Cardio Equipment Tip 7 – Know Your Numbers

personal trainer watford

Any amount of exercise is obviously beneficial for your health but to really see changes in your weight and fitness there are a few vital numbers you need to know. 150 Minutes 150 minutes is the magic number for weekly exercise. This can be split down into smaller chunks and in fact it’s better if you do! The most practical way to do this is often 30 minutes 5 times per week. This can … [Read more...]

Cardio Equipment Tip 6 – Stay Hydrated

personal training hydration

All exercise should make you hot and ideally a bit sweaty, it’s a simple sign that you’re working harder than usual. Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself down when its temperature rises. However where you exercise can have a dramatic effect on your sweat rates. Exercising at the same intensity indoors as opposed to outdoors leads to a greater increase in body temperature and … [Read more...]

Cardio Equipment Tip 5 – 1% Treadmill Gradient

personal trainers treadmill gradient incline

Treadmills are a great way to improve your aerobic fitness without having to leave the house. They allow you to walk or run at a steady pace on an even surface without having to brave the elements. However to get the best from a treadmill you should aim to set the gradient to 1% even if you don’t want to ‘go up hill’. The reason for this is the different way your body works when walking … [Read more...]

Cardio Equipment Tip 4 – Get a Workout Playlist

personal training workout music

It can be tough to maintain motivation whilst using your treadmill, bike, cross trainer or rower. By their very nature they are repetitive and a little distraction is always appreciated. Forget the TV and try some working out music first. It will jazz-up your routine (excuse the pun), energise you and make it much more enjoyable. Music is not just fun, research has proven that playing music … [Read more...]

Cardio Equipment Tip 3 – Use a Heart Rate Monitor

personal training heart rate zones

Heart rate monitors may seem complicated and only for those after elite performance, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. In essence what a heart rate monitor does is give you a very simple and accurate reading of how hard you’re working and what affects you can expect. They range from the very basic that tell you how many beats per minutes your heart rate is, to the very clever that … [Read more...]

Cardio Equipment Tip 2 – Start Slowly

personal training watford start slowly

If you've not exercised for a while its well worth having a check up to see how you’re doing. If you have any medical conditions then the person to consult is your doctor. If you’re generally fit and healthy then a well qualified personal trainer can test your heart rate, blood pressure and aerobic fitness prior to exercise to ensure you’re fit and healthy to start. This also gives you … [Read more...]

Cardio Equipment Tip 1 – Set a Goal

Personal Trainer Watford Cardio Equipment

Setting goals is arguably the most important part of your fitness and weight loss journey journey. It serves a dual purpose of giving you a clear target, but also motivating you to keep on track towards it. Taking a little time now will pay you back multiple times over in the weeks and months to come. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Realistic over Time, in essence SMART. It … [Read more...]

Personal trainers snow running shoe review

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The brief was simple; Find a pair of running shoes I could use when personal training clients in the snows. After a bit of searching I plucked for the Adidas Kanadia 4 - a rakish fellow in dark grey with some cheeky bright red details. As with most Adidas footwear the first pair I ordered came up a little small so I promptly popped them back in the post and awaited their bigger brothers return. … [Read more...]

Think FITT for fitness and weight loss

Craig OToole Personal Training Watford

You’re ready to start working out – great! Now comes the tricky bit – getting the right balance of exercise for your goals and taste. Just copying the routine of a fit friend may seem like a good idea, but chances are they’ll have taken a while to work up to that level, and may have very different reasons for exercising. The key lies in selecting a routine that fits your personal needs. … [Read more...]

The big three for weight loss – nutrition, exercise and psychology

Weight Loss Watford

Getting into shape, losing weight and developing a healthy, happy self-image is a long term project that doesn't happen overnight. It takes time and dedication to reach goals and make sure the efforts made result in lasting change. The three keys to successful weight loss are nutrition, exercise and psychology – and not necessarily in that order! The difference between my most successful … [Read more...]

Working out the core is essential, but a whole body routine is critical

A Strong Core is Essential

All too often, we try to target our workouts to take care of problem spots. Big thighs, flabby arms, fat rear ends and other very specific areas get the bulk of our exercise attention while the core is overlooked. The truth is this is not a wise way to proceed if real results are desired. Targeting is fine, but it won’t get the job done on its own. The core – the back and stomach muscles … [Read more...]

Stress can hurt your weight loss efforts

Watford Personal Trainers - Craig OToole Personal Training Watford

If you've been exercising and eating right to lose weight, but haven’t seen the results you’re after it might be time to check your stress levels. Stress, if left to its own devices, can harm your chances of successfully shedding pounds and reaching your goals. It can also cause a host of other problems you don’t want to deal with! So, why does stress affect weight loss? First of all … [Read more...]

Motivation – it will run out, but there’s a solution

Craig OToole Personal Training Watford

Congratulations you've decided to get off the sofa and into your trainers to lose those extra pounds that have crept on over the last couple of years. You've probably spent hours researching the best personal trainers, classes and gyms, bought the latest fashionable Lycra number, agonized over the water bottle that best represents you as a person and spent a small fortune on the trainers that … [Read more...]

Meditation

meditation

I've had several interesting conversations recently with clients regarding meditation, and I've had a couple of goes myself. It's mainly been what I now know of as Breathe Meditation; sitting with your eyes closed concentrating solely on your breath and clearing your mind of all other thoughts of daily life. I have to say my mind is normally buzzing and trying to get rid of every thought has … [Read more...]

Changing Your Mind Can Change Your Life

hypnoGuy

If you’re ready to get into shape and really change your life, the first place to start is within your own mind. Leading a healthy, active lifestyle often calls for taking a mind-over-matter approach. Working out, eating right and making good choices calls for positive thinking to reinforce the actions you know you need to take. When you explore your own thought processes and your “mind … [Read more...]

Which Diet Plan Is Best?

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You stand on the scale and just can’t deny the fact any longer: It’s time to lose weight and get into shape. The problem is finding the best diet plan to help you reach your goals. With so many options on the table, selecting just the right diet plan can be very difficult. The simple truth is there is no diet plan that is the best. Go on a strict diet plan to drop weight fast and you … [Read more...]

10 Best Foods for Your Heart

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Simple food choices go a long way when it comes to your heart's health. Focusing on fresh foods full of heart-healthy fats and antioxidants can decrease your risk of developing heart disease and cut your chances of a heart attack. These 10 foods will help keep your ticker in top shape. Oatmeal Start your day with a steaming bowl of oats, which are full of omega-3 fatty acids, folate, and … [Read more...]

Be The Healthy Role Model For Your Family

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Childhood obesity, underage drinking, smoking and failure to exercise are all concerns for parents these days. If you want your kids to adopt a healthier, wiser lifestyle, you are going to have to show them the light. Children often learn best by example. Lead and they will likely follow. How can you set the example and get them off on the right foot if your habits aren’t that great? Consider … [Read more...]

Vanilla Spice Porridge

vanilla-spice-oatmeal

Ingredients 3 1/2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon salt, optional 2 cups old-fashioned oats 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped, optional 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch nutmeg 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, plus more, to taste 1 cup lowfat milk, divided 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon … [Read more...]

Think Before You Eat for Watford Weight Loss

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If you learn to think before you eat, you will achieve Watford weight loss by making the right choices.  When you eat foods simply because you like them without regard for their nutritional content, it is easy to choose foods that are not good for your body.  Losing weight doesn’t have to be a traumatic experience when you learn how to choose healthy and tasty foods with high nutritional … [Read more...]

Keeping Off the Pounds You Lost with Watford Weight Loss

Everyone who cares about Watford weight loss has heard of yo-yo dieting where you lose weight and then slowly (or quickly) put the weight back on and then lose it again and so on.  It is unhealthy to treat your body in that fashion, and it puts a lot of stress on your organs and cardiovascular system.  In fact, you can do permanent damage to your body’s ability to maintain … [Read more...]

Managing Fitness And Diet: Good Calories Vs. Empty Calories In The Battle For Weight Loss In Watford

When trying to achieve weight loss in Watford, gaining a balanced diet can be confusing.  There is a lot to include and there are real moderated needs for protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and even calories.  As most people know, quantity of calories is a major concern; but then, calorie quality is important, too. Good Calories, Bad Calories All calories are not created equal; … [Read more...]

Five Tips for Making Watford Fitness a Priority

Committing to a Watford fitness program is really hard.  It's tough to stay motivated when you are the only one saying you have to do it.  It's hard to see the fruit of your labors when some of them are only measurable with a doctor's complex testing and instrumentation. It's exceedingly easy to be consumed by the pressing responsibilities of life and it's really easy to tell yourself that one … [Read more...]

Watford Fitness Tips For Beginners

Starting on the path to better Watford fitness can be a difficult road in the beginning, but those that make the commitment to stick it out will be rewarded not only with better health, but feeling better as well. There are plenty of pitfalls for those that are starting a Watford fitness routine, but being aware of them and working through them don’t have to be a struggle. In this article, … [Read more...]

Why Strength Training is Beneficial to Watford Fitness

A Watford Fitness Expert Reports! There’s a common misconception that muscle is heavier than fat, so why bother with strength training? The truth of the matter is a pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat. Muscle just happens to be leaner than fat and looks a whole lot better on the body. This isn’t the only reason to incorporate strength training into your Watford fitness … [Read more...]

Choosing the Right Watford Fitness Program to Meet Your Goals

Before embarking on a Watford fitness program, it’s important to sit down and outline your goals. What do you want to accomplish with your fitness program? Are your goals to lose weight, or increase your strength, or simply to benefit from a healthier lifestyle? Knowing what you want to achieve before you start will start you on the path of choosing the right fitness routine to help you reach … [Read more...]

You Stand To Gain A Lot From Cross Training And Watford Personal Training

Cross training is achievable with Watford personal training. No matter who you are, what you fitness goals are, or what your top targeted result for working out is, you can benefit from cross training.  All you need to know to get you started is why cross training is a good idea for you and where you can learn more about the best cross training methods and techniques to enhance your fitness plan. … [Read more...]

Surpass Your Fitness Plateau with Watford Personal Training

Watford personal training can help you to get over the plateau! It is well known that you reach plateaus during fitness training. Weight loss and strength training changes your metabolism, and every now and then, it seems as if you are locked in at a certain level. No matter how hard you diet and exercise, nothing happens. What many don’t realize is that your body is an amazingly adaptable … [Read more...]

Setting Fitness and Health Goals with a Watford Personal Training Expert

A Watford Personal Training Expert Reports! When most people start a new exercise program, they have an idea of what they want to accomplish. People start exercising for plenty of different reasons, from wanting to improve their overall health to meeting a specific goal. Knowing what you want to accomplish through your fitness routine can help you focus on your goal and have something to work … [Read more...]

Watford Personal Training Exercises for Busy Professionals

Watford personal training experts understand that when you’re working fifty hour weeks, exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of grabbing fast food and crashing on the couch after a difficult day at work before catching a few hours of sleep and starting all over again. The truth is that exercise can help even the busiest professionals stay in … [Read more...]

Watford Personal Trainers Explain the Benefits of Cardio Interval Training

Watford personal trainers know that being efficient at what you do can apply to anything. You get your work done faster at the office when you are efficient. You chores at home are completed earlier if done efficiently. In this article you will learn about the efficiency of cardio interval training. There are efficiency experts, such as Watford personal trainers, that can tell you the quickest … [Read more...]

Watford Personal Trainers Will Help You Refocus on Fitness

Watford personal trainers know that refocusing on fitness after your program has been interrupted by a major life event is always important.  In fact, a fitness program is the ideal way to overcome the effects of stress on your body.  The worse thing you can do is tell yourself there is no longer a need to continue a fitness program, because you had to quit exercising for a while. Fitness Is … [Read more...]

Getting Happy with Your Body With the Help of Watford Personal Trainers

Watford Personal Trainers Report! Just as some people have to come to terms with the fact that they’ll always be of short stature, a lot of us also have to come to terms with the fact that we’ll never be a size zero.  Watford personal trainers are in the same boat!  Setting unrealistic goals in our fitness or diet routines can not only set us up for failure, but also a lack of self … [Read more...]

Why You Can Benefit from Watford Personal Trainers

With Watford personal trainers you can improve your life through healthier choices and fitness. Deciding where and how to begin your fitness journey are just as important as making the decision to begin in the first place. For those that have never traveled down this path before, it can be complicated and confusing. That’s why working with Watford personal trainers is a great choice for … [Read more...]

How Often Should You Meet With a Watford Personal Trainer?

When you choose to work with a Watford personal trainer, the first question is often related to how often you need to meet.  The answer depends on your personal needs when it comes to training, motivation and encouragement.  The personal trainer is an instructor who teaches you how to use nutrition and exercise to reach your fitness goals and some people need more assistance than … [Read more...]

Finish What You Started – Cut the Fat for Good with a Watford Personal Trainer!

A Watford Personal Trainer Reports! There’s no question about it – making the commitment to work off that extra fat is no easy task. Not only is it hard getting your new fitness program off the ground, but you’re sure to encounter pitfalls along the way. Don’t beat yourself up or quit when you meet an obstacle, jump over it! Staying motivated is the best way to ensure that you’ll meet … [Read more...]

Finding a Watford Personal Trainer That’s Right for You

Choosing a Watford personal trainer is a little more involved than signing up with the first personal trainer that you come across. Taking the time to interview a few trainers before starting to work out can help you find a trainer that will be willing to take into consideration your special needs, which will make the difference between reaching your fitness goals and being frustrated or … [Read more...]

What a Watford Personal Trainer Can Do for You

If you’re considering working with an Watford personal trainer to help you meet your fitness and health goals, you may be unaware of some of the benefits that working with a personal trainer can provide. Of course, a good personal trainer will assess your current level of fitness and design a fitness program that will help you reach your goals, but what do they do beyond that? In this article, … [Read more...]

Fitness in Watford Will Give You More Energy

Fitness in Watford will increase your energy levels by building cardiovascular endurance.  Aerobic exercises are those which strengthen the heart and circulatory system, and in doing so, results in more efficient use of oxygen by the body.  But there are a number of other benefits which are accrued as a result of aerobic exercising combined with good nutrition and strength straining, and they … [Read more...]

What Type of Personal Training in Watford Is Best for You

Personal training in Watford sets a standard for quality and success. With fitness becoming an increasingly popular aspect of health today, trainers are becoming knowledgeable in different areas. They can help you treat injuries, manage stress, become more flexible, and much more – including lose weight! Ain’t No Mountain High Enough Choosing a type of personal training in Watford … [Read more...]

Exercise Is A Top Diabetes Management Tool, According To Personal Trainers In Watford

Personal trainers in Watford know that exercise and good nutrition can do a lot to prevent or delay diabetes onset, but that they are also key factors in controlling diabetes, preventing serious complications, and in living well with diabetes.  Fitness is recommended for all diabetics, but care must be taken to develop a safe plan given your specific situation. Many Benefits Of Fitness For … [Read more...]

Injuries, Strains and Sore Muscles – A Personal Trainer in Watford Can Help

A personal trainer in Watford understands that experiencing soreness the day after a work out isn’t uncommon. After all, you’re pushing your muscles beyond what they’ve been used to doing. But sometimes we mistake injuries and strains as sore muscles and push through the pain, which can lead to lasting damage. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why muscles become sore, what you … [Read more...]

How Stress Influences Your Health and Fitness in Watford

An Expert in Health and Fitness in Watford Reports! Work, money, family, the future – there are plenty of things that we stress about. It isn’t just worries or bad things happening that cause stress, but any sort of change, from getting a promotion at work to planning a wedding, that put stress on your body. Stress can come from emotional or physical changes, illness, drastic changes in the … [Read more...]

Balance in Your Fitness in Watford Program

For those that are only at the beginning of their path to better fitness in Watford, the word “exercise” conjures up the image of endless hours running or pumping away on a stationary bike. While these exercises certainly have their merits, they are only a part of a balanced fitness program that incorporates several different disciplines. Varying your fitness in Watford routine with elements … [Read more...]

Fitness in Watford – Exercise Equipment

Those that are getting ready to start a new fitness in Watford program may be tempted to avoid using exercise equipment for a variety of reasons. Buying an exercise machine or joining a gym can be expensive, and there is a common misconception that people can attain the same amount of exercise without them. The truth is there are clear advantages of incorporating exercise equipment into your … [Read more...]

What to Expect When Hiring a Personal Trainer in Watford

A personal trainer in Watford understands that after choosing to improve your health through better eating and exercise, many people don’t know what to do next. There are hundreds of pages on the internet dedicated to diets, exercise regimes and equipment, but how can you tell what is right for you and your body? This is why choosing to hire a personal trainer in Watford is wonderful way to take … [Read more...]

Are You Too Busy to Exercise? A Personal Trainer in Watford Can Help

A personal trainer in Watford understands that among all the excuses one can make about avoiding exercise, claiming that you’re just too busy has to be the most often heard excuse. The truth is that this excuse just doesn’t cut it anymore. Everyone can find a way to incorporate an exercise routine into their busy lives, even if their lives are scheduled down to the last minute. Here are a few … [Read more...]

What to Look for in a Personal Trainer in Watford

You've decided to improve your health and lifestyle with a personal trainer in Watford.  Congratulations! You’ve already made an important first step. The next one is to find a personal trainer that can help you achieve your goals, but where to start? Don’t make the mistake of hiring the first personal trainer you come in contact with, because he or she might not have accredited … [Read more...]

Learn About Managing Your Diet and Metabolism with Personal Trainers in Watford

Personal trainers in Watford advise that you should learn about managing diet and metabolism in order to lose weight and keep it off.  The metabolism is the process of burning the calories you consume.  Your metabolic rate is impacted by the food you eat and the amount of exercise you get on a regular basis. Managing Your Energy Your body has to burn calories in order for them to become … [Read more...]

Personal Trainers in Watford Report On The Spot Reduction Myth

Personal trainers in Watford know that you’ve seen dozens of commercials on televisions or in magazines for diet pills or exercise equipment that promise to help you lose fat in your thighs, hips, and even the part of the body that plagues millions of women, the belly…heck, they’ve seen them too! But before you pick up the phone and order, you may well want to reconsider. Personal trainers … [Read more...]