Tips of the Month
Tips are donated by the following people from Lenard Fitness and Associates: Exercise (Roberta Lenard, M. Ed.), Nutrition (Nadine Braunstein, R.D.), Physical Therapy (Nick Giurleo, P.T.), and Motivation (Sandra Shuman, PhD). Please contact us if you’d like more information, or to set up a consultation.
Exercise
Getting
on track with an exercise program that you can do and enjoy over the long
haul can be so much easier if you map out a yearly plan, divided into
seasons. For example, begin by focusing on establishing a strength training
program that addresses your personal weak links; work on balance and stability
in the fall, build strength in the winter, do more compound movements
and power-type training in the spring, then enjoy your fitness by doing
more outdoor activities in the summer. For more info on seasonal programming,
contact Lenard Fitness.
Nutrition
As with our seasonal exercise plan,
the body needs a variety of foods. We tend to crave certain foods according
to the time of the year. For example, in the winter we might desire more
soups, stews, and other warm foods, while in the summer, fruits, salads,
and fresh vegetables seem more appealing. Varying the types of foods we
eat not only helps to insure that we are receiving the appropriate scope
of nutrients, but also adds to our enjoyment of selecting and eating foods
that are in season. For more info on nutrition, contact Lenard Fitness.
Physical
Therapy
Before
beginning any exercise program, make sure your doctor knows what you’re
doing, and approves of it. If possible, get a musculosketetal assessment
by a physical therapist or experienced personal trainer. This will help
identify the areas you may need to be careful of, or work on, in particular.
A physical therapist will test each of your muscles and joints for range
of motion, flexibility and strength. Having this information ahead of
time will insure that your exercise program will be of maximum benefit
to you, and not harm you. For more info on Physical Therapy, contact Lenard
Fitness.
If it’s tough to stay motivated this month because you’ve recently experienced an emotional or physical setback, proceed gently. Redesign your workouts for a while. Instead of aiming for peak or maximum performance, focus on using each workout as a way to nurture your body; end each exercise session feeling refreshed, not exhausted. For more info on Motivation or Counseling with Sandra Shuman, contact Lenard Fitness.
“Overall fitness is an integral part of one’s sense of well-being
and happiness.”
- Norman Rousseau, Personal Trainer