Archive for the ‘lifestyle’ Category

Exercise and Pregnancy: Myth #4

Posted: November 19, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, personal training, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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Myth: Running while pregnant is unsafe.

Reality: with all the research I could find, the one definitive answer is simply it depends. If you have never run before, pregnancy is not the time to start. You do not want to start training for your first 5K, a marathon or a triathlon. Your body is experiencing miraculous changes and now is not the time to add a new program to your training regimen.

If you have been running prior to getting pregnant, the first piece of advice is check with your OB. Make sure all systems are a go prior to running. You may need to cut back on your overall mileage or you may need to slow your pace. It is critical to make sure you are drinking LOTS of water so as to keep your body hydrated. During pregnancy you need more water than you typically would. I recommend looking into a very supportive sports bra for your everchanging breasts and be sure to have appropriate footwear. During your second trimester as your belly begins to grow you may notice you feel off balance as your center of gravity is changing. Stick to flat roads or even a track so as to be safe from slips and falls.

Important advice to follow while running is do not run to the point of exhaustion. Your body’s focus right now is the fetus and providing it with everything he or she may need! If you have any of the following signs immediately stop running and call your OB or midwife: vaginal bleeding, dizziness, fainting, blurred vision, contractions or swelling of the feet/ankles.

Remember this is not the time to set your Personal Record. Use your runs to escape from stress you may be feeling, energize a fatigued body and to MOVE. Many women enjoy running into their 7th and/or 8th month, but be smart. It’s not just about crossing the finish line, it’s enjoying the entire journey.

Exercise and Pregnancy: Myth #3

Posted: November 12, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle, personal training, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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Myth #3: When exercising keep your heart rate under 140 beats per minute.

Reality: This recommendation on the guidelines of safe exercise during pregnancy was removed in 1994 as there is no scientific proof to substantiate it. Everyone does not have the same resting heart rate nor do people have the exact same heart rate while performing a certain exercise. For example, I could be running on the treadmill at a speed of 6 mph and my heart rate may be 152 bpm, and the person running next to me at 9 mph has the same heart rate of 152 bpm. My friend has the ability to do more work (run faster) yet our heart rates are identical.

When exercising the pregnant woman should refer to the RPE scale or rate of perceived exertion. Each day is different and something that was “easy” last week might feel brutal this week. Pay attention to signs of dizziness, headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, and cramping and discontinue exercising if one of these symptoms occurs.

The Power of Strength Training

Posted: November 7, 2012 by Eric at Prime in challenge, dedication, fat loss, fitness, group exercise, health, inspiration, lifestyle, personal training, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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Welcome back to the Prime Fitness Blog. After some time away, Christy and I are back and ready to reconnect with everyone on all things health, fitness and wellness. I start this new blog era with yet another story of inspiration from one of Prime’s very own. If you have ever been to one of Prime’s large group training sessions, you more than likely have met Gina. If not, allow me to introduce her to everyone. Once you meet Gina you will quickly recognize her warm heart, her endless generosity and her unyielding desire to help others. Gina has been one of Prime’s stars and also one of our biggest supporters. Gina herself is a fitness professional, she has been teaching yoga and Pilates for 7 plus years. Gina realized back over the winter this year that even fit pro’s sometime need a kick in the butt to jump start a change in their body. She noticed a rise in blood pressure and like many of us, pure vanity was another motivating factor. With her motivation driving her she took a leap into a new world of exercise.

Gina discovered the realm of strength and metabolic training. Jumping in with both feet she started working out in this new way 3-4 days a week. The results were quick and dramatic. Changes in her shrinking waistline and leanness were clearly visible to all those around. Gina was already a relatively healthy eater so with the addition of weight and metabolic training she made these great changes( by the way, when I say weight training I don’t mean little 5lb weights, Gina used weights that were challenging and in many cases body weight exercises were some of the most challenging…. Think pull ups and push ups!). From these changes, Gina was hooked and she wanted to see if she could push the envelope a little further and continue the change. The next logical step was to analyze her diet and see how to tweak that. A few simple changes of limiting sugars and breads to increasing protein intake have taken her to the next level. Since this journey started back in Feb/March 2012 Gina has lost an astounding 7% of her body fat(that is a great deal for an already fit woman!), she is stronger and in much better health. She feels great but is ready for her next challenge. She is now starting to increase her cardio(just ran her first 5k this past weekend!!)

Needless to say we at Prime are very proud of Gina and are very grateful to have her as one of the Prime family. So proud, we made her our first employee and Gina now teaches a series of TRX based classes.

At the end of the day, we want everyone to recognize the importance of strength and metabolic training. Both types of training can be accomplished by people of any fitness level you just have to be ready to start and commit to making the change.

Exercise & Pregnancy Myth 2

Posted: November 7, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, personal training, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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Myth 2: Resistance training during pregnancy can cause joint injuries.

Reality: resistance training, or strength training, is extremely safe during pregnancy barring you have received clearance from your healthcare provider. Resistance training has many benefits including increasing overall strength which aids in labor and delivery as well as carrying the extra baby weight that comes along with pregnancy.

Many women worry about joint integrity throughout pregnancy due to the release of the hormone relaxin which allows your joints to move and expand in preparation for an enlarged uterus and growing fetus as well as for delivery. According to a 2011 University of Georgia study the relaxin risk of injuring joints during strength training is theoretical. Again be safe and listen to your body. You may need to decrease your range of motion during certain exercises while working within a safe and effective ROM for that joint.

Tackling the myths of exercise and pregnancy

Posted: November 7, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle, pregnancy, wellness, womens' fitness
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I thought I would take the next few weeks to tackle some of the top myths in regards to exercising during pregnancy. There has been such little research done on exercise and pregnancy leaving many women confused and relying on outdated information with little scientific value.

Myth #1: If you weren’t exercising before getting pregnant, now is NOT the time to start.

Reality: Now is the perfect time to start working towards a healthier lifestyle. First things first, make sure you check with your health care provider prior to beginning anything new and make sure you are cleared for exercise. Keep in mind, now is not the time to try to lose weight through exercise or dieting, don’t attempt to start a vigorous exercise program (I.e. training for your first marathon) and don’t set out to set your PR (personal record). Exercising during pregnancy should be used as a stress reliever, to make you feel better, and to promote a healthy lifestyle for you and your baby.

If you choose to start an exercise program or if you are continuing with your current program, make sure you are eating properly keeping in mind a typical pregnant woman only needs an additional 300 calories per day. You are not eating for two!! You also need to focus on water consumption and increase the amount of water you generally drink.

If you are brand new to exercise remember you can start with walking, swimming, light strength training and/or prenatal yoga. If you are new to strength training consider speaking with a certified personal trainer about safe and effective exercises to begin with. Remember to listen to your body! Only you know what feels ok. If you are exercising and experience any of the following stop and call your doctor: dizziness, feeling faint, chest pain, vaginal bleeding or any swelling or cramping.

The Mayo Clinic states exercise while pregnant helps a woman prepare for labor and delivery, may decrease back pain/discomfort; increase energy; decrease the risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and postpartum depression; and increased stamina and overall muscle strength.

This is a time for you to take care of yourself! Listen to your body and most of all enjoy every second of your journey.

My wedding gown debacle….

Posted: June 13, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle, Uncategorized, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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I have been debating on whether or not to write this post, but decided for my own sanity that I had to share a story from a week ago.  As many of you know, Eric and I are getting married on August 17, 2012.  I have purchased my wedding gown and on Sunday, June 3 I ventured to Neiman Marcus to discuss alterations with a tailor. 

I am lucky that I spend my life in sneakers and workout clothes, so I am not very accustomed to shopping in Neiman.  Despite this, I realize our wedding day is very important so I am stepping out of my comfort zone. :)   When I walked into the store, even getting someone to assist me took 10 minutes.  After wandering through the couture section and into “the galleria” I finally found where I was supposed to be.  I was assisted into the fitting room where a seamstress would be with my shortly.  For only the second time I slipped into my wedding gown, which I should inform you no one has seen me in the dress, and stood admiring myself in the mirror.  Soon after there was a knock on the door and in walked the seamstress.  As she walked around me, analyzing, the first words out of her mouth were “you have a very large round behind”.  I agreed and said unfortunately that wasn’t going away especially before August.  She began to touch my thighs asking what the lumps and bumps were.  I assume she was “admiring” my quadriceps that I have worked so hard in the gym developing.  Little did I know muscles are not acceptable when wearing a gown….we must “minimize and compress you”.  Within minutes the sales associate knocked on the door with various versions of Spanx and other compression materials.  I agreed to try one on that didn’t seem as if it would suffocate me for our August wedding.  Once I put the dress back on I was told how much better it was now that my “lumps and bumps” were smoothed out, minimized, and compressed.

I am by no means of the mindset that my body is perfect….in fact I’m not even sure what the perfect body is…..but I have become more and more comfortable in my own skin over the years as I realize that health, body composition, ease of movement, and strength are far more important than the number on a scale, but that experience shattered me.  Over the next 8 weeks before our wedding my goal is to rebuild my self confidence knowing that muscles are beautiful and I would much rather be FIT than skinny.

I Scream, You Scream….

Posted: May 15, 2012 by christyatprime in challenge, dedication, fat loss, fitness, health, inspiration, lifestyle, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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We ALL scream for ICE CREAM!  Yes, it is that time of year when it’s hard to drive past the frozen yogurt shop or resist the temptation of a fantastic twisty cone!  If ice cream isn’t “your thing”, I am sure you can relate.  You have one special treat that seems almost impossible to give up…whether it be something salty, your nightly glass of wine, a weeknight beer, or pizza Tuesdays….so how do we live life in balance where we can still enjoy our “treats” and reach our goals?  I have found that as I continue to get lean I am wanting ice cream more often….almost as if my mind is playing some trick on me.  I am committed to starting my “get serious plan” on June 15th as I approach the 8 week mark to our wedding.

I am now coming to YOU, my clients and friends, to find out what advice you may have to fight my nightly ice cream craving….you have all made fantastic progress over the last 6 months and I couldn’t be more proud.  How are you finding balance between a little self indulgence, eating well, and exercising?  Are you setting daily, weekly or monthly goals?  Please share your success stories!

Worth The Time??

Posted: April 23, 2012 by Eric at Prime in challenge, fat loss, fitness, health, lifestyle, muscle, Uncategorized, weight loss, wellness, womens' fitness
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This weekend I had a great time at my soon to be in laws home. Sunday morning  I was the first person awake(as usual) at about 5:30 a.m. I made my way down to the living room and decided to flip on the T.V. to catch anything to help me wake up a bit. As I surfed the channels, I was blown away at the number of “Fitness Infomercials”. It seemed every non major network had some form of health, fitness or beauty infomercial playing! Flat abs this, boost your butt that, burn all you need in 6 minutes a day and of course a few products to “reduce” fat and or cellulite! I knew all of this advertising was abundant, but was shocked at just how much was out there and the message it is sending.

As a fitness professional I was immediately disgusted at all of these items/programs that promise the easy road and the answer to all your fitness, health and beauty problems. I was originally going to blog about this insanity and more or less rant and rave about the lunacy that is the “easy road” to fitness. Instead, I decided to take a different approach. I want to begin The Prime Fitness Effectiveness Study. In this study, I want to reach out to YOU the reader and ask YOU which of these programs or products  you want to know the truth about. We will choose 10 products or programs and we will research each for its effectiveness, safety, validity and fun factor. Need examples

P90X, Insanity, AB Lounge, AB Rocker, Brazilian Butt Lift, The Shake Weight, Weight Watchers, etc…the list goes on and on and on. We will test each program/product in our exclusive Prime Fitness Laboratory and report back to you our findings!

I am opening the floor to you now!! Let me know what has your curiosity peaked. Respond by commenting to the blog and we will make our choices by May 1st.

Music and Exercise

Posted: April 4, 2012 by christyatprime in fitness, group exercise, health, inspiration, lifestyle, Uncategorized, weight loss
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It is rare these days to walk into a health club or to drive down the street without seeing an iPod in the ears of someone exercising.  In all honesty, I don’t know if I could make it through one of my runs without some type of tune pumping into my head.  But what are the effects of music on exercise?

I looked to Dr. Len Kravitz for some more information on this.  “In a well-designed study, Ellis and Brighouse (1952) noted that respiration rate increased significantly with the onset of jazz music and tends to return to pre-music levels with the cessation of music. Heart rate was only moderately effected by the introduction of the music. The average heart rate is between 72-80 beats per minute while music tempos may range from 70 to 170 beats per minute. A review of studies indicates that heart rate tends to only moderately follow the music; increasing in response to fast music and decreasing in response to slow music (Dainow, 1977) . Dainow cites several investigations that actually show any type of music (sedative or stimulative) will show a moderate increase in heart rate. Much of this increase in heart rate by all types of music can be explained due to the fact that music does produce some kind of emotional effect, thus increasing the heart rate.”

What are your thoughts on working out with or without music?  Do you benefit more from the energy?  Does it allow you to “keep time” throughout your workout?

As Confucius says, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”  So whether you like to pump the jams while you workout or you prefer silence, just KEEP MOVING!

The Importance of Commitment

Posted: March 16, 2012 by christyatprime in challenge, dedication, fitness, health, inspiration, lifestyle, Uncategorized, wellness, womens' fitness
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“There’s a difference between interest and commitment.  When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit.  When you’re commited to something, you accept no excuses, only results.”

When is the last time you truly commited to yourself?  We spend so much of our time commiting to family, work, friends, really anything but ourselves.  It is often easier to give energy to others rather than to ourselves.  We feel like if we take time to do something for ourselves, we are being selfish.  Why is that?

It seems easy to commit to a two year contract at our local health club, but how many of us commit to going at least 12 times per month?  We generously spend our hard earned money on supplements, gym memberships, new workout clothes, new shoes, and iPods, but never make it to the gym.  How will we ever achieve our goals?  It is important to set goals whether they are daily or more long term goals like your first 5K or losing 10 pounds before your tenth wedding anniversary.

My plea is that over the next 8 weeks, you commit to YOU!  Make yourself a priority!  Focus on proper nutrition, not diets.  Be consistent with your workouts.  Drink water throughout the day.  Tell yourself that you are important and that you deserve results!  Be happy!  Love yourself.  Commit, no excuses.

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