I Want to Be Physically Fit! So, Where Do I Start?
by Stephanie Jimenez
Physical fitness is a state or condition in which both your body and your mind are healthy and physically sound. Physical fitness not only improves our quality of life, but also helps us in the long run. It increases cardiovascular fitness and body endurance. Regular exercise can also help increase the strength of your heart. According to the CDC in 2010, heart disease cost the United States more than $300 billion. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity. And this is something we can eradicate through diet and exercise. Physical activity also increases blood circulation and helps it to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues. This not only helps the muscles increase your overall body strength, but also increases its ability to exert force and sustain contractions.
So where do you start?
I had the opportunity to speak with élite Magazine Ultimate Nutritionist winners Tony Velasco and Allison Zimmerman of Afterburn Fitness and I learned the number one thing to start with is eating more fruits and vegetables, natural foods and eliminate processed foods from your diet. It is also essential to eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast everyday within one hour of waking up and fueling your body post workout with lean protein within 30 minutes of a strenuous workout. Allison encourages her clients to snack on fruits, veggies and wholesome snacks that are approximately 300 to 400 calories, five to six times per day to help keep their metabolism fast and their energy level strong.
Now that we have a start to nutritional understanding, what’s next?
It’s always an important part of any fitness routine to make sure your body is properly protected and supported. Support can also come in the form of a personal trainer. Like many people, finding the drive to continue any new routine, especially a fitness routine, will only be enhanced by the support of a professional. Local fitness extraordinaire and winner of élite Magazine’s Ultimate Fitness Personal Trainer award Jodi Stokes encourages her clients to “Get out of your mind! Literally, stop thinking so much about how hard, or how long and just get moving. You are always so much stronger than you think you are physically and emotionally. We have to get in the state of mind that exercise is not a chore but rather a privilege… with that in mind, you can never fail”.
Boot camps are great for individuals of all levels and expectations, creating variety in any fitness routine. They are a wonderful accompaniment to any program. Well-known fitness professional and élite Magazine Ultimate Boot Camp winner Cheryl Broughton has been running Fitness Edge Boot Camp for 10 years and is extremely proud to be the first, original and longest running boot camp in SCV. What began as a fitness program on cable television in 1997 grew quickly to four-week long camps, then six, then eight and now Fitness Edge Boot Camp is a year round business. Cheryl attributes the success of her clients to the dedication of her instructors. “Everyday the instructors and I ‘Get to’ help others change their lives for the better. We don’t ‘Have to’, we ‘Get to’,” says Cheryl.
Variety is truly the spice of life and one of the most appealing elements to any fitness routine is having options. By participating in a program that offers stimulation your mind and body can stay connected on their journey. “The importance of a mind-body connection is crucial if one hopes to be successful in any fitness endeavor,” says Hardcore Fitness Boot Camp co-owner Nadia Lopez.
Nadia and her business partner Larry Nolan believe success comes from the commitment of their clients, which is supported by the variety they provide in their program. “We are all creatures of habit and this applies to a work out routine,” says Nadia. “The cure for this problem is to simply add variety to your workout program, change the amount of weight, change the number of repetitions, change from machines to free weight, just change it up.”
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