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questions & answers...
Can I start exercising right now?
If you have not taken regular vigorous exercise for
more than a year, you should seek your doctor's advice
before you begin any vigorous exercise programme. As
your personal trainer, I would give you a thorough health
assessment as part of your initial consultation before
starting any exercise, but this should not be a substitute
for seeking your doctor's advice.
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What if I've never exercised before?
All the more reason to become more active now. But check
with your doctor first. Once you've got the all clear
from your doctor, start gradually and build up your
levels of activity slowly and steadily.
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How often do I need to exercise?
For general health, a minimum of half an hour every
day of general activity, which can be spread over the
day. For cardiovascular fitness, a minimum of twenty
minutes of continuous activity (at moderate to high
intensity) at least 3 times a week. I recommend one
or two sessions per week with me and the other sessions
on your own.
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What time of day should I exercise?
Definitely not just after eating. Leave at least 2 hours
between finishing a large meal and starting exercise.
If you've only had a small snack, an hour to digest
should suffice. Apart from that, it doesn't really matter
whether you exercise in the morning, afternoon, or evening.
Some people like to exercise on an empty stomach first
thing in the morning, because they burn more fat when
carbohydrate stores have been depleted overnight. There
is truth in this, but you risk lacking the energy to
train effectively if you've not eaten for 12 hours,
and feeling drained of energy after the workout. I recommend
you exercise after you've digested a meal for 1 to 3
hours, depending on how much you've eaten.
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Why do I need a personal trainer if I can join a
gym or train on my own at home?
If you are one of those rare people with iron discipline
and expert knowledge of exercise, nutrition, and motivation
techniques, you probably could train alone. Having said
that, no top sports star would risk training alone.
They all have coaches and nutritionists. For virtually
everybody, a personal trainer will ensure you get the
results you want - more quickly, effectively and safely.
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What is the most important aspect of fitness?
The most important thing is your health, so your top
priority is to ensure you are physically active for
at least half an hour every day, and this half hour
can be spread through the day. You can achieve this
by walking at a moderate pace. This will ensure you
stay functionally fit for every day tasks. Equally important
- ensure you have a balanced diet (see the page on nutrition)
and cut down on alcohol and tobacco. Once you have made
this part of your routine, it's time to focus on your
most important muscle - your heart. Twenty minutes of
more vigorous exercise three times a week will suffice.
Once these priorities are part of your routine, you
can then add the other aspects of fitness - muscular
strength, endurance, flexiblility, core stability, agility,
balance, mental fitness.
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How soon can I expect to see results?
The health benefits begin as soon as you start exercising
effectively and eating more healthily. A personal trainer
will ensure your exercise programme is effective. You
will start to lose fat, gain muscle, you will feel more
energetic, mentally alert, less prone to anxiety and
depression, you'll feel more confident and full of life.
Your heart, lungs and circulatory system will get stronger,
your blood pressure will improve, you will be less prone
to illness, and you will sleep better. Most of these
improvements are not immediately visible on the outside,
but they're happening. Don't give up if you haven't
achieved your dream body shape within a couple of months.
As you persevere, the outward signs of progress will
appear - firmer muscles, less fat, a healthier appearance.
These are just some of the hundreds of health benefits
that result from regular exercise and healthy eating.
But if you're seeing a personal trainer for one hour
a week, a lot depends on what you do in the remaining
167 hours of that week. As your personal trainer I will
advise you on what to do between sessions, to keep you
on the right track.
For online training, see
www.Fitness4London.com
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