Sonia Maranville's Blog

Eighty percent of people still do not exercise consistently enough to enjoy any health benefits.   And we all can come up with excuses as to why we are not sticking to the program.  But No More Excuses!

If you are having trouble finding time to exercise, you are not alone.  A perceived lack of time is one of the most common excuses for not starting or for quitting an exercise program.  But it really isn’t a good excuse.  We have clients who manage large businesses, clients with 4 plus kids, and clients who seem to have it all.  How do they do it?  They make health and fitness a priority in their life.  When life gets rough, exercise is usually the first thing to go when, in fact, it should be the last.  Exercise is the glue to mental sanity when life becomes chaotic.

Are you one of those people who when others need you, your needs end up on the back burner?  Someone at work asks you to complete a project, your spouse needs your attention, your kids need some quality time, your friends are asking why you haven’t called, and you have a to-do list that extends well into next month!  It’s simple to see how easy it is to convince yourself that the morning workout can wait until lunch and then until after dinner.  Or maybe tomorrow and finally, “I’ll get back on track next month!”  Commitments, responsibilities and the demands of work, family and social life are always going to be there.  When you allow your needs to become second to everything and everyone else, you will end up the loser.

Research shows that people who exercise are more productive at whatever they are doing.   And don’t think that exercise has to be a huge time commitment.  10-30 minutes a day, if done consistently, can result in health benefits.

When you don’t have an appointment with us, your trainers, make an appointment with yourself.  Then when someone asks if you can meet them at 5, you can honestly say, “Sorry, I’ve got an appointment.  How about 4?” 

So stop putting it off!  “I’ll start exercising right after New Year’s….in the spring….right after I’m finished with this huge project…..once the kids get older….once the kids leave home…..after I’ve retired….”  Stop making excuses.  Now is the time to start.  There will always be things competing for your time.  You can choose to make exercise a priority in your life now or wait until you are forced to make it a priority. 

“People, who cannot find the time to exercise, will be forced to find the time for illness.”

 

1. But that  makes it harder.....
2. I like the old battery better in your scale!
3. Dang, I just screwed myself over.  I did five extra reps......
4. I only breathe when I have to.
5. She's trying to kill me......
6. Oh good, I get to lay down now. (Little did they know it was for core work:-) )
7. Is ham good for anything?
8. I'm paying you now in case I decide not to come.
9. I'm actually thirsty, what's wrong with me?
10. Oh, thank you God, you are not making me do pushups.
11. I feel so much better when I'm done.
12. Just so you know, my glutes are barking.
13. I'm only paying for two sets.
14. Is it supposed to burn?
15. Can I just lay down here on the floor?

What do Sonia and Danielle have to say about this?

 

Danielle's Response:  I can actually hear your eyes rolling in your voice.

Sonia's Response:  No, you can't use your buckeye card here to get  you out of any exercises.

How about trying to get up and move 15 minutes a day? Don’t think about it, don’t try to convince yourself, just get up and do it. The first 5 minutes are going to stink. The second 5 minutes you will feel like, “Okay, I can do 5 more minutes of this”. Then, the last 5 minutes will be over before you know it. Who knows, maybe you will feel so good that you will make time to do 15 more minutes later!

“Small consistent changes often bring about the most lasting results.” 

 

My Grandpa, who owned an organic produce farm, would give me some good wisdom growing up.  He use to tell me that if you hear something more than once, you probably should listen to it.  He also would tell me how we have lost so many minerals in our dirt.  This in return gives us the loss of minerals in our foods.  I have read more than once, which means I should probably listen, that we have lost so many minerals and electrolytes from our water too.  So here are a few pointers that I most recently read from Tosca Reno and wanted to share with you.  They are all great tips that I have heard or read more than once from different people.  To add electrolytes to your water take 8 ounces of filtered water, add a pinch of Celtic sea salt, and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.  To prevent your stomach from making all those uncomfortable noises and movements that scare your friends and family, add 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar to 8 ounces of water and drink it 20 minutes before you eat.  Also for those who inhale meals in five minutes, chew your food a minimum of 25 times per bite.  Oh yeah, and one more thing with the water…. For those of you who ask me if coffee or tea counts as your water intake, the answer is NO!  Any time you have a caffeinated drink you need to make sure you drink 1.5 times as much water.  Too many of us are lacking in our fruits and veggies as well.  Fruits and veggies help increase our water intake.  So, if you are like the majority and skimp on the fruits and veggies, then you must drink your water instead!  Hope this helps, and maybe you have heard one of these more than once now and will listen.:-)

 

Okay so I was in a pinch the other night with time, I had gotten home and needed to have dinner ready within a half hour so that my daughter could eat before her softball game, and my son before his soccer practice.  How was I going to make anything healthy start to finish in that amount of time?  I was just about ready to give up and make grilled cheese and then I remembered one of my clients mentioning to me that she started using a pressure cooker to cook dinner in just 10 minutes.  So I went to the cellar and got my pressure cooker out.  I threw boneless chicken breast on the bottom of the pot , red potatoes that I cut in half, and a bag of mini carrots that I dumped on top of that.  I sprinkled a little seasoning on everything, and added a little bit of water.  The amount of water added is different per the size of the pressure cooker.  I started the heat on the stove and waited for the cooker to start making its noise, which means that the pressure is cooking correctly in the pot.  Once the noise started I started the timer.  My client said that it takes about 3-4 min to cook once the noise starts.  I was a little nervous with that so I let it cook for 10 minutes.  I shut it off and waited 5 minutes for the pressure to release from the cooker.  When I lifted the lid it smelled very good.  I scooped out a piece of chicken, some red potatoes, and carrots.  Wallaaa dinner was served!  The chicken fell apart, and the carrots and potatoes had a wonderful taste.  I had 1 pan to clean and a whole dinner prepped and ready to serve in about 20 minutes!  Who would have thought you could use a pressure cooker for something other than canning food?  So if you are always running kids here there and everywhere and think you have no time for cooking, remember all you need is a pressure cooker and about 20 minutes to make a healthy dinner, from scratch.   Thanks Sharon!

 

Each person needs an average of 7 servings of

fruits and vegetables per day.

But are you getting enough servings for you and your family at the grocery store? 

If each person needs, on average 7 servings a day, for 7 days, and this is for everyone in your family, figure it out!

Sonia's family = 6 people x 7 servings per day = 42 servings per day x 7 days per week = 294 servings per week! WOW!   

 

I always tell my people (a.k.a. clients) you don’t need to do a ton of sit-ups“ “What? You’re not having me do sit ups today?” NO! No more!! Done with the sit-ups! Why you may ask? Well, when you do your exercises correctly, you don’t need to! You are activating your core muscles more by contracting them during your regular workout than doing a crunch. Everyone has muscle in their stomach – for some people you just have to find it. Pregnancy and hysterectomies have led some women to be completely out of touch with their ab muscles. To find them again, just say “shhh” or “Hah” then you are contracting correctly. So here’s a bonus“ when you are yelling at your kids to “shh” or laughing with your kids, “hah”, then you are contracting your core muscles correctly. (You’d think we’d all have super-model flat stomachs then wouldn’t you?!?) But it’s more than that to get rid of the Jelly Belly“ A University of Virginia Study found that women who did high-intensity workouts had significantly less belly fat than those who worked out the same amount of calories but at an easier level. For those who don’t get how intense “High intensity” is, it’s not a “La La La” stroll in the park. It’s a suck in the oxygen, feel the lungs burn, kind of exercise. The study is a great study, but what do I have to say to it from a Personal Trainer’s point of view? The harder you work, the less belly fat you’ll have. It took a study from a major University to tell us that? I’ve been telling my clients that forever. Well, at least now I have proof! Want to read more about the study“ check it out here. http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=6827 So here are my tips for the day: 1) Keep your abs tight during everything you do! (And quiet those kids if you’re not sure how.) 2) Don’t just workout. Workout HARD!!! 3) It’s cardio““not a ton of sit-ups!!!!

Mirroring is the act of doing what we are surrounded by. From simple things such as accidentally scratching your head in an aerobics class when the instructor scratches hers, to larger things such as runners tend to have runner friends and obese persons tend to have obese friends. If you don't run right now, but always wanted to, wouldn't it be easier to find someone who runs to help you out? What if you hung out with those runners all the time? Would you start to dress like a runner, eat like a runner, look like a runner – ultimately becoming a runner too? If you want to excel in your life you need to understand that you are a mirror reflection of the five people you hang around with most. So take a minute. Think of who you hang out with. I mean really think about who your friends are... who your family is... are they like you? Do they struggle with the same things you do? Do you want to be just like them? Ask yourself... Do the people around me support me and add to my quality of life? Or are they a negative influence? Do they have a negative outlook on life? Do they inspire me and motivate me to be my best? Do you ever ask yourself if you inspire people and have a positive influence on others?