself to avoid serious sports related injury. Also, don’t be afraid to ask those that have been able to continuously maintain an active lifestyle how they have been able to keep it going. Having the advice from those that have achieved similar goals can be invaluable.

Another key is routine. Schedule your workouts and stick to them. After several weeks the thought of going for a workout will seem less daunting and more like second nature.

Don’t be afraid to have fun with your workouts. No one is going to stick with something that endlessly feels like a chore. Many people loath the idea of running on a treadmill or lifting weights day after day. Mix it up. Try swimming, tennis, bike riding or rollerblading to keep things interesting. There are also many classes at your local gym for activities like yoga, pilates or zumba. These activities sprinkled into your regular routine will keep you fresh and fit at the same time.

The most important step is making the choice to better your physical fitness. These steps will help in ensuring that it becomes a part of your day for life.

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at Transform Personal Training. We are here to help YOU.