4fitbodies.com

Ok — Not sure if you all saw her but Jennifer Marnell was in People Magazine and on Oprah. Jennifer lost almost 200 pounds through a variety of methods including working out at Gold’s Gym Douglasville. She loved the process of personal training and group fitness classes so much that she decided to be a trainer. Now, she is not a board certified personal trainer but she is a great group fitness instructor if you like to take classes or want some inspiration.

Congrats to Jennifer on both her Oprah appearance and being in People magazine

Tags: Douglasville, group fitness, Sports Fitness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Ok — at this time of year everyone is committed to getting into shape. This is finally going to be THE YEAR! Well good — I think making declarations helps some people finally define their goals.

Now here comes the tough love part. Getting in shape requires you to commit to that day in and day out and week in and week out. Working out here and there is not going to help you. Canceling personal training appointments, blowing off group fitness classes, skipping your cardio — all of these things are not going to help you.

I know people get busy. Believe me, I understand busy. But I really like when people do an assessment of their day. Do you watch TV? How much? An hour a day, 2 hours a day, more?? Well lookie lookie, that hour a day watching the news could easily be done watching the news on the treadmill. The reality is that most people watch much more than an hour or two. So let’s get realistic and really look at our schedules and let’s try to find that few hours a week that will change your health, the way you look and the way that you feel

Tags: Douglasville, Fitness, Personal Training by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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Here is my article from Douglasville’s Chapel Hill News December Issue. Be sure to check out my page on the Chapel Hill news for my latest article. Click here to go to my latest article.

My Latest Monthly Article from the Chapel Hill News

Sports Specific Training – Running

David Hansey
NASM Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist
NASM Certified Sports Fitness Specialist
NASM Certified Personal Trainer

As part of my series highlighting some popular sports, I am highlighting running this month. As I write this I am just two weeks away from running the Atlanta Marathon which will be held on Thanksgiving Day.
I have been a runner for most of my adult life. Since I was in the military for 15 years, running became a daily routine for me and something I enjoy to clear my head as well as to keep my body in shape. Running does not come naturally though to most people and even the most seasoned runners can remember when they started.
I often see people out trying to get into a running routine (often at this time of year because it is cooler and they are making resolutions to get in shape or avoid the holiday bulge). How do I know they are beginners? Because they really look like they are working so hard. If they can manage to stick with it past that phase, it will get easier. The first month (the same period of time as any fitness program) is crucial. Research has shown that people who start a running program with a gentle program and run every other day and have a good mental experience tend to stick with running. What does this mean to you? It means that forcing yourself around and around the block X number of times and doing it daily even in the rain is unpleasant. And your body and brain are smart enough to know not to do unpleasant things.
My suggestions for success are pretty simple.

Be conservative and don’t overdo it. Running every other day is plenty for a beginner.

Insert some walking. At least a minute after every 3-5 minutes of running. This gives you a chance to recover.

Keep a log!!! This is your motivation to see how far you have gone as you see the miles stack up.

Try running somewhere FUN!! Rather than just running the neighborhood or the treadmill, get out and run in all the beautiful country that makes up Douglas County. I run every Saturday morning at Sweetwater and as I run by the creek and the meadows with deer grazing, it makes my run wonderful!

Make a race goal. Most runners can complete a 5K race within 6-8 weeks or a longer race within their first 6 months. Setting a goal like that can be inspiring so try it if you need the extra motivation.

Now, let’s talk about getting your body in shape to run. While running will take care of the cardiovascular training, your body still needs strength training to prevent injury and to improve. Your body is a complex machine and weak or tight muscles almost anywhere on your body will show up in your run. And many of them will lead to or increase the chances of injury. For example, tight hamstrings can force your body out of alignment because the rest of your body compensates for that tightness. It does this often by rounding your back and moving your hips out of alignment. Once your body is out of alignment, every time you run you will increase your chance of injury as your body no longer is working effectively. And this risk is compounded with every weak and tight muscle in your body. So while it may not have been the tight hamstrings, weak hips or weak core that sent you to the orthopedic surgeon, it will be the stress that those weak and tight muscles placed on your knees, ankles and back.
Now, don’t worry that you are going to have to invest many hours at the gym in addition to your running time. Two sessions of strength training a week (30 minutes each) should do the trick for most people to work on corrective moves as well as to do an overall strength training program. The first step is to get a posture and movement assessment (which any Board Certified Personal Trainer can provide) and to have a corrective and strength training program designed for your specific needs. Then you can be on your way to a new running lifestyle as well as a terrific, healthy new body. For more information on Sports Specific Training, call me at 404-514-1896 or visit my website at www.4fitbodies.com.

Tags: Chapel Hill News, Douglasville, Running, Sports Fitness by David Hansey, Personal Trainer
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