The Finish Line

Summer Spin

Get spinning into shape on Tuesdays @ 6:30pm starting July 1st! Contact me for details!AnnaSawinPhoto_ADuxbury_June2011_WEB154

Are you confused whether to exercise or not when sick?

Follow this simple rule:

If you have a fever or symptoms below the neck such as a cough then take a break from exercise. If you have symptoms above the neck and you are congested with just a head cold go ahead and have a light workout if you feel up to it. Do not exercise if you have  a bad cough or bronchitis as it can easily transgress into pnuemonia or more serious conditions.

Spin 2012 Kick Start

Great class this morning guys:  Roger, Jessie, Alicia, Allyson and our newest spinner Cher!

Twice a week spinning will make sure we stay focused and consistent with our longer term exercise goals.  For me, its a great way to kick start the day and begin my 2012 goal of competing again in Lake Placid Ironman 2012.  Thanks to all of you for your commitment and especially to Allyson for pushing me to run spinning twice a week in the early morning.  Thanks Rod.

Stay Active

Remember the old adage use it or lose it? Well exercise really is the fountain of youth! According to the US Surgeon General – regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States.

According to the AFAA (the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) exercise reduces the risk of diabetes and hypertension; helps people who already have high blood pressure reduce it; reduces the risk of colon cancer; reduces feelings of depression and anxiety; helps control weight; maintains healthy bones, muscles and joints; and helps older adults become stronger and better able to move around without falling.

FitFocused can provide cardiovascular, resistance, flexibility and balance training that will enable you to take the worry out of what exercise component you should be doing and when. When you take up personal training, you will feel great about yourself, knowing you are getting a program specifically tailored to your needs or why not try a class or two if you like the social aspect of working out with other people.

All participants in each class cover the same components of training, but modifications are taught so that every class is suitable for all fitness levels.

Combat Stress

Everyone has some stress in their life, maybe through work, or travel; through family life; through caring for a sick relation or through financial problems; whether we are dealing with school graduations and performances; report cards or school exams or just managing hectic spring and summer sports schedules for our children; stress is a factor in our lives.

Stress that is not managed properly can lead to depression. Studies have shown that exercise can help with stress and mild depression. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), researchers believe exercise can be more effective than medication for treating mild depression. Exercise certainly makes you feel better about yourself. Remember the last time you were feeling stressed – did a short walk around the yard or park leave you feeling just a little bit better?

Stress can leave you drained and anxious. Exercise has been proven to alleviate these symptoms so take the time to work out alone or with a friend and sweat out your stress. You are worth it and no one else can do this for you!

Lose Weight

Obesity has been increasing since the 1960’s and according to the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) is the second leading cause of preventable deaths in the USA such as Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension and Diabetes.

Everyone should accumulate moderate intensity exercise over the course of a day for one hour, 3-5 days a week. To lose one pound of weight an individual must burn 3500 calories. Therefore it is important to get your heart rate up high enough so that you are speaking in fragmented sentences as well as resistance training 2-3 times a week as this increases your lean muscle mass which also helps to burn more fat.

Cardiovascular activity alone will not benefit you in terms of your weight loss as much as combining resistance training with cardiovascular activity. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that resistance training should be an integral part of an adult fitness program and of enough intensity to “enhance strength, muscular endurance and fat-free muscle mass.” Exercisers must adhere to frequency, duration and intensity to feel the benefits.

Personal Training is a fantastic way to get you into shape without having to think about whether you are working hard enough or doing the right things to enhance your health. Leave it all up to FitFocused and we can show you a variety of fun ways to cross train for a healthier physique. Whether you enjoy exercising in the great outdoors or indoors FitFocused can tailor a fitness routine, which is just right for you and this in turn will encourage compliance and benefit your body and mind.

Fitness Assessments

These are assessments to determine your level of health and fitness and highlight areas for improvement:

  • Cardiovascular testing
  • Flexibility testing
  • Postural assessments
  • Fat testing and body mass index
  • Waist to hip ratio
  • Assessment of caloric requirements for weight maintenance or weight loss combined with exercise.
  • Muscular endurance and core-strength testing

A personalized report will also serve as a benchmark to track your progress once you are on a customized training program.

Improve Flexibility

The lack of adequate flexibility training may be due to the fact that aesthetically it is not as visible as other areas of fitness but is very important. Flexibility refers to a joint’s mobility and range of motion. Flexibility training should always be included in every fitness program, as loss of flexibility will result in injury.

Benefits of flexibility training are that it will prevent muscle shortening that often comes from inactivity, muscle imbalances, aging and/or disease. Lengthening the muscles will prevent injury from sudden mishaps such as a slip or fall. The American College of Sports medicine states that individuals should be stretching 2-3 days a week to the intensity of mild discomfort. Inflexibility is a common cause of low back pain which can be caused by sitting a lot, sleeping on your stomach and wearing high heels as well as muscle strains and lifting technique.

FitFocused can help by offering Yoga and Pilates based classes that focus on lengthening and strengthening the muscles. We also can offer personal training sessions tailored to stretching and strengthening specific areas of the body that are tight taking in your individual factors. We also offer sport specific flexibility training and can determine a stretching program that addresses all the major muscle groups that is right for you.