Nutrition is an important component if you desire to improve your golf performance. However you must keep it in mind all the time. So check out this information written by a colleague that opened my eyes as to what we are really eating all the time. Important nutrition lesson.

Posted under Golf Performance, Weight Loss

We are busy these days and it’s often times hard to get those workouts in. So what do you do?

Here’s a nice way to do both strength training and a little cardio together. So let’s say you are doing 4 sets of pull-ups or bench presses. Or one of my favorite exercises, like the curl & press combo. What you do is perform the first set of the curl & press combo then immediately hop on the treadmill or track and do a 1 minute sprint. Then you return to the second set of the strength exercise. Continue alternating until you complete all 4 sets. If you want, then move on to the next strength exercise and repeat the same sequence. This is a fast moving high intensity program that you’re going to love if your short on time. Good luck!

Posted under Exercise Tips, Weight Loss

This is a great strength exercise for all golfers, especially women that want to increase strength in their arms. Often times women want to increase the strength in the arms for an improved golf swing as well as a way to make them look better.

This exercise will not only increase strength in the arms, but also in the core, and improve balance. Greater strength and stability is a sure way to make a more powerful golf swing. Give this exercise a try. Good Luck!

Posted under Exercise Tips, Exercise Videos, Weight Loss

I recently read an article that used the analogy of a car when describing the maintenance of a healthy body. It totally made sense. Her’s may take, so read on.

What if you were given a car at the age of 16 but was told that this would be the only car you would ever own. Also you were told when the car got old you can switch out a few parts (not many), but the parts would not be the same as the originals.

How would take care of it? pretty good I would think. You would change the oil, feed it good gas, wash it all the time and frequently maintain it. I’m thinking you would also drive it sensibly and not abuse it.

Does the same hold for your body? Do you treat it well so it will last for a long time?

With the current questions in our health care system I think it is pretty scary as to what it may look like in a few years. So you can either be proactive or sit back and wait to see what happens.
The thing is…..we will all eventually spend money and time on our health. It might be an emergency room visit, a total knee replacement or 10 drugs to take every day. It’s going to consume time & money!

However, I think it makes more sense to be proactive and spend the time now to work on your health. Invest the time & money in the nutritionist, the massage therapist and the exercise coach now because I hate to see what the future holds if you don’t. Trying to fix the broken down car in the future will take a lot more time & money than what we realize.
Prevention is key…..develop and implement your plan now.
Good Luck!

Posted under Exercise Tips, Golf Injuries, Weight Loss

There has been a lot of discussion over the past several years regarding interval training. I for one, highly recommend interval training for anyone that wants to improve their health and fitness level. There is plenty of research that points out the benefits of this type of training and often times shows it is more beneficial than the traditional steady state aerobic exercise.

Interval training is basically intermittent bouts of exercise followed by a period of rest/recovery. It is usually high intensity exercise, like sprinting, followed by low intensity exercise such as walking. It can be conducted on various types of traditional cardiovascular equipment. You can also perform an interval program in much less time than the traditional long endurance program. I personally feel that running and cycling, as well as body weight exercises are superior to any other forms of interval training.

The benefits include, more efficient weight loss, improved heart and lung capacity, prevention of heart disease, lung disease and stroke. The one benefit I find very interesting is that of lung function. As we age our lungpower will decrease unless we exercise and expand our lungs. Needles to say, taking a walk does not expand your lungs! The bottom line is, you need to exercise hard enough to cause heavy breathing/panting, and perform it on a regular basis. That’s how you exercise the lungs, and ensure good lung function as you age. So next time you do some exercise, kick up the intensity a little. And if you are really serious, get some help from a fitness professional to develop a kick butt interval program that is best for you.
Good Luck!

Posted under Exercise Tips, Weight Loss

Does it surprise you to know that I’m as much of a decadent food-lover as the next person? I get quizzical or astonished looks from clients when I talk about how much I love pie, cake, chocolate, ice cream, candy bars…I could keep going. They’re a wee bit shocked by my admission of guilty pleasure because they think I “toe the line” 100% of the time.

Well I don’t. What I do is “toe the line” 85.7% of the time. That equates 6 days out of the week. On the seventh day…I indulge. I don’t go crazy, but I’ll have some pizza or a piece of cake. I’ll reward myself for a good six days of healthy, supportive nutrition by “letting my hair down” a little bit on day 7.
“A little bit” is the operative phrase.

I don’t have the pumpkin pie with two huge scoops of ice cream and a pecan and apple chaser!
And I recommend you don’t either. But DO enjoy yourself one time a week, particularly on Thanksgiving. Then get right back on the “nutrition wagon” on Friday after Thanksgiving. By the way, Thanksgiving Thursday is a great day to do a workout in the morning. You’ll enjoy the meal that much more. And if you can’t get in a workout on Thursday, then by all means get one in on Friday.
All things in moderation is a really good motto that serves you well over time. To help with that, here are some important healthy holiday eating tips as we move into the season…

#1 – Get the bulk of your calories early in the day. A “breakfast of champions” will serve you really well year round, but particularly during the holidays.
#2 – Don’t go to that party hungry. You know what will be there, and most of it is “danger” food! Eat something healthy before you head out to the holiday shindig.
#3 – Portion control. If you just do this on a consistent basis…you’ll see the pounds begin to melt away. Really. Sample different things, but don’t overdo anything, particularly the dreaded “comfort foods.”
#4 – Substitute dry white or red wine for other alcohols. If you drink, don’t drink the eggnog! Beers and mixed drinks pack more calories. Yes, your friends may give you an odd look, but you’ll feel better than they do the next day (and you’ve got a goal to achieve, which makes you better than them anyway!
#5 – Watch the sweets! That’s all your get to do. Just watch them. Don’t eat them. A little holiday humor. Enjoy yourself, but be judicious about your choices. You’ll thank me afterwards.
Have a fantastic holiday season!

Posted under Golf Fitness Chicago News, Weight Loss

I was traveling back from LA today with my wife, and I can across an article in USA Today regarding obesity and how it can shorten your life. I just feel like I need to pass on this information, and hopefully help someone along the way.

Essentially the article reported conclusions of some recent studies regarding extremely obese individuals and life expectancy. Extremely obese people are those who are 80 pounds or more over a normal weight. They were found to live 12 fewer years than their normal-weight peers. The same study found that being a little overweight however had no effect on lifespan. However, I would argue that losing a few of those extra pounds can improve the quality of your life.

Overall about 66% of adults in the US are either overweight or obese and about one-third of those are in the obese category. When looking at Body Mass Index (BMI), those with a BMI of 30 or greater are considered obese and about 6% of those are extremely obese with a BMI of 40 or greater.

Some information indicates that excess weight was responsible for the loss of roughly 95 million years of life in the USA in 2008. That is amazing when you think about it! Also another study reported that obese Americans cost the country an estimated $147 billion in weight-repated medical bills in 2008!

I know information on obesity is always in the news, and it is often times difficult to lose that weight, but just think about what you would miss out on in those 12 years of life.
Best Of Health!

Posted under Weight Loss

Weight loss is a topic that I don’t usually write about, but I think it is an important issue with a lot of golfers. We all know the health consequences of carrying excessive weight. And for those who would like to lose some, have you ever thought what it would do for your golf game. Improve your game? You bet it can! Dropping just a few pounds can improve your posture, flexibility and your overall golf swing. Here are few tips for weight loss.

• To lose weight you must incorporate nutrition, cardiovascular exercise, strength training and most importantly be accountable for your actions
• Seek out a nutrionist to help with food selection and meal planning
• Start a cardiovascular program. Always try to walk the golf course when you can. That alone will make a big difference.
• Your cardiovascular program should be something you enjoy and do on a regular basis, so select something you will stick with.
• If you currently do some form of cardio program on a regular basis then try an interval program.
• Interval training is exercising at a high intensity for 1-2 minutes and then rest or slow down for a few minutes. For example ride the bicycle real hard for 1 minute then go slow for 2-3 minutes. And repeat that sequence 4-5 times. It is a great workout and it revs up your metabolism causing you to burn more calories for a longer period of time.
• Make sure you are doing some form of resistance training.
• Integrate resistance training with your cardio program. For example, do a circuit of 2-3 total body dumbbell exercises with only 2-3 minutes of rest in between each exercise.
• In actuality interval cardiovascular and interval strength training matches the physiological demands on the golf course. So if you are a golfer that competes at a high level, don’t waste your time on 30-40 minutes of cardio, instead do 20 minutes of interval training. That way you leave more time to practice your game.
• Seek out a fitness professional to help guide you on your weight loss program

  I plan to discuss weight loss in more detail in the future but for now these are a good start to helping you reach your golf fitness goals. So remember if you change your thinking, and focus on positive outcomes you can go a long way in improving your golf game. Good Luck!

Posted under Weight Loss