Earn Free Sessions by Referring a Friend in March

Ask your trainer for details on our referral program.

Fitness Together - Manasquan
150 Main Street, Manasquan, NJ 08736
Phone 732-292-1333

Fitness Together - Lake Como
1719 Main Street, Lake Como, NJ 07719
Phone 732-556-6892

email: michaelkeenan@fitnesstogether.com
Visit us on the web!

By Rick Sikorski, CEO - Fitness Together

You may be asking yourself, "Why work with a personal trainer in the first place?" The sounds of encouragement from your personal trainer will help you overcome obstacles and road blocks along the way to the perfect you. A personal trainer (PT) is certified by a number of organizations, including NASM, AFAA, NSCA, ACE, NSPA and ACSM. They are trained in physiology, kinesiology, various health fields, athletics, CPR and more. No matter how much experience you have with exercise, the knowledge and expertise of your PT go beyond the realm of what you, the client, know. (continued below)

We would like to congratulate John Kremp on his outstanding achievements since joining Fitness Together. John has put forth tremendous effort in order to better his overall health and fitness. In less than two months, John has lost 15 pounds and 4.5% body fat while dramatically improving his cardiovascular endurance and strength. The sky is the limit for John, and his hard work will continue to pay off! Keep up the outstanding work, John!!

FACT: Fifteen of the world's leading researchers in diet and cancer recently reviewed more than 4,500 studies. Vegetables and fruit came out on top as the foods most likely to help reduce the risk of cancer.


Five reasons to eat more Fruits and Vegetables

1. Source of good nutrition ? Fruits and Vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
2. Color counts! Each color in the rainbow of choices offers a different variety of vitamins and minerals. See: www.5to10aday.com/colourkey/colourkey.htm
3. Save on calories ? Look to unsweetened varieties which average only 40 to 60 calories per serving.
4. Keep fat in check ? Almost all vegetables and fruits are low in fat with only avocados, coconut or olives being the exception. Watch the amount of fat you might add by including margarine, cheese sauce or salad dressing.
5. Enjoy fast food ? simply wash well and many fruits and vegetables are ready to eat! Canned and frozen are good choices too.


Five strategies to eat more Fruits and Vegetables

1. Talk yourself into change - Think of how easy it is to add canned peaches or sliced bananas to your ice cream instead of chocolate sauce.
2. Do some math - Price individual servings of fruits and vegetables. Divide the total cost by the number of servings. You'll be surprised to find a serving less expensive than coffee, a donut or candy bar.
3. Prepare ahead - for situations that make eating fruits and vegetables more difficult. Start a restaurant meal with a salad, use frozen varieties for a stir fry when in a time crunch, or bring oranges or veggie trays to staff meetings for a healthy choice.
4. Try something new! Give your taste buds a treat. Not sure how to prepare or serve? Just ask produce staff for ideas or check out www.5to10aday.com.
5. Be a role model for your family - Show them that you enjoy vegetables and fruit. Make homemade pizza or salad a family event. Set out a variety of fruits and vegetables and let your children have a choice of toppings. You might be surprised at their combos.
TRACK YOUR COLORS!
Ensure your 5 to 10 servings a day include a serving from each color group. By eating from all the color groups you will be on your way to a variety of textures and tastes which are part of a healthy diet. Be sure to try new colors and use the tracking chart to monitor how many colors you can use in your diet.

Track your colors with a free Color Chart

Are you experiencing muscle cramps, weakness, decreased performance, headache, nausea, or fatigue? Do you want to give up? Do you think you are out of shape? Think again.

You're dehydrated. Sweat loss reduces blood volume and increases the concentration of sodium in your blood. This can add stress to your cardiovascular system and contribute to a faster increase in body temperature. In return, the harder you're working the more sweat your body produces, leading to the symptoms listed above.

Drink 17-20 ounces of water one to two hours before your work out and another 7-10 ounces for every 10-15 minutes of your session. Drink small volumes at regular intervals to keep your body hydrated.

It is important to stay hydrated even when you're not exerting physical activity. Other symptoms include: dry eyes, throat and mouth, change in mental status, fever, urinary tract infections, low heart rate, dizziness, confusion and noticeable thirst.

On February 1, The President and Mrs. Bush met with corporate leaders to encourage the private sector to join the federal government's efforts to promote child fitness and prevent obesity. The President and Mrs. Bush met with executives from industries dealing with product development, entertainment, retail sales, and advertising to youth to discuss the importance of improving healthy food offerings and encouraging physical activity in their marketing campaigns.

Following the meeting, U.S. Department Of Health And Human Services (HHS) secretary Mike Leavitt will join DreamWorks Animation SKG chairman Roger Enrico and Ad Council president and CEO Peggy Conlon to launch a public awareness campaign to help prevent childhood obesity.

The campaign is in partnership with the Ad Council and will include ads featuring characters from the Shrek animated movies encouraging children to "Be a Player: Get Up and Play an Hour a Day."

Childhood obesity is a serious public health problem. More than 10 million school-age children in the United States (approximately 18 percent) are now considered overweight, and the problem is getting worse. The proportion of overweight kids tripled among adolescents over the last 25 years, and nearly doubled for children ages 6 to 12. This increases their risk for adult heart disease and diabetes, lowers life expectancy, and creates additional health-care costs.

The Administration Is Working To Fight Obesity

The Federal Government spends more than $600 million annually to fight obesity.
- The President's FY 2008 Budget proposes $17.3 million for approximately 3,600 schools to receive $3,000 To $5,000 grants from HHS to help implement school health index improvement plans. These plans will help schools assess and measure the health of their students. Grant recipients will develop action plans for promoting physical activity and healthy eating. The initiative will reach more than 3 million young people and their families.

In June 2002, President Bush launched The HealthierUS Initiative to promote personal fitness and health. As part of this initiative, the President announced the revitalization of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS). The President also directed certain Federal agencies to review and revise policies, programs, and regulations related to physical activity and nutrition in accordance with the goals of the HealthierUS initiative.
- HHS Activities: HHS activities to promote the HealthierUS initiative include the recent launch, with the Office of Personnel Management, of HealthierFeds, the HealthierUS Fitness Festival, PCPFS challenge partnerships, and various forums and workshops. HHS also partnered with the Department of Veterans Affairs to launch HealthierUS Veterans and has also convened four National Prevention Summits. In 2005, HHS launched the We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition) program, a resource for tools to help children 8 to 13 years old stay at a healthy weight. Through the CDC, the Steps to a HealthierUS initiative operates a cooperative agreement program office that provides funding to 40 communities nationwide to support evidence-based community interventions.
- U.S. Department Of Agriculture (USDA) Activities: USDA has partnered with States and local schools to promote the availability of healthful foods and encourage physical activity, assist in the implementation of Local School Wellness Policies, and establish the Healthier US School Challenge. USDA has also initiated a number of efforts to make the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children more effective vehicles for improving nutrition and preventing obesity. Two USDA campaigns - "Team Nutrition" and "Eat Smart. Play Hard." - are helping to deliver messages on the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.
- USDA And HHS Dietary Guidelines For Americans: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a joint effort by HHS and USDA, were updated in 2005 and serve as the basis of Federal food programs and nutrition education programs. The MyPyramid Food Guidance System incorporates the science-based recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and replaces the Food Guide Pyramid of 1992.

This Year, the Administration's Actions to Fight Obesity Will Include:
- Public Messaging Partnerships: HHS will continue working with the advertising, entertainment, arts, food, and beverage industries to recognize achievements and increase support for obesity prevention initiatives.
- School Wellness Policies: USDA is helping schools across America to implement their Local Wellness policies. This school year, districts nationwide are required to establish goals for nutrition education and physical activity and to set school food nutrition guidelines. HHS and other agencies have also produced Federal tools and curricula on healthy diets and exercise.
- Outdoor Recreation: The Interior Department will promote physical fitness by facilitating greater access to public lands and National Parks. This will encourage young people and their families to participate in hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, and other forms of outdoor recreation.
- Physical Activity Guidelines For Americans: In 2006, HHS announced that it would issue comprehensive Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans in 2008. These will complement the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and are based on the premise that Americans must engage in physical activity as well as have a healthy diet. HHS will establish a Physical Activity Scientific Advisory Committee in 2007 to formulate recommendations that will serve as the basis for the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
- Dietary Guidelines For Americans: HHS and USDA will continue promoting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and the revised MyPyramid Food Guidance System, as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education. USDA will also continue to promote MyPyramid for Kids as a vehicle encouraging children ages 6 to 11 to make healthy eating and physical activity choices.

The White House Website

Recipe Summary:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Number of Servings: 3
Cups of Fruits and Vegetables per Person: 1

Ingredients:
2 6 oz cans unsalted tuna in water, drained
1 medium apple chopped
1 celery stalk, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1 tsp prepared mustard
1 tsp honey
6 slices whole wheat bread
lettuce leaves
6 slices tomato

Directions:
Combine and mix the tuna, apple, celery, yogurt, mustard and honey. Spread 1/2 cup of the mixture on three bread slices. Top each slice of bread with lettuce, tomato and remaining bread. Cut sandwiches in half or as desired.

Nutrition Facts

With more than 230 joints and over 600 muscles, our bodies are very complex. Not only that, but they're each very different. A certified personal trainer knows what kind of exercise your body needs - and can recommend a variety of ways for you to reach your fitness goals.

Working with a personal trainer can be one of the most beneficial ways to improve health and fitness. Today, personal trainers are used by people of all ages, fitness levels and economic status. Hiring a personal trainer will motivate you to achieve desired results and most importantly - keep you in shape.

Further reasons why a personal trainer is effective:

Improve overall fitness. Surveys show the primary reason people hire personal fitness trainers is to get professional assistance in improving strength, flexibility, endurance, posture, balance, coordination and cardiovascular health. Personal trainers monitor progress and fine-tune programs along the way, helping clients work their way towards success.

Ensure proper form and technique. Do you really know what you're doing with those weights? A personal trainer teaches clients the correct way to use equipment and ensures that they use proper form and technique for cardiovascular and weight training exercises to avoid injury.

They're constantly learning. Personal trainers continually update their knowledgebase and areas of expertise so that they can share with you, the client, the latest techniques and methods. Additionally, your personal trainer can share with you the theories behind certain exercises so that you have a full understanding of why certain exercises are prescribed and how they will help you achieve your goals.

Reach or maintain a healthy weight. Body fat reduction, toning, weight reduction and weight management can be achieved with the aid of a qualified personal trainer. Personal trainers help clients set realistic goals and provide safe strategies and encouragement to meet those goals.

Learn to stick to it. Sticking with well-intentioned plans is one of the biggest challenges people face. A certified personal trainer provides motivation for developing a healthy lifestyle that places a high priority on health and activity and helps clients overcome obstacles to exercise.

Focus on personal unique health concerns. Surveys show that 50% of personal fitness trainers' clients have special medical needs such as arthritis, diabetes or obesity. Certified personal trainers help with these or other issues including lower back pain, rehabilitation of an injury, and pre/postnatal training. They will work with clients, physicians, physical therapists or other health providers to plan a safe, effective program to help clients reach their health goals. Women, especially, must focus on their bone density. Your PT can prescribe regular weight bearing activities and exercises that strengthen bones as well as muscle.

Stop wasting time. Get maximum results in a short time with private workouts. One-on-one workouts enable personal trainers to tailor a client-specific program for help in achieving goals efficiently and effectively.

Learn new skills. Want to improve strength and flexibility? Personal trainers can develop a sport-specific fitness program to improve overall conditioning and help increase performance.

Your personal cheerleader. Your personal trainer will help you turn exercise into a lifestyle- not a chore to be dreaded. He or she will develop new ways for you to reach your health and fitness goals while actually having fun!

The bottom line. A plan for you that includes healthy eating based on your calorie goal, strength training, and cardiovascular exercise is imperative to a successful training regimen. Your trainer will put an emphasis on proper technique, design a program specifically for you and hold you accountable to your goals. Through this approach, your personal trainer will enable you to reach those goals through constant support, encouragement and personal challenge.