All posts tagged: Trainer

A trainer says this is the 11-minute dumbbell workout she gives to beginners who want to start lifting weights

A trainer says this is the 11-minute dumbbell workout she gives to beginners who want to start lifting weights

Published by Jenni Sidey

Lifting weights is one of the best ways to future-proof your body against injury and the physical effects of aging. That’s because adults lose between 3% and 8% of their muscle mass each decade after they reach 30. Weightlifting can help combat this muscle loss, which is why Holly Fivian founded Holsm, a strength workout platform for midlife women. If you’re completely new to exercise, Fivian recommends starting with bodyweight movements to help you get used to fundamental movement patterns like squats, push-ups and lunges. But if you’ve tried these movements before, adding a couple of dumbbells to your workouts could make all the difference. “Once these movement patterns become habitual and you know what good form looks and feels like, you can start playing around with movement,” Fivian explains. “You can add heavier weights, change your arm or hand position, try different squat, hinge, push, pull and lunge variations or change your tempo or range of movement. You may like “This is where training becomes fun.” Below, Fivian has shared the dumbbell workout she …

A trainer who works with midlife women shares the exact 10-minute workout she recommends for beginners

A trainer who works with midlife women shares the exact 10-minute workout she recommends for beginners

Published by Jenni Sidey

Holly Fivian is a personal trainer and the founder of Holsm, a strength training platform for midlife women. When she starts training her clients, she doesn’t get them to focus on weight-loss targets or strength goals. Instead, she encourages them to find a way to move that is enjoyable, works for their body, and has longevity. Latest Videos FromFit&Well With that in mind, she’s shared her simple (and enjoyable) five-move workout for beginners, which is the same routine she programs for her clients. “They repeat these same fundamental movements alongside their posture, diaphragmatic breathing and deep-core work until they really own them,” Fivian explains. You may like Holly Fivian’s 10-minute fundamental beginner’s workout Fivian’s workout consists of five moves: Glute Bridge Squat Press-up Mountain climber Plank shoulder tap Do the exercises for the suggested number of sets, timings and rest periods to get yourself a roughly 10-minute workout. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. Fivian recommends trying this five-move workout for six to eight weeks, or …

I asked a personal trainer what the over-40s should prioritize—he shared these three exercises are non-negotiable exercises for strength and mobility

I asked a personal trainer what the over-40s should prioritize—he shared these three exercises are non-negotiable exercises for strength and mobility

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s rare to make it to your 40s with the exact same level of physical ability you had in your 20s or 30s. Injuries and muscle loss can impact how we move, but this doesn’t have to be the case. “Losing strength and mobility isn’t an inevitable part of aging, but it is something we need to work against,” says Mark Harris, a certified strength and conditioning coach. Latest Videos FromFit&Well “After 40, we naturally begin to lose muscle mass, power and joint mobility if we don’t continue challenging our bodies.” Harris tells Fit&Well that you don’t need hours of free time or dozens of complicated exercises to combat these losses. You may like “Focusing on a handful of functional movements can help you stay strong, mobile and independent for years to come,” says Harris, who is also an ambassador for Mirafit weighted vests. The instructor has create a quick three-move routine to keep you strong. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. He recommends performing the …

A personal trainer recommends this two-move bodyweight workout for beginners who want to build strength and get fit

A personal trainer recommends this two-move bodyweight workout for beginners who want to build strength and get fit

Published by Jenni Sidey

Complicated workouts and grueling fitness routines can make exercise feel like a chore. But moving your body can be fun—that’s the ethos of trainer Lucy Borrie’s workout method BeBody, which is inspired by 80s aerobic workouts. “We’ve combined aerobics, strength training, and Pilates into a single session, giving you the benefits of three workout types in one full-body experience,” she says. Latest Videos FromFit&Well Borrie’s method is about enjoying movement without compromising on results, which is why she focuses on moves that provide both a cardio and strength challenge. Here are two of her favorites that she often includes in BeBody workouts. You may like Try the two-move strength and cardio workout This is a circuit-style workout, which means you do the exercises one after another. Borrie recommends completing the circuit twice with minimal rest. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. “Start slow and then speed up your movement,” Borrie says. She also says doing the mini workout to a good playlist is “essential”, so blast …

I’m a personal trainer who works with seniors and these are the three exercises I never let any of my clients skip

I’m a personal trainer who works with seniors and these are the three exercises I never let any of my clients skip

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s not unusual for my personal training clients to be working toward fitness goals like completing a 5K run or losing a few pounds. These are fantastic milestones to aim for but I also try to look beyond the short-term and inspire my clients to train with the future in mind. The stronger you can be as you enter your 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond, the better equipped you’ll be for healthy, independent aging. Latest Videos FromFit&Well So no matter how old my clients are, I insist they do these three strength-based exercises to maintain power, stability and balance. Three future-proofing moves everybody needs You’ll need a moderately-heavy dumbbell or kettlebell and an exercise mat to do these moves. You may like If you’re new to exercise, perform one set of eight to 10 repetitions (reps) for each exercise, two to three times per week. Once the exercises start feeling easy, add another set and increase your reps to 12. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. …

A trainer says these are the three moves every beginner should master before getting started with strength training

A trainer says these are the three moves every beginner should master before getting started with strength training

Published by Jenni Sidey

There are lots of different workout styles—but there are some staple moves that appear in nearly every exercise class. Lucy Borrie is the founder of BeBody, a workout app that combines aerobics, Pilates and strength training. Her method draws on various workout styles, but she says that squats, lunges and planks feature in nearly every session she does. Latest Videos FromFit&Well “Everything formulates from these basic movements,” says the trainer and Pilates instructor. It’s important to execute these exercises correctly before adding load or trying out variations. Here’s how to do them. You may like 1. Squat Leg exercise – How to bodyweight squat – YouTube Watch On Sets: 1-3 Reps: 10 Stand tall with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart, your toes pointing slightly outward and your core engaged. Slowly lower your hips as far as you can while keeping your weight on your heels and your knees pointing outward. Pause when your thighs are parallel to the ground, or lower. Push through your feet to return to standing. Trainer tip: “Keep your weight in …

A personal trainer says everyone over 40 should be doing this 15-minute workout to keep their bones strong

A personal trainer says everyone over 40 should be doing this 15-minute workout to keep their bones strong

Published by Jenni Sidey

If you’re worried about becoming frail in your later years, you need to start building bone strength decades in advance. “Around the age of 40, our natural bone remodeling process shifts,” explains Mark Harris, a certified strength and conditioning coach and ambassador for weighted vest brand Mirafit. “The body begins to absorb old bone tissue faster than it creates new bone, leading to a steady decline in bone density.” Latest Videos FromFit&Well He explains that this loss of bone tissue continues to accelerate significantly as we age, particularly for women during and after menopause. “If we do nothing, our bones become more fragile,” says Harris, who recommends regular exercise to combat this. You may like “Bones respond to two main things: mechanical tension—where muscles pull against the bone during strength exercises—and impact, where forces travel through the skeleton as your feet strike the ground,” he says. “By including both in your training, you give your body the stimulus it needs to help maintain stronger bones.” Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and …

I’m a trainer who helps seniors look after their hips—this is the one move I never skip

I’m a trainer who helps seniors look after their hips—this is the one move I never skip

Published by Jenni Sidey

Strengthening your hips is always a good idea, no matter your age. But if you’re nearing—or already into—your senior years, it should be a big part of your movement routine. Our hips get weaker as we get older, because of a natural decline in bone density and muscle mass. Latest Videos FromFit&Well If you want to keep moving confidently (and lower your chance of hip fractures), then you need to fight back with dedicated exercises That’s why I teach this banded hip abduction exercise to all my senior personal training clients. You may like They strengthen important hip-stabilizing muscles and support full-body balance. How to do banded hip abduction Standing Band Hip Abduction – YouTube Watch On A short-loop resistance band is best for this exercise. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. Begin with one round of 10 repetitions, two to three times per week. As you get stronger, increase to two or three rounds and up your repetitions to 12-15. You can perform this move …

“The huge difference is to use your core power instead of just arm strength”—a personal trainer shares how she finally conquered this classic bodyweight exercise

“The huge difference is to use your core power instead of just arm strength”—a personal trainer shares how she finally conquered this classic bodyweight exercise

Published by Jenni Sidey

Tatiana Schloessman is a certified Pilates instructor and the founder of Élan Pilates Studios in Westlake Village. She’s been training for more than 30 years—but it took a long time for her to perfect her push-ups. “It’s hard for both men and women, and especially difficult for those who haven’t had as much exposure to upper-body strength training,” she says. Latest Videos FromFit&Well She explained that she could do a few push-ups in a row when she first started working out, but always wanted to get past 20. “I’m now at about 50 push-ups and I was able to get more than double by realizing a push-up isn’t an arm exercise; it’s a full-body and mind exercise,” says Schloessman. You may like She tells Fit&Well that the change occurred when she learned to use core strength rather than relying solely on arm strength. “I envision the [core] muscles engaging, bracing my abs and focusing on not letting my lower back collapse,” she says. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice …

A trainer says you should try these three static holds to build muscle, improve joint stability and lower your resting blood pressure

A trainer says you should try these three static holds to build muscle, improve joint stability and lower your resting blood pressure

Published by Jenni Sidey

A lot of us picture dynamic, high-energy movements when we hear the word exercise, but you can get an effective workout without jumping or sprinting. Isometric exercises—where you hold a position for a period of time—are among the best ways to lower your blood pressure, according to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The large-scale systematic review and meta-analysis found that isometric holds lower blood pressure more effectively than aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training, dynamic resistance training and combined training. Latest Videos FromFit&Well Beyond the cardiovascular benefits, trainer Rosie Borchert of REP Fitness US explains that isometric exercises are a great choice for those working out with injuries. “Isometric exercises help build strength and stability in joints without the repeated rep-based motion that can sometimes aggravate symptoms,” she says. You may like She recommends the following three exercises for your leg, shoulder and core strength. 1. Wall sit “I love a wall sit because it’s a simple move you can do anywhere to build strength and endurance in your quadriceps, while giving …