I‘m aware that most of you are currently under tremendous pressure. We live in such times, we are witnesses, many are even affected by events and trials to which humanity has not been subjected for a long period of time. This undoubtedly evokes in many of us anxieties, stress and a sense of powerlessness. But the truth is that they are all largely dictated by our perception of the situation and, not least, it is up to media coverage. But the media can and should also be a space for stress relief and a place where one can find answers to various questions.

And though what I’m about to tell you is not the topic of the day. But it is definitely one of the leading topics in the last few decades.

Contrary to the globalization of the world and the increasing dynamization of the lifestyle, people have never led a sedentary lifestyle like they do today. According to many experts in the field of healthy lifestyles, problems related to immobilization in the last years have replaced those associated with obesity. If you allow me to paraphrase – sedentary is the new obesity.

 

The first and the basic rule – Don’t overeat!

Let’s make it clear. There is no divine power, activity or Personal trainer to keep you fit if you ingest huge amounts of food daily. Just the math won’t work out.

Consider a well-balanced nutrition plan instead of a trendy super diet.

Even if you are active for an hour or two a day, the likelihood of burning more than 1000kcal at this time is very low. You will find out that down the article. If you are consuming 3 and sometimes 4 thousand calories a day, your efforts will be worthless. Or as I often say to my clients:

I am with you in the gym for about an hour, the remaining 23 hours are yours and I cannot compensate for them.

Pros:

• It will help you to get in shape quickly
• You will optimize your weight
• It will improve your overall health status

Cons:

• It will be a challenge for many to achieve, especially now
• It is related to some planning and consulting

 

Do steps, whether you are walking or running

Therefore, more than ever, you need to keep yourself relatively active every day. Walking is one of the most natural ways to keep yourself active. It is accessible, easily applicable and requires minimal effort for the results it can achieve with its systematic implementation.

• Improves blood pressure
• Boost your mood
• Lower blood sugar after a meal
• Supports weight loss (depending on intensity)
• Reduces the risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) in adults
• Reduces back pain and improves knee joint function

The benefits of running are quite similar. I strongly recommend that if you have not been active recently or have not done a training process so before, start walking for the first 2-3 weeks. The risk of injuries while running compare to walking is increased by over 25% with active trainees and up to 50% among beginners. So when working with newbies, I always start with walking and only after a few workouts or weeks do we move on to more dynamic exercises. It depends on many factors – clinical history, body weight, age, condition of the cardio-respiratory system, and last but not least, the rate of their progress.

You may be interested to learn that power walking, about 8km/h, is not inferior to light running at the same speed. The calorie consumption with both, for 30 minutes by a 100kg weight person will be approximately equal to 400kcal.

Imagine that you are starting right now – a half an hour jog will be your first and last step towards change, because the stress factor and response of your body in the form of muscle strain, joint pain and fatigue will quickly surpass your willingness for an extreme makeover.

Now, imagine a 30-minute walk. Is it worth it to sacrifice the sustainability of your results, even if you initially miss the chance to burn a few calories more?

Pros:

• Easy and quickly accessible
• Does not require any investment
• Improves your overall health status
• Most people own the equipment they need to carry them

Cons:

• You depend on meteorological factors and these days even more restrictions
• It improves mostly the lower body and health status as well but it doesn’t completely develop torso and arms muscles
• The monotony of these cyclical activities often leads to a loss of interest in a large group of beginners and even trained but who don’t know how to level up and improve this type of activity

Stairs – climb to your better shape

Another natural process for us is the climbing and descending of the stairs, the climbing of high slopes, etc. I don’t expect you all to start walking between floors now.

But 5-10 minutes a day, spend on the stairs even just on one step can have a miraculous effect on your body shape, athletic form, and health condition. Along with that, they have been identified as a key factor in a number of studies on cardiovascular disease.

1. Climbing stairs is equivalent to power walking which is almost impossible for an average non-training person (approximately 8km/h). In 15 min a 100 kg weight person will burn approx. 200 cal with both.
2. Climbing stairs is much more suitable than running. It is less stressful for the joints and back (ankles, knees, lower back) of the beginner. Unfortunately, the descending is not so preferable.

If, however, it happens now that everyone in the pile starts to climb between the floors, please first observe the distance and secondly do not hold on to the railing. On the one hand, from a hygienic point of view, and on the other not to help yourself. It tightens your hips at times more than walking and helps optimize weight.

Pros:

• You can perform it in bad weather
• Tightens and improve the muscles of the legs better
• Does not require any investment

Cons:

• Possibly the most boring activity in the entire list
• Descending can be a problem for overweight people or those with knees issues
• It can be awkward for some people, especially those living in large apartment complexes and blocks

Workouts at home with one of the gaming consoles

They can be a forgotten activity that will wake you up and dispel the stress of everyday life these days. There are a number of positive things related to this kind of activity, but just around the corner is the risk of continuous exposure to a display, video wall and more.

To summarize, I will say that they are the lesser evil since they provide you with some of the minimal activity you need. Meanwhile, these games engage neurons and stimulate nerve impulse work and motor coordination. Which is something opposite in terms of looking for relaxation of everyday work with sport?

Today, over 70% of the world’s workforce is connected, in one way or another, to the work of a computer, behind a screen, or such communication. And adding another screen-bound activity, VR goggles, or the like can cheer us up, but it actually doesn’t allow our brain to go into refreshing mode but instead engages it in processing even more signals. related to tracking and analyzing the pictures set by the game console.

Pros:

• Fast and easy accessible
• Made by specialists (not all of them)
• You can play it at home and only there (which is a two-blade knife)
• Amusement and the whole family can enjoy them

Cons:

• Significant initial investment (good consoles with belonging programs and subscriptions often exceed USD 500, namely they are the ones that offer all the above advantages). This is the amount you would spend at many gyms for an annual subscription.
• Some games require a large amount of space at home in order to be able to use them.
• They don’t work unless you work – they won’t make you or encourage you to start neither.
• Not intended for advanced. Most of the activities offered are for beginners and their use by people who are used to training can be disappointing.

 

Yoga or Pilates at Home

This kind of activity does not require a lot of space. So you could practice it in a small area, even if your bedroom is small It will find a place to host your next yoga class.

Another useful part of this type of activity, although intense as Pilates is, is the stress relief it gives of everyday life. This applies with full force to yoga. Especially in people who manage to meditate in the matter of yoga, rather than simply using it as a way to move and stretch.

What is specific about this type of activity is that their realization without a real professional in the field in real-time is difficult to achieve because of the nature of the activity and especially because of the temperament of the consumer of the product.

Online meditation, in which you have to meditate at one and the same time, in search of the spiritual and the intangible, while being online is an example of eclecticism that floods us with various social networks for this kind of activity.

On the other hand, for people who are looking for the purely physical benefits of yoga, such as increasing mobility, flexibility, muscle toning, and stress relief (my case) – this will not be an obstacle.

A major plus is that the activities require only a mat or a suitable base on which to perform them.

Pros:

• Requires minimal space
• Can be performed at a time convenient for you and is not limited by meteorological factors
• The initial investment is relatively low. You can get a mat and a pair of socks or pilates or yoga shoes at an affordable price almost immediately
• Develops muscular tissue throughout the body and relieves stress
• Improves your health status and increases your mobility

Cons:

• Muscle modeling and tightening can take longer than other activities
• Proper performance of many exercises called asanas can be an obstacle. Without proper implementation, you risk injury instead of benefits.
• There are no standards and regulations in the certification of yoga coaches. The likelihood of encountering videos and material from people who have recognized yoga as a career based on a one-week course or long-term pursuits (the second is preferred) is huge compared to other areas such as fitness

Workouts through the mobile app

In recent years, this type of training has been rapidly gaining ground among all sports fans, enabling them to train anywhere, anytime, for whatever they want.

The variety of applications gives a huge impact on the entire sports industry and will undoubtedly be the leading way to achieve optimal fitness levels in adequate time frames. For years, there have been programs to improve running, jump, exercise, tightening different muscle groups.

With them, you can lose weight, get on board, get in shape after giving birth, train like Ronaldo or Messi, like Superman or Batman, like the Hulk, like Adele (after losing weight) or Jay Lo, like Sharapova or Giselle, even like the Rock.

And that is one of the problems with such applications. They are barely adapted for you, which not only renders them ineffective but even dangerous when misapplied to the tips and exercises mentioned in it.

The interest they evoke among consumers is attracting a growing mass of self-identified sports professionals, but most often they are people without the necessary qualifications, and very often without any practical experience. The rapid commercialization of this market is leading to more and more marketing tricks, from the list at the beginning, which has no scientific coverage and even less corresponds to the needs of consumers. Here comes the need to create a verified database of information that can be personally adapted.

Pros:

• Accessible, the basic version is free of charge – most apps have free access and an additional fee for better features
• Great variety of beginner activities (similar to gaming consoles) – free access might be a good start for beginners but will be restricted for most active consumers.
• Start in a blink of an eye (you heart something about the instant gratification)

Cons:

• Exercise control is software-only, which can make a bad joke about proper performance
• Stereotypes can rarely cover your personal needs
• In-depth customization, better features, and options are extra paid, which does not always guarantee their quality

Similar sounds the case with

Online training by qualified Personal Trainer

The emphasis on online training is on training because first of all, they are physical activity and then an online product.

This is why I should warn you – people offering such services must be sports professionals with extensive experience in order to be able to quickly and easily:

1. Consult the user/customer what’s best for him/her
2. Efficiently tracking the process and make any necessary adjustments
3. Contact with him (preferably through a visible link to clear up problems related to the execution of specific exercises)

Types of Online Training:

1. Via video link – they are time-bound, often more engaging for both sides than just a regular workout in the gym, making them equally expensive.
2. Mail based – by sending .pdf, excel sheets or video files and regularly scheduled meetings/calls – program changes and adjustments are slower, but the progressive workload is achieved. This is also the way I started 6-7 years ago.
3. Coach’s platform – this is the way I’m currently working and provides a huge amount of features of training load analysis tools, direct access with me 24/7, online consultations and personalizing the training and nutrition plan to the last detail, connecting favorite apps and social profiles.

The training should be quickly and easily go into personal training, in which the trainer can monitor the development of the client better by using various tools for analyzing and assess the workload.

The ugly truth is that even the pricey offers here doesn’t guarantee you an expert in sports, but someone with business flair who are well focused on market demand.

That’s why I devote such attention and time to writing this kind of article so the average consumer who is very interested in his or her health can distinguish the service and its comprehensiveness from the product and the options it gives or its limitations.

Pros:

• You can access your workouts anywhere, anytime. This is a priceless advantage for people who like to have time or have a very dynamic schedule
• You have a real connection and communication with your trainer – here your plan tracking is controlled not by software but by an expert (in case you have not come across an advertising trick)
• Receive a detailed analysis of your activities and your progress – being able to keep track of what is happening on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis is a luxury that few customers can afford.
• You have access to your trainer’s extensive database and the ability to tailor your workload to your needs – In my training platform, I give my clients access to a database of over 1000 exercises that we adapt to their goals.
• If you calculate it on a monthly basis it is up to 50% cheaper than usual services for work with a personal trainer – the minimum rate for competent services by a qualified trainer is between 30 and 50 USD per workout and often jumps up to more than 100 USD in a 1-to-1 training with popular coaches. Based on 12-15 workouts per month, this can cost you over $ 1000 monthly.

Cons:

• It can be expensive – some of the services offered are really expensive. In most cases, this involves more counseling and training online
• The relationship with the trainer is remote – although some coaches offer a hybrid training model. I also often include face-to-face workouts to minimize the risk of malfunctioning and mistakes in the workout

I’m happy to be able and well advanced in online training so I could transform the knowledge I have to deliver high quality and customized workout programs for my clients from beginners to advanced and even performance training for athletes.

I’ll be glad to see you fit and happy,
Coach Stef