Fit For Life: Simplify!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

Matt Espeut, GoLocalPDX Health +Lifestyle Contributor

At my gym, we do one thing, and we do it better than anyone else. That one thing is to get you results. There is one question you need to ask yourself when you sign on to any fitness program, and the question is…will this place help me achieve my goals, and get me results? Not, “how nice are the locker rooms”, not “how many TVs are there”, not “how much fancy equipment is packed into the place”, not “how nice is the décor”, not “do they give you a wedge of lemon in my water”, not “do they sell fancy stuff in their pro shop”. None of that matters if the place doesn’t have proof that the program works, or is willing to guarantee you results. WE DO! We don’t do it with fancy, trendy equipment. We don’t do it inside fancy mahogany walls. We do it by incorporating basic, non electronic, hand held equipment like battling ropes, med balls, dumbbells, suspension trainers, and bodyweight movements. We provide coached, 30 minute sessions of high intensity interval training or (H.I.I.T.) workouts, and recommend you attend 3-5 times a week. But that’s just half of the equation.

Nutrition.

The other half is something you need to do once you leave the gym. Usually the hardest part. And that’s your nutrition program. Not a diet, but a lifestyle you need to incorporate to be successful with ANY exercise program. We provide every member with a blueprint of how you should be eating on a day to day basis, and the folks that follow it are guaranteed results. It’s simple, but not easy. We make nutrition easy to understand, but you need to supply the discipline and will power to succeed. You eat clean, healthy food that tastes good, and you eat frequently throughout the day. I don’t ask you to worry about all the scientific philosophy that goes into nutrition, so you won’t be confused. I provide you with simple tips so you will succeed.

Here’s my top 3 tips:

1. Eat quality food. The quality of your food is just as important as the amount of food you eat. Good food raised on sustainable farms, without pesticides, and antibiotics is essential to good health and vitality. Your body will absorb the nutrients more efficiently, you will avoid any kind of digestive inflammation, and you are helping out the environment and avoiding cruelty to animals. If you are NOT paying attention to these issues, you are supporting farms that treat their animals unethically, and are polluting our soils with harmful chemicals, as well as wiping out necessary insects and organisms that contribute to our closed organic cycle.

2. Being prepared is essential to your success. If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail. You can’t just wing it on a day to day basis, and expect to eat healthy. When you pull up to a drive thru, chances of getting a quality meal are slim. If you need to go into a convenience store for lunch or breakfast, you will be eating some form of processed garbage, that will either hold back your results, or put them in reverse. Take the time to prepare your food for the day. You are worth the time, and your results will show.

3. Stay hydrated. Your muscles require water to thrive, and your body needs muscle to get lean. A general rule is to drink half of your bodyweight in ounces of water a day. A good way to make sure you get enough, is to buy a case, and keep bottles in reach everywhere you go. Keep it in the car (weather permitting) keep it in your office, bring it to the gym, and drink some before every meal. If you are concerned about frequent trims to the lavatory, don’t be, that’s a sign that things are working properly and your body is eliminating toxins. So there it is. At my gym, we provide you with this simplified approach to starting out on your health and fitness journey. So, start by finding a fitness program that will guarantee you results, and then incorporate a nutrition plan that is simple and healthy. With a combination like that, you are guaranteed to succeed. Committed to your success!

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years.

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

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MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

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MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

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JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

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YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

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SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

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Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android