Not everyone is a fan of exercise, and not everyone is capable of keeping themselves motivated. Even for those who normally workout with a friend to keep them on the right path, there are times when a stronger nudge may be needed.

The reasons may vary; it could be that your friend has reached a plateau and is starting to get discouraged. It could be that their commitments have changed and they no longer have the same amount of time available to exercise. It could also simply be that they have reached their goal weight and now have decided to give the workout routine a break. While you can cajole, plead, threaten, and bribe, the simple fact is that your friend will never take you as seriously as they will a personal trainer — someone who will not be offended at a few dirty words.

Getting a trainer

When you have reached an impasse with your friend, and there are no other ideas you can think of, the best thing that you can do for your buddy is to provide them with personal trainers in Jersey City who are able to make them get their rhythm back.

While you may have the best of intentions, you are not a personal trainer. Being a personal trainer requires more than just the ability to show someone how to execute an exercise; it also takes the ability to know what buttons to push on each individual to get them to want to obtain results. Hoboken personal trainers are experts at all facets of the process, and they will be happy to create a personalized plan that will have your friend (and you if you so desire!) gain back the motivation required to get back on track.

It is the job of a New Jersey personal trainer to push their clients, to make them want to exceed their own expectations. Just one single session can be enough to change the direction of a workout and make it fun again. Both you and your friend will have a new plan, and a new outlook that will have you both looking forward to working out again!

Along with flowers, birds that have not been seen since fall, and the planting of vegetable gardens, spring also brings with it the annual company softball game. Although there are plenty of levels at which the game can be played, every player had to go through the never ending cold months of winter that kept them inside. For many, this also meant that getting in shape took a backseat to warming the bench, so to speak.

Preparation is critical

After several months filled with television and potato chips, without the proper amount of preparation for sports activities, everyone is more susceptible to common injuries that are normally easy to prevent. Even if you manage to drag yourself to the gym once a week or so, the chances are good that you are not concentrating on the specific exercises needed to show off your supreme style on the baseball diamond, such as speed work and arm strength. It is unreasonable to expect an arm which has spent five or six months doing nothing more strenuous than cleaning the snow off the car will be able to stretch effectively enough to throw a ball at maximum velocity.

A vital checklist

So, now you know that you need to get into some kind of pre-season shape. How are you going to do it?

• Get a short run in on days that it is possible. If you need motivation to keep you going, consider engaging the services of Upper West Side personal trainers.
• Spend at least five minutes every day stretching out your leg and shoulder muscles to maintain flexibility.
• Take the opportunity to play a simple game of catch with your children to keep up hand-to-eye coordination.
• If possible, make several trips to the local batting cage with personal trainers in SoHo to keep up your arm strength.
• Work with a Midtown West personal trainer to devise a workout routine and schedule that focuses on the skills you will need to successfully make the slide into home plate.
• Remember that your body has limitations that only you will recognize.

A lot of people believe that all you need to do is crunches and you will get a rocking six-pack of abs. Unfortunately this is not the case. In fact, during the last several years many different studies have left us wondering about the efficacy of crunches at all. While there are many other exercises that can be combined with crunches if you are a die-hard believer, there are a large number that are just better — period!

Why not only crunches?

Doing the same exercise day after day will only work a certain muscle, or group of muscles in one particular way. On the other hand, varying the type of exercises that you do can optimize the growth of your muscles by having them perform in differing ways. For instance, doing crunches as opposed to sit-ups will work your abdominals in two different ways, albeit it’s a small difference, increasing your muscle’s overall growth and flexibility.

Alternatives to crunches

There are many alternatives to crunches that Midtown East personal trainers can show you. One of the other main problems that many people will mention is that just doing crunches alone gets incredibly boring. When there is no change in how your workout is done, it will not take long to reach the point where a specific exercise hits its plateau — meaning that in essence, you are only wasting your time.

One Upper East Side personal trainer might show you his or her personal combination of abdominal movements, which may include squat kick backs, crunches, and sit-ups. However, you may have others that choose to show you that a routine consisting of a lunge and press, wall slide, and plank and step combinations is a much better alternative to crunches, in their opinion, for abdominal development.

No two people exercise in exactly the same way, and what works wonders for one person may leave another feeling as if they are wasting their time to get no results. In order to be certain that your abs are strong, it will take a specialized program of muscle motions that focus on all parts of your core — including the obliques. Trial and error may be needed to judge what works best for you. Adjust your workout with the help of personal trainers in Flatiron to ensure you get the best results possible.

Stretching is an essential activity that every fitness buff knows needs to be done before embarking on their workout routine. What many are unaware of though, is that stretching can be done on its own as a full, self-dependent workout.

Benefits of stretching

Stretching has a vast array of benefits to your overall health, such as increasing your range of motion (ROM), improving your blood circulation, increasing your ability to relax after a hard day, and even making your posture better. It will also increase your flexibility and keep you limber as you age. Stretching is an important part of any fitness routine, and should never be neglected when time does not permit. In fact, with the choice of cardio or stretching, it is stretching that comes in at first place.

The Importance of Stretching

As any New York City personal trainer will tell you, stretching is a vital step to do before a workout because it warms your muscles up, reducing the chance that you will tear or injure them in other ways. But they will also tell you may do it exclusively. If you’re interested, personal trainers in New York City will even recommend different stretching regimes you can follow to achieve a full stretch workout day.

Although it may seem that you are not getting any form of a workout while you are stretching, keep in mind the fact that you are effectively moving every portion of your body in some way. Even the most gentle of stretches require the use of several different muscle groups.

New York City personal trainers will even teach you the proper ways to stretch so that you don’t harm yourself while attempting to do them, as some stretching techniques and routines can be complicated to do the right way.

Not only can stretching as an exercise be done at any ability level, it can also be done for any age group. It is even appropriate as a way to return to former fitness levels after illness or surgery. In fact, a large majority of schools begin their day with some simple stretches for the lower grade levels!

As technology advances at a rapid rate, so too does it attempt to take over, or co-exist along its living counterparts. It has even begun to muscle in on physical fitness in a big way. With the majority of people trying to keep up with busy lives, it is now more convenient to pop in a workout DVD at home as opposed to keeping an appointment with your personal trainer.

How are videos replacing personal trainers?

Technology is trying its best to become a rock star in the physical training market by publishing apps and videos that attempt to replicate exactly what a personal trainer does. Even doing a quick search on YouTube will reveal thousands of videos for various exercise routines, numerous diets, and other gadgets that will get you in the best physical shape of your life — or so they claim. One of the main draws for most people is the low cost to purchasing a workout video. Regardless of which one you choose, they are much less expensive than dragging yourself to a personal trainer, and some of them are even free.

Are they as effective as using a personal trainer?

However, videos cannot accurately replicate the face-to-face learning and motivation given by personal trainers in NYC for example. When compared to a NYC personal trainer, videos and apps are unable to properly show you the safest ways of performing your activities so that common injuries are avoided. They are limited to only attempting to demonstrate and visually explain the essential information that is needed to be known about each physical activity.

What looks simple to do on your TV screen may actually require a series of complicated movements that if done improperly can potentially cause serious injury. Another downside to not having physical contact is the possible lack of motivation. No one is going to call and remind you that you missed a session if you fail to put in a DVD. NYC personal trainers are also highly trained professionals, not just random people who use beauty or their name to gain your trust.

For anyone who is serious about getting in shape and making changes to their lives, the importance of tracking your progress cannot be stressed enough. This doesn’t mean simply stepping onto the scale first thing every morning, but instead, discovering a plan that will allow you to stay on the right path for you.

Does this sound like you?

• You have made the decision to get in shape
• You attempt to eat less food and go for a short run every day
• The scale shows you are losing pounds every day for a week
• Sunday rolls around and you attend a neighborhood BBQ
• First thing Monday you step on the scale and it has gone up
• You decide you will never lose weight and keep it off — and you fall off the wagon
• Lather, rinse, repeat — again and again

All of the above steps happen to at least 80% of the people who are trying to lose extra pounds and fail. While tracking your progress may seem redundant to you, it is an essential step to keeping the weight off. Here’s why:

• The whole story is not told by the scale: Any of the personal trainers in Staten Island will tell you that there is a big difference in losing fat and gaining muscle mass. Going by the numbers on the scale alone can end up doing nothing more than making you feel discouraged. Honestly? The scale really can lie!

• You are unable to decide if the path you are on is working or adjustments need to be made: You need to lose the right amount of weight in the right places for your path to be effective. Staten Island personal trainers can help to devise a plan that works for you.

• Measuring means improving: Keeping track of your progress gives you a reason to do better and go farther than each time before. Similarly, taking measurements of your various body parts with the help of a Staten Island personal trainer will point you in the direction of the areas you need to work on more than others.

One of the most essential places that need to be enjoyed when you live in the Manhattan area is Central Park. Located right in the heart of Manhattan, Central Park is filled with stunning views, dozens of tours, sports galore, and more attractions than can be found in most amusement parks. It is also the perfect place to exercise in NYC.

Almost every day of the year will show fitness lovers biking on the trails, running down the paths, or participating in season-specific organized sports. It is also boot camp central during the spring and summer months. Here is what you need to know before you decide to enlist!

What is boot camp?

Participants in fitness boot camps are signing up to be treated to workouts that have been modeled after military training. The appeal seems to be building agility, endurance, and strength to conquer daily routines, but not everyone is up to the challenge.

There are numerous different boot camps that are offered throughout Central Park, the majority of which are run by personal trainers in Manhattan. Regardless of which one you choose to register with, expect to see an intense mix of aerobic elements and strength training. Some of them also incorporate a variety of martial arts into the workout. You can also be fairly certain that Manhattan personal trainers will have you doing crunches, lunges, pushups, sprints, and drills.

The aim of boot camp is to quickly lose weight while providing a workout for the whole body that builds endurance and strength. The average boot camp run by your Manhattan personal trainer will last for six weeks, with at least three workouts each week. The other attractions for many who are looking to get into shape fast include:

• A varied and challenging workout,
• Very little or no equipment other than clothing and a towel, and
• A sense of camaraderie is formed with everyone in the group, forcing them to push each other to continue.

Although fitness boot camp may not be the right choice for everyone, it may be just what you need if you are looking for camaraderie and variety with the bonus of a high-energy workout.

Day by day the hours of sunlight are getting longer. It is now that wonderful time of the year when runners begin to think about getting out and getting rid of the extra pounds that the laziness of winter has put on. Even if you are new to the freedom of running, follow these guidelines to have you looking like an expert in no time:

Bring on the motivation!

Some of us outright hate running. In fact, it may take an act of Congress to get us out on the road! Here are several reasons why you should take up running — even if you despise it:

• Running will get you in shape to do the activities you really enjoy.
• Running gets you outside in the fresh air.
• You can run pretty much anywhere.
• You can always fit in the time for a short run, no matter how packed your schedule is.

Begin safe and strong

Take a trip to the local department store and invest in proper running shoes that are comfortable for you. Make sure you have appropriate clothing that is light and reflective, or purchase some reflective tape. Start off by setting a goal for yourself that is going to be reasonable. You do not want to be intimidated, but you do want to be able to see some results quickly to keep you motivated. If you are looking to start a running program and you are looking for someone to run with you, consider hiring personal trainers in the Bronx. Not only will you have company, but they will help to make sure that you reach your goals.

Brush up on the basics

When you are new to running, it may seem like all you need to know is how to lace up your shoes. Have a discussion with your Bronx personal trainer about the importance of stretching and how to do them properly, or some basic techniques for injury prevention. Once you have gotten into the routine of your run, ask any Bronx personal trainers to help you incorporate intervals of sprinting into your workout for the ultimate in fat burn and weight loss.