New Year’s resolutions can quickly fall by the wayside, but there are steps that can be taken to help achieve and maintain health and fitness goals. Topical BioMedics, Inc., and Manhattan’s celebrity fitness trainers Laurie Towers and Elite-Ilit Ziegelman offer simple, effective tips and strategies for success.
The New Year has dawned, and the calendar page has turned to 2014. January is a time of new beginnings, when the inspirational Clarion Call urges people to take action so they’ll look and feel better—which usually includes losing weight and shaping up. Fitness gear, gizmos and contraptions are purchased, and new gym memberships soar. But the impulse to make positive lifestyle changes can quickly fall by the wayside as old habits resume and good intentions go out the window. In fact, according to the University of Scranton Research as reported in “Forbes,” only about eight percent of the population successfully achieves their resolutions.
There are steps that can be taken to help reach health and fitness goals this year, and continue on the wellness track in the years ahead. Topical BioMedics, Inc., the makers of natural Topricin Pain Relief and Healing Cream formulas, and Manhattan’s celebrity fitness trainers Laurie Towers and Elite-Ilit Ziegelman offer the following tips for getting a new regimen off to the right start and strategies for saying the course so it becomes a way of life.   Â
Ms. Towers, who founded Physical Advantage in Manhattan and co-founded The Bridal Body Shop in New York City and Staten Island with personal trainer Ms. Ziegelman says, “Interestingly, the fitness industry is a multibillion dollar one that tends to work for people mainly in the short term rather than the long run. We have a tendency to use getting into shape—or the ideology of it—based on a calendar incentive rather than a general way of living. We don’t invest in what I call our ‘Physical 401k’ and it truly is about everything we do for our bodies now that determines how well we age. Embracing a regimen of healthy eating and exercise as a lifestyle is the only way to see results.â€
Proper planning and execution both pre- and post-workout are important for fitness success and sticking with a regimen. Lou Paradise, president and chief of research of Topical BioMedics, Inc., Rhinebeck, NY, says, “There’s a tendency for people to start a new exercise program with a manic zeal. They don’t prepare their body, they work out too long and with too much intensity, and then they don’t allow the proper amount of time for the body to rest and recover. Basically, they just overdue it. As a result their muscles and joints become sore or injured, and they get turned off to working out.â€
Here are tips offered by Ms. Towers, Ms. Ziegelman, and Mr. Paradise to get and stay on the fitness track for lasting results and better health.
1.    Pick activities you like to help you stay motivated. There are lots of choices, from circuit machine training and yoga to spin cycling and Zumba. If you aren’t someone who enjoys the gym or are pressed for time, take walks, buy a set of free weights, or workout with a fitness DVD at home. If you’re a morning person, set your alarm a little earlier to fit in a workout; if you’re a night owl, schedule your routine toward the end of the day. If you enjoy what you’re doing, and carve out the time, you’re more likely to stick with it.
2.    Set realistic goals. And persevere—results take time. Enjoy the transformation of your body as it happens, little by little, and applaud each success.
3.    When you’re short on time, break your routine up. You don’t have to do your workout all at once because shorter but frequent sessions are also beneficial. Fifteen or twenty minutes of exercise two or three times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single session.
4.    Get your body used to exercising. Start slowly, be consistent, and work your way up to a more ambitious routine.
5.    The body likes challenges and variety. Stave off boredom by mixing up your program—for example, do something aerobic one day, weight-bearing/calisthenic another, yoga the next.
6.    Enlist friends to join you. The buddy system is a great way to stay focused and motivated.
7.    Don’t let injuries derail you. Take steps to prevent them by warming up, cooling down, and stretching properly. Also avoid the temptation to overdo it—there’s a difference between challenging yourself and punishing your body.
8.    Be consistent. Ms. Towers says, “Embrace a marriage of eating well and exercising with the same dedication that you have to brushing your teeth. You would never consider a day where you didn’t take the time to pick up a toothbrush, and exercise should be the same thing. Start a routine, make it a habit, and stick with it. Before you know it, it will become a lifestyle.â€
RECOVERY IS KEY
When it comes to exercise, be aware that there can be too much of a good thing. Says Ms. Ziegelman, “Giving your body the time it needs to rest and recover between workouts is an important part of a fitness program. So is varying your routine so that you work every muscle group without overworking any of them.â€
What about the pain and gain equation? Post-workout soreness is one of the main reasons why people quit a new exercise routine. Although a certain degree of soreness is to be expected, it can be controlled so that it doesn’t undermine your efforts. Warming up, cooling down, stretching, pacing yourself as you push yourself, and allowing adequate time for recovery all come into play to help you make the most of your workouts without undo suffering or injury. In addition, your cells need water, so it’s important to stay hydrated. Plan to drink one 20 – 24 oz. bottle of water per hour of working out.
The reason for soreness—and the importance of taking the time to rest and recover—is that muscles grow and become stronger when they are subjected to forces that cause tiny tears in the muscle fibers. During the recovery period following a workout, the body works to repair these fibers and builds new blood vessels to the stressed area. In addition, during recovery, the energy-generating components of the cells develop a higher work capacity, and your bone density increases.
THE ATHLETE’S ADVANTAGE
Topricin natural biomedicine cream formulas can assist new as well as experienced athletes in their endeavors to stay active. Mr. Paradise explains, “Topricin provides safe, effective relief and recovery, and addresses the physical demands of working out. Applied pre- and post-workout Topricin helps prevent injury, improve performance, and promote faster recovery.â€
Top sports doctor Robert Gotlin—director, orthopedic and sports rehabilitation—encourages the use of Topricin for athletes. He says, “Whether it is an ankle sprain, low back disc disease or carpal tunnel syndrome, debilitating pain often interferes in recreational and professional sporting activities. While there are many modalities available for treating these conditions, many carry significant side effect profiles and others can be overly sedating. Fortunately, I was introduced to Topricin. This odorless and greaseless topical has become a mainstay in my medical toolbox.â€
Topricin provides athletes with another significant advantage. It not only intends to heal the aches of pains of working out, it also proves a viable alternative to chemical pain medications and their hazardous side effects. According to Mr. Paradise, “Using oral pain medications or topical ointments with menthol, camphor, and/or other counterirritants does absolutely nothing to promote the healing process. In fact, these products literally shut down the healing process as they address the symptoms, not the cause of the pain. Conversely, Topricin quickly relieves pain by delivering a combination of synergized molecular biomedicines through the skin that stimulate the draining of toxins and fluids through the lymphatic system. This allows a return of oxygen rich blood flow in the micro-capillaries to the affected area, maximizing the body’s healing and repairing process.â€
Physical Advantage and The Bridal Body Shop trainers use Topricin as protocol with their clients. Ms. Towers explains, “The most important part of any workout is the recovery phase, so I wouldn’t put my faith in a product that does anything less than aiding and abetting this process.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A healthy lifestyle regimen includes eating well, and many people make a New Year’s resolution to diet as well as work out. But diets are not a â€magic bullet†and in fact can be counterproductive when an individual feels deprived or gets discouraged when they reach a weight-loss plateau. Like working out, the key is to make healthy eating a lifestyle.
Ms. Ziegelman says, “A great body is not just made in the gym, it’s made in the kitchen and dining room. Getting your body to look the way you want takes time, so don’t lose patience or motivation. There is no greater investment than your health so make sure that you remind yourself of this constantly.â€
Ms. Towers and Ms. Ziegelman offer the following tips for successfully transitioning to a healthier diet.
— Take inventory of what’s in your refrigerator and in your pantry. Get rid of the food and snacks that you know will sabotage your healthier eating habits, so they don’t tempt you at a moment of craving.
–Bring your in your own lunch to work instead of ordering in. Just by doing this you are ensuring both quality control and well as quantity…Not to mention the added benefit of keeping your wallet fatter.
–Rather than sitting at the table after dinner, enlist your dining partner in a walk to burn off calories and get your blood circulating.
–Cut calories without sacrificing taste by substituting sugar with healthier sweeteners when you are cooking, or even in your coffee or tea. A better, natural choice is stevia.
–Nobody is perfect. Says Ms. Towers, “Remember that it is not only natural but desirable to allow yourself a ‘cheat day’ and indulge in the less-than-healthy foods you enjoy. The key is to use that day as a reward for a well-balanced nutritional investment that you abide by the rest of the week.â€
ABOUT TOPICAL BIOMEDICS:
Topical BioMedics is the research and development leader in topical patented natural biomedicines for pain relief. The company’s flagship product, Topricin® Pain Relief and Healing Cream, was introduced in 1994 and is now a leading natural therapeutic brand. The formula has the distinction of being the only topical patented for the treatment of the pain associated with neuropathy and fibromyalgia. Topricin was awarded a Parent Tested/Parent Approved Seal of Approval, and was selected as a 2012 Top 100 Green Products by Healthy Holistic Living. Other formulas in the product line include Topricin Foot Therapy Cream and Topricin Junior for children (with 5% sales donated to pediatric cancer foundations).
All Topricin products are made in the U.S.A., formulated with approved medicines as found in the HPUS (Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States) and are in compliance with federal rules for homeopathic over-the-counter medicines. The products contain: no parabens, petroleum or harsh chemicals, are odorless, greaseless and non-irritating, and produce no known side effects, making them ideal and safe for the entire family.
Topricin is available in pharmacies, natural food stores, and retailers nationwide, including Whole Foods, The Vitamin Shoppe, Fred Meyer, Wegmans, CVS (Foot Care Section), Walgreens (Diabetic Section) and other fine stores, as well as directly from the company. For more information, visit http://www.topricin.com.
ABOUT PHYSICAL ADVANTAGE
Physical Advantage is Manhattan’s premier sports and performing arts massage and fitness center. Armed with celebrity trainers, Physical Advantage provides the ultimate in easy access to a better body, stress reduction, and overall wellness. Perennially named to New York Magazine’s “Best of†issue and featured on Fox TV, it has established itself as the premiere “serious†rehabilitative massage and personal training center in Manhattan. Professional athletes, marathoners and triathletes, dancers, actors, and opera singers regularly visit Physical Advantage to get the kinks out and help their bodies heal, recover and renew. All therapists and personal trainers are licensed and certified, and are skilled at providing treatments designed for both short-term pain relief and long-term results.
Located at 139 East 57th Street, Penthouse, Physical Advantage treats customers on location and also makes house calls.
For more information about Physical Advantage Massage Therapy Center go to http://www.physical-knead.com.
ABOUT THE BRIDAL BODY SHOP:
Founded by massage therapist and personal trainer Laurie Towers and personal trainer Elite-Ilit Ziegelman, The Bridal Body Shop is based in New York’s Upper East Side and Staten Island. The business’ arsenal of trainers provide home service, gym sessions, and “virtual training†programs customized for brides, grooms, their parents, and bridal parties to make it all about convenience during this hectic period.
“Our mission is to get brides in the best possible shape to embark on their new life—without drugs or plastic surgery,†says Towers. “Our personal trainers will create a fitness and diet plan specifically tailored for the individual’s needs for results, health and lifestyle. So with “The Bridal Body Shop,’ it couldn’t be easier and safer for the bride-to-be to get in the shape she’s always wanted to be in. And of course, grooms, too.â€
For more information on “The Bridal Body Shop†and its services, visit http://www.thebridalbodyshop.com. To access The Bridal Body Shop Internet Radio show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-bridal-body-shop.
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SOURCES:
Topical BioMedics, Inc.
The Bridal Body Shop
Physical Advantage
WebMD
Gaiam Life
Women’s Health
Spark People
Mayo Clinic
Posted On: Rhinebeck, NY January 09, 2014