It has been an unprecedented year so far in personal fitness. It seems like there are more people than ever who are taking control of their health and well being. Our gyms are certainly busier than ever and the growing number of fitness activities and classes seem to portray the same. The message is out there that your lifestyle has a direct impact on your fitness and health. Many people are eating better and more active.

With income tax time fast approaching do not forget about the government’s children’s fitness tax credit. This is a tax credit based on eligible fitness expenses paid by parents to register a child in a prescribed program of physical activity.

The children’s fitness tax credit lets parents claim up to $500 per year for eligible fitness expenses paid for each child under 16 years of age at the beginning of the year in which the expenses are paid.

If you want to be able to see your abs this summer now is the time to start working at it. The most important factor in being able to see your abs is the amount of body fat you are carrying. The more body fat you carry around the midsection, the longer it will take to see the abs. Still the middle of winter, but a good time to start those summer goals. If you know how much weight you have to lose aim for a pound to a pound in a half a week and this will give you an approximation of how long it will take you.

Now....how do you actually lose this mid section weight? The answer may surprise you. Working the abs is not the best way to lose weight off the abs. The problem is that working them does not burn a lot of calories, and to lose weight you have to put yourself in a calorie deficit. 

For most gym owners this is the time of year when we are at our busiest. Winter and cold outdoor weather bring a lot of people into the gyms to get in better shape and for something to do for the winter.

Why is it that some people are so full of energy and enjoy being active so much and for others it is a constant struggle?

One reason is when you are active and healthy it actually gives you more energy. If you stay with a fitness program long enough for it to produce results you will be more energetic, leaner and stronger. 

Happy New Year’s!   One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to loose weight and start exercising. Many people will do just that, and many will not follow through and achieve the results they want.  Weight loss is achievable and can be done without much “sacrifice”. When you know precisely how to get those results it can save a lot of wasted time and effort. 

It’s January and the gyms are full of new members who are determined to reach their fitness goals. Here are 10 tips to help you get there.

1. Don’t overdue the training. It’s common to start off hitting the gym five to six days a week at first only to burn out after a couple of months. Even too much of a good thing can be counterproductive. You can get in great shape training three days a week. Better to train three days a week and still be at it in a year than to train six days a week and quit in a month.

2. Start with the basic exercises and keep your routine simple yet effective. Compound weight training exercises work more of the muscle groups and will make you stronger and leaner at a faster pace than isolation exercises.

The new year is quickly approaching and there are lots of new infomercials on TV touting the latest way to get in shape. Some have merit and others are simply a fad, but hey...anything is better than nothing. If something will get you active for “ten minutes a day” it will not get you in shape, but it could lead to more. You have to start somewhere and the ten minutes may be a real challenge when you begin but as your fitness level improves so should your level of activity.

Below are a few fitness quotes and thoughts I have read, heard and picked up over the years. Perhaps you will see yourself in a few of them!

“There is a world of difference between knowing what to do and actually doing it.”

“Nobody likes to be the chubby girl in the group”

“The difference between a decision and a choice is the decision comes first. You decide to get well or fit and then you make the right choices. Not visa versa.”

“There is no elevator to fitness success...you have to take the stairs.”

(in Lynn Jones own words)

It was August 2010 when I moved back to PEI. I had spent years of not taking care of myself and it showed. I was exhausted, unmotivated, and completely disgusted with myself and what I had become. 

At 291 pounds I had reach my highest weight yet and was experiencing health related problems because of the excess weight and over eating. I was beyond sick and tired of feeling like a prisoner in my own body, and making excuses for why I couldn’t do it. Enough was enough and something within me finally snapped. 

 Christmas is just around the corner and getting the right gifts for friends and family can be a real challenge sometimes. We all have fitness oriented people in our lives. Here are some ideas on what you can get them!

• Athletic wear. Anyone who trains two to six days a week will need lots of active wear. Workout clothing takes lots of abuse from the training and can wear out quickly. T-shirts, pants, shorts, footwear are all great gifts that will surely be used.

• Training gear. Not clothing, but gear associated with the persons activity. Gloves, belts, straps for the lifter, a mat for the Yoga follower, hockey, ball, squash, swimming, running related items depending on the sport.

• Membership or dues to participate in the sport. Get a gift certificate for the gym, pool, court, class. Whatever it might be the person will use it if they already participate.