Fitness & Wellness

Summer Goals

Summer Goals

Published by on April 25, 2017 | Leave a response

summer goalsThe right type of exercising burns fat fast.

Kickboxing is a HIIT—high intensity interval training—type of workout. You hit it a top speed and intensity for a while and then drop to low-intensity, going back and forth throughout the workout. This type of workout is a sure fat burner that turns your body into an furnace burning more calories than most aerobic exercises. That’s part of the program and one reason I can make such a confident guarantee.

You’ll build lean muscle tissue.

Most women worry that they’ll bulk up and look like the Terminator after sticking to the program. Nothing is further from the truth. First, women don’t bulk up as easily as men do because of differences in hormone levels. Secondly, the type of workout we do doesn’t build bulk, but instead builds lean toned muscle tissue. The important part is that the more muscle tissue you have, the easier it is to lose weight. That’s because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does, so you’ll be boosting your metabolism.

Have the energy to do everything you planned this summer.

Even if weight loss isn’t a goal, you’ll get a lot out of toning up and getting fit. You’ll build your energy level and have far more endurance to get things done faster with time and energy to spare for the fun things in life. Think of the adventures you’ll have this summer, hiking, biking and enjoying family and friends in activities. Keeping fit means more than just looking good. It means feeling good and enjoying every minute of life.

You’ll feel stronger and more confident when you get into shape. That lets you tackle the toughest challenges and know you’ll conquer them.

An exercise program also helps you burn off the hormones of stress that leave you fuzzy brained and uncomfortable. Imagine how good it will feel to punch and kick away the stresses of the day.

You’ll improve your health. Don’t wait until you have to take medication to get on the right track. Exercise can lower blood pressure, help prevent diabetes and improve cholesterol levels.

This could be the best summer of your life where you have the energy and confidence to follow your dreams and enjoy everything life has to offer.

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Surround Yourself With Encouragement

Surround Yourself With Encouragement

Published by on April 8, 2017 | Leave a response

When you start any new endeavor, having encouragement and a supportive environment is a huge help. It’s very true when you want to lose weight or get back into shape. Having emotional support is extremely important. In fact, next to having the proper guidance and training, it’s a factor that can make a difference between success and failure. Doing it on your own doesn’t supply that, which is why many people workout at a gym. Most gyms, however, don’t offer that type of encouragement and you’re lost in a sea of machines and strangers.

You don’t always get the support at home.

Friends and family aren’t always the people you want to share your goals with when you’re starting a program of fitness. Some times they throw up past failures in your face or worse yet, become dictators watching your every move in an “effort to help.” Some even sabotage you by finding ways to prevent you from working out or trying to lure you with junk foods. Those people are threatened by your success and fear your relationship will change in the process.

DNJ Fitness is a supportive facility.

When you workout here, you’ll have more than just support from the staff, you’ll have the support of the entire DNJ Fitness community. Everyone here has similar goals and have gone through many of the same experiences. They know how hard it is to lose weight and will boost you up with positive thoughts and words. It can make the difference between success and failure.

Once you see the results, you’ll still need support because there are more challenging goals ahead.

Fitness goals are always changing. They become more challenging the fitter you become. While some of the motivation comes from the results you see, having the encouragement of others can drive you to even higher challenges and success. You’ll find that you want to help others, too. People often take others under their wing because of all the positive support they received in the past. That’s one of the reasons so many of our clients love coming here.

Even though kickboxing seems like a combative sport, everyone helps each other. It’s a great way to shed pounds and gain the confidence knowing self-defense can provide.

Many people look forward to coming to DNJ Fitness, not just for the support, but also because of the fun they have working out here.

Clients often don’t tell family and friends about their goals to save themselves the pressure of worrying about failure. You need to share with someone, so you can celebrate when things go right and get encouragement when they don’t.

Getting started is half the battle. We have an amazing offer for kickboxing classes that also provides free gloves. Try a special to get started and to help give you the motivation to continue.

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Find Your Fitness Expert

Find Your Fitness Expert

Published by on March 24, 2017 | Leave a response

%image_alt%Finding a fitness expert can be daunting, but if you want the fastest results achieved in the safest manner, you need to do it. A fitness expert doesn’t do one size fits all type of workouts, but instead makes a personalized plan for each client. Before the sessions even begins, the trainer assesses each person’s level of fitness and learns their personal goals and special needs. The trainer tests the level of all types of fitness from strength and endurance to flexibility and balance to make sure no area is neglected.

Find a fitness expert, such as a personal trainer, who keeps you motivated.

If you dread working out each session, it won’t take long before you’ll find all types of excuses for quitting. That’s why choosing a trainer that keeps you motivated is important. While some motivation can come from the trainer’s encouragement and support, the workout has to be interesting and keep you focused. That’s one reason I include kickboxing as part of the training. It keeps your mind focused and is a great deal of fun. It also is a fantastic workout you’ll look forward to doing.

Your fitness expert should track your progress and adjust for your improvement.

Your abilities will be quite different after a few months than they are the first day. That’s why a good personal trainer constantly tracks your improvement and as your fitness level increases, adjusts the workout to reflect that improvement. You’ll always be working your hardest so you’ll get the fastest possible results. If you workout without a trainer or fitness expert, adjusting the level of difficulty is a step often missed.

The trainer should constantly adjust the workout to prevent plateauing.

Plateauing occurs when your body becomes efficient at doing a specific exercise. Efficiency sounds good, but when it comes to weight loss, it’s not. It means the body burns fewer calories, slowing your weight loss. Varying the exercise prevents that from happening, so you’ll always be burning maximum calories. Kickboxing has so many potential moves that your body never has a chance to get into a routine, so it’s a great addition to a program to prevent plateauing.

When you use kickboxing as part of your workout, you not only workout the body, you workout the brain. While all exercise improves cognitive thinking, kickboxing does it on several levels.

You’ll get more for your money with some training. For instance, by adding kickboxing to your workout, you’ll learn a self-defense skill, too.

With the right trainer, it doesn’t take long before you see results. Results are powerful motivators.

Having fun is an important part of your workout program. It keeps you looking forward to each session.

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Boost Your Metabolism

Boost Your Metabolism

Published by on March 3, 2017 | Leave a response

%image_alt%Losing weight isn’t easy, especially if you’re trying to do it with dieting. In order to be successful, you need to boost your metabolism and learn to eat healthier. It may seem like others can eat whatever they want and never gain weight, but in most cases that’s not true. There are a few people who burn calories constantly, making weight gain extremely difficult, but in most cases, it’s a case of eating the right types of food and working out to boost your metabolism into higher gear and shed pounds faster.

Exercise will boost your metabolism.

Exercising burns calories while you’re doing it, but it also builds muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories than fat tissue does, so the more you have, the more calories you’ll burn 24/7. If just looking at a donut adds inches to your waist and thighs, you definitely need help. Don’t worry about getting muscle bound, either. You won’t bulk up when you workout right, just add lean muscle mass that gets rid of fat and emphasizes your curves.

Eating healthier is part of the program.

No matter how much you workout and how much muscle tissue you have, if you consume only high calorie junk food, you still won’t shed pounds. By learning a smarter way of choosing your food, you’ll never have to diet again. Some of the changes will be easy, such as selecting Greek yogurt for a baked potato instead of sour cream. Others might include learning to cook healthier or having healthy snacks for mid morning or afternoon. Each change you make will be minor, but they all add up to calorie savings.

You won’t have to give up all your favorite foods when you combine healthy eating and exercise.

Exercise burns calories while you’re doing it and increases the calories you burn when you’re not. Eating healthier lowers your caloric intake. You’ll be fighting fat on two fronts. You can still eat your favorite foods, just not as often and in smaller portions. You won’t believe how much you can eat and still lose weight. You’ll even be able to eat foods you thought would be forbidden, just not as frequently with more portion control. As a matter of fact, people will start thinking of you as one of those people who can eat anything without ever gaining a pound.

You’ll be brimming with energy to burn even more calories being active after you start working out regularly. That adds to your ability to shed pounds faster.

You’ll feel fantastic. Not only will eating smarter help you shed pounds, it makes you healthier in the process.

You’ll burn off the hormones of stress with regular exercise. One of those hormones, cortisol, is associated with abdominal fat. The others contribute to stress eating.

You’ll sleep better at night when you workout, which is not only heart healthy, can help you shed pounds.

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Spring Is Around The Corner

Spring Is Around The Corner

Published by on February 23, 2017 | Leave a response

spring is comingIt’s hard to believe, but winter is almost over and spring is around the corner. Spring is when you start to wear more revealing clothing and the activity level increases. If you’re out of shape or carrying a few extra pounds, there’s still time to change all that and become your fittest. You’ll notice increased energy almost immediately and start seeing results quickly, particularly if you use the services of a personal trainer, like me.

You get faster results from a trainer, so you’ll shed pounds faster and lose inches quicker.

I’ve studied the body and know what works the best to help you shed pounds fast. Some exercises burn calories faster, so you’ll see results faster without working harder or longer. You’ll never get bored either. I use a variety of exercises so you don’t plateau. Plateauing occurs when the body becomes efficient at doing a particular exercise. Normally, efficiency is good, but when it comes to the body and exercise, it means you burns fewer calories.

Start eating healthier.

Eating healthier isn’t dieting. In fact, quite the opposite. It’s learning how to make smarter choices when it comes to food. We have some great farmers’ markets and farm stores in the area that sell delicious fresh fruits and vegetables in season reasonably priced, so it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to add more fresh foods to your diet. Making substitutions, choosing foods wisely, cooking differently and eating more frequently are a few of the ways you’ll change your eating habits. Once you learn how to eat healthy and combine it with regular exercise, you’ll never have to diet again.

Have fun while you’re getting fit.

Getting ready for summer and spring doesn’t have to be a chore. You should have fun while you’re shedding pounds and getting fitter. When you have fun, you look forward to each session. Kickboxing is one way to enjoy every minute of your workout. In fact, you’ll be so absorbed in determining your opponents next move and planning a strategy, you won’t even notice the rigorous workout you’re getting.

To help you get a jumpstart on weight loss and keep you healthier, drink plenty of water. Water not only helps weight loss, it aids your complexion and replaces fluids lost through perspiration.

Workout with a friend. When you have a workout buddy, you not only have more reason to attend a session, you also have more fun.

Reward yourself when you hit a goal. Your journey to fitness should be a series of smaller goals to reach a larger one. Reward yourself with new clothes or a special night out when you reach each goal.

Be prepared for an improved love life. You’ll not only look sexier, but feel sexier too when you workout regularly.

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Be Your Own Valentine

Be Your Own Valentine

Published by on February 11, 2017 | Leave a response

%image_alt%You don’t have to wait for someone to send you flowers or candy, you can be your own valentine and give yourself a special present of good health. Of course, even if you have a special someone who already gave you a fabulous gift, it shouldn’t stop you from doing something special for yourself and maybe give the same gift to that special person. The gift of good health comes in the form of an exercise program and healthy eating.

Change your habits, change your life.

If you live a sedentary lifestyle, you’ll see the most change from this special treat. You’ll replace your aching back with a loads of energy. You’ll shed pounds quickly and see your body become more trim and fit with muscle tissue replacing fat. Best of all, the more muscle tissue you build, the easier it will be to lose weight. That’s because muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat does. Effectively, you’ll be boosting your metabolism.

Have fun while you’re getting fitter.

I love kickboxing for a number of reasons. It’s engaging and challenging, while also providing a great workout. It’s a good form of self-protection and can be effective no matter what your size. Kickboxing keeps you mentally focused, trying to predict the next move of your opponent, so it’s mentally stimulating. Best of all, it’s loads of fun and you barely notice the time whizzing by while you’re getting a total body workout.

Eat healthier to get in shape faster.

Many of the foods you eat are out of habit. In fact, many people notice that once they taste how delicious healthy foods are and kick their present eating habits, they simply can’t go back to eating junk foods again. Healthy foods are foods closest to their natural state with minimum processing. Here in Chino Hills, we have loads of places to find those foods at inexpensive prices. There are a number of farmers’ markets and farm stores where you’ll find them freshly picked that day. When you give yourself the gift of healthy eating, you’ll find you take pounds off quickly and they never return.

Don’t forget to hydrate. Water is an elixir that can’t be matched for hydrating and good health. You don’t have to be rich to drink plenty of water and you’ll get some amazing results. Drinking more water can actually help you lose weight.

You’ll sleep better at night when you workout. A good night’s sleep is not only a gift, it’s a blessing for some people.

Strong and fit is the new sexy. You’ll get admiring looks as you get your body in the shape you know it should be.

You’ll even improve at work. When you exercise regularly, it stimulates the brain and improves cognitive thinking. That’s one reason many companies offer fitness programs for their executives.

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Working Out In Winter Weather

Working Out In Winter Weather

Published by on January 25, 2017 | Leave a response

%image_alt%Working out in winter weather is just as important as working out in the summer. Even though there are often more active types of pastimes to do in the this city, the weather may not always cooperate. That’s why choosing these types of activities to replace a workout in the gym isn’t always the best idea. However, they make an excellent supplement when working out. Inline skating and other active outdoor sports can improve your level of fitness, but often don’t provide a complete workout your need for total fitness.

Don’t let the winter blahs stop you from working out.

One of the problem many people face is the depression that an overcast day can bring. While there are an average of 288 total sunny days per year, that leaves 77 days where the sky is cloudy and often overcast. A cloudy day is often one reason people don’t feel motivated to workout, but should be the type of day they do. The workout not only stimulates blood flow, but also stimulates the brain to create hormones that make you feel good. You may walk into the gym feeling reluctant to workout, but you’ll leave feeling great and energized.

Working out in the winter gets you ready for the summer sports.

Whether you’re looking forward to surfing or other summer sports, sticking with a workout schedule will keep your body fit and prepare it for maximizing your performance. The winter is also a good time to try new things and switching up your workout can be just the incentive you need to keep on the road to fitness. Try something new and interesting for your workout. Don’t stay with the same old thing. Winter could be the perfect time to get adventurous and try something new.

Winter workouts help to get rid of the excess pounds you accumulated over the holidays.

New year resolutions are perfect ways to start a weight loss program. It’s because so many people often gain weight over the holidays and a resolution is the perfect ways to take them off, as well as pounds gained at other times. A winter workout is the best way to shed your pounds and allow your resolution to become a reality.

Dress for the weather when you participate in an outside winter workout. Some days can be quite chilly, so insuring you dress appropriately is important. A longer warm up time may also be necessary during colder weather.

Start a program of healthy eating during the winter months. Eating healthy not only helps you take off pounds and keep them off, but also makes you feel fantastic.

Burn off the hormones of stress. Whether it’s winter or summer, stress occurs. You’ll burn off those stress hormones and clear your mind with a winter workout.

Track your progress. Knowing how much you’ve progressed can help keep you motivated and on track.

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What Are Your New Year Goals

What Are Your New Year Goals

Published by on January 5, 2017 | Leave a response

%image_alt%Your New Year goals are important. They represent something you want to achieve and at the time you make them, believe you can do them. Many people make fitness goals on New Year’s eve and start the new year with resolve. If you seem to have the same goals year after year, but drop them after just a few weeks, it’s time to change that pattern. Achieving your goals is important for a number of reasons, besides just fitness. It builds confidence and helps you realize that you can do anything you set your mind to do.

Break down your goal to more easily accomplished mini goals.

If you have a huge goal, it can look overwhelming. A huge goal is losing more than 10 percent of your body weight or getting into Olympic shape if you’re a couch potato. Instead, break that goal down to something more easily accomplished. That doesn’t mean you’re giving up on the big picture, just taking it step by step, so you can celebrate success and not be overwhelmed by the work that needs to be accomplished to reach the big goal. You’ll be able to chart your success better using this technique and be more likely to stick with your workout program.

Make your workout more fun.

Just because you have a fitness goal, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it along the way. Don’t stick with the same old type of workout, but vary your program frequently. Find a fun activity that you enjoy to supplement your workout program. That’s one reason we offer kickboxing in our studio. Not only is it a total body workout, it also holds your attention and makes working out more fun. Varying your workout has other benefits, one of which is to prevent the body from becoming to efficient and burn fewer calories. That can cause plateauing.

Get help with your nutrition.

Eating healthy is as important to fitness goals as working out. If you’re not giving your body the right nutrition, it won’t function as well as it should. Eating healthy also make you feel better and can help you shed pounds faster. Healthy eating isn’t the same as dieting. It’s all about making smarter choices when it comes to food, not about deprivation. You’ll achieve your goals faster and easier.

Stay focused. Keeping focused helps you whether you’re at the dinner table or getting ready to workout at the gym. You’ll be more likely to achieve those goals.

Get plenty of sleep. Sleep is important to achieving fitness goals. It helps boost your resolve and provides the energy to do your best.

Get outside motivation. Personal trainers are there to help you in any way possible. They can help you stay motivated even when you’re ready to quit.

Enjoy the new you. Give yourself credit for the progress you’ve made. It’s okay to feel good about yourself, so don’t pass on the opportunity.

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Your Time Is Now

Your Time Is Now

Published by on December 23, 2016 | Leave a response

Your Time Is Now

It doesn’t matter what your fitness or personal goal, you don’t need for the perfect time to begin it. Your time is now when it comes to getting fit. There’s no better time than the present, regardless how busy your calendar is, to begin a program. The busier you are, the more the fitness program will benefit you and aid you in achieving your best. Rather than be a time stealer, it’s a time saver.

When you’re fit, you work faster.

Whether it’s physical or mental work, becoming fitter can make it go faster. Working out helps clear away the cobwebs in your brain and improve cognitive functioning. That means you’ll be thinking faster than you did previously. The increased blood flow helps keep you alert, just as the dopamine the brain creates does. The physical fitness helps you build your endurance and do more physical work in less time. You’ll be able to function at top speed longer with less time devoted to breaks.

Waiting for the perfect time may mean you’ll never get back into shape.

Some times saying you have too much going on to start a program may seem legitimate, but at other times it’s just a way to avoid exercising. You may either think it’s too boring or you’re too out of shape and won’t see results. That’s why working with a personal trainer can be so helpful Not only does a trainer vary the program, but he or she designs one that’s specifically for your needs. It’s based on your fitness level, goals and special needs and will get results faster. Most of my clients are amazed at just how challenging, yet fun their exercise programs are. They wonder why they didn’t start sooner.

Family responsibilities may be a huge motivating factor.

While you might have used family responsibilities as a reason for not exercising, in reality it should be a huge motivator. Your family needs you and they need you to be your healthiest. If you have children, they’re learning everything they know about being an adult from the version you present them. Teaching children how to live a healthy lifestyle starts with you doing it. When you take the time to learn how to eat healthier and workout on a regular basis, you’ll also have more energy to spend quality time and even shoot hoops, hike or spend time in other activities with the kids.

One method of the exercise at my gym isn’t the typical type of exercise. This is kickboxing. Kickboxing is more than exercise, it’s a form of self-defense.

Exercise and even kickboxing can help you on the job. It will do more than just make you more alert and think faster, it will help your posture and your demeanor. You’ll walk taller and more confidently, while being perceived in a better light.

Exercise can boost your energy level, help you shed pounds and improve your health. It boosts the natural antioxidants the body creates to protect cells. It helps shave years off your appearance in the process.

You’ll sleep better at night when you workout on a regular basis. A good night’s sleep can aid in keeping you alert and provides heart healthy benefits.

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Fight Holiday Weight Gain

Fight Holiday Weight Gain

Published by on December 4, 2016 | Leave a response

Holiday Weight Gain

This is the time of year for holiday weight gain. While you might think it’s inevitable, it’s not. Holiday weight gain doesn’t have to occur when you plan ahead and learn how to eat right, while also participating in a program of exercise on a regular basis. Learning how to eat healthier isn’t dieting. That’s because diets don’t work. It means making smarter choices when it comes to food. You don’t have to eat special foods, but you may have to make substitutions.

Substitutions don’t have to mean you’ll give up everything you love.

Rather than dieting, you may substitute one food for another. It might be something simple such as eating brown rice or wild rice instead of white rice or something a bit more complicated, like substituting applesauce for some of the oil or sugar in baked goods. You’ll barely notice the difference and while the calorie savings may be small, they all add up to limit weight gain and aid in weight loss.

Keeping active and exercising over the holiday season also helps keep those pounds at bay.

Exercise burns calories, so it’s no wonder it’s a good addition to any weight loss program. It does something more, which helps you lose weight or prevent weight gain. That something else is to build muscle tissue. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does. You’ll be burning more calories around the clock. Effectively, it’s raising your metabolism.

You’ll burn off the hormones created by stress.

Stress is dangerous to your health, both mental health and physical health. One of the hormones created by stress is cortisol, often linked to abdominal fat. If you’ve ever had a particularly stressful day, you often find yourself eating foods (often crunchy ones) to bring relief from that stress. That can mean extra weight gain. While the holidays are filled with wonderful events, good friends and time with family, it’s also filled with stress. When you workout, you’ll burn off those hormones from stress and replace them with ones that make you feel good. It does a better job of stress relief than alcohol and doesn’t have any side effects.

Keep some ammunition against weight gain always available. Make healthy snacks ahead and have them in your refrigerator, at work or even in your car. Eat these between meals so you won’t be ravenous and eat high calorie snacks or overload at the dinner table.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to give up all the foods you love. It means you just eat less of them if they’re high in calories and low in nutrition.

Working out can help you sleep better at night. When you don’t get enough sleep or enough quality sleep, you may find yourself reaching for sweets to boost your energy.

Eating slower can help prevent gaining weight, just as drinking water frequently. Slower eating allows time for the message of satiation to trigger and bring a feeling of fullness and water adds to that feeling of fullness without adding calories.

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