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Non-Running Cardio Drills For Older Adults And Seniors

Running has been around for a long time and is a popular cardiovascular exercise for many. However, for some mid-life, older adults and seniors in our midst, running may NOT actually be a suitable exercise nor a viable option for them. Common reasons cited by those who could not incorporate running into their exercise routines include: "running hurts my knees", "it's too vigorous", "it's so jarring on all my joints" to "it's too boring and monotonous" or perhaps even "my doctor says I should NEVER run at all because of my XYZ medical conditions" etc ... As valid as many of these reasons are, it does not remove the fact that such individuals are at risk of missing out on an important component of fitness - cardiovascular training - if they shy away from jogging/running and lack any substitute form of cardiovascular exercise for their bodies. As such, as a senior/older adult exercise specialist , I would usually recommen...

Essential Fitness Movement Patterns For Older Adults And Seniors

As we age, most of us would like to continue staying healthy , active and useful for as long as we live. In order to do so, and to get the most benefits from our respective exercise programs - regardless whether we're in our 50s, 60s, 70s or even more - it is essential that we include the various foundational movement patterns in our exercise regimes. These movement patterns are not only essential for our daily physical functions and for healthy living, they are also imperative to our quality of life, and possibly having a major impact on our eventual longevity as well. The following are the basic movement patterns that the Human Body is capable of doing and which we - regardless of age - should all be actively training for: 1) Squat This is the move that we use every time we transit from a sit to a stand position, and back from a stand to a sit position. It is one of the most basic and common movements that we do every day, from getting in and out of a chair to lif...

Fitness Tips For Seniors And Older Adults

With the aging population here in Singapore and in many developed countries growing rapidly, staying healthy , active and vibrant as we age have become more crucial than ever before. Over the years, much has been said and proven about the benefits of daily physical activity and regular exercise to the physical, mental and even emotional well-being of our seniors and older adult population. Many of these benefits include, but are not limited, to the following:   increased energy levels ,   enhanced sleep ,   reduced stress levels ,   better weight management ,   reduced risk of chronic diseases ,  improved blood circulation , and decreased risk of falls . With these benefits in mind, coupled with governmental policies and campaigns, more and more seniors and older adults in our midst are now actively pursuing age-specific fitness programs and initiatives. Even those who have always been inactive have also begun seriously contemplating ...

The Greatest Fitness Lies Of All Time

Despite the massive slew of health & fitness information available to us in this Modern Era, many, unfortunately, are still falling prey to the same, old, myths, fallacies & lies surrounding fitness, training, exercise and nutrition. Sadly, these myths and misconceptions don't seem to be going away, and not only have greatly distorted people's notions of fitness and exercise, but have also led many to ineffective, harmful and potentially dangerous practices and lifestyles - all supposedly in the name of fitness. To address these concerns, I have listed some of the most persistent fitness lies and myths that I have encountered in my work as a fitness coach and personal trainer through all these years; and the TRUTHS behind them: 1) MYTH: I Need To Push Myself To the MAX Each & Every Single Workout Session In Order To Achieve My Fitness Goals. TRUTH: There is indeed a place and time for hard and intense workouts like HIIT , Tabatas, Plyometrics etc. Howeve...

Home Workout Tips For Stay-At-Home Mums

Speak to most stay-at-home mums and you're bound to get the idea that MANY (if not most) have already given up on their dream of being able to fit in a regular exercise program into their weekly schedule, let alone attain a figure that is Lean, Toned and Attractive !  Indeed, having had the privilege and opportunity to work with many such home-based mums here in Singapore over the years (in my capacity as a Private Home Personal Trainer) , and having observed - first-hand - my wife's own stay-at-home child-care experience in the early formative years of my 2 kids, I can attest to the fact that it can indeed be a real challenge for many stay-home mums to even THINK of exercise, let alone DO it, when faced with the myriad of tasks they confront on a daily basis. Challenges Facing A Housewife Just think about this - the chores that every stay-at-home mum inevitably faces one day or another include: doing up the laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, vacuuming the house, was...

Random Thoughts On Life, Fitness, Training, And More ...

It truly never ceases to amaze me how fast time really flies. By all accounts, 2016 has been a pretty eventful (and rough) year so far: with the spread of the Zika Virus across South America, the exit of Britain from the EU, and of course, the unprecedented spate of terrorist attacks across France, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Bangladesh, Iraq etc .... Here in Singapore, we can count ourselves pretty fortunate - being shielded from the bulk of the ills facing our world. However, as part of the vast humanity at large - nonetheless, we can't help but be affected still - in one way or another - by the spill-over effects of the above. Truly, in such volatile and turbulent times as now, I - like many others - have been trying hard to make sense of what's really happening around us, while going about my daily life as a Husband, a Father, a Son, a Business Owner and a Fitness Professional . Cozying up to the love of my life - my wife, Shirley. So much so that in spite of the ...

Hard Truths About Personal Trainers And The Fitness Industry

As a practising personal trainer and owner of a personal training business here in Singapore, I've been asked many times what it means and how it feels being part of the fitness community at large. Well, I can't speak on behalf of every single trainer or coach here in the country - as there are simply so many different trainers, contrasting training approaches, varied fitness niches, and diversification of fitness services across the industry today. More importantly, I'm sure every single trainer/coach out there would have his/her own personal and unique views regarding the profession too. Thus, for the purpose of this blog post, I would rather focus on what I - or rather, WE, of the personal training industry - are NOT . The following represents some of the most commonly-held myths and misconceptions about us - trainers and coaches - and my personal take on these issues, as well as the "hard truths" behind many of these assumptions: 1) We Are NOT ...