Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Dear Fitz, Ack! Swimsuit season is just around the corner. I'm obviously not going to lose a bunch of weight or get buff in only a couple of months, but what are some simple things I can do to feel better about myself when I'm on the beach? Thanks, Meghan
A. No worries Meghan. There is a ton you can accomplish in a few months. In fact, if you get serious today...you'll see results in just a couple of weeks. I'm not sure how much weight you'd like to lose, but better is better and you can definitely feel better then than you do now. For one, up the ante on your fitness routine. Find a way to exercise most days of the week. When you do exercise, here are my rules of thumb. Huff & puff when doing cardio. Grunt while strength training. And wince.....juuuuuuuuust a little bit while stretching.
If you are compelled to huff, puff, grunt, and wince, you're definitely challenging yourself and making progress. Being challenged is vital to the progress of folks at all fitness levels. Of course, don't try a marathon tomorrow. The whole weekend warrior thing leads to pain and a feeling of failure. Just get up each day and go sweat. Show your body what it's capable of and it will start to change.
Start paying attention to what you eat too. Diets are stupid. They're temporary behavioral changes that only lead to temporary results. Just be particular about what you put in your mouth. Seek out highly nutritious, low calorie foods to enjoy. Not everyone is capable of looking like they belong on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition by this summer, but EVERYONE is capable of looking and feeling better! Good luck Meghan. See you at the beach.
Q. Hi Fitz, I would really like to hire a personal trainer to help me get over some obstacles in my weight loss and exercise programs but I don't want to get yelled at. Do all personal trainers get boot camp tough with their clients? LaShaun