When Fitness is a Lifestyle

It’s hard to believe that April is almost half over...Life sure has a way of slipping by! I wanted to say “thanks” to all of our clients, and those of you who refer your friends and family members to Functional Conditioning.  March was the best month we have ever had!

Functional Conditioning is a not just the name of the business, but a philosophy of how personal training should be. We aren't doing goofy diets or bodybuilding workouts. It’s about having energy to play at the park with your kids. It’s about skiing all day and not worrying about injury. It’s about doing things you never thought you could. I have a 60 year-old client who went rock climbing for the first time and kicked butt!!

Accountability is one reason having a personal trainer is a good idea. It’s easy to blow off a workout if you don’t have to do it, and nobody would know the difference. In the 8+ years I have been a fitness trainer, I have found that families that exercise and help each other to make good food choices tend to have a higher success rate than those who try to do it on their own.

Imagine if you are an alcoholic trying to kick the habit and your spouse insists on having a drink every night. Don’t you think it would be far more difficult to resist than to have someone who supports you by not having it in the house? The same can be said if you are trying to lose weight and the cupboards are full of unhealthy foods. Chances are if you need to lose weight the same can be said for others in your household. I am not just talking about weight loss, but about overall health. Who needs to eat a bunch of processed foods that are filled with crap? I am very surprised that many couples do not support each other when it comes to getting healthier. It seems that one person can sabotage even your best efforts. If you are not getting support at home then you may consider kicking that person to the curb or get some counseling.

Could having an exercise partner be beneficial for you? I am using the phrase "exercise partner" as a friend/family member or a fitness trainer. Let’s look at the benefits of having one:

1. Accountability. If someone is depending on working with you it is far more difficult to bail on them.
2. More Fun. Instead of just going through the motions, you can enjoy your workout with someone you enjoy spending time with.
3. Better Workouts. Chances are you will push yourself more if someone is there to encourage you to do your best.
4. Learning new ways to exercise. Maybe a friend or co-worker will introduce you to triathlons or doing your first 5K. I can’t tell you how many times a client has fallen in love with an activity that they were unaware of. Examples are biking, boxing, yoga classes, weight lifting with a fitness ball, running a 5k for charity etc. At times, you may want to go solo. If your exercise partner is not reliable, and wants to go eat donuts instead of working out, then you may want to find someone else to workout with. Or if your workout partner has bad energy and uses your workout time to complain about everything under the sun - tell that person Ba Bye!! Have a back up plan. If your workout partner cannot make a scheduled appointment do not use that as an excuse to skip a workout. Do not rely on just that person for all your exercise needs. It’s better to have some exercise equipment at home that you can use.

Some of the best exercise partners are your kids. I can't tell you how many times as a kid my mom and I would take long walks to just talk about everyday things. Those are very fond memories. Another great exercise partner is Fido. Your dog needs the exercise as much as you do. I promise you that if you grab a dog leash Fido will not let you fall back to sleep.

Clients of the Month...

Are all of you who workout together and keep sticking to it:

Derek and Stefanie
Bill and Kathy
Dave and Jodi
Father Clarke and Father Guyer
Laura and Tom
Mike and Susan
Troy and Jenn
Chris and Meredith
Scott, Sally and AZ
Merilyn and Christine
Phyllis and Mike
Betty and Richard
Donny and Christy
Herm and Rose
Roger and Naomi
Jennifer and Josh
Ben and Becky
Jason and Ivory
Effie and Amelia
Tony and Cindy
Jim and Ramona

Plus many others... Keep up the GREAT work!!!