Fitness Program Continued from page 21
Health Conditions & Risk Factors Health conditions and other risk factors are para- mount in today’s world. More people than ever are overweight, suffering from Type 2 Diabetes and/or several other medical conditions that are preventable and stem from an unhealthy lifestyle. Torough fitness professionals and personal trainers will require new clients to fill out a PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readi- ness Questionnaire) and a health screen to identify any existing risk factors, as they could be serious and exacerbated during physical activity. Such risk fac- tors include a person’s age and gender, combined with tobacco use, family history or heart attack, having diabetes, high blood pressure, and/or having a high body fat percentage.
Medications Common medications like beta blockers, ACE
inhibitors, and diuretics can all have an effect on a person’s exercise program. Take beta blockers for ex- ample. Tey are widely used to treat high blood pres- sure (hypertension); they work by blocking epineph- rine from attaching to your heart’s receptors causing it to beat slower and less forcefully. Te final result is not only a lowered heart rate, but also a decreased exercise heart rate. Terefore, beta blockers are going to make it difficult for the people who need them to achieve their target heart rate during vigorous exercise despite actually physically working hard enough. Tis is a frustration; however, the bigger concern with this particular type of medication is over-exercising in an effort to reach a target that is working against an agent preventing it from being met. Other common medications, like birth controls
and anti-depressants, have been reported to cause the user to gain weight. Te medications can make the weight hard to lose, which can have a negative mental effect on the person. People who experience this, but aren’t aware that it’s the medication they’re taking, are oſten leſt feeling frustrated, inadequate, or worse, like a failure. Tese negative feelings can start to impact their performance during exercise, or cause a person to give up on a fitness program altogether. Te only true failure is giving up.
Mindset A person’s mindset can have a powerful impact on how they perform physically, their attitude towards improving, and the belief they have within themselves to make it happen. A thorough trainer will know to also ask why you want what you want to help estab- lish your level of motivation. Part of your personal trainer’s job is to motivate you during your workout;
22 Essential Living Maine
the conversation about why you came in the first place may come in handy down the road if the client is strug- gling or losing drive. Some people like to be encour- aged along the way by their personal trainer, “You can do it” “Don’t stop” “Dig deeper,” while others find encouragement like that offensive and condescending, which aren’t exactly feelings you want in the middle of an vigorous workout. A thorough trainer will know to ask the questions in order to provide you with a most- satisfactory training experience. If you’re ready to improve your quality of life and
want help from a personal trainer or fitness facility, here are some things to keep in mind: Do your research. Tere are many personal training and fitness centers in most cities and towns today, though just because anyone can become a trainer, doesn’t neces- sarily mean that everyone should. What kind of infor- mation about you are they collecting in order to make a truly effective, individualized program for you? An initial consultation isn’t just an opportunity for
the trainer to evaluate you. It’s also a time for you to decide whether or not the trainer or the place is the right fit for you. Personal training is an investment in yourself and your future, and you get what you pay for so it behooves you to choose wisely. You know better than anyone what you want to get out of the experience; does the trainer you’re speaking with instill in you the confidence to provide it? Consider it a “red flag” if you work with a personal
trainer or fitness professional that does not have you fill out a PAR-Q or health screen prior to exercise. Understandably, people don’t generally like to vol- unteer their personal information, but in the case of starting a new exercise program, giving that informa- tion could be life-saving. Don’t be so hard on yourself if you’ve always found it
difficult to reach your goals despite how hard you work; it could just be your body shape doesn’t respond to the kinds of exercises you’re doing, and a simple adjustment to your routine could make all the difference. Our mindsets are powerful enough to prevent us from being successful, not just when it comes to exercise but even work, school, parenting, and even relationships. Conquer your mindset and the sky’s the limit.
Jessica Elsner is a certified personal trainer and co-owner of Foss Fitness ME, a boutique personal training studio located in South Portland. Foss Fitness ME specializes in improving the quality of life of Maine residents through our unique movement-based therapy pro- grams. Whether you’re looking to lose weight, regain strength, or just feel like yourself again, our expert training and guidance will get you there. Please call us at 207-767-0890 to learn more about what we do and to set up a free consultation. Visit us on the web at fossfitnessme. com. Foss Fitness ME is located at 936 Broadway in South Portland, ME 04106. See ad on page 13.
July/August 2016
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