HEAT Walk Challenge | Week 8

Walking Routine

Frequency: 3xWeek
Duration: 2 mile
Warm-Up: 5 minutes
Walking Pace: 50 – 60% Target Heart Rate or RPE 13-14
Cool Down: 5 minutes

Weekly Tip

Where to exercise?

Honestly you can exercise equally effective at the gym or at home.

Exercising at the gym:

Joining a gym can be a great motivator. Some people find that if they’re paying monthly gym fees, they will exercise more, simply because they feel guilty about paying for a facility they don’t use.

Many high-end gyms have everything from pools and tennis courts to fun group classes. If you’re on a budget, check to see whether your town or city has a municipal gym, which should be less expensive but still have free weights, machines, and other basics. The ideal gym will meet the following standards:

• It’s close to your home or office.
• It employs trainers certified by a nationally accredited organization. Look for the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation.
• It offers the classes you want to take at times that are convenient for you.
• It has the amenities you need, such as lockers or a babysitting service.

I want to elaborate on the certification a little more. Do not assume because someone has the title of Personal Trainer that they are indeed certified. It is very common that a trainer is not certified. Some of the certification organizations you should look for are listed below:

• America’s Authority on Fitness (ACE)
• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
• IFPA
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)
• National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)
• National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF)
• National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT)
• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA)

These and other organizations offer a variety programs. My personal opinion is they should have a solid foundation is exercise science and the basics in program design. Being a certified personal trainer provides the ground work or baseline if you will. Although they may be certified as a group fitness instructor or similar programs, these do not necessarily give them that foundation needed to correct form, identify possible issues, modify program, progress client towards their goals, or correct common mistakes made during training. You should also look for a trainer that continues to expand on their knowledge base and specializes in other areas.

Another thing to watch for in a gym setting is fixed programs. A lot of times a gym provides it trainers with a set routine that clients follow. They have very little lead way to make changes or adjust on the fly. Now granted having the ability to adjust a program on the fly is a skill acquired over time through experience and understanding. Nonetheless I do not classify this as personal training. This is simply training and there is a big difference. I also believe that those trainers that get certified but do not continue their education and claim to have 10 years experience are misrepresenting themselves. What they have is 6 months or a year of experience and just continue to do the same thing for the next 9 years or so.

There is nothing wrong with this approach per say, except when you are paying a premium fee for what you think is personal training and not getting your money’s worth. Or worse yet not achieving your goals.

Moving on….

Exercising at home

If you can’t afford a gym, don’t enjoy working out inside, or live so far from a gym that going there wouldn’t be convenient, there are plenty of ways to get a great workout without signing up at a health club.

• Outdoor sports, including tennis, rollerblading, cycling, and basketball.
• Jogging or running.
• Brisk walking.
• Dancing.
• Exercise DVDs.
• Using at-home equipment such as an exercise ball, a jump rope (my favorite), or free weights.
• Investing in a home machine, such as a treadmill, stationary bike, or rowing machine.
• Or building a strongman style at home gym using sandbag, large tires, sledgehammer, etc is al a great option.

In a lot of areas you can hire an in home personal trainer. This is a lot more common than one might think. Some of the benefits of this is you can hire a trainer and not have to pay for an additional gym membership fee. Obviously another benefit is they come to your home. You don’t have to sit and wait for equipment and the session can go by fast. The pricing for in home personal trainer varies. Generally speaking the cost is higher than a gym or studio trainer. The reason is opportunity and cost. A in home personal trainer has to factor in travel time to and from, being at your home cuts down on the amount of session they can provide in a day, gas, insurance, and wear and tear on their vehicle. Pricing can vary from $75.00 to $500.00 per session depending on experience of the trainer, uniqueness of their program, number of people they might have to handle in that session (if you workout with other family members and friends).

The last option I’ll discuss is private studios. Private studios like the in home personal trainer has some of the same variables they must consider as the in home trainer. With the exception of the travel related expenses. They do however additional concerns they must factor in when setting pricing. Like the In home personal trainer pricing are higher than gym trainers. Some of the benefits of this approach is no equipment to purchase, no competition for equipment, personalized program designed, less distractions, etc.

I personally offer the private studio option. As a trainer I enjoy this approach over the commercial gym for many reasons.

In short choose the option that works best for you. Be honest with yourself. If you will buy the membership at a gym but not use it then you maybe locked into a year contract that you are not using. These funds may be better spent with a personal trainer. Although higher cost is involved this option may be what you need to achieve your goals.

Weekly Recipe

Cranberry Relish Surprise

1 scoop Greenberry Shakeology
2 cups cold cranberry juice
7 segments mandarin orange
1/4 cup cold water
Ice to taste
Optional: orange zest twist for garnish