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Target Trainers Inc. is pleased to
provide you with Health, Nutrition and Fitness
Tips. If you would like to provide feedback on any of
our Tips, or if you would like to recommend your
own Tip, please complete our contact
form.
Health Tips
- Many factors contribute to being healthy?
- Your health may be affected by the amount
of stress you face and how you handle it!
- Wash your hands well! With warm water and
soap wash your hands, and wash them well.
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause
of death for adults in Canada!
Nutrition Tips
- The most important meal of your day is…BREAKFAST!
- Read the food labels carefully!
- Stay healthy...Eat a well balanced diet!
- Antioxidants are good for you! Antioxidants
protect you cells from breaking down.
- Water is a vital nutrient for our bodies!
- Don't use the word “diet”…create
a “meal plan” for you and your family.
- Be a smart grocery shopper…plan ahead!
- The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that
you follow Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating. Enjoy
a variety of foods.
Fitness Tips
- Set realistic short-term goals.
- We all have a mind-body connection.
- It is important to…Breathe!
- Don't forget to warm-up and cool-down your
muscles…before and after exercise!
Health Tips
- Many factors contribute
to being healthy…do you possess any of them?
Are you a non-smoker? Are you rarely exposed to second-hand
smoke? Does your doctor say you have a healthy body weight?
Do you limit your sun exposure? Do you have fewer than 2
alcoholic beverages in a day? Do you see your doctor for
your annual physical? Do you use drugs? Do you follow directions
for prescription medication? Do you brush your teeth for
2 minutes twice a day? Do you get 8 hours of sleep each
night? Do you exercise regularly? All these are factors
that must be taken into account.
- Your health may be affected…by the amount
of stress you face and how you handle it! To be
healthy our bodies require some stress. Being excited and
extremely happy are forms of “positive stressors”.
Our bodies need to manage “negative stressors”
such as fear, anger, and anxiety. Our bodies will respond
to both types of stress physically, emotionally, and mentally.
Over long periods of time, if the stress is not managed
or is poorly managed, health problems such as heart disease,
ulcers, and high blood pressure can occur. One of the best
ways to cope with daily stressors is through regular physical
activity. The benefits of regular physical activity are
both physical and psychological. Manage your stress through
regular physical activity!
- Wash your hands well!
With warm water and soap wash your hands, and wash them
well. As a rule of thumb, sing your alphabet song
to ensure you wash long enough to kill any germs or bacteria.
Washing your hands regularly is an extremely important factor
in preventing the transmission of diseases. If you don't
regularly wash your hands after using the bathroom, you
better start now!
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of
death for adults in Canada! (Canadian Red Cross)
Every year about 50,000 Canadians die from coronary artery
disease. Cardiovascular disease develops when there is a
gradual build up of cholesterol and other materials inside
the coronary arteries (atherosclerosis). When someone has
a heart attack, there is something you can do! You can learn
CPR and help save a life. If the blood doesn't get pumped
to the brain, death is unavoidable. To save a life CPR must
be done as early as possible. Learn CPR, the life you save
may be someone close to you!
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Nutrition Tips
- The most important meal
of your day is…BREAKFAST! For those of you
who don't have time to eat or just don't feel like it, snap
out of it. Breakfast is not optional. Have you ever wondered
why your body stores so much fat? Have you ever wondered
why you don't weigh what you'd like to? Start your day with
a sensible breakfast to feed your metabolism and get energized!
- Read the food labels carefully! Are you
eating non-fat foods and wondering why you're still not
as lean as you'd like to be? Make sure you read your food's
nutrition label. Just because the food is fat-free or even
low in fat, doesn't mean it's low in simple carbohydrates.
People think that since the food is low in fat, they can
have double the amount! Wrong! This is a common misconception
for many people. All they are doing is replacing calories
from fat with calories from simple carbohydrates. If you
eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Just
because the food is fat-free doesn't mean it's calorie-free!
- Stay healthy...Eat a well balanced diet! Your
meal plan should include food items from each food group.
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, some grain products
and dairy products as well as some meat and alternatives.
Your meat products should be lean and try to cut back on
saturated fats to improve your health benefits. When it
comes to junk food, remember everything in moderation!
- Antioxidants are good
for you! Antioxidants protect you cells from breaking down.
Eat a variety of antioxidant rich foods like almonds, bell
peppers, carrots, citrus fruits, spinach, tomatoes, and
a variety of berries.
- Water is a vital nutrient for our bodies!
If you wait until your mouth is dry, you're already starting
to dehydrate. You need to drink as much water every day
that you can. Carry a half liter bottle around with you
everywhere you go. Keep topping it up and keep drinking
it. Yes, you'll need the facilities more often, but your
body will feel energized and your body will consistently
be ridding itself of any impurities.
- Don't use the word “diet”…create
a “meal plan” for you and your family.
Diets can lead to very negative results. Most people that
go on diets will lose some weight, however they'll gain
it back as soon as the diet is over. Create a meal plan
and stick to it. Not only will this help with your organizational
skills but it will ensure you are eating well and you are
in control of your own health. Post it on your fridge and
never worry about what you should prepare for a meal again!
- Be a
smart grocery shopper…plan ahead! Check your
supplies and make a list before making the trip (this will
save you time and money). Use coupons and always check for
specials in the grocery store flyer. Nutritious food doesn't
have to be expensive food. Shop when you're not hungry!
Check the “best before” dates and try generic
brands. Products displayed at eye level are often most expensive
so look on the upper and lower shelves too! Use more home
made foods than ready-to-go fast foods. Plan ahead and eat
well!
- The Canadian Cancer Society recommends that you
follow Canada's Guidelines for Healthy Eating.
Enjoy a variety of foods. Emphasize cereals, breads, other
grain products, vegetables and fruits. Choose lower fat
dairy products, leaner meats, and foods prepared with little
or no fat. Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight by
enjoying regular physical activity and healthy eating. Limit
salt, sugar, and caffeine.
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Fitness Tips
- Set realistic short-term
goals. Before starting any workout program you
should always set attainable goals and write them down.
If your long-term goal is to lose 100 pounds, you can't
expect to do it so quickly. Set a short-term goal of losing
10-12 pounds in 6 weeks, that is realistic. By setting a
realistic goal that is attainable, not only will you be
able to achieve that goal, you will be motivated to keep
going! After reaching your first short term goal, set yourself
another one. Before you know it, you'll reach your long-term
goal!
- We all have a mind-body connection. When
doing your weight training routine, it is really important
to train with a maximum amount of intensity. In order to
increase the intensity of your workout, create a bond between
your mind and the muscle you're training. This bond will
allow you to focus more on the exercise at hand and therefore
force your muscles to train harder. The more focus you have
on the target muscle, the more muscle fibers you will hit
and the more your muscle will develop. Use your mind-body
connection!
- It is
important to…Breathe! It's always important
for us to breathe, and so why not during exercise? Our muscles
need oxygen and need to expel carbon dioxide in order to
develop. One of the golden rules in weight training is to
never hold your breath! There are two phases to every exercise,
the concentric phase and the eccentric phase. During one
phase you should inhale through the other phase you should
exhale. But how do you know when to breathe in which direction?
Always remember: exhale when you are doing the hardest phase
of the exercise! Fill your muscles with oxygen and they'll
develop more efficiently. Remember: it's very important
to breathe properly in order to get maximum benefits from
your exercise!
- Don't forget to warm-up and cool-down your muscles…before
and after exercise! To increase flexibility and
prepare your muscles for training, go through an exercise
specific warm-up. It's always a good idea to do a cardio
warm-up before any weight training program just to get the
blood pumping throughout your body. Stretch the muscles
you're training before and after each exercise. You can
even stretch between sets, which will help reduce the risk
of injuries. To avoid feeling the aches and pain the day
after your training session, complete a cool-down routine
at the end of every workout. You can stretch, meditate,
do some cardio exercise, anything to relax your body from
the intense session you've just completed!
To get on target complete the Target Trainers
Inc. contact form today.
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