Healthy Snacking: A Guide to Keeping Your Energy Up and Hunger Down In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining energy levels and managing hunger can be a challenge, especially when you’re trying to balance a healthy lifestyle. The secret to overcoming these challenges? Healthy snacking! Incorporating small, nutritious snacks into your daily routine can not only boost your energy levels but also prevent overeating at meal times. Below, we’ve curated a list of healthy snacks that are both delicious and nutritious, perfect for those moments when you need a little something to keep you going. Fresh ..read more

It can be very difficult during the colder months to stay motivated to stay on track. Seasonal depression is a very real thing and can deter you from maintaining your fitness goals. Fear not! There are several ways that you can skirt these mood changes and keep yourself going in the right direction. 1. Mental Health Benefits There are several mental health benefits to working out. Exercise at any time helps boost your mood and recalibrate your brain chemistry. Endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin, or feel good chemicals are released during exercise and this helps brighten your day! When the se ..read more

Using a scale to measure your objective progress can be a great way to see how you are coming along in your fitness journey! However, it isn’t always the best tool to use and can sometimes be a deterrent to continuing with exercise. There are many alternative ways to track your progress without using a scale, both subjective and objective. These tools will help you ensure that you aren’t put off from working out if the number on the scale isn’t moving like you think it should. 1. Track Habits When measuring progress, it is important to take note of the overall habit changes you are experienci ..read more

There has been a heated debate in the fitness industry over the years: bands or free weights? I’m here to tell you that there really is no right or wrong answer in this debate, and that it truly depends on what you are going for with you workouts. Many different factors play into this, including goals, fitness level, injured/not injured, and availability of equipment and money. When needed, ask a personal trainer for advice! Resistance bands are exactly what they sound like: elastic rubber that come in many different shapes, sizes, and strengths. They can be straight bands, sometimes loops, an ..read more

5 Things To Remember When Working Out This Fall Maintaining a workout routine is vital to your health and wellness, however, it can be tricky to keep up with your regimen as the seasons change. As we enter into fall and the start of colder and dryer weather, it’s important to keep in mind positive practices while working out. Prioritizing a healthy lifestyle while also enjoying the beauty of fall is a great and easy way to make the most of the season while also making an impact on your body. Get Enough Sleep Having a self-care routine is crucial no matter what season it is. The care that you ..read more

Over the years, there have been some gender stereotypes when it comes to exercising, making certain workouts considered the best for men or the best for women. One such stereotype is that men just want to build their biceps, while women aim to build their quads and glutes. As a result, most women are shifting towards cardio machines and yoga studios, and men prefer to train with free weights. But, should a man and woman really exercise differently? In one word; No! Men’s workouts should not be different from women’s exercises as there’s nothing like ‘gender-specific’ workouts. Besides, all wor ..read more

Creatine supplements, ever heard of them? In recent years, creatine has become one of the most popular supplements among gym-goers and bodybuilders. It is a naturally- occurring substance in the body that is responsible for supplying energy to cells. It is produced in the liver, pancreas, and kidneys and is stored in muscle tissue. When creatine levels are low, muscles can become weak and tired. Creatine supplements provide a convenient way to increase muscle creatine levels without having to consume large amounts of meat or fish. In addition, creatine supplements are much less expensive than ..read more

  The importance of core strength as we age can not be underestimated. The core of your body is an array of different muscles throughout the hips, abdomen, back and chest. These muscles are important for stability, balance, and effective force transference from your lower body to your upper body. Research shows that as we age, our posture gets worse, we lose muscle strength and flexibility, and our balance becomes worse. This can lead to low back pain, fall risks, and our daily life activities becoming increasingly difficult. Through effective and directed exercise, along with some daily ..read more

Considering a personal trainer and not sure where to start? I don’t blame you. Not all personal trainers are the same. Frankly, becoming a personal trainer is not regulated and most trainers lack the knowledge or proper tools to help you safely achieve your goals and not run your body into the ground. Here are 10 things to keep an eye on when looking for a personal trainer or deciding when to dump yours. 1. Cookie Cutter Program As I stated above, personal training is not regulated and just about anyone can become a “personal trainer” with an overnight online certification. In addition, Instag ..read more

How long have you been a personal trainer?  I have been a personal trainer for about 5.5 years now, starting in the field in September of 2016. I’m certified with American Council on Exercise also known as ACE.   How did you originally get into the personal training field?  When I was 19 I started working in physical therapy as a front desk specialist. Around this same time, I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease(DDD) in my lower back. This was surprising to me since I was so young and pretty active. While doing my own physical therapy for my back, I fell in love with t ..read more