Custom Fitness - Downtown Mountain View

Hi All!

It's been a while since I have posted, but life has been hectic but very exciting. I have just found another fabulous fitness studio to see clients (don't worry, I'm still at EWHC!). It's Custom Fitness in downtown Mountain View. It's located in the same building as Le Boulanger and for you tech-people, it's downstairs from Mozilla.

For you guys out there, you'll be pleased to know this is an unisex facility but does not look or smell like a regular gym!

As you know, I am very fussy when it comes to studio space, so this has been a wonderful find. Initial consultations are always free, so call me to schedule a session.

Tel: +1 650 996 5451

See you soon!

NCPAD's 14 week plan to a healthier you

Happy Monday to you!

For those of you who have email access but have a more difficult time accessing an adaptive fitness trainer, the NCPAD (The National Center onPhysical Activity and Disability) will be starting their "14-weeks to a healthier you" program soon (ie in a couple of days).

The program is delivered to your email inbox. However, the feature I like best about this program is the fact that you can contact them directly if you need assistance with the exercises and adaptations needed for you. The follow was in an email sent to me today:

"We provide a number of modifications to the exercises you will receive each week in order to meet differing needs, but it would be impossible for us to predict what would be best for each of you. That is why we are standing-by waiting for your e-mails (ncpad@uic.edu) and phone calls (800-900-8086), Monday through Friday during the hours of 9:00-5:00 CDT. Just specify that you are participating in the 14 Week Program and schedule a conversation with one of our coaches. We will also have someone available for live chat during these same hours."

This program is free and you can sign up by clicking here.

Cheers,

Fi

Certifications and other housekeeping ...

It's a gorgeous Californian Sunday morning and I am procrastinating, so I thought I would complete some blog housekeeping. I will be the first to admit I have not been has prolific as I had planned.

First off, I get to display my ACSM logo (or as they call it "identity mark").


Secondly, since I've been carrying on about picking the correct trainer for you, I probably should list my fitness credentials:

1. The most important is, I am a certified ACSM-HFS. I know, so many letters; my husband hasn't quite figured it out yet. The mumbo-jumbo stands for "American College of Sports Medicine - Health & Fitness Specialist". The ACSM conducts extensive research and has some pretty strict guidelines and expectations of their members and their skills and services. They are the gold standard certification for fitness professionals. For the most part, you will encounter an ACSM-CPT, which is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer.

2. I have an AA in Adaptive Fitness Therapy from Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California. I trained under Dr Karl Knopf, who is a guru in senior health and fitness.

3. I also have a Certificate in Adaptive Aquatics. Even though I am Australian, I never thought I would enjoy water exercise, let alone what is usually termed "aquarobics". More on this subject in later posts, but if you have a class near you, give it a try, you will be pleasantly surprised.

I think that about covers it. My PhD is, as you have probably figured out, in a non fitness related field. I am a social scientist (historian) by training.

Sending you lots of Californian sunshine!

Fi

Where I am training ... as of March 2010 ...

Hi All!

I've received a few emails asking me where I am training this year. I apologize for not posting details sooner.

For the ladies, I am at Every Woman Health Club in Redwood City. It is a gorgeous little gym near downtown Redwood City. Things I love about it are:

1. No pushy sales people. Stephanie and Anne started this gym to support women and their health goals. So it's all about getting and staying healthy, not plans and supplements and stuff you just don't need.
2. It smells nice. No sweaty gym smell here!
3. I don't have to be one of those pushy sales people - I am there to take care of my clients.
4. Fantastic classes. All the instructors are extremely well qualified at what they do and the classes are small and very friendly.
5. Flexibility. You don't have to be a member to train with me, but if you choose to be a member, they do have various levels of memberships and payment plans to suit your needs.

For the men, I am still looking for a studio that fits my/your needs. I am off to see a few places this week, so watch this space.

In addition, I still do limited home sessions.

Cheers,
Fi

Finding the right trainer for you

An article in Chron Sports Running Notebook section noted “Consumers are more conscious of their finances than ever,” said Dr. Walter Thompson, lead author of the ACSM's trends survey. “If they're going to work with a fitness professional to improve their health, they're going to do their homework and find someone who's educated, experienced and certified by a reputable organization.”

I believe finding a trainer that is just right for you is extremely important. Not only can they develop a plan that is perfect for you and your goals, you also need to find someone that you enjoy spending time with. It is a very personal experience.

One of my clients stated the situation perfectly last week: "It is not that the average personal trainer gets up in the morning, comes to work and plans to hurt you, it just happens because they don't know what it feels like to be in pain all the time." A body that is fighting a chronic condition and/or aging is not going to feel like a 20-something's. Sad, but true. However, you want someone who had help you fight back gracefully.

As a trainer, I probably ask as many questions of my potential clients as they do of me, to see if I can help the achieve their goals. I firmly believe in the concept of knowing how the other person feels and goes through before you can offer any advise and support. For example, if you were a marathon runner or if you were training for Mr/Ms America, I am probably not the best trainer for you. I don't know how the body feels when it goes through that sort of exercise and, wear and tear. However, if you wake up sore and want to feel less sore each week, I can definitely help with that.

The ICAA has published a fantastic questionnaire to use when selecting a personal trainer. I think all the information is totally applicable even if you are not an older adult. Going into a gym for the first time is intimidating, but do not let them bully you into anything or anyone you are not comfortable with. You are the consumer.

A client who has just recently signed up with me did something wonderful, that I now think should be the gold standard in choosing a trainer; she interviewed each person at the gym she wanted to work out in and then made her decision. It is so simple and incredibly effective, yet it was the first time I (and other trainers I told) had seen it.

Happy training!

Fi

Chocolate Milk, the new SuperFood

Joel Stager has recently become my new hero. His latest research in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism lists CHOCOLATE MILK as the ultimate post-workout recovery drink. It claims chocolate milk provides the carbs and protein your body needs to heal after a tough workout session.

While I admit there are not many days that I will work out to the same level the athletes he studied work at, it is just very pleasing to know that the humble chocolate milk is not just a super decadent treat, or a long lost childhood memory.

As a word of caution though, do check the ingredient list and nutritional information on the chocolate milk you are gulping; it still can pack a caloric punch. I find myself partial to Horizon Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk in a Tetra Pak, which I believe is also sold under the Kirkland label at Costco.

New Year's Resolution (in February)

I know it's a little late but I have finally figured out my fitness goal for 2010. It took a lot of thought (that's my story and I'm sticking to it), and I have decided to aim for something I have never been able to do before, but always wanted to - a non-stop set of PERFECT FULL PUSHUPS.

A properly executed pushup uses every single muscle of the body and required proper alignment.

Picture from karatetraining.org

Wish me luck!

Fi

Breathing with Qi Gong

I found this little video on the RealAge.com site. It is a beginner's guide to Qi Gong. I like how Qi Gong can help with your balance and brings awareness to your breathing. It has also been touted as a method of stress relief.

As a Type A personality, I find that it forces me to slow down and take in the day. I like doing it in the evening, before or after my evening stroll around the block to decompress.




Remember, only kick as high as you feel comfortable and safe.

Happy breathing!

Fiona

"You Must've Been Fit Your Whole Life" & Other Myths

There is a strange myth that persists, that people in the fitness industry must be fitness fanatics, fit since childhood and built like a Greek god/dess. I know for a fact that is not true, especially in my case. I was the girl in high school who would find ANY possible excuse to get out of PE classes. It wasn't so much that I hated changing in and out of my gym clothes in a locker room, but that I just wasn't very good at PE. All that running around, co-ordination required and I still came in last at everything.

It wasn't until I was in my early 20s that I discovered the gym and could exercise at my own pace and there was no competition. As my fitness level improved, I branched out to experiment with other fitness activities that I enjoyed. I still would never have described myself as "fit" but I was healthy.

Then, in my late 20s, a few months after I got married, I just became unwell. Some doctors attributed it to moving to a new country, adjusting to married life etc. But I knew something was wrong, and it wasn't all in my head. A MRI confirmed that there was a neurological problem and thus, began years of fighting with symptoms and trying to find some way of being in charge of my body, instead of my body controlling my life.

At one of my lowest points, my husband gently suggested that I read as much as I could about demyelinating neurological conditions and what I could do about it. Three words kept recurring "EXERCISE", "NEUROGENESIS" and "NEUROPLASTICITY". I read some very impressive scholarly article, of which I understood only every few words. However, what became clear was that I needed to exercise, but how in the world was I going to exercise when I could barely stand up on my own?? There was no way I could spend an hour on an elliptical trainer followed by 30 mins of weight training. What do I do now?

I called around and did more reading. My epiphany arrived when I realised the easiest way of describing my condition to the average person was by explaining that my body was aging at an accelerated pace. Then the coin just dropped, and I realised I needed to train like an older adult. Again, I had no clue how to begin. More calls and I ended up in Dr Karl Knopf's Adaptive Fitness Technician course at Foothill College, and my new life began.

Now, exercise is slower paced and consistent, rather than high octane. I've learnt to exercise smart, not hard. Most importantly, exercise is now part of my daily life rather than something extra that I just tack on. I need exercise not to fit into a size 6 dress or the latest bikini; I need exercise to live my life, and to be the best for my family.

I am here to try and help you do the same.