Fitness and health is about more than just moving your body.
As people begin to honor New Year's traditions and hit the gym, personal trainers warn people to take things in stride.
“One of the biggest misconceptions is people think they need to go at a ridiculous speed when they are working out,” said Danny Miller, the managing partner of Gold’s Gym in Jacksonville. “One of the most important things is reaching and maintaining your target heart rate. People sometimes overdo it, but that can lead to injury and not being able to stick with your regiment.”
Tto accomplish reaching your target heart rate, Miller, who also is a personal trainer, said that wearing a heart-rate monitor is a good start. Another way to monitor is to use the monitors on electric machines in a gym. If your goal is to lose weight, Miller said that there is a different target heart rate than there is for building endurance. Doing it wrong, he said, can make you so sore that you will need to take a break and possibly become discouraged and considering whether to give up on exercise.
“Science says it’s all about heart rate when it comes to accomplishing specific goals,” he said. “Sometimes Americans have the mentality that more is better, but it’s not always the case. Results are maximized by being in the right heart-rate zone.”
The ultimate blueprint to success in fitness, he said, is variety. According to Miller, the more you switch things up and add variety to your workout, the more results you will see. If a person likes to stick to a strict regiment, he said he would rather people come in and do what they are comfortable doing than not come at all because a sedentary lifestyle is far less healthy than a mildly active one.
People also assume that things happen quickly, he said. Whether it is building muscle or losing weight, people shouldn’t expect results overnight. People also need to remember that they are doing damage to their body if they don’t eat or hydrate.
“If you wait until you get to the gym to hydrate, it’s too late,” he said. “You should be hydrating the day prior. A balanced diet is also important and people should remember to discuss their exercise plans with a doctor if you are obese or very out of shape.”
Having injuries, such as knee problems, may require you to solicit the expertise of a personal trainer, who can, through trial and error, essentially prescribe exercises that don’t further aggravate your injury, he said.
“Personal trainers are good for guidance and motivation,” he said. “That directly plays into reaching your goals because with guidance, you ensure you are hitting that variety of exercises. If you only know one or two things, you’ll get results, but with more exercises you’ll get better results. Plus, a trainer might push you harder than you thought you could go, which can possibly enhance results.”
Other things personal trainers offer are nutritional guidance. For instance, according to Miller, many people don’t know that caffeine can actually prevent you from losing weight.
“A little nutritional guidance can go a long way because people don’t know something small about what they are eating or drinking,” Miller said. “We don’t take things for granted as professionals. We try to dissect what they are doing on a daily basis because nutrition will directly affect your success with exercising.”
The Surgeon General, according to Miller, recommends 30 minutes of walking, three times per week. This, he said, is something each person should strive to accomplish at the bare minimum, but more is better.
Vitamins, minerals and supplements often are a good idea when it comes to fitness, according to Rachel Earp, the manager of GNC on Western Extension in Jacksonville. Because of the number of processed foods most people eat, she said that people don’t always receive the nutrients they need, therefore a good multivitamin should be a priority.
“Vitamins are good because they are going to naturally increase metabolism and increase your energy levels,” she said. “There are different vitamins for different ages and lifestyles so people should be aware of what they need to take. Fish oils are also great for cardiovascular health, joint lubrication, brain clarity and lowering cholesterol.”
Not everyone needs to be a professional athlete to take vitamins, she said, because they are required by your body to maintain a good diet and a healthy weight. People should be careful, she said, because sometimes supplements can interfere with prescribed medications, so consumers should discuss their planned purchase with a doctor beforehand.
“People need to remember that they should give their body at least six weeks before they make a determination of whether the product is working or not,” she said. “Consistency is key. You can’t expect things to work overnight.”
In addition to exercise, vitamins and minerals, finding a workout buddy or group to exercise with can also help you meet your fitness goals by keeping you engaged and happy to exercise, according to Kim Levasseur, the general manager of Onslow Fitness in Jacksonville.
“Classes will provide the member with safe and effective workouts in a motivating atmosphere,” Levasseur said. “Our instructors are world-class certified instructors and it basically takes the guess work out of what members need to do when they come to the gym that day.”
Classes often vary from beginners to extreme fitness, she said, but since not everybody likes Zumba or strength training, the center tries to offer a wide variety to fit everyone’s needs. Working out in groups also builds camaraderie and a sense of accountability, she said. And that, she added, also brings out the competitive side of people and often leads to better results because they depend on one another to show up and push each other.
“I think that any movement in general is good,” she said. “I think that fitness is getting up and moving each day so any way you accomplish that, whether it’s sports or at the gym, they’re all good.”
