Finding the Best Trainer for You!

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Finding a personal trainer can be very overwhelming. With so many different people out there claiming to be "experts", it is often hard to distinguish the professionals from the posers.

To help you with this process, here are the top 5 questions that you should ask when looking for the right trainer.

# 1 Are They Qualified?
You want to ensure that your trainer is educated with an extensive fitness background and has been certified through a reputable organization such as: the Canadian Professional Trainers Network and The Canadian Association for Fitness Professionals (in Canada) and/or the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (in the USA).

# 2 What is Their Experience and Area of Expertise? Ask the potential trainer how many years they have been working in the industry, where they have worked, what kind of clients they have trained, and if they focus in any specialty areas (womens fitness, weight loss, nutrition, sports conditioning etc.).

#3 What Are Their Business Policies?
Find out if they have liability insurance. This is very important, especially if they will be training you in your own home (or theirs). You also want to learn their fees, what is included in their services and cancellation policies. Try to get this all in writing.

# 4 Have YOU Done Your Homework?
Research the areas of fitness and nutrition that are important to you and be ready with questions to ask the trainer. If you know anyone who has worked with a trainer before, talk to them about their experiences.

# 5 Do They Offer A Free Consultation?
Any legitimate trainer will meet with you at least once free of charge to talk to you about your goals and expectations. This is a great opportunity for you "feel" the trainer out and see if you will be a good fit for each other.

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

Supersize Me!

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Would you like fries with that?

The last installment of the three part series on obesity in the National Post explores the problems of our fast food culture and it seems that sugary drinks are one of the worst offenders to our waistlines.

And there is more!

The article also talks about the problem of having fatty food available 24/7 and making it socially acceptable to eat at all hours of the day.

It is acknowledged that people of all sizes struggle to feel comfortable with their weight and must learn to control over eating.

Check out the article and give your two cents!

Obesity 101: We are how we eat, and the problem with fast-food culture

Stay Healthy,
Tracy

Healthy Chocolate

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Easter is another one of those holidays where treats like marshmallow bunnies and caramel-filled eggs practically beg you to eat them in mass quantities (when this happens, remember it is all about moderation :).

But the candy lovers of the world can now hold their heads up high in the knowledge that chocolate is good for you!

Well, not all chocolate. We are talking about the dark kind here that contains at least 70% cocoa. A recent study suggests that eating a small amount of chocolate daily can help lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease. Dark chocolate is also high in antioxidants, which can help in the fight against aging.

So go ahead and enjoy a piece of chocolate today and tomorrow and the next day and...you get the idea.

Happy Easter!

Stay Healthy,
Tracy