fitness for everybody

 

Fitness is not meant only for models, actors, athletes and bodybuilders. It is for everyone. With the rising number of people with lifestyle induced diseases, fitness has become all the more important for all of us. This article shows you the rewards of a fit life!

The idea of working out seems quite scary for most of the people. Maybe they are inhibited by the popular image exhibited by media seems unattainable to them. But that’s only a ‘thought’ which people start believing and it is the ‘belief’ which makes a healthy and fit life unattainable for people not otherwise. Let’s get one thing straight right at the beginning that fitness is not confined to a certain training style, body shape, body weight or body fat percentage — it’s all about pushing yourself to be the best ‘YOU’!

One of the most prominent aspect of a fit life is that there is not one size fits all program. That means, you can do something totally different from the influencer you are impressed from and still, get the results you want! No matter your age, gender, fitness level, current weight, personal issues, family situation — fitness is for you!

Let’s focus on some of the incredible benefits that working out provides:

1. Strong muscles
2. Strong bones
3. Burn down fat
4. Boosts mood
5. Increases sex drive
6. Reduces stress
7. Sharpens memory
8. Helps improve sleep
9. Boosts energy
10. Combats against health conditions and diseases
11. Helps clear your mind

All the above benefits don’t come from just one week of working out or even one month. You have to be consistent and really make time for self-improvement if you want to actually see long lasting results. With that being said, there are so many ways that you can work out and the Read more at Fitness is for Everyone.

Foods that Help Fight Off Winter Health Problems

 

Our immune system slows down in winters and germs become active with changing seasons. It is imperative to adopt a robust workout routine with good nutrition in this season.

With the onset of winters, comes the risk of catching cold, viral and bacterial infection. In North India, months of December and January mark the season of extreme chill and hence, measures must be taken to prevent our health from taking a downslide. Remember that just ‘chai’ and ‘hot chocolate’ won’t be enough to boost your immune system against common winter health problems.

Why do we fall ill in winters?

Cold wind and lack of sunlight make us more susceptible to common cold and viral infections. Cold winds during the season affect our first line of defense. They make flu and bacteria stick around more easily for longer period of time.

Vitamin D is responsible for making anti-microbial molecules in our bodies. During the winter season, our exposure to the sun and ultra violet rays become very less. Lower vitamin D makes us prone to infections.

All you need is good winter foods and healthy habits and you easily can combat the winter problems.

Food to eat during winters

1. Nuts, Dry Fruits

Nuts are good fats, they help us stay warm during winters. They also help in curing the loss of hemoglobin in our blood. They are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which means amazing winter skin. You can have dry fruits as a daily dose by soaking them in water overnight and eating them in the morning. Add them crushed in warm turmeric milk and what else can be better than a big bowl of ‘Gajar Halwa’ with lots of cashew, almonds and raisins.

Honey

Honey is the perfect pack of sweetness and health. People also use it as a substitute for sugar. It is warm in nature and prevent a lot of flu and bacteria. It helps build up the immunity wall in in our body for a healthier winter. Drink a cup of hot water with honey daily or add it in your ginger -lemon tea for better taste and warmth.

Jaggery

It is another sweetener, that is loved by all and of course, is healthy. Jaggery or Gur is warm in nature. It is rich in iron and will help you maintain your warm and active temperature in the winter season. It also induces easy digestion when taken after meals.

Ginger

Ginger is healthy and warm. It promotes body metabolism and keeps you warm. Adding it to your regular ‘tadka’ while cooking is good option. Also, you can warm yourself up by adding it to warm water and lemon in the morning.

Tulsi

Tulsi is an anti-oxidant. It has multiple medicinal properties. Rich in zinc, vitamin A and iron, it helps in keeping away from cough and cold. It is known for boosting immunity and keeping us warm in winters. For an extra information, you can also plant tulsi hedges in your house to just cut-away pollution and impure air from the environment.

Ghee

People underestimate medicinal value of ghee. It is very good for health when taken in specific amount in our daily diet. Put ‘Desi Ghee’ in your rotis or eat one healthy laddoo made with ghee and gur. It will not only keep your warm but your body will have required grease to keep you moving. It is good for digestion and makes your glow.

Sesame seeds

Til or sesame seeds are known for their warm nature. They are rich in iron and calcium. Eat them as a substitute for dairy products and get that required nutrition right away. Jaggery and sesame seeds make a good combination as a winter food, full of health, taste and warmth.

Green vegetables

Winters are the best season to binge on green leafy vegetables in all forms along with turnip, radish, carrot, etc. Eat them cooked or brew yourself a cup of hot soup as an evening snack. Read more at. https://www.classicfitnessgroup.com/blog/10-foods-that-help-fight-off-winter-health-problems

Beginner’s guide to Fitness — by CFA

 

A Beginner’s Guide to Working Out - by CFA

If you are considering to start a fitness regimen, here is all you need to know about starting a routine and sticking to it!

 One of the best things that you can do for yourself and others around is to exercise regularly and stay fit. In fact, you can see the difference yourself once you start exercising consistently for a few months in succession, on your over all health and mindset as well.

 However, working exercise into your routine takes a lot of determination and sticking to it for a long term requires discipline. If you are considering to start a fitness regimen, here is all you need to know about starting a routine and sticking to it!

 Why exercise?

Regular exercise has been shown to improve your health significantly. Its primary benefits include helping you achieve a healthy body weight and muscle mass, reducing your risk of for chronic diseases. It can also lift your mood, boost your mental health, help you sleep better and even enhance your sex life.  And that’s not all as it helps you maintain good energy levels. In a nutshell, it is your mantra to happy and healthy life ahead.

 Common types of exercises

1.        Aerobic: The core of any fitness program should include some form of continuous movement. Examples include swimming, running and dancing.
2.        Strength: These workouts help increase muscle power and strength. Examples include resistance training, plyometrics, weightlifting, and sprinting.
3.        Calisthenics: These moves are usually performed without gym equipment using large muscle groups. They are done at a medium aerobic pace. Examples include lunges, situps, pushups and pullups.
4.        High-intensity interval training: HIIT includes repetitions of short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by low-intensity exercises or rest periods.
5.        Boot camps: These are timed-based, high-intensity circuits that combine aerobic and resistance exercises.
6.        Balance or stability: These are designed strengthen muscles and improve body coordination. Examples include pilates, tai chi poses and core strengthening exercises.
7.        Flexibility: These types of exercises help muscle recovery, maintain range of motion and prevent injuries. Examples include yoga or individual muscle-stretch movements.

 The above-listed activities can be done individually or combined in a regimen. The important thing is to do what is best for you and to have fun with it.

 How to get started?

1.        Start with aerobics to and keep yourself active all day long while having clean and nutritious diet.
2.        Check your health with the help of your doctor. Check your BMI and BMR in the before starting a fitness regimen.
3.        Now make a plan and set realistic goals. For example, if you decide to start with running and goal is to do a 5 km run then start with shorter runs. Keep increasing the distance every day and reach your goal of 5 km.
4.        Add newness and experiment with your workouts. Along with cardio and aerobics, make your every muscle workout throughout the week with strength training in the gym under the guidance of a certified instructor.
5.        Make it a habit like you brush your teeth daily, exercise shouldn’t be something that you can skip. It should be a part of your daily routine no matter what. Without consistency, no matter how hard you try in between, all your efforts would eventually fail.

 A few tips for beginners

1.        Stay hydrated: Maintain healthy hydration levels by intaking fluids throughout the day. It helps maintaining optimal performance, especially while exercising in hot temperatures. Moreover, it helps you recover and get you ready for your next training session.
2.        Optimize your nutrition: Support your fitness program with a balanced diet. All food groups are necessary to sustain a healthy energy level and get the most out of your workout. Carbs are vital too as they help you fuel up before the workout session. Proteins make a major portion of your diet while you are on a fitness regimen. Do not every skip your meals while on a fitness routine and consult a good nutritionist to guide your through.
3.        Warm up: Always warm up before beginning your exercise. Warm up either with light weight sets of the same exercise or cardio sessions to increase the blood circulation in your body and warm up your muscles in the first place. It prevents injury and also, connects your mind to your muscles,.. Read more at. A Beginner’s Guide to Working Out — by CFA

How to lose fat and gain muscle

 

Embarking on a weight loss journey means aiming at good fat loss with muscle gain, right? Here are some of the weight loss tips which will help you harness a healthy and fit lifestyle for long!

We all have unique body types and this is the reason everyone’s weight loss journey is different — our metabolism, food habits and lifestyle factors add on to it. According to the experts, in the first 4–6 weeks, we lose weight rapidly, but some may shed kilos more rapidly than others depending on the age, gender and activity level. Let’s discuss tips on losing fat more efficiently.

1. Focus on burning fat: Most of the weight loss initially comes from carb stores, proteins and water and to lesser extent body fat. We need to follow a diet plan that helps accelerate fat loss by shedding body fat and not other essential nutrients of the body. We have to avoid deficiency of any nutrient and burn fat in a healthy manner.
2. Set realistic goals: One can expect to kick-start by losing more weight initially but one should not get carried away and go overboard with excitement because of that. Extreme weight loss in a short amount of time is not a healthiest option for your body to go through. It can also make it difficult to maintain your weight later. So try to set realistic goals and take things one kilo and one inch at a time.
3. Don’t cut your calories drastically: In order to lose weight, one should have fewer calories and follow an exercise regimen. However, cutting your calories too much can to a greater loss of muscle rather than fat. Instead, aim to moderately reduce the number of calories you consume per day to minimize muscle loss while still facilitating fat loss.
4. Start measuring and tracking your food: People tend to underestimate the amount of food they actually eat. Two ways to avoid this is to measure your portions and keep track of what you are eating. In addition to the calories, you may also want to monitor the macronutrients like carbs, fat and protein. Read more at 7 Tips to Lose Fat and Gain Muscle.

6 Traits of a Good Fitness Trainer

If you are passionate about helping people achieve their fitness goals and stay healthy, you may have considered a career as a personal fitness trainer. Let’s see what qualities you must inculcate to be a successful personal fitness trainer.

 Creating fitness plans for clients and motivating clients to stay on track are just some of the daily responsibilities of a fitness trainer. In general, it takes a certain type of personality to make a difference in people’s lives. If you want to become a personal trainer, these six characteristics and traits will help you to be successful in your career.

        Self-disciplined

You need to ‘walk the walk’ by being disciplined with their own fitness and health regimen. They need to workout regularly, eat healthy food, and commit to the fitness lifestyle. Doing so helps them lead by example and sets a standard for all their clients.

        Positive Attitude

Not all of your clients are going to be extremely motivated during each session or have positive attitude about health and fitness. A personal trainer must have positive attitude that he/she can share with his/her clients to help clients get out of fitness rut, set and achieve goals, and stay motivated for the long haul. Personal trainers are essentially coaches and advisors who need to provide support in a positive and healthy way.

        Patience

As a personal trainer, you will meet clients from all walks of life and with different types of goals throughout your career. Patience will be required as your work to understand the needs and goals of individual clients. It can take time to truly understand what a client is trying to achieve, what he or she may be struggling with, and what type of personality they have so you can customize plan that will help in the achievement of specific fitness goals.

       Strong communication skills

Whether a personal trainer is walking clients through a new exercise routine or providing support over the phone, excellent communication skills are necessary. The personal trainer needs to be able to articulate instructions and information and should have the ability to motivate and inspire clients with words. In addition, the trainer should inquire about client’s preferred communication channels – text, emails or phone calls – in order to help establish rapport and help keep client on track with fitness goals. Read more at 6 Traits of a Good Fitness Trainer.
 

10 Tips to Transform Successfully | Classic Fitness Academy

 

10 Tips to Transform Successfully

The article will arm you with important yet less thought about tips if you are embarking on the journey to transform your body for good. Read and follow!

 

We always face tough choices in our lives. To transform or not to transform, however, shouldn’t be a choice but still, it is a major matter of choice. Not changing your lifestyle and falling prey to a vicious loop of a reckless eating, procrastinating of getting into shape will only lower your confidence and quality of life over time. On the other hand, transforming your body will take consistent effort and a lot of hard work. You still have to make a choice anyway, right?

 

Most of the people choose former and can’t experience the joy of having a fitter and healthier life. Now the times are changing and so is the mindset of people. May be to follow a trend, or out of desire of getting quick results, somehow, people are turning towards gym. In this gym-going population, there are extremely passionate and determined people too, who become inspiration for others and change the way they think about their own body transformation.

 

It is obvious that you have to eat smart and train right to transform. But that’s not all. To change yourself, you have to work at it. You have to respect your body but also, have to push it on every chance you get. When you are the most hurt, and your mind is drained, these are the moments in life when you must persevere and not let your fitness goals go down the drain with your tears. Only then you will transform!

 

Here are some of the very essential tips which will help you in attaining your transformation goals – whether it is fat-loss or muscle-gain.

 

1.        Respect Recovery

Do not forget while pushing your body off limits in the gym that rest between workouts and your sleep for the day are as much important. It is during rest that your muscles grow. You must give this process its due time otherwise all your grilling effects will not bear desired results. At least 7-9 hours of sleep in a day is necessary while on a transformation journey and otherwise also for a fit lifestyle.

 

2.        Eat to Lose

Dropping your body fat doesn’t mean that you must starve yourself. You have to hold on to hard earned muscle tissue and you need fuel to boost your daily workouts towards maximum results, and you need more calories for the same. On a strict diet, if you cut on carbohydrate then make it a deal that you must include at least 40 grams of protein in your every meal of the day. This help limit the catabolic effects of following a fat-burning diet on muscle tissue.

 

3.        Track your Progress

Record your weight, body fat and certain measurements of the body (like waist) every four weeks. Snap a picture of yourself to have perspective of how others may see you. Do not forget to compliment yourself on the aspects of your body, you like and note down the aspects where you need to work further on. Studies show that people who post their progress online fare much better in their transformation journey than those who don’t.

 

4.        Fuel Your Workouts

Pre- and post-workout meals and supplements provide the energy to necessary to make your workouts more productive and to enhance recovery and performance. Other meals composed of whole foods, protein supplements and BCAA can boost your muscle growth.

 

5.        Keep the Pace in Gym

When you are in the weight room, focus on the exercises in front of you. Do not skip rest period fixed between your workout and do not exceed that limit too. Do not get slowed down by the chatter around you or your phone in the gym. Music helps you concentrate better so, your headphones come handy in making you work out effectively. Remember that every wasted second in the gym, shows on your physique later.

 

6.         Assess your Progress Frequently but not Obsessively

It takes 48-72 hours for your body to ‘catch up’ from training stimuli and diet interventions. So, expecting your body to change daily and ‘panic correcting’ will only set you up for disappointment. Your weight will fluctuate daily owing to bowel movement, water weight and time of the day. Stay on the course, don’t obsess over every day-to-day detail, and re-assess in a week or two. Read more at.. 10 Tips to Transform Successfully.

3 Steps to Make a Career in Fitness Industry

 Every year, thousands of people consider starting a career in fitness. But most have no idea how to make their dream a reality. This article guides both new and experienced fitness professionals to build a rewarding career in fitness industry.

So how do you develop a passion for fitness. Most of the research and articles by fitness professionals show a pattern. Either they started off in sports right from their school days or spent early years with lot of physical activity or they got into shape themselves and fell in love with the lifestyle. Maintaining a fit lifestyle doesn’t always mean that the person is supposed to make career in fitness, but it definitely means that the person is driven by the passion for fitness. This very passion turns into a habit and later, most of them think that like they helped themselves, they can help others in becoming a fitter version of themselves. Eventually, they can build a career as a trainer in fitness industry.

Well, is it that easy? Absolutely, not. Not in the current scenario when professional certifications in this field help build your credibility in front of your potential clients. Let’s discuss how it must all begin and what path one must take to make career in this field.

Be fit yourself and start by educating yourself

Know about your own body and work on yourself first hand with the help of a certified trainer and put efforts in getting your body into shape. Going through the drill connects you with this field, increases your confidence and credibility in the market as people look up to you as an inspiration.

Start assisting trainers

After you take up a fit lifestyle yourself and try, assisting certified trainers and look at their way of handling clients and helping their clients transform. This will give you a first-hand exposure to what a trainer is all about and you get a taste of the job, while being a part of it.

Get certified

Next step is to get certified by recognized bodies like ACE, EREPS and SPEFL-SC. Institutes like Classic Fitness Academy provide certifications on different levels in personal training. Not only this their diplomas are affiliated to university as well. Now, it is easier to get certified as a personal trainer in India with the advent of fitness movement here. The scope of jobs in the industry have risen as more and more people are getting health conscious, live a fuller and fitter life. In India, fitness industry is a multimillion-dollar industry now. The first step towards making it to this industry is by getting certified and landing a job or business as a fitness/personal trainer. Read more at. 3 Steps to Make a Career in Fitness Industry