Category Archive: Health and Fitness

A career as a personal trainer is a rewarding and fulfilling one. You get to help people achieve their fitness goals and encourage them to lead a happier and healthier life. An added bonus is that you will always have time to hit the gym yourself as your career opportunities are directly related to the amount of time that you spend in the gym.

If you want to become a personal trainer, you will need to be well versed in all aspects of exercise science. It is important that you can help your clients get into better shape without overdoing it or hurting themselves in the process. You also need to make sure that you can give good advice as it relates to any supplements that your clients may want to take.

As a personal trainer, you will be the one who pushes your clients to be the best that they can be. However, you will also be there as a supportive guide who realizes that everyone’s goals are different. While some people will want to become the next great bodybuilder, others just want to be able to walk a mile without getting tired.

Those who want to learn about being a personal trainer can visit university websites or the website of any gym that offers advice as to how you can become a personal trainer. You can learn more here about what is expected of you and how you can start on the path toward your dream career.

Since yesterday, I have been feeling as if my head and jaw have been battered by someone and then left to die, slowly.  I felt I had no energy left in my mind and soul,  My nose was dribbling with clear and watery goo (good sign that there is no serious infection of the respiratory tract!), my head was pounding and my mind was muddled but work is as usual for a work-from-home-mum though she is sick, alright.   This makes me even appreciate my ex-maid more. When she was around, I could still take a nap while she helped around in the house and with the kids.  Lately, I have been thinking a lot about D, my former maid who had worked for us for 4.5 years. It is always when someone leaves you that you begin to feel how you have taken him/her for granted. I wish I could call her and tell her my heart’s feelings now. I had asked her friends for her telephone number and had gone through my own record but have been unsuccessful in finding her contact number in Indonesia.  Though she was not the best maid to have (she has lots of weaknesses but well, she is only human), she had nonetheless helped me a lot, through thick and thin.

Anyway, this morning, though goo has stopped dribbling out from my nose and I have stopped sneezing, my head and jaw still hurt.  I still felt lethargic and sick. I felt as if I had eaten steak from half a cow all by myself as my jaw felt so achy and tired. And I remembered that Sherilyn had all these symptoms too when she was down with Hand-Foot-Mouth disease 2 weeks ago.  She had headache, jaw ache, body ache, felt chills on her body all the time, had no appetite and was listless.  Oh crap, bad sign!! I  cannot afford to even fall slightly under the weather, what more a disease that would cripple me for one week!

I tried to avoid eating sugary and processed food today.  I had fruits and bread for breakfast and lui char (a Hakka dish composed mainly of fresh vegetables, mint and basil) for lunch.  I have been pumping in a lot of oranges, grapefruit, cherry tomatoes and kiwi fruits for the past two days.  I also increased my intake of Esberitox and have been popping a high-dosage Vitamin C.  As of this noon, I still felt malaise but all of a sudden, at around 5pm, I felt good and in fine feather again!  That is why I am well enough to type this post 😀

I think we should all listen to our body. I did and rested well. I gave exercise a miss today and went back to sleep instead. Knowing that sugar and processed food are bad for our immune system, I avoided them.  Raw food is best for our body, as is sleep.  When you have both, your body will heal naturally, in a jiffy! And yes, with a healthy body, it can ward off those pesky viruses too.

It is a norm for zits to break out on my face before and during my monthly Aunt Flow’s visit but this month, I have been spared!! All the deep fried food and junk food avoidance has paid off well. To tame those hunger pangs between meals, I now munch on fruits, avocado and cherry tomatoes along with some nuts (raw or baked. Strictly no sugar or honey glazed nuts). I try to eat only raw and unprocessed foods, which are beneficial towards our health and well-being. I am now limiting deep fried food and junk food once again to stay in top form and to maintain a clear complexion. I used to be very strict with my diet but after years of being deprived of my favorite junk food and high carbs snacks, I glided down from the plateau and indulged in my favorite unhealthy junk food again. The price to pay for the lack of discipline has always been costly, often with me getting a bad throat or an outbreak of zits.

It is indeed very true that junk food and deep fried food can take a toll on one’s health. It takes a steely determination to steer away from those tempting sins and I must admit that it ain’t easy to keep your hands off that piece of fried chicken or fried prawn crackers. Gawd, how I miss gorging on keropok lekor and pisang goreng and if I do indulge in deep fried food, the aftermath is often deadly, in my case!

We used to have a huge trampoline when we were living in a landed house about 6 years ago. I loved jumping and dancing on it. When Cass was  a baby and was extremely clingy to me (she was a 100% fully breastfed baby), I could not leave the house without bringing her along. I remember she would be on the stroller watching me jump on the trampoline till she fell asleep on most mornings. When we moved to a condo, it broke my heart when the hubs told me that I would have to give the trampoline away.

Recently, we bought a trampoline again! This time, it is a smaller one as the size of our condo only allows for a small-sized trampoline. We place it in the living room, right in front of the TV. It has now become one of our furniture!  The main reason why I bought the trampoline is because of Cass as I was hoping that by exercising and jumping on a trampoline, it can strengthen the muscles of her bladder and the entire urinary tract. You will probably know why if you are a regular reader of my blogs.

BENEFITS OF JUMPING ON TRAMPOLINE:

Bouncing on a trampoline will help your children to a brighter athletic future!
Sundancing – the sport that’s so easy to begin and just impossible to give up, is producing better athletes. Because it improves many areas of co-ordination (such as balance, agility, rhythm, and timing) many athletes practice on a trampoline to enhance their motor skills. Skiers, skaters, divers, gymnasts, and even chearleaders use the trampoline extensively. Whether your children play football, baseball, basketball or tennis, your Sundance will help them sharpen their skills. Who knows, with a Sundance at home your family might produce an Olympic champion.

Recreation, entertainment and fitness right at home.
Today, more and more families are bringing recreation and fitness into their own backyard. Unlike televisions or computers, a Sundance is an excellent form of entertainment that has no added expense or costly maintenance bills. With a trampoline in your own backyard your children will be more active,healthy, and close to home.

Watch your children get better every day…
Everybody loves to bounce! It’s natural! The younger your children start bouncing, the better. In a very short period of time you will be amazed at their new skills and development. Their co-ordination and balance will improve dramatically. While learning these very important skills, your children are having fun-the time of their lives! Also, with regard to safety, children with a good working knowledge of a trampoline are going to be less likely hurt themselves in other activities such as skiing, skating, or even riding a bicycle. They’re going to have better balance and co-ordination and generally a better knowledge of how to protect themselves in other sports if they fall.

WHAT EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITIES SAY ABOUT TRAMPOLINES…
Trampolining can influence child’s academic success.
The trampoline is one of the most helpful training devices for co-ordination and muscle control. Many authorities recognize that a child’s ability to learn depends on his control of movement. Children’s success in movement depends on his understanding and control of his body. Trampolining is recommended for all children, but especially for children with poor co-ordination. Tremendous improvements have been noted in areas of total visual and body control that are necessary for success in the classroom.

One of the most important benefits of the trampoline is the development of body balance.
Bouncing on a trampoline develops skill and proficiency in sensing and maintaining proper balance. When standing on firm ground, one can avoid the problems of balance. But, when rising from the surface of a trampoline, the jumper must locate new and constantly changing centers of gravity.

Another important teaching aspect of the trampoline is rhythm and bilaterally.
When on the trampoline ones left side and right side must bounce in unision, one must maintain a steady body rhythm. Such a rhythm is demanded by few other activities. Using a trampoline forces the brain to function bilaterally, this results in vastly improved bilateral motor skill development.

A trampoline is the best product in the world for the development of co-ordination and balance.
Bouncing on a trampoline will bring about almost unbelievable changes in co-ordination and development. A child with poor coordination benefits dramatically, but every child will gain co-ordination that carries over to every physical activity. Every child will benefit more from this than all the bicycles and tricycles manufactured.

One school for autistic children has now included 14 of our indoor mini trampolines in its teaching program. The teachers have found this activity helps the students’ to settle down and focus in the classroom.

Trampolining is good for children who are reluctant to begin physical activities.
Trampolining is easy and offers immediate success and accomplishment. It gives a feeling of exhilaration and motivates them to try harder. Everyone gains courage and self-confidence. Everybody wins! For children the fascination never wears off because there is always a new skill or trick to learn.

Bouncing or Jumping on a trampoline is a Cellular Exercise
Your body has about 60 trillion cells. The 2 to 4 G forces (gravitational pull) involved in bouncing squeezes out toxins. Then, during the brief weightless period when the body is suspended in the air, the lower pressure in the cell promotes the movement of nutrients into the cells. Thus the flow of materials to and from cells is improved. It is like getting every cell in your body to exercise.

Cardiovascular Fitness

Exercising on the trampoline lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 ways:
By strengthening the legs so that they act as an auxiliary pump for the cardiovascular system. This lessens the strain on the heart.
The increased pulse rate strengthens the heart.The strengthening of both the voluntary and involuntary muscular system makes the entire system work more efficiently.

Increases Lymphatic Circulation
The body’s lymphatic system is a network of vessels that transports nutrients and drains toxin products from tissues. It does not contain its own pumping mechanism and relies on external pressure including breathing and muscular contraction to propel its contents through a system of one-way lymphatic valves. Trampoline use helps the lymphatic system eliminate toxins by increasing the gravitational pull as you bounce.

Here’s how it works:
At the bottom of the bounce when the gravitational force is greatest, the valves are closed and toxins are squeezed out from between the cells. As the body bounds up, valves are still closed, toxins are loosened from the cells and nutrients are passed from lymph to the cells. At the height of the bounce the body is weightless, and the valves are open. As the body descends, fluid flows. Toxins are sucked out and away from the cells, then eliminated by the lymph system. This vastly increases one’s level of health.

Increased Bone Density
Bone, like muscle, can become stronger from moderate physical stress. Studies have shown that those who exercise at least three times a week have a higher bone mineral content. Improving your bone density aids to reduce the chance of debilitating fractures and deformities associated with osteoporosis.

This Low Impact Exercise takes the jarring out of jogging
The main disadvantage of jogging is the physical stress on lower limbs and feet. Using the trampoline takes up to 80% off the stress of your weight-bearing joints. Using a rebounder (a small trampoline) is a wonderful option for everyone, especially seniors or anyone recuperating from accidents or injuries. It’s also excellent exercise for those who have been sedentary and are starting an exercise program.

When I met my youngest brother the other day, something very eye-catching on his neck and both his hands caught my attention. Knowing that my baby brother is not a vain pot (but a fitness freak with six packs alright), I knew that there must be a reason why he wore those sporty like necklace and bracelet.

I then asked him why he needed to wear those body accessories and what I found out was interesting.

What he was wearing is called Phiten necklace and Phiten bracelet.   They are supposedly worn to ease body aches as well as to promote good health.

Phiten necklaces are titanium accessories made by PHI-TEN Co., a Japanese technology company focused on products to promote good health. PHI-TEN claims these necklaces ease neck and shoulder pain, increase blood circulation, and relax your muscles. The key is allegedly the titanium in the necklaces, to which they attribute the power to realign the bioelectric current in your body. The purported health benefits aren’t limited to the neck and shoulders; you can wear these strands around your wrist or ankle to enhance athletic ability and reduce fatigue.

Phiten necklaces have recently been made popular by the sponsorship of the MLB. Many well-known and admired baseball players have been sporting Phiten necklaces at games, from Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees to Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox. Their popularity is not limited to baseball though: pro golfer Sergio García and marathonist Paula Radcliffe sport the necklaces, as does softball Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch.

How do Phiten necklaces work?

Phiten necklaces are made of titanium because this is a metal that conducts electricity well. The idea is that stiff muscles and fatigue may be caused by disruptions in the flow of your body’s bioelectric current. Bioelectric current just refers to the small amount of electricity running through your body (for example, nerves transmitting sensations or neurons firing synapses to process thoughts). As the claim goes, placing these pieces of titanium on the body will stabilize your current, thus helping your body run better.

After  reading how good Phiten can supposedly bring about to our body, I am now very tempted to wear them on my wrists too, to improve endurance when I run in the morning as well as to ease the stiff neck, shoulders and backache that I get.  Plus I like the sporty like design of the bracelets too. The next time I meet my brother, I will ask him to get me 2 Phiten bracelets!

My observation in the gym for the past few months is that the majority of early morning gym-goers are fitness junkies in their late fifties, late thirties and even a handful in their 70s. There is a retired man in his late 50s who works out for at least an hour in the gym every morning. He is really fit… and chatty and loves striking a conversation with me. Another woman, in her early 40s, a mother of 4 young kids is the fittest mother I have met. She even worked out in the gym, did push ups and lifted weights throughout her 4th pregnancy. Her baby is now 2 months old and she’s now back in the gym at full swing. Another grandma, in her early 70s is by far the fittest senior citizen I have ever met. She spends at least half an hour practising tai chi using a paper fan and a sword next to the swimming pool every morning. Later, she would brisk walk on the treadmill for another half an hour! She is trim, slim and looks really healthy. And I must be the only fitness freak in her late 30s who would run round the neighborhood every morning. I wish that more people would spend at least 20 – 30 minutes to exercise every morning. I cannot tell you how beneficial exercise is to your body, mind and soul. Try it to discover them yourself!

Today was a pretty fruitful day for me in the gym. I ran more than 5km and saw over 300 calories melt away on the Air Walker. These days, I prefer to work out on the Air Walker than run outside. I find that I can work out longer on the Air Walker than run as there is lesser stress on my kness, albeit I can feel aches on my butt and shin.   But it’s ok, the Air Walker is helping me to burn more calories and I feel more accomplished every morning.

Yesterday I could not hit the gym or jog round the neighborhood as my hubs had to leave the house very early for work. And I don’t trust my helper with my 2 younger kids at home without an adult at home. So I worked out at home! First I arched my back and did sit ups on my fitball and then ran round the house for 20 minutes. I could have worked out longer but my youngest kid was up. It was really boring running round the house and then I suddenly had a light-bulb moment! I remembered reading about the Turbo Fire Workout Reviews from the internet some time ago. All of a sudden, I was determined to get a set of Turbo Fire Workout DVDs to bring some excitement to my daily workout regimen.

Turbo Fire is a set of workout DVDs for a 12-week super intense program designed to help you lose weight, stay fit and healthy with lots of tips for you to keep burning fat even when you are not working out.

Did you know that if you workout at 110% intensity for 35 seconds and then take a 40 second break and continue doing this for 5-10 minutes, you will get an ‘afterburn’ effect? That’s when your body continues to burn fat for up to 24 hours after workout. That is more than 9 times of fat-burning in a traditional workout session! I am amazed. I am SO going to try this trick tomorrow.

The Turbo Fire Workout package consists of 11 great workouts and even nutrition guide to help you choose the right food with easy-to-prep recipes and tips. Gee, I am really very tempted to get a set of Turbo Fire DVDs now!! With these DVDs, I can work out in the comfort of my own home anytime I want to!

I have found a new love in the gym – the Air Walker! All these while, I prefer to run in the open, breathing in fresh air. Ever since the gym brought in 2 units of new and cool Air Walker, I now break up my exercise regime. I run for 15-20 minutes outside, then spend another 15 minutes on the Air Walker. I find that the Air Walker burns calories faster than the threadmill. I normally burn 200 calories by running 30 minutes on the threadmill but I can burn 200 calories in just 20 minutes on the Air Walker! And there’s less stress on my knees. Moreover, the Air Walker helps me tone my arms and legs. I love to watch the calories ‘melt away’ on the equipment panel as I step on the Air Walker, whilst pushing and pulling the handles with my arms. Here’s hoping that I will have firmer and slimmer upper arms and legs very soon!