TRX

 The first time I saw the TRX, I was intrigued. How does such a small, light piece of equipment do as much as it claims to do. It claims to work your body harder than any other form of exercise. I mean, we all hear these claims from different companies, how is this one going tobe different. Then I tried it for the first time. OH MY GOODNESS! It was the most intense workout I'd ever had! I mean, I have always classfied myself as a fit, active person, working out every day. But I was not prepared for this 45 minutes class! I felt like I worked harder than I ever had before. My arms burned for 4 days! I couldn't even lift a cup of coffee without spilling it because my arms were shaking so bad! Even after all this, I fell in love with this thing, nothing has ever challenged me like this before.

The thing about the TRX is it used every muscle group in your body. You get core, resistance and cardio all in one shot. Now, I always went to the gym, pushed weights, built muscle, toned, even doing cardio everyday. But the results on the TRX were so different. It helped me burn off the stubborn pounds that had been lingering for what felt like, forever. When you use the TRX, your core has to be engaged the whole time. The longer you do a set for, sets are usually timed, the faster your heart will go.

The TRX is small and lite-weight, which makes it easy to take with you anywhere. With the door anchor, anywhere can be your gym. TRX suspension training helps work on balance & flexibility. Engaging your core increases your stability, which in turn provides ease of balance. You can increase, or decrease the intesnity of the exercise by the positioning of your feet; the more parallel you are to the floor, the more intese the exercise is. You can change the insensity on the go with a simple step, this is how class can accomodate varying levels of fitness.

It does take some time to get used to the straps. Most people tend to “white knuckle” the straps when they first start out, and this causes them to really feel the muscles in their forearms. Those who struggle with balance, may have some difficulty to begin, but can progress well. Anyone with blood pressure concerns will need to stay away from some exercises, but not all. Always be honest with your trainer about your health concerns, so they can ensure your workouts are safe.

Fitness & the Aging Population

Let's face it, we all have people in our lives that are classified as part of the senior population. We don't want them to get older, become sick, we want them to stay with for as long as possible. In order for that to happen, we nned to encourage them to stay fit and active.

Being physically active helps to reduce the impact of illness and chronic disease. It helps improve our immune system, so we are better equiped to fight illness. It helps improve our heart health, lower blood pressure, increases bone density and improves digestive functioning. Physical activity helps lower the risk of chronic conditions, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis and colon cancer. This is important to everyone, no matter the age, but the risks increase as we get older.

It's important to keep active to improve mobility, flexibility and balance. All these things will help to alliviate symptoms of chronic conditions. Being active will improve sleep, boost mood & self confidence by producing endorphins. All of this combined is good for brain function. It can help prevent memory loss, cognitive decline and forms of dementia.

Tips for our aging population before they start an exercise program;

-get medical clearance, always keep your current health concerns on your mind, like the timing of medications

-always start slow

-have short-term goals, they help you stay motivated

-always listen to your body, if there is any kinds of pain, stop the exercise.

-let your trainer and doctor work together to ensure your program is safe for you.