Get fit without leaving home

There is an old saying that goes, “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”

Everyone would love more time in their day. Time to spend with friends and family, time to relax—and time to exercise. The problem is, many of us find ourselves too busy to exercise properly, constantly on the go. Or we have a hard time getting motivated to exercise, even though we know we should. We want to do it, but there's the hassle of getting to the gym, finding parking, going to the locker, waiting for equipment when the gym is busy, not to mention feeling self-conscious about how we look if it's been a while since we set foot in a fitness club.

All of this eats up valuable time in our precious days and can even contribute to stress in our lives. Who needs it?

But we all hear the scary news every day about increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis and joint problems caused by too much weight, bad eating habits, and too little exercise. We know we can't afford not to exercise, but it's such a pain!

What's a person to do?

Fortunately, there is a simple solution for the busy modern urbanite. In-home workouts and personal fitness programs are all the rage these days, and why not? People of all levels of fitness and all ages—parents, seniors, people with weight problems, pre- and post-natal mothers, teens—can benefit from a tailor-made fitness program delivered right in the comfort of home. And that's the beauty of it: you work out in your own home, or condo fitness facility. You don't need to purchase equipment because in-home trainers will bring it to you. You don't have to worry about how you look.

Programs can be developed to concentrate on increasing flexibility, endurance, agility, and strength; as the body gains in performance ability, weight loss occurs faster. Some trainers teach effective ways to how to cope with stress, while others use martial arts, boxing and even dance as part of their approach to cardio workout.

And think of all the time you'll save. Some estimates put the time saved as high as 150 hours per year, based on exercising at home three times a week, rather than traveling to a gym and back home again.

Whether your goal is weight loss, muscle gain or a tighter stomach, a certified personal trainer can guide you with a personalized program and get you results.

Of course, no one can guarantee results—that depends on the individual and how committed he or she is to reaching goals—but the majority of those who do achieve (90% according to Idea International Health & Fitness Organization) are working with a personal trainer. Everybody responds differently to training, but the most important aspect to reaching your goals is consistency in following your diet and exercise plan.

Training tips from the experts

• Interval training can burn up to ten times more fat.
• Training first thing in the morning will rev up your body and metabolism all day.
• Try a 2– or 3–day workout split for increased muscular gains, instead of working out your full body for an hour.
• Avoid salt as it can make you retain water, and increases hypertension.
• Work out 3 days a week with weights, or use your own body weight as resistance to keep muscles and joints strong.
• Eat small, balanced meals, at least 5–6 times a day for increased energy and optimal fat burning effects.
• Fill up on fruits and veggies. Avoid boxed foods when possible.

Mike Tangreda is C.E.O of inhometrainer.ca, and Certified Head Pro Trainer since 2001. You can visit http://www.inhometrainer.ca for more details and find out how you can save time and get fit in amazing shape from home.