What to do when you can't afford a Personal Trainer

So what happens when you're on a tight budget and you can't afford a personal trainer?

Well, luckily humans have been exercising for millions of years before personal trainers appeared and there are quite a few frugal ways to get by without them. So certainly we can come up with lots of things you can do on a budget of $100 or less.

1. Don't buy anything that's going to gather dust.

It doesn't matter whether you have $100 to spend or a million. You should only buy what you know you will use. So don't blow your entire exercise budget on a gadget on late-night TV. Think smaller, think variety, think of getting 20 different things for $5. Everything from skip ropes, dumbbells, a climbing rope, a football, yoga mat and more.

2. Look at what you already have.

Before you even open your wallet, explore your home and look at what items you already have. Rope? Gardening tools? (Gardening is a great source of exercise.) Cans of food and jugs of laundry detergent can replace dumbbells. You can use chairs for exercises like push-ups and dips, and a towel for resistance training with a partner. A homemade jump-rope, crafted from rope or cord. You might even find things you forgot about that you wanted to use but never got around to it: Rollerblades, that old bicycle that just needs some oil and the brakes adjusted, or that hatchet you bought for axe throwing (a growing sport).

3. Embrace DIY.

What you don't have, make for cheap. You don't need a $50 chin-up bar when any old bar will do. Old paint cans and a metal bar can be used for weights. Tennis balls for self-massage. Even just lifting the old broken air conditioner and carrying it up and down stairs repeatedly will be exercise.

4. Buy the basics.

A lot of simple equipment can be found for not much money. Plain dumbbells typically go for about 50 cents to $1 per pound of weight. Men can start with a range between 12 and 25 pounds, while women can buy some in the 5-to-20-pound range. Inflatable stability balls and hard medicine balls cost less than $25, depending on the size and weight. Adjustable chin-up bars that fit in doorways can be more pricey, but if you look for sales you can get them for less.

5. Harness technology.

Amazon.com has a range of DVD bestsellers for exercise, but again only buy what you will use. If in doubt stick to YouTube videos as there are thousands of them offering a variety of workout videos. Don't forget interactive video games like Dance Dance Revolution or Wii Fit if you have those kicking around in your closet too.

6. Invest in some home improvement.

Go buy a large $20 mirror so you can look at your exercise form in your living room while exercising.

7. Don't forget your shoes.

Buy a pair of running shoes that fits you well and is appropriate to your activity, not the most expensive brand. Look for durability if you're planning to put these shoes through the mud and slush by jogging daily.

8. Scrap equipment entirely.

Go to a park and see your gym budget go to zero. Use the monkey bars and other things meant for kids to do your chin-ups. Stand on rocks to challenge your balance, and use other rocks as weights. Hang from a tree branch to do chin-ups. Sprint across the grass. People have been exercising for thousands of years without equipment. The great outdoors is the biggest gym in the world.

9. Browse Craigslist.

You can find lots of cheap (and barely used) exercise equipment on Craigslist.

Of course having the equipment won't really matter if a person lacks motivation to exercise. That is why personal trainers become so important.

Eating Healthy in a Hurry

Many people lead very hectic schedules and thus have a hard time matching their desire to eat healthy with their daily routine. If you find yourself in the same boat here are three easy meals that can be prepared in 10 minutes or less.

 

Behold, three recipes for Eating Healthy in a Hurry
 

1. Eggs and Veggies with Salsa on a Tortilla
 

Frozen vegetables are your friend! A mix of different vegetables should be added to a small pan until they are heated for 4-5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of eggs or egg whites (2 Tbsp) and cook an additional 2 minutes turning once. Cut a piece off the omelet and add it to a tortilla or whole grain toast. Add salsa, pepper or whatever seasoning you prefer, eat and enjoy! The extra omelet on the side makes it seem like you are eating more than you really are so you end up feeling satisfied.
 

2. Cottage Cheese Fruit Bowl

Frozen fruit is also your friend! This one requires a little more planning ahead. The night before put about 1/2 - 1 cup of frozen fruit or berries of your choice in a bowl and cover on the counter. In the morning add 1/2 - 1 cup of cottage cheese. Ground flax can also be added for more texture, healthy fat and fiber. Makes a surprisingly filling breakfast. Best of all it's high protein!

3. Veggie + Protein Stir Fry

Looking to reduce your carbs intake? It's not a bad idea to have a low carb meal every once in a while. Add a generous amount of veggies to the pan and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Add your protein of choice (leftover chicken, tofu or even roasted ham works really well) and a tsp of soy sauce, or a preferred cooking liquid (I like Worcestershire sauce), and cook until done.

All of these quick and easy meals are under 300 calories. They are low in fat and high in protein. Huzzah!

The Importance of Positive Attitude when Exercising

Have you ever been in a fight?

Like a real fight. The kind where someone gets a black eye or a split lip.

Maybe.

Now imagine getting into a fight and thinking you are going to lose. Once you get into that mentality that you're going to lose, it becomes pretty much guaranteed that you're going to lose.

The same idea applies to all exercises. Losing weight or gaining muscle is a bit like being in a fight, metaphorically speaking. If you think you are going to lose the battle and fail, you will fail.

Therefore if you're going to embark on an exercising regimen you need to first foster a positive attitude. Its a must-have.

For me, my source of positivity is zen philosophy. Books like "The Unfettered Mind" and "Zen Bow, Zen Arrow".

But for those you without such handy books, you can also look for inspirational quotes online. Like the following:

"It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect it's successful outcome." -William James

"To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you?re not, pretend you are." -Muhammad Ali

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." -Martha Washington

"The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind." -Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

Organic food doesn't make any difference, says scientists

Is eating organic food, which costs more, really better for your health?

Well, yes and no.

The theory goes that eating organic foods will contain less or no pesticides. However organic foods are often genetically modified to create their own pesticides, thus killing any insects or pests that normally bother them. So instead of pesticides on the skin of the fruit or vegetable (which are usually washed off before selling), the pesticides will be INSIDE the plant itself. Which means you can't wash it off and you are eating it.

So determine which was really more healthy Stanford University doctors dug through reams of research to find out — and concluded there’s little evidence that going organic is much healthier, citing only a few minor differences involving pesticides and antibiotics.

Eating organic fruits and vegetables can lower exposure to pesticides, including for children, but it still has pesticides in it. The difference between organic and non-organic was negligible. The amount of pesticides measured from conventionally grown produce is within safety limits, the researchers reported in August 2012.

The organic food didn't prove to be any more nutritious either.

“I was absolutely surprised,” says Dr. Dena Bravata, a senior research affiliate at Stanford and long-time researcher of organic foods who began the analysis because so many of her patients asked if they should switch to organic food.

“There are many reasons why someone might choose organic foods over conventional foods,” she explained, citing everything from environmental concerns to taste preferences, Bravata stressed. But when it comes to actual health reasons, “there isn’t much difference.”

So really the end result is that organic food isn't healthier.

And the environmental concerns is really about whether the pesticides are killing insects. Which if the organic food has been genetically modified, then yes, its still killing insects. And since 90% of organic foods are GM and there is no labels identifying which are GM, chances are likely that if you bought organic food that it contains GM pesticides.

So the last thing then is taste... In which case, if both organic and non-organic foods have pesticides either on the skin or inside the plant, isn't taste really just inside our head? Like a placebo telling us "This tastes better because its a Brand Name".

Well, there is one notable difference.

Bravata's team of researchers discovered a difference with respect to antibiotic-resistant germs, which are a public health concern because they are harder to treat and cause food poisoning. According to the research there was no difference in plant contamination, both organic and non-organic has the same contamination levels.

The difference was solely in non-organic chicken and pork which had a 33% higher rate of having bacteria which is resistant to multiple antibiotics, the researchers reported in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The finding comes amid debate over feeding animals antibiotics, not because they’re sick but to fatten them up. Farmers say it’s necessary to meet demand. Public health advocates say it’s one contributor to the nation’s growing problem with increasingly hard-to-treat germs (which in turn is why we are getting increased problems with influenza epidemics in recent years). According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest there has been 24 outbreaks linked to multi-drug-resistant germs in food between 2000 and 2010.

The American government has begun steps to curb the nonmedical use of antibiotics on farms, but it is difficult to track whether farmers are complying.

Genetically modified organic foods account for 4.2% of retail food sales, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It certifies products as organic if they meet certain requirements including being produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, or routine use of antibiotics or growth hormones.

Consumers also pay a lot more for organic products and demand keeps rising: Organic foods accounted for $31.4 billion sales in 2011. Up dramatically from $3.6 billion in 1997.

Canada has also seen a similar surge in organic food sales. The value of organic food products sold in Canada was estimated at $2 billion in 2008, up 66% in just two years, according to Agriculture Canada. Organic food sales represented 2.5% of total food sales at the retail level in 2008. (More recent data isn't yet available in Canada.)

The Stanford team analyzed data on 237 of the most rigorously compared organic and conventional foods. The results from organic produce ultimately had 30% less pesticides. The difference between organic and non-organic is negligible.

Part of the problem may be more complicated than we think. According to one study of peaches in Chile some fruits and vegetables can end up getting pesticide residue on them from the spraying of nearby fields. So even though the fruit you buy might be labelled organic, it still may have pesticide residue on their surface too, in addition to GM pesticides inside the plant.

Whether this varies from country to country is debatable. Some people would argue that buying organic produce from the USA or Canada is safer, but that isn't a guarantee either because American/Canadian farmers often can afford higher grade (more deadly) pesticides and just because its grown in North America doesn't mean that there isn't another farm next door that is spraying pesticides willy-nilly.

Some farms that aren’t certified organic have also begun selling antibiotic-free meat or hormone-free milk, to address specific consumer demands, notes Bravata. She even cites her own preference is to buy from local farmers in hopes of getting the ripest produce with the least handling.

Conclusions

So is it worth it to spend twice the money on organic food just because it has 30% less pesticides?

Well, let me put it another way. How far was that food shipped? Do you know what it was shipped in? If it is fresh produce from Africa or South America it was sent here by a cargo plane, which means it is using jetfuel (which contributes to global warming) just to get here. The jetfuel comes from petroleum, which means a lot of it comes from the Middle East. War torn countries like Iraq. What was that about not wanting to hurt the environment or living creatures?

If people are serious about buying fresh produce that won't hurt their "karma" they need to be thinking LOCAL. It will still have pesticides in it, as we've already determined, but at least then the only environmental damage is a trip in a truck to the local market.

Triathlons: Why or Why Not Train for Them?

Signing up for a Triathlon is not for everyone. After all, if it was easy then everyone would do it.

The Triathlon isn't just for people looking lose weight or tone up, or just to maintain your current fitness level. Training for a triathlon is definitely designed towards the more athletic people out there, but for those with the speed and fortitude to train for it can provide multiple benefits.

#1. It’ll Give You Motivation to Work Out

The beauty of signing up for a triathlon is it will give you set goals in three areas of training. You’ll be motivated to master three types of fitness training, which gives you variety in your workouts and will give you set lengths of time and specific distances to cover.

#2. It’ll Force You to Cross Train

It’s easy to get into a fitness rut, which can wear out certain parts of your body. Some exercises (especially running) is especially hard on your joints, so it’s good to mix up your routine and get a balance of different exercises going on at once.

Training for a triathlon is perfect because:

Running is hard on your body, but is a fabulous calorie burner, tones your legs and core, and helps build bone density (which will prevent osteoporosis).

Swimming is easy on your joints, but is a good calorie burner and works your upper body, which is neglected by a lot of sports. You have to build up your upper body strength.

Biking is easy on your joints, but is a great cardio-vascular workout and tones your legs. The trick to cycling is developing a smooth circular rhythm with your legs.

#3. It’ll Deliver an Extraordinary Sense of Accomplishment

If you’ve never competed in a race before then you don’t know what an amazing experience it is to participate in a challenging sport with a large group of like-minded individuals. There is a huge sense of comraderie amongst athletes. You will find yourself propelled by the collective energy of the group, cheered on by strangers in the crowd, and inspired by the people of various ages and body shapes who are doing the same race you are. When you cross the finish line, you’ll celebrate the knowledge that you set a goal and met it.

Regardless of whether you won it or not.

Choosing a Triathlon You Can Handle

Before you get intimidated by my earlier comments, take a look at the many different levels of triathlons available. You’ll find just about every fitness level possible, from sprint triathlons to Ironmen. Triathlons aimed at novices usually feature a 250-meter swim, a 10-mile bike ride, and anywhere from a 2-mile to 5K run.

It is strongly recommended that you consult a physician before embarking on Triathlon training. You should also talk to a personal trainer to determine which length triathlon will work best for you. A personal training can also give you tips on how to best train for the big race.

Question: I keep losing weight due to stress?

Q

"iv broke up with my boyfriend and it seems every time we row and break up weight falls off me :(. i don't have much of an appetite because im upset but im still making myself eat, but the weight will still fall off so im guessing its through stress. i love to exercise and i feel happier after a workout but i feel like im wasting away so i don't want to go burning too many calories. anyone got any good advice to help me feel better?" - P.

A

Most people who are overweight would consider that to be a blessing in disguise.

Nevertheless here is some helpful advice:

1. Stop stressing over lost boyfriends. They're a dime a dozen as you will eventually discover.

#2. Focus on your routine and hanging out with friends after break ups. You will eat socially and follow your natural habits when doing that.

#3. Were you going out to eat a lot while you were dating? You were probably eating fattening foods on the dates. Most restaurant foods are pretty fattening. That might explain your "Lost Boyfriend Yo-yo Diet".

#4. Don't date anyone for awhile and wait for your weight to stabilize.

#5. Get a hobby/sport or take up a cause, perhaps something stressful in a different way, and watch what happens to your diet. You will feel less stressed about idiot boyfriends and more worried about global warming (or whatever the cause is that you pick).

#6. Learn to cook. Nothing packs on the pounds like perfecting your pancake recipe. (I can't believe I am advising someone on weight gain... so please try to make more healthy pancakes, okay?)

#7. Don't forget to exercise! Go jogging every morning and eat a big breakfast afterwards.

Question: Left Leg lagging behind?

Q

"I have always just done running, jogging, cycling etc on legs. While working out upper body. Now I am trying to gain mass on my legs. I'm 77kg and I can do 15 single leg squats on my right leg with an additional 20kg. I don't have the balance to do the added weight with my left leg, I just tip over. Help?" - Joe.

A

This is actually normal.

Everyone has dominant arms, eyes and legs. Even dominant ears that you hear better out of.

BUT if you really want to try and correct the problem there is a solution.

#1. When exercising do DOUBLE whatever you are doing on the left leg compared to the right. So if doing single leg squats do 15 on your right leg and 30 on your left. If you are falling over use a wall or friend for support.

#2. Whenever you get the chance to do something with one leg over the other, use the left leg in your daily routine. This will require some memory to do so.

#3. Do yoga to improve your overall strength and balance.

#4. Attach a small leg weight to your left ankle and wear it 8 hours each day for a week. After the week is over do a series of strength and balance tests to see improvement.

#5. Consult a professional bodybuilder who has encountered the same problem and find out how they fixed it. Always handy for extra advice.

Exercises for Preventing Dance Injuries

There is actually quite a few "Exercises for Preventing Dance Injuries"... And this blog post will only cover a few of them.

For a more complete list I recommend reading the book "Conditioning with Imagery for Dancers" by Donna Krasnow + Jordana Deveau.

Now understanding of course that this book is written for dancers (ballet, etc) it does have a fair amount of dancing jargon and lingo in it. But that doesn't mean the book isn't useful for other things too. Yoga, aerobics, gymnastics and preventing general sports injuries by increasing strength and flexibility in joints.

Within the book the chapters are broken down into parts covering everything from warm up, legwork, flexibility, "Developpe and Rond de Jambe", turnout, extensions, strength and stretches. Plus of course the introduction and appendix.

The good news is that even though I don't know what "Developpe and Rond de Jambe" is, the book is highly illustrated with multiple photos on every page. Not kidding. The book is 158 pages long and has (I am estimating) about 400 photographs in it showing all the poses. The images shown here is just a tiny sampling of what is inside the book.

That said, trying to review this book accurately is a bit like trying to review the bible or bhagavad gita. Nevertheless I will try to summarize ONE section of the book.

WARM-UP.

90% of the exercises in this book takes place on your back so you will probably want a yoga mat if your floor is dirty. "Warm-Up" begins with a Neutral Pelvis Lesson:

"Start by lying on the back (supine) with the arms and legs extended, arms at the sides of the body. Focus on allowing the breath to be natural and the body segments to lie easefully with as little tension as possible. While inhaling, imagine the breath filling the body, and sense how it releases tension in the muscles on the exhale. Image the pubic bone directly above the tailbone (coccyx), and the back of the head, rib cage, and sacrum heavy and in contact with the floor. there will be spaces under the neck (cervical spine) and low back (lumbar spine), due to the natural curves of the spine. This organization of the pelvis is neutral pelvis in the supine position."

Easy to understand and you probably just learned some new words for various body parts. It helps that the authors used both the layman's terminology and technical jargon.

In the following paragraphs on Parallel Legs Sliding, Side to Side Rolling and 3 more warm-up exercises the authors are very detailed about exactly how to do each exercise so that anyone with a firm grasp of English will understand it even if they aren't experts at the lingo.

On the sides of the paragraphs there are also helpful tips for how to visualize what you are doing so you understand it more perfectly. (Kudos on the attention to detail!)

The end result in the book is a series of very pricise exercises designed to increase flexibility and muscles in various areas of the body, especially those which dancers often develop injuries. If I was a professional ballet dancer I would consider this book and its exercises to be a regular part of my exercise routine.

I will be posting more exercise book reviews in the future. Please subscribe / follow this blog and return for more. :)

The 8 Benefits of Lemon Water in your Diet

There are lots of so-called "miracle" detox/weight loss/energy supplements and strategies out there. But very few of them are as cheap, easy to use and commonplace as the ordinary lemon.

I am not going to try to convince you that lemon water is the ultimate solution for all of your health and wellness desires and needs. It isn't and neither is anything else. There is no one shot "miracle fruit" and anyone trying to sell you "snake oil" is in the wrong century.

However, for such a simple solution, lemon water does have some amazing benefits. Best of all, it's natural and really inexpensive to try and test it out.

8 Benefits of Lemon Water

1. Lemon water will assist weight loss. It is a no-calorie drink. With it's presence of pectin fiber, hunger can be controlled while offering the body a flavorful drink that provides many other benefits for the body.
2. A good source of citric acid, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium
3. Helps dissolve uric acid, which causes inflammation in the joints
4. Assists digestion and elimination
5. Naturally strengthens the liver
6. Has antibacterial properties and Vitamin C. Great for colds and flues
7. Lowers blood pressure
8. Reduces symptoms of asthma and allergies

How to Use Lemon Water

Lemons are best at room temperature. The thinner the skin, the more the juice. Roll the lemon a few times on the counter to break up the fruit inside.

After juicing the lemon they store in the fridge for about a week.

Tips when using Lemon Water

1. If using the peel (zesting the lemon) buy organic or scrub. Pesticides (and who knows what else) can be absorbed into the peel.
2. In any case, it's probably not a good idea to keep the peel in the glass all day.

Tada! How hard is that?

How to Trick Yourself into Eating Healthy

You should already know some of these tips. Some of them are pretty well known.

#1. Eat before you go out so you aren't starving later.

#2. Sample your faves instead of pigging out.

#3. Split dessert with a friend or lover.

But I also want to share a few reverse psychology tricks that will help you eat healthier.

If you go through a long period of eating healthy foods you will start to want the junk food simply because you want a break and want something sweet. Part of it is simply wanting something that you can't have because it is Forbidden Fruit.

There are three solutions to the dealing forbidden sweets and junk food however:

1. Eat junk food more often.

This really seems counter-intuitive but this strategy works for a lot of people because indulging regularly takes away the need to gorge on a grand scale when your willpower completely collapses. And after enough time goes by, where you're fighting between a controlled and crazy appetite, something has to give. It's usually willpower. So what you do is have small amounts, small measured amounts, just to take the edge off.

2. Don't think of it as junk food.

Another tip is to stop thinking about food as good and bad. People always want what they can't have. Although it would be a stretch to ever try to convince yourself that celery sticks are the new chocolate bars it's easy to pull some reverse psychology on your psyche and convince your brain that the chocolate is not all that it's cracked up to be and opting for the real food is just as satisfying, if not more.

3. Focus on Socialization

You're at a party/holiday gathering to be with your friends and family so do just that. The food isn't the main reason why you're visiting. Catch up on stories, reminisce about the past and enjoy the company of loved ones that you don't normally see all in the same room at once. If you forget the food is there then it is time well spent.

Use these tips to change the way you think about eating and keep your balanced diet on track!