Tag: health and fitness

Ask NAPS 2 B Fit for Your Personal ASC

ASC is your Answer, Solution and Cure.

It is with strict individualization that you will find your answer, solution and cure to whatever ails you and has you walking in circles wondering what to do and where to go next.

Helping you find your answers to reach your health goals is the reason I love doing what I do: Personal Training, Health Coaching and Group Fitness Instruction.

All the general hints, tips and recommendations out there work for some, but not for all of us. How do I know? It is my job to know. I use my training and observational skills to see what is working and what can use tweaking.

Okay, some honesty here, I personally have tried many, many of the same hints, tips and tricks for the past forty years: newspapers, magazines, television news, television commercials, infomercials, well meaning advice from every Tom, Dick and Harry, this diet, that nutrition plan, sports coach advice, etc, etc, etc…

Yes, tweaking gets results. We are all human, essentially the same, but, different. At the same time, we are all essentially different, but, the same. See the difference? It is a small difference, but, there none the less.

Not to mention, we all have different needs, wants, goals, hobbies, careers and lifestyles. With that said, we all have our overuse injuries, per se, due to our body positions in order to accomplish our tasks for the day.

This is where and when I am in my element: figuring out what you need to do to have your personal ASC: answer, solution and cure to reach your goals.

People ask me all the time how I stay in shape, where I get all my energy and why I am always so happy.

The answer is: I have my own Personal Answer Solution Cure (ASC) from Personal Trainer ~ NAPS 2 B Fit who loves Health Coaching. How great and fun is that? I truly wish the same for you.

Best of health to you and good bye.

image from: unsplash.

MORE DOs-Do Take Your Time

Please be sure to include your warm up and cool down. Remember to take your time during your warm up and cool down.

To stay safe and healthy, perform your warm up for five to ten minutes before engaging in your more intense activity. This will prepare your body for the strength and cardiovascular sessions. A proper warm up protects your ligaments, muscles, tendons, and will even make you stronger during your workout session.

A proper cool down should also last up to ten minutes, if not longer. This will protect your vascular and musculoskeletal systems while you gain more from your stretching routine. Lengthen slowly and mindfully within your comfort range to remain safe and healthy.

Take your time. Move slowly and gently to remain safe and healthy.

Do it right the first time so you can come back to another routine next time. Do things properly so you are able to get on with the rest of your day.

The real reason for doing your workout in the first place is to make your workday easier, right?

Best of health to you and good-bye.

image by Natalie~Personal Trainer~NAPS 2 B Fit~Health Coach.

Walking Fun Fact

Being short doesn’t have to slow you down: At the 2008 Olympics, 5’2.5″ Olga Kaniskina of Russia beat out Norway’s 5’8″ Kjersti Plätzer for the gold in the women’s 20k race walk.*

I am not the shortest person; but, I am definitely not the tallest person, either. Therefore, I speak from a lifetime of experience of walking with people up to a foot taller than me, or more, along with people who can be a foot or two shorter than me, or more. Or should I say, children? We know how fast children like to walk… or … run. 🙂

Be careful when placing your bets; because, height does not always determine the faster walker. Yes, stride length plays a huge part; but, so does flexibility, strength and cardiovascular capacity.

So, take care of your body and you just may show up your favorite athlete at a race or your favorite cousin at the next family picnic.

Best of health to you and goodbye.

*American Council on Exercise

Photo by Puk Patrick on Unsplash

Walking Fun Fact

You use an estimated 200 muscles during walking.*

This is a good reason I love walking.

There are about 640 muscles in the human body or 320 pairs of muscles.

Therefore, doing something like walking, which most of you enjoy, incorporates a good percentage of your body’s named skeletal muscles.

For a total body workout, add some more moves approved by your personal trainer and you have done your workout.

Best of health to you and goodbye.

(photo credit: unsplash)

*source: American Council on Exercise

Walking Fun Fact

The average walking speed for the typical adult is approximately 3 mph.*

Have you noticed if you usually walk faster or slower than three miles per hour? You may want to figure out your personal average walking speed for your baseline measurement.

You can use this information to help schedule your day, time your workouts and fit activity into the time slot you have left. Walking speed is also good to know when you have appointments that must be met.

Best of health to you and goodbye.

*source: American Council on Exercise

image: Unsplash

Eat Your Calories

…don’t drink your calories.

In this age of the smoothie, please, tell me, honestly, what is more satisfying? 1.) a smoothie or 2.) a meal.

Smoothies have their place in our diets; especially, for medical reasons; but, do you really need to drink your calories throughout the entire day?

It is called a beer gut/belly, not a wine gut/belly. Why? Because, if you pay close attention, a serving of beer is larger than a serving of wine. Hmmm. Maybe not true; but, the beer bottle/mug is larger than the wine served in a glass when you are served by a bartender.

Therefore, just like the tips we get to take home part of our meal at a restaurant, maybe we should think about what and how much we are drinking when out and about celebrating.

For the youth, and the rest of us, this holds true for fruit juice. Enjoy your serving of your favorite juice; but, then try having the fruit the rest of the day for the added benefits of fiber and nutrients.

It goes without saying to savor your serving of soda pop and milk shakes, also. Then move on to enjoy the rest of your day.

Best of health to you in the new year and goodbye.

image by: Natalie~Personal Trainer~NAPS 2 B Fit

Best Diets for 2019

Mediterranean and DASH win*

You may already know that the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are good for you; but, did you know that in some studies and news reports they are the top two diets to follow overall? These diets are approved by your friendly neighborhood personal trainer, also. 🙂

Of course, you want to check with your doctor or other specialist to find what works best for you and what is best for your goals.

This is where things get tricky; but, the DASH and Mediterranean diets are great overall for health and wellness.

Skip google and go to your reliable allied health team sources for the best of anything to do with your health. Please make sure you take good care of yourself for optimal health.

Remember the Arabian proverb: “Those who have health have hope and those who have hope have everything.” How true is that? What is worth more than your health? What price do you put on your optimal health and wellness?

Best of health to you in the new year and goodbye.

image: Natalie~Personal Trainer~NAPS 2 B Fit…

*sources: TODAY and U.S. News & World Report

Youth Activity

Today, less than one out of seven children walk to school. In 1970, two out of three children walked to school.*

I remember someone telling us at a back to school night, that children adjust better than adults. Yes, I will agree; but, that is because the children are not parents and lack life experience.

Does the mama bear jump to her child’s rescue when needed? You bet your life she will and does every time. Is not the same true for us as parents? You bet your life it is and is every time.

So, how do we get more children walking to school, again? There are many concerns to be addressed, which, just may benefit us all.

Is it possible for a parent to adjust their schedule so they can walk to school as a family? I enjoyed walking our children to school and then back home at the end of their day. We made a hiking conference adventure out of our walks and took in all that nature has to offer. During a path construction project we even had the chance to gingerly walk on a log traversing the stream, which also led to making new friends. We were disappointed when the project was finished; because, our balance beam log was removed.

Is it possible to coordinate schedules with other responsible, trusted adults? We all have different schedules that just may work out in your favor. You don’t know until you ask and I bet the other parents are in the same boat, or mama and papa bear cave.

Is it possible to form a walk to school group? This is a great way to make new friends and you have the safety in numbers working for you. This could also be your group exercise session, serving double duty. We would stop along the way to play on swings, slides, etc. Being active will get your children to open up to you, too.

Is it possible to form a walk to school watch group? Talk to people along the walking path to have their eyes and ears open during certain times of the day to help keep an eye on the children. I would nonchalantly do my chores outside with a friendly “hello” and everyone is happy, well and safe.

The benefit for us all? A windfall just may be your best health with a closer family and neighborhood relationship. How great is that? 🙂

Best of health to you and goodbye.

(image: unsplash)

*source: American Council on Exercise

Happy Veterans’ Day

Thank you to all of you who take good care of us in United States of America and abroad.

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Military personnel and their dependents get one free hour of service once a year with Personal Trainer ~ NAPS 2 B Fit.

Best of health to you and goodbye.

(photo by Natalie ~ Personal Trainer ~ NAPS 2 B Fit)

 

Personal Trainer ~ NAPS 2 B Fit Health + Fitness Tip

A person needs to walk the length of a football field to burn enough calories to offset eating a single piece of candy-coated chocolate.*

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Does that information motivate you to take it easy this time of year with all the temptations around us?

Does this tip motivate you to stick with your exercise program?

I hope so.

Enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas and the rest of your holidays with loved ones as well as your daily dose of proper exercise, rest, and yes, of course, your dessert ritual. Indulging in your favorite, little, simple pleasure every day will do amazing things for your health and well-being.

Best of health to you and goodbye.

source: American Council on Exercise

(photo: Natalie ~ Personal Trainer ~ NAPS 2 B Fit)