Train With Nellie

Staying Fit on Vacation

Did you finally decide to hop on your scale, or into your favorite jeans, after returning from your Christmas Holiday, only to find that you've gained some unwanted pounds?

It doesn't have to be that way- and you don't need to deprive yourself from enjoying all a vacation has to offer!

How do you do it?

EXERCISE!   

Here are a few suggestions:

-So many hotels offer fitness rooms these days, and if you can get up before you start your day's adventures and get in even a 30 - 45 minute session on your cardio equipment of choice, you'll help offset extra calories you might consume during the day.

-Perhaps you're going to a beach locale- get in an early morning walk, jog or run along the beach!

-Explore the town you're visiting on foot, rather than taking cabs or other transportations services.

-If you have an activity you go regularly at home, like yoga or Master's Swimming, check ahead and see if you can find availability in the place you're going to travel to.

You may find that you not only don't gain weight, but perhaps you may come home even a bit lighter!

Happy travels!

From Completitor to Competitor!

Do you need a reason to exercise?  A fun one?  One that interests you more than your doctor telling you that you  must lose weight, or that awful feeling of your jeans not buttoning?

How about a race?

Or an event?

Maybe you'd like to raise money for your favorite charity while you shed pounds doing your training walks with friends?

Be open to the idea.  You don't need to come from an athletic background.   More and more people are finding the fun in exercising through signing up for a local event.   Remember, that's the key!  If something is fun, we're much more likely to keep doing it than if it is forced, uncomfortable and just generally unenjoyable!

There are all sorts of things to look into.  Has it been years since you've worked out?  Why not look into doing a 5K walk?   Perhaps you've done a few half marathon walks and would like to make the segue into a 10K run!   Many cities throughout the US have training plans, coaches, groups and so on to support you on your fitness journey.

Once you've done  your first event, you may get bitten by the racing bug and feel the need to register for another and another!  Before  you know it, you may be Jonesing to make the next move- from 'completitor' (as in, 'one who completes') to 'competitor'!

Race well & have fun!

How do I choose a personal trainer?

You've joined a gym, you've kept your promise to yourself to make your health a priority, yet you find yourself getting bored with doing 45 minutes on the elliptical 4 times per week. You've seen the selectorized equipment and the cables and have even ventured into the free weight area, only to feel overwhelmed and return to the safe cardio section.

What to do?

How about a personal trainer?

What better way to introduce yourself to the plethora of options in the realm of strength training, core training, functional training, you name it and there's a trainer, coach, or instructor out there who can help you.

But how do you tell if the fitness professional you're considering hiring is worth it? Or, possibly even more importantly, if they know what they're doing and can get you to your goals effectively (not to mention safely)!

CHECK THEIR CREDENTIALS!!
Are they certified through a reputable organization? Unfortunately, simply stating that one is 'certified' doesn't mean much these days. There are 'certifications' that one can earn simply by ordering a workbook from the back of a fitness magazine, filling out a simple multiple-choice Q&A and sending in some cash! Look for ACSM, NASM and NSCA Certifications.

CHECK THEIR EDUCATION!!
Do they at least have a BS in Exercise Physiology, Kinesiology or something related to fitness?

GET REFERRALS!!
If your friend has a trainer he or she loves, check out that one. Often, word of mouth is the best way of learning about the best-kept secret!

DO A SINGLE SESSION!!
That way, you're not committed to weeks or months of working with someone unqualified or someone who simply is not a good match for you.

The bottom line is that you've got to find someone who's not only qualified, but who you get along well with. It is, after all, personal!

"I don't want to go out and exercise in the cold, winter weather..."

I don't get it! The mere fact that it IS winter and the skies are grey and dreary (here in the Pacific NW, anyway!), and that the bone-chilling cold is around us, is reason in itself to get out and move!

Bundle up, get out there and go!

At this time of year, many people report feeling that the have a touch of the blues and would prefer to sleep in, all cozy in their beds in the morning, or cozy up with their 'comfort' food at night after coming in from work, instead of exercising. But where will that get you with regard to the health, fitness and well-being goals you've set for yourself for 2008?

New studies are coming out, indicating the effectiveness of exercise on mood (not really that revolutionary of a finding, but hey! Better late than never, I suppose!). I just heard a radio spot the other day during which a physician stated that exercise can be more effective then prescription anti-depressants (not to mention it doesn't have any side-effects!). Again- for many of us, this is not anything 'new', but the more exercise is promoted, the better, if you ask me!

Here's an idea- just try it once: get up early, dress warmly and go for that jog or take your dog for an early am run around the neighborhood. Or, instead of heading home from work, straight for the sofa and the chips and five hours of mindless banter on TV, bring your workout gear with you to work and promise yourself you'll stop by the gym on your way home for a good sweat. Either an am or a pm workout session should put you in a mindset to have a more healthful approach to having a more nutritious meal afterward and it will likely even put you in a better mood to help chase away the winter doldrums! A MUCH superior idea to zonking out and eating junk while being still, if you ask me.

Now, move it! : )

Should I workout if I'm feeling ill?

That is a loaded question! I do not claim to be an MD in any way, but I do sometimes have clients who'll ask me about this. I certainly feel it is up to the person feeling ill (as opposed to me!) to decide whether or not to skip a training session, but I can offer some tips which are what I do if I start to get that awful scratchy throat/low energy feeling.

First of all, for me, it depends whether I'm feeling off' just above the neck (i.e.- stuffy, scratchy throat etc.) or if my body's feeling achy and chilled. If it's the latter- definitely a time for me to back off and rest and add some interesting things to my daily diet (read on for fun! I say fun as I've often been jokingly accused of making witch's brew, but whatever! It helps!). If I do just feel like I have a slight cold, I'll still workout, but I'll modify the intensity and duration of whatever it is I'm doing for that session.

So what do I to 'attack the invader'? Since I strongly believe in the body's ability to heal itself, I take some things that I feel will help to promote my immune system naturally and not suppress my body's efforts to get back to good health. Some of the following things are tried and true, and won't be any surprise, others may sound a bit wacky but were gleaned from reputable sources, so here goes:

-DRINK MORE WATER (no brainer- right?)
-Cut down on or eliminate dairy (in many people, it causes excess mucous production and chances are, you're making enough on your own!)
-Eat copious amounts of green leafy veg. I say copious because when the average American sees a leaf of kale, they likely recognize it as a piece of garnish for their fries and shove it off to the side with the rest of the unwanted bits! Therefore, I'm assuming that for many people, a mere cup of this wonderful green leaf would appear 'copious'!
-Eat raw garlic. Yes- you will have bad breath. There is no way around it. But the compounds in this wonderful little bulb are so tremendous at healing and fighting flu and cold causing bugs, it's worth it!
-Drink Kombucha - again- knowing me, it's not a surprise that this amazing drink pops up again here!
-SLEEP- if there is any way you can go home early from work, or sleep in a little, these extra Z's will give your body essential repairatory time to fight the bad guys in your body!
-Sweat it out. Bundle up before you go to bed, wear socks & a hat, use a heating pad- SWEAT! If you can break your fever, you'll likely feel much better in the morning.
-Use a humidifier. They're not just for the kids' room. Dry air can strip the lining of protective mucous membranes , leaving us more prone to provide a nice habitat for unfavourable germs.
-take a warm bath with peroxide, 3-4 quarts. The antimicrobial properties can permeate the skin, helping to ward off the bacterium.
-Use the neti pot; nasal irrigation with natural salt water (1/4 tsp in warm water) helps to rid the nasal passages of unwanted funk!
-Avoid white sugar like the plague, even more than during the course of a normal day. Sugar is a perfect food for viri and bacteria!

That's that!

You may be thinking- wait, what about my night-time, sleep-inducing panacea? How about my dear pills that stop me from coughing and stop my nose from running? Let me ask you this: If your nose running, and your coughing is your body's way of getting out the bacteria or virus, why would you want to stop that?

There are some natural immune boosters I like:
-Good old vitamin C (I love the Emergen-C packets)
-Oil of oregano tablets (again a natural antimicrobial, germ fighter)
-Cayenne pepper in some chicken broth (maybe an old wives tale, maybe not!)
-Reishi mushroom (this is a new one for me- just recently recommended by one of my clients- thanks, Jeanette!)
-Baking soda- 1/4 tsp in 4 oz of warm water-taken throughout the day. You can't get more alkaline than good old sodium bicarbonate! An alkaline pH is always a favorable condition for the body to be in- especially when you're under the weather! (A special thanks here to two awesome friends/massage therapists- Jess & Sara- for this trick!)

So give it a try! The nice thing about all of the above homeopathic remedies are that they do not have side effects (except, perhaps, if you took too many of the tablets, but stick with the bottle's recommendation, or perhaps that of your ND!).

What if you've tried everything and can't shake it? Again, I am certainly not claiming to be an MD and the purpose of this blog is ONLY to share a few tricks and tips that I've learned over the years. The bottom line is that if you are sick, and feel you need to see the good old doc, than do so! No one knows your body as well as you do!

Good health to you!!

Exercise should be enjoyable!

After all, as human-animals, we are made to move! Many people find themselves in a rut with regard to fitness. They've somehow decided that exercise HAS to mean going to the gym and spending 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer, where they feel bored and disengaged and finally quit. While the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, or the spin bike at the gym are all indeed great pieces of workout equipment, if the user doesn't enjoy their workout, the simple truth is that they're less likely to keep doing it.

Many clients come to me and state that they used to be more active but after getting married, having a family, getting a promotion, or many other important life changes, they've let their fitness activities go. They receive a wake up call of some sort and come to the realisation that they'd better get moving and clean up their diet. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "My doctor says I have to lose weight and that my blood pressure is high and I hate working out and I hate the gym." What an unfortunate way to begin training!

What I always encourage people to do is to find the thing they enjoy and pursue that. Rollerblading, dancing, swimming, water polo, stair climbing, hiking with your dogs, ANYTHING that requires you to move and that you can do on a regular basis will do. It might require you to think back to when you were a kid, if that's the last time you recall playing or doing anything fun physically. The key is that if you like doing it, you will do it. Try not to view exercise as punishment and chances are, your whole approach will change,

Now go have fun!!

Fitness Training

I like to make exercising fun for my clients.....

Everyone has different goals (and hurdles!), and it is up to me to keep you coming back - by keeping up on the most current training methods, paying close attention to your feedback and not letting you get bored! Regardless of past obstacles or a general dislike of exercise, together we can make training fun, really!

You can train outside (Pacific Northwest weather permitting!) or at a local training gym. Sometimes we'll do intervals & circuits, other times we may focus on balance or 'core' training, just to name a couple of training styles; variety with focus - it's the way to go!
Fitness and Nutrition go hand in hand and I approach all clients comprehensively- offering nutritional counseling and dietary analysis in addition to training services to help get you to your goals more efficiently.

Getting Started...
Please feel free to email or call- the first step is deciding to make the commitment to fitness! I'll be happy to speak with you to set up a complimentary phone consult. Click here for the two forms you'll need to complete and bring to our first session -- Questionnaire and Liability. You can do single session for our first meeting, then decide if you'd like to continue with a ten, twenty or thirty pack (price breaks with larger packages). You can reach me at 310-344-8040 or you can e-mail me at nellie@trainwithnellie.com

Fitness Assessment
Are you a 'numbers' person? If so- perhaps this is a good starting point for you. Measurements may include body fat (caliper method), strength and flexibility assessments. Others prefer to measure their progress by the way a certain item of clothing fits, or simply by the fact that they're feeling more energetic. It's your choice- and your custom program!

Program Design
Do you prefer to meet on a more occasional basis, and need a guideline to follow when you're working out independently? You may want to try a program design so that you'll continue your progression between our sessions. (This options is available as a three month minimum.)
personal fitness training

Based on your personal fitness goals (and sometimes - fitness or medical limitations) I'll prepare each workout individually for you. I'll be there for the full session (one hour) and help in warm up, stretching, demonstrating exercises and modifications, and making sure each and every one is executed properly. Each workout will be different from the last. Remember, I want to keep you coming back for more!

Download the Questionnaire & Liability Waiver.