What are the benefits of the fitness and healthy nutrition lifestyle?

 1) Increased lifespan

 2) Decreased chance of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and various forms of cancer

 3) Increased ability to control body weight (more muscle and bone, and less fat)

 4) Stronger muscles, bones & joints

 5) Improving, developing and maintaining strength, endurance,      agility, balance, coordination and flexibility

 6) Increasing functionality for all Activities for Daily Living (ADLs) 

 7) Creating a sense of psychological and physiological well being that increases positive interactions with family, friends and co-workers, 

 8) And MUCH, MUCH MORE!

            That's the "High Road" -- taking personal responsibility for yourself, your health and your welfare, or you can take the Low Road and continue to believe that you can abuse your body with lack of exercise, poor nutrition, poor sleeping habits, too much stress, too much alcohol and other unhealthy lifestyle choices and expect a magic pill, potion, drug or surgery to CURE YOU!  It will NOT!

            Modern medicine may keep you alive, but at what cost?  The Low Road will lead to much pain and disease including: cardiovascular diseases such as: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD), cardiomyopathy, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, congestive heart failure and more; Musculoskeletal disorders such as: low back pain, back disorders, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, bone fractures, connective tissue tears and more; Metabolic disorders such as: overweight, obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes and more; Cancers such as: breast, colon, lung, prostate, and more; Pulmonary diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and more; and Psychological disorders such as anxiety, mood disorders, depression and more.

            It is not necessary to train like an Olympic athlete to gain substantial health benefits from your exercise program.  Moderate-intensity daily activity can provide substantial benefits including: reducing the risk of colon cancer, diabetes and hypertension by 30% and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by 50%.  Moderate intensity is approximately 2 1/2 hours of physical activity, expending approximately 1,000 kcal per week.  This level of activity has a very positive impact on triglycerides, blood pressure, body composition and high-density lipoproteins.  Some of the population can start at moderate intensity, but many may not.  As always with any fitness program, a patient should be cleared by their physician before beginning any fitness program, and begin with an IFPA Certified Trainer that has the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to safely and effectively manage all the fitness needs of the patient.

            While exercise may be the very best medicine for many of the diseases, disabilities and dysfunctions that afflict our population, finding the safest, most effective dose is just as critical for exercise, as it is for drugs!  To find the correct dose, you will use fundamental exercise physiology principles:

            The SAID Principle: Specific Adaptation for Imposed Demands - the bodys physiological systems will adapt to specific and targeted stress to a targeted physiological system; i.e.: strength training increases the size and strength of the musculoskeletal system; cardiovascular exercise increases aerobic endurance, etc.  The safe & effective use of the SAID Principle requires:

            The GPO Principle: Gradual Progressive Overload - the stress imposed must be high enough (intense enough) to elicit adaptation, but low enough to not cause injury or death.  The GPO Principle is controlled through:

            The FITT Principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type.  Frequency is the number of training sessions per week.  Intensity is the percentage of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) for aerobic exercise or percentage of your one repetition maximum (1 RM) for strength training.  1 RM = the maximum amount of weight/resistance you can handle, with proper form and technique for one all-out, maximal lift: i.e., your best Squat/Bench Press/Deadlift/etc.  Time is the amount of time you spend exercising or the amount of sets and repetitions (sets/reps) you perform per exercise or exercise session.  Type is the type of exercise you perform and the specific IFPA Component of Fitness you are exercising.

            The 10 IFPA Components of Fitness are:

1)   Strength

2)   Speed

3)   Power

4)   Anaerobic Endurance

5)   Aerobic Endurance

6)  Agility

7)   Balance

8)   Coordination

9)   Flexibility

10) Body Composition