To Carb or not to Carb!

Too Few Carbs Can Leave You Feeling Tired
If you're tempted to go on one of those low-carbohydrate diets, consider this first. Consuming too few carbs can leave you feeling sapped of energy - both mentally and physically.
Instead of counting carbohydrates, focus on the type of carbs you're eating. Limit simple carbs, which are found in foods like white breads, potatoes and sugary snacks; these carbs can give you a brief energy spike but can also be followed by a crash that leaves you even more depleted than before you ate.
By choosing complex carbohydrates found in whole grains and breads you're giving your body a sustained source of energy that will keep you moving until your next meal or snack.

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Workout Strategies for Busy Parents

It can be challenging for any busy adult to squeeze in exercise. Add children to the mix, and the task seems almost superhuman.
Remember, it's easiest to stick to an exercise plan if you make it an ingrained part of your routine. Maybe one of these strategies can work for you:

• If you have an infant or toddler, bring the little one along. Use a jogging stroller, a child seat for your bike (with child helmet), or a stroller with "all-terrain" wheels for long walks.
• Exchange babysitting services with another parent who wants to maintain a regular exercise schedule.
• With a school age child, look for places where you both can exercise, even though you're at different skill levels. Examples: A swimming pool, a running track, a community fitness center. Instead of chauffeuring your child to routine activities and events (scout meetings, soccer practice, going to or from school), try biking, jogging or walking together.

Want to Stick to Your Exercise Plan? Don't Think about It.

If you have trouble staying motivated to exercise, you might achieve greater success if you make exercise part of your routine; something as ingrained as brushing your teeth, getting showered, or driving to work. The more "automatic" exercise becomes, the less you will have to grapple with how to fit it into your busy schedule.

Here are some suggestions:

• Get It Over With: Exercise in the morning, before your day starts.
• Exercise to Commute: Run,walk, bike or skate to work. No shower or gym facilities at the office? Then keep workout clothes and gear in your office, and exercise for your commute home at the end of the day.
• Have"Power Lunches":Use two or three lunch hours a week to strength-train at a nearby gym. Working with weights, you don't have to worry about the "seat factor," as you do with cardio workouts. You can strength train in less than 30 minutes.
• Don't Go Home First!: If you choose to exercise in the evening after work, go directly to your workout destination. Stopping at home first can present distractions that could interfere with your exercise plans.

As always, feel free to contact me with any questins or comments at nivram1ohio@aol.com

How Hard Should Your Workouts Be?

When doing your cardiovascular workouts, do you "give it your all?" If so, make a point to end your workouts before you hit the exhaustion point.

Even on those days when you push for an extra-challenging workout, you should feel invigorated and strong when you finish. You should NOT feel as though you've depleted all of your energy reserves. If you feel that you've got no "fuel" left, you could be using too much of your body's stored energy - and making it more difficult for your body to recover enough by your next workout.

If you need a personalized workout plan, exercise tips, diet tips, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

When Injury Slows You Down, Should You Eat Less?

Injury can lead to a period of inactivity or reduced activity. A broken leg, for example, can put a crimp in your workout routine. And if surgery is needed, you can be out of commission for weeks.
If injury has rendered you more sedentary than usual, it stands to reason that you should eat less...and perhaps even try to lose weight at this time. Right? WRONG.

When you are injured, your body needs a good deal of energy - that is, it needs CALORIES - in order to heal itself. This is not the time to be cutting calories in an effort to lose weight. Without enough calories and the right nutrients (particularly protein), your body's tissues can actually break down at a time when they need to be rebuilding. As a result, your recovery could be much longer than is necessary. If you want to prevent weight gain during your recovery, cut out the junk food and the sweets. Those empty calories you can certainly do without.

As always, for free diet tips, exercise tips, or fitness questions, email me atnivram1ohio@aol.com

A Safer Way To Do Lat Pull-Downs

Do you use the lat pull-down machine in your weight-training workouts? If so, you may want to check (and maybe update) your technique.

"Lat" refers to the latissimus dorsi, the large muscles in the middle of your back. In lat pull-downs, you are sitting down and pulling a horizontal bar from above your head down toward your body.

Traditionally, lat pull-downs entailed bringing the bar down behind your head, to the base of your neck. However, we now know that this movement can put excessive strain on the neck, especially when a lot of weight is used.

The safer alternative: Bring the bar down in front of your face and down to your chest. You'll work the same muscles without the neck strain.

As always, for free diet tips, exercise tips, or fitness questions, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

Myht Buster!

There is belief by some that you have to spend hours in the gym in order to achieve maximum results. But research has shown that it is possible to achieve better results from your workout by shortening the amount of time that you spend in the gym. By doing a 15 minute workout, you will be more motivated to keep up with your workout schedule, because you can get in, and get out of the gym.

Keep in mind that you still have to have intensity, but any workout is better than none.

Upper Body Days and Lower Body Days!

Finding time to fit your workout into your busy schedule is a problem that many of us face. I have a time saving tip that may not be suitable for everyone, but if you are having trouble getting motivated to weight-training, this strategy might work.

Instead of doing total body workout that exercises all the body's major muscles groups, alternate your routine so that on one day you train only the upper-body muscle groups(arms,shoulders,chest,back) and on the next day you train the lower-body muscle groups(abs,butt,legs).

With this schedule, all the muscles have a day to recover, which is very important.

With each session, you could be finished within 30 minutes or less.

Keep in mind that although you will have shorter training sessions, you will need more of them. That means you have to have at lest four days out of the week where you are going to the gym. But if getting in and out of the gym is very important to you, this schedule could be just right for you.

As always: for free tips, workout plans, diet tips, personal training, and whatever query you may have regarding your workout, feel free to contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com .

Don't eat garbage!

Before you go to McBurger World for lunch remember this-"Stay away from the fast food restaurants!" I repeat, "stay away from fast food."

As you begin to get in better shape, and improve your life, you MUST change your diet and eating habits. If you are like so many people that eat fast food five days a week during your lunch break, "Stop!" Fast food contains preservatives and fat that is counterproductive to your goals of losing weight.

Instead of buying fast food, use that money to purchase groceries and prepare your lunch at home. In other words: Brown Bag It! After just a few weeks of taking your lunch to work, you will begin to feel more energized and not to mention you'll save a few bucks!

Also, stay away from fast food all together, whether for lunch or dinner. Like I said before, in order to achieve a great body, and stay in the best shape of your life, lose weight, and become more healthy, you have to change your mind, change your diet, and get active.

21 Day White Out!

Research shows that Carbs are the enemy! You can get more out of your workout, and in less time by decreasing the amount of carbs you are consuming. Bread, potatoes, rice, and pasta are all Whites that should be avoided at all cost.

You can still get the necessary sugars that your body needs by consuming veggies, fruit, and meat.

Try this: For 21 days, try to eliminate all carbs from your diet, while increasing your workout intensity. It is very hard to avoid eating carbs. That's why this plan is only for 21 days. It will take discipline and motivation to keep you focused, but it can be done. You will see quick results.

Try it!

For any questions, comments or just to have your success story posted here; email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com.

The reality of getting Fit!

Out of the shower. walk past the mirror. Suddenly, you think, " who is that person, and how did they let themselves go." Then you realize that that person is you.

So you make a decision that today is going to be the day that you start to workout. So now we are taking the stairs at work. Walking to lunch instead of driving, and throwing out the desk full of snacks that we have. This routine last about a week. And now we are back to doing and eating what we were that caused us to get out of shape.

What does it take to maintain a routine that works? How can I juggle my job, the children, my social life, and working out? The answer is easy. CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!

For a fortunate number of us; Just changing our diet is enough to help us shed some pounds. But for many of us, a major transformation is required to begin to see some results.

That's why we are here Eco Fit is the place to get daily tips on:

Weight Loss
Diet
Nutrition
Strength
Fitness
Aerobic
Cardiovascular

Team Work makes the Dream Work.

Many of us have a hard time starting and maintaining our fitness routine. We start to workout and then we stop. By getting someone to workout with, you will have a feeling of obligation to meet with your workout partner on a regular basis. If you and your workout partner decide to make a schedule; you both would make sure that the other is keeping up with the schedule.
Another benefit of getting a workout partner is the fact that friendly competition is always good. Trying to best your fitness partner will give you the motivation to do that extra set on the fitness machines or to complete that extra lap around the track. If you see that your fitness partner is on the treadmill for 30 minutes you will make sure that you are doing at least that or better.
So, team up with someone that is going to help you stay motivated and focused, so that you both are able to achieve your fitness goals.

How to burn fat.

We want to exercise so that we feel and look great. Many of us have adopted a workout program to lose weight, and to become healthier. But in order to look our best, we have to burn the fat.

Fat is burned during working out, by increasing the number of reps (Reps are short for repetitions; the number of times you perform an exercise) that you may do during a certain exercise. The higher the reps that you are able to do, the better.

Say for instance you are curling dumbbells; try selecting a weight which will allow you to do reps of 20 to 25. On the last rep, you want to really have to push yourself to complete the set( sets are the number of times you have completed a certain number of reps; example 3 sets of 20 means that you will curl the dumbbell 20 times per set).

Put it in, burn it off!

When trying to lose weight, one must not consume more calories than one is burning. It is just common sense. In order to lose weight, you must make sure that you are willing to maintain a strenuous workout plan which will help you burn the calories. In other words, if you are going to eat that 800 calorie chocolate cheese cake, plan on spending a few more minutes in the gym.
Many people that are in great shape, can sometimes eat what they want, as they are consistently working out and burning calories during their workouts.
The fact that you had to change your diet should not be looked upon as being a bummer. You can eat what you want to eat just as long as you burn if off. Your workouts must be consistent and you must push yourself in order to see results.

Eat more often to lose more fat!

The old notion of three meals per day has gone the way of the dinosaur. Three meals a day is not good for metabolic functioning or energy levels.

A recent study shows that those that ate frequently, preferably 6-9 meals per day average a higher rate of thermogenesis and enjoy better overall health than those who ate less often.

Eating more turns up the energy levels and can have a positive effect on body composition. For overweight people, frequent meals can improve metabolism and regulate insulin levels.

Skipping meals is not a good idea. Skipping meals could slow your metabolism, which could lead to weight gain. Eating more frequent and regular meals also prevents you from feeling hungry and help you curb cravings for simple sugar (junk food)!

And remember, with any dieting, make sure to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.

Midyear Mindset

At this time of the year I like to look back at the journey that my workout has taken since setting my new goals in January. I have to ask myself if I accomplished my fitness goals. Or am I on track to do so. How are your workouts coming along? Have you stayed focused enough over the past six months to be able to see some measurable results?

June is about the time people begin to fall off if they feel as if they have not achieved anything. Fitness success is often measured by weight loss or by strength gained. But oftentimes we forget to take in consideration that our stamina has increased.

Remember in January you could only do about 5 minutes on the treadmill? Now you are up to an hour or so. Improving your stamina may not have resulted in the flat belly that you wanted, but it will give you the needed energy to step your game up, and increase your workout reps.

So don't despair if you have not loss all the weight that you wanted. Just keep on pushing it to the limit and you will be where you want to be in no time.

Don't Give Up!

For free workout routines, fitness plans, or diet tips, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

Warm Up, before you Workout.

Stretching and and warming up your muscles before you workout is very important. Not only does it help prevent injuries and post workout soreness, but it also increases blood flow to the muscles and prepares them to do work. Besides, muscles perform better when they are warmed up and stretched. 

On a cold winter morning, you wouldn't just jump in your car and take off down the road, so why would you expect your body to perform at it peak if you don't warm up before you workout?

For about just about 5 or 10 minutes, you can do a number of stretches and warming up routines. Concentrate on stretching the muscles that you will be working on that day. If you do full body workouts, you can do a light,quarter-mile run on the treadmill; followed by stretching.

So make sure that you consider stretching and warming up as a regular part of your workout routine. It is a small step that will pay hugely towards preventative maintenance, and increase your longevity. Injuries are very detrimental to the achievement of our workout goals. 

Wake up your abs!!

How much muscle would you expect to build in your arms if you always did sets of 20 reps using a weight with which you could easily do 100 reps? The point is, unless you challenge your muscles through resistance that overloads them, they will not get stronger; your abs are no different. They have to be challenged and pushed to the limit to build quality muscle.

There are numerous ab exercises that you can use to and more resistance and weight training to your ab workout. Holding a dumbbell at your side, while bending side ways can strengthen the obliques(side/love handles). Reverse crunches can also help add more variety and resistance to your ab workout. 

Get creative. Put weight training into your ab workouts.

For personal training, fitness tips, diet plans, and workout plans, contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

When is the Best Time to Exercise?

Many fitness experts have debated over this for some time. But research has finally discovered that for fat burning, mornings are the best time to work out.

Of course the best workout time is anytime you do cardio, but to optimize fat burning, workout in the morning. Working out in the morning stimulates alertness throughout the day, controls your appetite, improves mood, and gives you a sense of accomplishment which will increase your metabolism for the remainder of the day.

Evening workouts are good, but they only increase your metabolism up until you go to sleep.

So if you have the opportunity to hit the gym in the morning, maybe before work, do it. 

Advanced Moves for Experienced Weight Trainers

If you're an experienced strength trainer looking for creative ways to make your workouts more challenging - and a little more interesting - try these advanced techniques occasionally: 

• SLOW-MOTION REPS. Take 15 seconds for each repetition: 10 seconds for lifting the weight up and 5 seconds for lowering it.
• DROP-SETS. After your last repetition in a set (typically the one that brings your muscle to the exhaustion point), drop the amount of weight by 20 to 25 percent. Then do three or four more repetitions at this lower weight. Drop-sets can be performed with free weights or machines. However, if you are using a bar, be sure to use a spotter to avoid injuring yourself.
If you feel uncertain about any strength-training technique, always consult a personal trainer or other expert before attempting it.

Do What it takes to Stay Motivated to accomplish your fitness goals

We all have been there: After about a month of going to this great new gym, it has somehow turned into a chore a gives us the feeling of going to work on Monday morning. The free cable and treadmills are not enough motivation to exercise. When it comes to working out, there are two types of motivators: a belief in staying healthy, and our natural born competitive nature. Many of us prefer to be pushed. What is it going to take to get you back in the gym?

Ca$h: The Great Motivator of the 21 Century- Money can be used to motivate you to get to the gym. Tell your child you will buy him that brand new laptop that he has always wanted if you miss a certain amount of days at the gym. Make bets with coworkers and gym partners. make the bet a meaningful bet, an amount you can't afford to lose.

Teamwork: Getting a workout partner, setting goals, and doing your best to not let the team down. This motivational technique puts the pressure of the team on you to make you responsible and gives you the sense of purposefulness. Many of us have participated in team sports coming up. Your know that you cannot put your priorities over the team: There is no "I" in TEAM!

Competition: Set long term goals for your self regarding your workout. Give yourself dates that you are supposed to reach certain fitness milestones. For example, some people have made it there life's goal to run across America. So they have calculated the total number of miles from Maine to California. Then, without actually running that route, they calculate the total number of miles that they have run at the gym, at the beach, or at the park, until they have reached there goal. This could also be done in a pool by calculating the laps that you swim into miles, then relating that to the distance across the Atlantic Ocean. 

Humiliation: The Old Boot Camp Technique. Some of us need a drill Sergeant to stand in out face and insult us to give us a jump start. Being humiliated will make us want to do our best. Or, it can make you ball up in the fetal position in the middle of the gym and start crying. 

So, whatever it takes to accomplish your fitness goals, JUST DO IT!

Step Your Workout Up!!!!!!

Simple Ways to Make Weight Training More Challenging
Feeling ready for more challenge in the weight room? Adding on more weight isn't your only option. Here are some little changes that can make a difference: 

• Take shorter rests between sets. Most people take from 60 to 90 seconds between the first and second sets of an exercise. Try keeping your rest period to 30 seconds.
• Do "super sets" every now and then. Choose two exercises that work different muscle groups in the same area. For example, to give your thighs a workout, you could choose leg extensions for the quadriceps (front of thighs) and leg curls for the hamstrings (back of thighs). To do the super set, perform one set of the first exercise, then immediately continue with a set of the second exercise - without resting between those two sets. After you complete each super set, rest for 30 to 60 seconds.

Fat Burning on a Budget

During these troubling economic times, we may want to cut back on some things in order to save a few dollars. Modifying our diets is a great way to save a buck or two, but it will also lead to you shedding a few pounds in the process.

Cutting back on sweets, snacks, and other foods that are high in sugar will help you decrease the amount of bad calories that you consume and save some money. So cut back on the cookies, cakes, chips, and junk food. Start buying fruits and veggies to snack on. They are much less expensive and they are better for you. 

Also during this global economic crisis, you may consider dropping your gym membership. There are some great exercises that you can do in your home to get in a full body workout. You can have a complete body workout in your home by doing push ups, dips, crunches, lunges, and squats. And as always, you can run.

For more information or to receive a free personalized workout plan, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

WOW!

Did you see that!? Lebron drilled the shot that shook The World

Exercise and Fitness Tips

If you have the privilege to workout at a gym, make sure that you are including weight training into your workout. Although the Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, and Stairmasters are great machines, you will double your results by mixing in a dumbell workout for strength training. Your muscles have to be pushed to the limit for you to see results. The more you work the large muscle groups of your body, the more calories you will burn.

Dumbell are great to workout with because you can be creative with the dumbells. The versatility that that dumbells possess allows you to do exercises in an unlimited range of movements. 

Grab a pair of dumbells at a weight that is comfortable to you. You can work any and every part of the body using dumbells.  

Want a Flat Belly? Try this!

A flat tummy is all we want right? Being able to look in the mirror and see a flat stomach like we had when we were in high school is very obtainable. along with our regular exercise routine, there are little  things that we can do when we are not at the gym to tighten and tone the ab muscles. 

While sitting at your desk, or in front of the television, make a conscious effort to use good posture. Sit with your back straight while concentrating on keeping your abs tight. Tightening your abs throughout the day will strengthen and tone this with little effort. You just have to remind your self to do it all of the time. This is also done while you are walking. Make an effort to tighten your ab muscles all day everyday; make a habit of it.

If this is done along with your regular exercise and fitness routine, you will begin to see results soon. And remember, you should work your ab muscles everyday that you go to the gym. Set aside a time at the end of your workout to concentrate on your abs. 

Why a Personal Trainer?

Personal Trainers provide guidance and knowledge of the human body to help you maximize your workouts. You may be a workout fanatic and have a variety of workouts to choose from; you could still benefit from the services of a personal trainer.

Many of us have hit plateaus in our workout routines where we are just not seeing any more results or making any more progress. Our workouts get stagnant and stale. This is where a personal trainer can help. By giving you motivation to try different exercises, completing more reps and sets, and assisting you on heavier lifts, your personal trainer could be very beneficial in helping you achieve your fitness goals.

If you have ever worked out with someone and you have any competitive pride in you, you always want to do better than your workout partner. If you have no workout partner, you can push yourself to the limit by trying to impress your personal trainer, which results in you getting into better shape.

On days when you don't feel like going to the gym, your personal trainer could give you the motivation to stay focused. You will not want to let him or her down. Especially if you are being charged.

Seriously consider getting the assistance of a personal trainer. There is no long term obligations and it is very helpful.

Fitness Trends

According to a recent survey by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), "educated and experienced fitness professionals" now constitute the most important fitness trend in the world, having jumped from third to first place since last year. "Personal trainers" rose from seventh to third place.

"We want to be well. We yearn to be in control and feel better. We want more energy," says Margaret Moore, founder of Well Coaches, the only health and wellness coaching certification program endorsed by the ACSM. "But there is an enormous gap between wanting to be well and the everyday reality of living with the mental and physical health penalties of overeating, underexercising, and having too little down time."

That gap is growing. The CDC reports that more than 66% of adult Americans areoverweight or obese. Worse still, about a third of the adult population is obese.

-WEBMD

Swine Flu

Of course by now we have all been made aware of the new "Pandemic" that has been given the name Swine Flu. The media has continued to do their job of scaring the hell out of the masses and blowing something well out of proportion. 

The swine flu is only different from any other form of flu in the fact that it is a new strain. The precautions that we must take to avoid any type of flu are the same.

Always wash your hands after coming in from outside. This will help prevent you caring any germs into your home. 

Keep your hands away from your face as much as possible.

If you find yourself the victim of the flu, or a cold, of course you do not want to workout. Your body will need all the energy it can muster to fight any virus that you have obtained. So forget about going to the gym for at least a week.

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids and take vitamins if you have them. 

Try to relax as much as possible. You want to eliminate as much stress as you can. 

After about a week, you can return to the gym and continue your workout routine. It will almost be as if you are just starting, as you have had a slight layoff. But it will not take long for your body to get back into the swing of things.

Fitness Tip #20823

We all know that getting to the gym is the hard part. Once we are there, it is not always easy to maintain the same energy level and focus everyday. On days that you feel as if you do not really want to workout out; try shortening your reps.

Any amount of exercise is better than none. If you shorten the repetitions that you do, you could possibly be in and out of the gym in about 15 to 30 minutes. 

A great workout that can be done in a short period of time is to do circuit training, where you go from workout machine to the next. This time do not rest in between machines. Do at least 5 reps at each machine and get out of there. By doing this you have maximized your time and you have gotten in a great workout. Try it.

And as always, for free personal training, diet tips, workout plans, or for the answer to any health related questions, contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com    

Stay Healthy; Stay Motivated!

Often times we hit a plateau during our workouts where we lose our drive, intensity, and motivation. Don't worry if this happens to you. It is normal. Just like anything, you have to add some diversity to your workouts. 

Mix up your workout routines. One way of doing so is to start your workout doing an exercise that you usually end your workout with. Example, if you end your workout doing crunches, start you workout doing crunches and complete your workout routine in reverse. Remember, we want to shock and surprise the muscles. What they don't see coming, is good for them. When your muscles are not challenged and introduced to shock, they will not perform, thus, they will not grow. 

So mix up your workout. Add some flavor and get creative. But never quit. Invite some of your family or friends to the gym with you. This will help you do your best because you will want to impress them.

So good luck and keep it Movin'!

No Fat Kids!

In this day and age of video games galor, we are experiencing an epidemic that is rarely discussed. Children have become more and more sedentary and less active, causing a rise in juvenile diabetes, obesity, and overall, fat kids everywhere!

Healthy children usually become healthy adults. If you have children, do not allow them to sit in the house all day everyday, playing video games and watching Miley Cyrus, or whatever the young whipper snappers are doing today. Make sure that you instill in them a healthy lifestyle at an early age, so that they are not spending the rest of their lives fighting obesity. 

If you are expecting the schools to provide physical activity, forget it. With budget cuts, and an emphasis on the herd mentality building standardized testing (What I Call "Every Child Left Behind") gym is being phased out. They don't even let kids play dodge ball anymore! WTF!

Working out as a family is a great activity. Here in Florida, it is easy to go to the beach for walks or a swim. Most cities have parks and rec centers that encourage family involvement.

Just as your health is important, your child's health is also important. Good health and fitness starts in the home. Practice healthy eating habits and encourage your children to do there best in all phases of their lives, but most importantly, emphasize to them how being physically fit will help them in the long run. 

Challenge your children to beat you in a game of basketball. See who can do the most push-ups and crunches. Bike riding is a great way of getting your kids to exercise without them even knowing that they are doing so. Whatever your technique, just make sure that the message is loud and clear: No Fat Kids. Your children will carry these habits on and more than likely instill the same healthy principals and lifestyle with your grandchildren. 

Summer's Almost Here! Have you reached your Fitness Goals?

Many months ago, most of us started a vigorous workout routine which was designed to help us achieve a healthy and fit body. Now, it is April, and where do you stand in terms of having accomplished your goals? Have you maintained your enthusiasm? Or have you stopped a number of times over the past few months only to start again?

Whatever interruptions have occurred involving your workout routine, I just hope that you have stayed focused and kept your eyes on the prize.

Sometimes it is o.k. to take a break from  your working out. By taking a short break, no more than a week, it allows your body to recover. But when you return to your regular routine,your muscles will be shocked; and this is what gets them motivated to grow and get stronger. 

So do not worry if you feel that you have fallen off from your workout. Just keep in mind that it is o.k. to take a break. Just make sure that when you get back in the gym, that you give it your all to achieve your fitness goals. 

Your health and well being is very important. So treat your workout as if your life depended on it; because it does!

If you smoke; STOP!

Disgusting, smelly, damaging, hazardous, repelling, deadly= Cigarettes. 

Cigarettes are the most poisonous things sold in stores, yet the Government allows you to buy and consume as many as you would like. Cigarrettes are known to cause many sorts of cancers and other health issues. To that I ask "why bother smoking , if you know it is unhealthy?"

I have spoken with many people that smoke cigarettes and they all say that it "relieves stress and helps calm them." I have been repeatedly telling people that there are millions of things on this planet that can be used for stress relief and to relieve anxiety, all of which are healthy and natural. 

One of the best stress relievers is working out. While involved in a vigorous workout, you have no time for stres, anxiety, and any other problmes that you may face. Your only concern will be the exercise that you are performing right at that moment. It is very hard to worry about anything else when you are lying on a weight bench with 315 lbs. over your head.

Or, the next time you feel the need to smoke, take off running. Running helps clear your mind and improves your physical health.

Cigarettes are highly addictive. How are cigarettes legal I will never understand. 

If you are trying to improve your health, giving up cigarettes will be the best thing you could do.  

Get a Kick

For a full body workout, try a Kickboxing class. 

Kickboxing classes use techniques that are used by professional kick boxers during training. Every major muscle group receives a good workout during a kickboxing class.

The class consist of a series of punches and kicks to heavy bags, or training mannequins. For a period of 30 seconds to a minute, you are required to perform specific punches and kicks to the heavy bag or the mannequin.

The routine is non-stop motion, which is sure to give you the burn that you are looking for. It will also have you feeling a little tough afterwards.

To find kickboxing classes, check your local gym, rec centers, and or Craigslist.org . I am sure there is one near you. Most gyms that offer kickboxing classes do not require you to be a member to join the class. You may just have to pay for a spot in the class. Check it out!

Email me for your free I.F.P. (Individualized Fitness Plan) 

Diet

For years, the word DIET has been misused. Diet comes from the Latin word dietus which means eat nothing good or yummy (just kidding).

Diet is a noun, not a verb!! What you eat on a regular basis, and what your meals consist of is your diet.

There are many forms that diets take. Some have strict diets with no sugar and fat. Some are on high protein diets. and some are on no carb diets. Whatever your diet, just make sure that it is consistent with your fitness goals. Your diet should be in alignment with what you are trying to accomplish through your vigorous workout plan.

If you are trying to lose fat, your diet should consist of low fat, high protein meals. If your fitness goal is to ad muscle and get tones, you may want a diet that consist of more protein and zero to no carbs.

Whatever your fitness goals, you have to eat. Eating is very important to your health. You have to eat whether you you want to gain or lose weight. The good thing about food is that it helps you lose weight. If you deprive your body of food, it has a miraculous ability to store food to protect itself from starvation. The same with water; stay hydrated. 

So eat and maintain your diet so that you can accomplish your goals and get in the greatest shape of your life.

Jumping Rope!

Boxers live by it!

Increasing endurance, stamina, strength, and coordination are all benefits of jumping rope.

You can get a major burn from including jumping rope into your workout. 

Jumping rope uses many, if not all of the major muscle groups. Calves, thighs, back, shoulders, abs, and arms (yeah, that's about all of them) all receive a workout when you jump rope. It is hard not to sweat while you are vigorously doing it. 

Now, I am not expecting you to be Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson on the rope, but after practice and repetition, you will become very accustomed to the rope. You may even be able to mix in a trick or two. Tricks are not important. What is important is that you do your very best when you work out, and especially with the jump rope.

My jump rope routine consist of me jumping rope for 5 minutes. I will stand somewhere in sight of a clock. I will then jump rope for 60 seconds straight, and rest for 30 seconds. I will repeat this 5 times until I have jumped rope for a total of 5 minutes. Try It!!!

Did you know that jumping rope for 7 minutes straight equals a mile!? 

Reminder: The deadline for entries into the contest is near. Don't miss out! Get rewarded for that hard work by entering the contest. For details on the contest scroll down to earlier post.

And Good Luck!

March Madness!!!

The NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament is here. In my opinion, it is the best post season tournament in all of Sports!

Have you ever noticed how fit and lean basketball players are? The constant movement and motion of the game of basketball. Running up and down the court really does wonders for the players bodies. It improves strength and stamina. 

While playing basketball, you use nearly every muscle in your body. Running and jumping definitely does wonders to your legs.

But you don't have to be in the NBA, WNBA, or on a top level collegiate team to take advantage of the benefits of playing basketball with regards to your fitness goals. 

Find a park or rec center to get your RUN ON! Many recreation centers have open gym, where anyone can come and play. The park is always a great place to find a basketball game. Just walk up and Say "I GOT NEXT!" 

If you can't find anyone at the rec or park to play with. Play by yourself. Go to the basketball court, and if you have a ball, shoot around! Shooting baskets helps tone and strengthen your shoulders also. If you use good form, shooting jumps shots helps strengthen and tone your thighs and calves.

A wonderful workout that can be done on the basketball court is running SUICIDES(If you have never done them, you will soon find out how they received that name). This workout has to be done when the court is clear, and no one is playing on it. 

SUICIDES:

• Start by standing underneath the basket at either end of the court and stand on the baseline(1)(the out of bounds line).
  
• Sprint to the foul line/free throw line(2), bend down and touch it, and sprint back to the baseline(1) and bend down and touch the baseline.
  
• Without stopping, sprint to the half court line(3), bend down and touch it, and then sprint back to the baseline(1) and reach down and touch it.
• Then without stopping, sprint to the other foul line/free throw line(4) on the other end of the court. Bend down and touch it, and sprint back to the baseline(1), and bend down and touch it.
• Finally, sprint to the baseline(5) on the far end, bend down and touch it, and sprint back to the other end as fast as you can! You want to go all out and push yourself.

Here is something to simplify this routine:

-baseline(out of bounds line)/ starting point(1)

-free throw line/foul line(2)

-half-court line(3)

-far free throw line/foul line(4)

-far baseline(5)

Sprint

1 to 2 back to  1

1 to 3 back 1

1 to 4 back to 1

1 to 5 to 1

Remember to bend down and touch each line, and sprint through the baseline when you finish.
If you are able to time yourself, challenge yourself to run the best time.

If you have any questions contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com

Enter to win a cool iPOD!

How hard are you working to get in shape? Do you think you are working hard enough to receive a free iPod?

If so, then you need to Enter for your chance to win 

The ECO FIT Challenge! 

"What is the ECO FIT Challenge?"

Beginning April 1, 2009, we will begin a 90 Day Challenge to see who can get in the best shape, and has made the most improvements over a 90 day period.

The winner will receive a Brand New iPod!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To Enter:

Submit a picture, along with your name and city. Pictures must be date validated. Which means that the picture that you submit must include something within the picture to validate the date that the picture was taken. Pictures must be submitted by March 31, 2009!!!!!!!

Submit your picture, name and city to:

nivram1ohio@aol.com 

Contest entrants will decide who the winner will be by voting on who they think has made the most improvements.

The Contest ends June 30, 2009.

On July 1, 2009, contestants will submit another date validated picture, and a brief story of their workout routine over the past 90 days. 

The winner will be announced July 4, 2009!!!!!!

And remember: In a contest like this, there really are no Losers! The only thing we are losing is the FAT!

Everyone who enters will receive a free ECO FIT T-Shirt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember to continue to check back to this site for tips on how to improve your workout and achieve your fitness goals.

Good Luck!

This is why I don't eat pork!

Click on the link below:

http://media2.foxnews.com/112008/worm_tumor_700.wmv

I want to hear from you after you see this to get your reaction.

The Importance of Good Health.

If you have good health, you have everything. Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet is very important. Many of make special efforts to do things that are not as important when compared to the importance of having good health. We run from here to there, to and fro, to get our business off the ground or to keep it running. I understand the importance of income and getting that paper. But if you are not healthy, you cant do any of the other things that you may want to do for long. 

This is why prioritizing is so important. Putting things in there place and recognizing what is important and what is not, is a skill that comes with repetition and experience. Put First Things First! Somewhere near the top of your To Do List should include taking care of your body. Exercising, strength   training, and running are good ways to make sure that you get and stay fit. 

Now is the best time ever. There is no better time than right now. Right now you have the opportunity to take charge of your life with regards to your physical health. 

Turn it up!

Tomorrow I am starting a Zero Carb, High Intensity workout. The plan is to workout five days a week for the next two weeks. I will work a different body part for each day of the week:

Chest on Monday

Back on Tuesday

Shoulders on Wednesday, 

Arms on Thursday 

Legs on Friday.

I continue to designate Sunday as my running day. My recent visit back home had me thinking I should cut back on the running. Everyone thought that I had lost weight. But actually I am heavier than I have ever been. Lean muscle is heavier than Fat. 

By breaking down my workouts by body parts, I concentrate more and I am able to get in a more efficient workout for that day. It allows me to be very focused. 

As I mentioned, I am planning to do this for a short period of time. I am completely eliminating carbs from my diet for 14 days. My diet will consist of meat, veggies, and fruit. No pork, and nothing fried (fried chicken is my Kryptonite).

Get it in early.

Starting your day by working out will increase the likelihood of you having a great day. If at all possible, get your daily workout in as early as possible, or as soon as you get out of bed.  Just jump out of bed, grab a snack, and hit the road. This allows for you to concentrate on your fitness goals, by getting started before there is any "drama" or other issues that seem to keep you away from making it to the gym.

To fully take advantage of this time, it does require that you hit the sack early enough to wake up in time. Hitting the gym on three hours of sleep after having been at the club all night is a bad idea (personal experience)!

Starting your day with a great workout will give you the rest of the day to tackle all of your daily tasks. Or the rest of the day can be used to relax.

If you smoke, Stop!

Disgusting, smelly, damaging, hazardous, repelling, deadly= Cigarettes. 

Cigarettes are the most poisonous things sold in stores, yet the Government allows you to buy and consume as many as you would like. Cigarrettes are known to cause many sorts of cancers and other health issues. To that I ask "why bother smoking , if you know it is unhealthy?"

I have spoken with many people that smoke cigarettes and they all say that it "relieves stress and helps calm them." I have been repeatedly telling people that there are millions of things on this planet that can be used for stress relief and to relieve anxiety, all of which are healthy and natural. 

One of the best stress relievers is working out. While involved in a vigorous workout, you have no time for stres, anxiety, and any other problmes that you may face. Your only concern will be the exercise that you are performing right at that moment. It is very hard to worry about anything else when you are lying on a weight bench with 315 lbs. over your head.

Or, the next time you feel the need to smoke, take off running. Running helps clear your mind and improves your physical health.

Cigarettes are highly addictive. How are cigarettes legal I will never understand. 

If you are trying to improve your health, giving up cigarettes will be the best thing you could do.  

An Ab Wonder Workout!

The guy is demonstrating the P90x ab workout. It is AWESOME for your abs. He sped the recording up just to give you a demonstration. Some of these moves are even new to me.

Hard Times? Whatever!

In this day of supposed economic turmoil, many of us are devoting too much time worrying about whether or not we are going to lose our homes, or whether or not we are going to lose our jobs. These difficult times that we are facing has placed an unbelievable amount of stress on people. But what has worrying ever gotten you? I live by this creed: if you have no control over a situation, why worry about it? Worrying takes years of of your like and it ages you. 

Many of us use drugs and alcohol to escape their perceived realities. When you really thing about it, the things that we have been worried about are not as serious as we think. If you leave it up to the news media and those in "control", they will have you believe that the world is coming to and end. Turn off that television. Don't listen to what anyone has to say about anything unless they are offering solutions to the problem.  Many of us base our opinions on what we have heard from the news or read in newspapers. When someone controls what you think, they control you. For example, many of use never even heard of AIG or gave a damn what the stock market was doing until they blew it up in the news.

Stop stressing about the economy and the live your life. take control by becoming the best YOU that YOU can be. It is times like these that we need to get in the gym and bang it out as hard as possible to take our minds off of stressful things. You will find that it is very hard to think about anything else when you are under 300 lbs of steel on the bench press. It is hard to worry about a recession when you are on the last leg of a 4 mile run.

Free Personal Trainer

Here at Eco Fit we offer you tips to get you started with a workout plan that will help you accomplish your fitness goals. Eco Fit provides fitness tips, workout plans, diet information, and what ever you need to get in the best shape of your life. We know that getting started is the hard part. That is why we offer free online personal training to get you on your way to a healthier you. If you follow the plan that is given to you, we guarantee that you will get in shape. So what is the risk?

If you are already hitting the gym hard and have hit a plateau, where your workouts have become stale and you are not seeing any new gains. We can personalize a workout for you to help you get over the hump and stay motivated.

Before we start to workout. We have to ask ourselves, " why do I want to work out and exercise?" The answers we give can come from a wide range of reasons. Some vain, some health related. But whatever the reason. You only have to worry about what you think and feel about yourself. If you want a bangin' body, and you want to turn heads when you walk by, that's your prerogative. Do what makes you feel good. Workout to achieve those results. 

If your doctor told you that you are going to die in 3 months if you don't workout or start exercising, you may find yourself in a dilemma: 

A. Go to the gym and get all funky and sweaty? 

B. Or start writing out my will? 

The choice is yours!

So take charge of your life. It makes no difference why you want to get in shape. Just do it. 

Take advantage of this offer to receive fitness advice from an expert. It costs you nothing. For your very own free and I.F.L (Individualized Fitness Plan) leave a comment or contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com. I will return your email within 24 hours. 

Also, coming in June we are offering a contest for the best weight loss story. If you have before & after pictures, submit them with a brief story. The entries will be posted to this site with the visitors voting on who has the Most Improved Body. The winner will receive a free iPod. All entrants will receive an ECO FIT T-shirt. So get ready and get tight! More details coming soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Take a hike

Any activity is good activity. Doing something is 100 times better than doing nothing. With that being said: take the time to increase your activity. Finding time to do so appears to be the hard part. 

It should not hard to find time to do something that is beneficial to your body. If you work 40+ hours per week and have t take care of the kids after work, try walking during your lunch break. If you have to run errands during your lunch break, try to get them done by walking to your destination instead of driving (is possible). As I mentioned before, any activity is better than no activity. So you don't have to worry about going back to work all sweaty, unless you live here in South Florida, you don not have to walk at a marathon pace.  A light, leisurely walk is good for your heart and also burns calories. It will also benefit you by giving you a break from the job and reduce stress. If you are fortunate enough to have an employer that provides a locker room with a shower, by all means mix in a run during your lunch break. 

When you get back to the office, try a protein bar or shake to give you the energy you'll need to make it through til quitin' time.

Get lean

A huge part of your fitness plan must incorporate modifications to your diet. In order to lose pounds and tone up, we must improve our eating habits. Remember when you were younger and you used to hear people say " you are what you eat"? Well that is very true. 

Take some time and think about what you are putting into your body. What kind of animal does that meat come from? How does that animal look? How does that animal live? I personally prefer chicken and fish as they are very lean and provide the needed protein and vitamins that are good for you without the fat. 

How you prepare your meals is also important. It does us no good to have a lean chicken breast and fry it in grease. It taste delicious but it defeats our purpose. Try baking and grilling your food to decrease your fat intake. If you have to have fried food, try olive oil.  

So don't undermine the hard work that you have been putting in at the gym with a poor diet. Think about what you are putting into your body. 

See It and Be It!

Visualizing and believing that you can have the body that you want is very important. 

For the ladies: You have to be able to actually see yourself fitting into that dress that you have always wanted. Fellas: you have to really see those arms and abs looking as if someone had drawn them on you.  Unless you really believe, u will not be able to get what you want. 

So when you are standing there in the mirror, you have to see the new you and go out and create it.

For free workout plans and fitness tips, email me at nivram1ohio@aol.com   

Slim Fast

To achieve your fitness goals and obtain immediate results from your workouts, go carb-less for a week or two, while increasing the intensity of your workout. Include more protein and vegetables in your diet to be able to sustain the necessary energy to complete your workout. 

By totally eliminating carbs from your diet, your body will burn the carbs and fat that it has stored. The result: A visually firmer and more fit you.

To make this carb-less diet work, try it for one week and then go for two weeks, and so on and....until you have obtained the results that you desire.

So no bread, rice, cakes, cookies, potatoes, pasta, and or anything white. If it is white(and/or wheat) don't eat it. That may sound like everything that is delicious. But there are many ways to combat the cravings that you will experience. Be creative!!!!!!!

Free Sex!

Now that I have your attention. I would like to talk about Abs today. Well defined abs and a flat stomach is what we all strive for. Being able to walk with dignity with your shirt off, for men, or to wear that short shirt, for women. But how are abs achieved and maintained?

There are many misconceptions regarding obtaining ab definition and ab workouts. many people are frustrated at the fact that they do crunch after crunch and still no results. WTF! Right?

Well, in order to see those perfectly tight belly muscles, you have to first get rid of the fat that is surrounding your midsection. You can do crunches from here to forever, but if you don't burn the fat that's hiding your abdominal muscles, you will not be able to notice your accomplishments in the mirror.

We have learned that we can not burn fat from one specific part of our bodies. That fat is burned proportionately. Therefore, we have to burn all of the fat in and on our bodies in order to obtain the definition that we desire. 

Outside of getting a costly and very dangerous tummy tuck, running is the best way to burn fat. It is known to be the quickest and effective way to burn fat and increase our metabolism. 

Also, maintaining the definition that we have obtained will have to include diet modification. Carb elimination is necessary. We don't have to completely cut out carbs, but limit them to days where you plan to perform your toughest workout. This will allow the carbs to do what they are supposed to do which is provide energy. Carbs not burned stay on you like. 

So get those abs together. It;s the middle of march already. If you have been following my tips since January, you would be right on target to achieve your goals for a semi-nude summer. 

If you need more information on weight-loss, diet tips, or workout plans, feel free to contact me at nivram1ohio@aol.com.

PEACE!

Working out on an empty stomach

If you exercise first thing in the morning, it may a good idea to eat both before and after your workout. Some experts believe that exercising on an empty stomach can compromise the quality of your workout. To boost your early-morning activity, eat a "mini-meal" providing 25 grams or more of carbs: a banana, a bagel, or a bowl of oatmeal, for instance. The carbs will provide the quick burst of energy that you need. It is best to eat 20 to 30 minutes before exercising vigorously. Then, within an hour after working out, eat a breakfast that combines both protein and carbs-such as eggs and toast, yogurt and fresh fruit, or soy milk and cereal-to sustain your energy level throughout the morning.

When I have the luxury of a morning workout, I prepare a light breakfast of  a bowl of cereal, or eggs and toast with orange juice. I typically wait an hour before I begin my workout. After my morning workout I prepare a protein shake with real fruit added. You can purchase protein mix from any health, fitness, or vitamin shop.

Motivation: What ever drives you!

Does Any Woman Have to Lose Weight to Get Lucky?

• Sex
• Dating & Love

Mar 3rd 2009
By Emerald Catron

Is being overweight really that big a deal when it comes to matters of the libido? The story of Charlotte Royal, a "desperate" 300-lb. 21-year-old who shed over half her weight in order to lost her virginity, would certainly suggest so. 

According to the article, Charlotte developed an unhealthy obsession with food after she graduated from school. Being shy, she would stay home and have dinner for one while her friends went on dates. "I was 21 and desperate to be loved and to enjoy the affection my friends were getting from men," she said.

When a blind date (whom she'd apparently deceived with a misleading picture) told her he preferred "slender" girls, Charlotte says she decided to start living like a "normal" girl.