As you can imagine, I hear a ton of excuses from people on why they don’t exercise.

Sometimes the reason is self inflicted: I don’t have the time.

Other times the reason is procrastination: I’m going to start as soon as tax season ends.

And occasionally the reason is downright funny: The dog ate my gym shorts.

I usually point out to these well meaning folks that, despite their reason, exercise is a very important activity that will dramatically improve their life. I bring up the health benefits and describe how many of their physical ailments would improve. I talk about how great they will feel dropping excess weight and rediscovering a slender figure.

However, there was always an excuse that would get me.

The devious excuse of ‘being active’: Oh, I don’t need to exercise in a gym - I’m very active. I play tennis and hike in the summer and I ski in the winter.

Well, they have a point, right? Tennis, hiking and skiing are all active sports that burn calories. Maybe they can be fit without doing any other exercise, especially if they are at a reasonable weight.

Then I started to notice a trend.

The ‘active’ people couldn’t touch their toes in a simple flexibility test. The ‘tennis players’ couldn’t jump rope for 60 seconds. The ‘hikers’ needed a week to recover from a one mile jog. The ’skiers’ encountered injury after injury. And then it hit me.

You don’t become fit by simply being active. That’s backward fitness.

Only by being fit can you become more active.

To become and maintain a level of fitness there is no replacement for a consistent exercise program. It’s the only way.

True fitness is when your body can do whatever you ask of it. This means having flexibility, strength and endurance.

Do you exercise? Or are you fooling yourself with the excuse of ‘being active’?

How happy are you with your level of fitness? Are you able to meet all of the functional demands of life? Or do you find yourself opting out of experiences or situations that you know would be too challenging?

If you’ve used the excuse of ‘being active’ in the past, it’s time to reconsider your options. Don’t practice backward fitness with the hope of true results. And if you’re furthest from active and simply want to lose those extra inches and pounds, make the decision to take action today.

After all, there’s no trial run in the game of life.

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The New York Sports Clubs announced a collaboration with the Queens Vet Center, a counseling service that helps veterans of all wars readjust to civilian life. Because of the proven benefits of yoga in helping to reduce stress, the New York Sports Clubs in Glendale at 80-00 Cooper Avenue in Queens will offer free weekly yoga classes for veterans to complement the services provided by the Vet Center.

For the complete article, please…..CLICK HERE

I think this is an excellent idea and needs to be talked about. Spread the word. Tell your friends, family, local gyms and yoga instructors.

What does ‘metabolic syndrome’ mean?

Metabolic syndrome is a condition in which a group of risk factors for cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and type 2 diabetes occur together.

Although it doesn’t have a universally accepted definition, most health professionals would include the following as the principal components: Abdominal obesity (i.e. excess body fat in the region of the stomach); High blood pressure (also known as ‘hypertension’); Low blood levels of the ‘good’ cholesterol, HDL; High blood levels of the ‘bad’ cholesterol, LDL; High blood levels of triglycerides; and Insulin resistance (that is, an impaired ability of the body’s insulin to handle blood glucose).

For the complete article, please…..CLICK HERE

“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” Cecil Beaton

Brought to you by: PHIL B’s ONLINE PERSONAL TRAINING AND FITNESS PROGRAMS. Make fitness and good nutrition your way of life.

Fitness Tip: Give it a Rest - even when sick. Exercise puts a temporary stress on the body and immune system, which may prolong your illness. It may be OK to work out when sick (depending on the severity) but a day or two of rest is usually just what the doctor ordered. A short break won’t have a negative affect on your overall goals.

Brought to you by: PHIL B’s ONLINE PERSONAL TRAINING AND FITNESS PROGRAMS . Make fitness and good nutrition your way of life.

Exercise of The Day: Cable Decline Underhand Bar Skull Crushers (say that 3 times real fast…lol)

Starting Position: Place a decline bench in front of a low pulley and attach a bar to it. Sit on the bench and grip the bar close to your forehead with your elbows bent and palms turned down.

Movement: Exhale as you press the bar up until your arms have just a slight bend in them. Inhale as you slowly return the handles back down to the starting position. Repeat as required.

Brought to you by: PHIL B’s ONLINE PERSONAL TRAINING AND FITNESS The place to go for personalized training programs, real exercise demonstration videos, diet plans, grocery lists, fitness reports, healthy recipes, fitness articles, and an online fitness magazine. Make fitness and good nutrition your way of life.