IS THERE AN OPTIMAL WORKOUT TIME?
Many articles have been written about this one question. I say that optimal is the time that works best for you and when you feel that you have the most energy to devote to your workout. So if you truly hate working out at 6am don’t because you will not have your most productive workout then. If you know that you always come home and inhale the refrigerator at night, you should definitely plan to hit the gym during the evenings instead. You have to figure out what works for you and your particular circumstance best.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD ONE WORKOUT/ DOES AGE/GENDER PLAY A ROLE?
How often you should work out depends on many factors. Are you just starting out, what are your fitness goals, how much time do you realistically have to exercise during the course of a week etc. I would not make any generalizations. You should discuss this with your fitness instuctor or work with a personal trainer who can come up with specifics for your individual needs. Age and Gender are not important factors. I have many people in my classes who are in their 60’s and 70’s and are in way better shape that many 20 and 30 year olders.
HOW SHOULD YOU SPLIT YOUR TIME BETWEEN CARDIO AND WEIGHT TRAINING?
That depends on what your goals are. Are your trying to maintain where you are or are you trying to lose fat or are you trying to increase muscular strength and endurance? A really good rule of thumb is that everyone should be doing 2 strength training sessions a week. In terms of cardio, a good place to start would be at least 3 sessions a week for 30 minutes each. Once you’re doing 30 minutes comfortably, you should try to increase gradually until you are in the 45-60 minutes range. Again, I would emphasize that everyone is different and you have to find the right combination that works for you. You should always check with your groupfitness instructor or work with a personal trainer for recommendations. Jump for more!
DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE FITNESS GADGETS?
I’m not really big on gadgets. I believe that it takes consistent hard work to get results. I do love resistance bands though. GREAT to take with you on vacation. Can do your whole body strength training with one band. Very easy when you are traveling. Also, I love any exercise that you use your own body weight. Pushups, Tricep Dips, Pull Up. You can do all of these while traveling.
PRE/POST WORKOUT EATING SUGGESTIONS?
You don’t want to eat too close to your workout session. It’s counter productive because what you eat can’t be used by your body for energy during your workout and because whatever you eat has to sit in your stomach while you are exercising because you body can’t work on digestion while you are working out. So if you feel like you want to eat before working out, you should try fruit such as a banana, apple or orange or a fruit smoothie about an hour or so before working out. Your body can digest that quickly. This is a bit of trial and error here. You have to find what works best for you. Post workout a smoothie or a bar is fine. Make sure you drink water before and after your workout. If you feel that you are always hungry after you workout, you’re actually dehydrated. So make sure that you drink enough water to replace fluids lost during a workout.
HOW DO YOU STAY IN SHAPE WHILE ON VACATION?
My best vacation tip is to stay active, do lots of walking, hiking, running, biking and outdoor activites. Eat as you would normally but give yourself permission to have fun. Remember that fun does not have to be centered around eating. Enjoy really great healthymeals but also get out and enjoy the place that you are visiting.
WHAT ARE SOME COMMON MISTAKES YOU SEE AT GYMS?
The biggest mistake is bad form. Doing the exercises incorrectly is one is see all the time. This is why it is always a great idea to work with a personal trainer or take a group exercise class. I see a lot of hangling on on the cardio machines. You should not be holding/hanging on/leaning on machines. You should have correct posture on all machines. Also, I see a lot of watching tv or reading while doing cardio. I maintain that you’re not working that hard if you’re watching tv or reading. Better to pump up the tunes in your iPod and crank of the intensity of your workout. You will start to see results that way. Also, I see a lot of people doing the same things over and over again. You want to vary your exercise routine so that your body is always challenged and so that you don’t plateau.
ANY PRODUCTS YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT?
Arnica is a homeopathic gel for muscle ache and stiffness. I have been using that forever. Started using it as a competitive athlete many years ago. I also love the combination of the Steam Room and Sauna.
WHAT’S YOU SECRET TO BEING FOCUSED AND MOTIVATED IN SPITE OF A BUSY SCHEDULE?
I love what I do so it makes it easy. But my real secret is that I am committed to a healthy lifestyle. I made that committment in my late teens and now that I am 46, it is a committment that has paid off. So my best advice is to start today towards being better, living better and feeling better!!!