January 2019 Newsletter

9 January Fitness Tips To Keep You Motivated 

10 Reasons To Hire a Personal Trainer

Do you want to be happy, healthy, and functionally fit well into your coming years? Are you noticing that it’s increasingly challenging to find the motivation to stay physically active? The good news: you don’t have to do it alone. A qualified personal trainer can help you achieve your goals in more ways than you may have considered!

1. Reduce injury risk 
   Ignorance and poor execution are common catalysts for injury. A knowledgeable personal trainer will improve your exercise execution and skill so that you reduce your risk for injury and get the most out of each activity.

2. Personal trainers are inexpensive
   Club16 Trevor Linden Fitness offers great personal training packages that suit your budget. PLUS, we have a $50 off promo for all of January!

3. Long-term guidance and motivation
   As we age, it gets harder to stay motivated towards exercise, so having a trainer guide and motivate you can keep you going. Certified personal trainers can provide structure and do the thinking for you so you can focus on the “doing” rather than the planning. Initially, you may need to see your trainer more often to get on the right track; however, once you have learned what to do and how to do it, you can spread your sessions out to every 3-4 weeks. Consider these sessions your “review, revise and revitalize” check-ups.

4. Accountability
   Your personal fitness trainer is there, waiting for you to show up. You can’t just find excuses not to go to the gym when someone is expecting you! Plus, your trainer reminds you of your reasons for wanting to exercise, and helps you understand why it’s so important even when you feel as though you could talk yourself out of it!

5. Variety and creativity
   Trainers are professionals who are well versed in making exercise “fun” and more interesting by offering a wide variety of creative exercises. Too many of us get bored with our gym routines and start finding reasons not to go. Keep it interesting!

6. Learn life-long skills
   The role of a personal trainer is to provide you with the right knowledge, resources, guidance, training and skills so that you can do “it” for yourself!  He or she is there to support you as you work towards enhancing the quality of your life now and in the future. Let your trainer guide you and teach you how to be your own personal trainer!

7. Put the “personal” in your training
   A skilled trainer will assess your specific needs, injuries, health conditions ortraining goals (that 10km race you’re dreaming about, for example). The trainer will then develop a personalized plan with clear timelines and short-term achievement goals that will safely and effectively enable you to succeed.

8. Learn effective and efficient techniques
   Spending too much time at the gym with not enough results? Personal trainers can save you plenty of time and energy wasted doing inefficient workouts. They show you how to maximize your efforts and your results.

9. Lose stubborn fat
   It can become increasingly challenging to lose fat as we age. Why? Four main reasons: loss of calorie burning muscle tissue, increase in caloric intake, decreased activity levels, and changes in hormone balance. A trainer can help you build and maintain muscle mass, increase caloric expenditure and refer you to the proper specialists to address any medical issues such as hormonal imbalances that may be impeding your success.

10. A trainer is a great resource
    A good trainer usually has a network of other specialists in the areas of nutrition, naturopathic medicine, massage, and more. Your trainer can refer you to the right specialists for all your non-exercise health needs.

10. Set the stage for a healthier future
    There is little any physician, personal trainer or pill can do for you, other than what you can do for yourself. Being willing to make real long-term changes in your life is an inside job. Hiring a qualified trainer, even temporarily, can set the stage for a healthier, happier and more functionally active future.

We all want to be healthy and happy well into our senior years. Why not let a qualified and certifiedpersonal trainer get you started in the right direction and spark your internal drive to continue your health and fitness program on your own with “revitalizing” check-ups every 3 to 4 weeks. After all, while our top ten reasons to hire a trainer are important, the number-one reason will always be your health and vitality!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 poundsboneless beef chuck (well-marbled), cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoonssalt
• 1 teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoonsolive oil
• 2medium yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 7cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 tablespoonstomato paste
• 1/4 cupall-purpose flour
• 2 cupsdry red wine
• 2 cupsbeef broth
• 2 cupswater
• 1bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoondried thyme
• 1-1/2 teaspoonssugar
• 4large carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch chunks on a diagonal
• 1 poundsmall white boiling potatoes (baby yukons), cut in half
• Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set a rack in the lower middle position.
2. Pat the beef dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs, for about 5 minutes per batch; add one tablespoon more oil for each batch. (To sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pan and let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs.) Transfer the meat to a large plate and set aside.
3. Add the onions, garlic and balsamic vinegar; cook, stirring with a wooden spoon and scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pan, for about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef with its juices back to the pan and sprinkle with the flour. Stir with wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer to the preheated oven, and braise for 2 hours.
4. Remove the pot from the oven and add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and place back in oven for about an hour more, or until the vegetables are cooked, the broth is thickened, and the meat is tender. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve the stew warm — or let it come to room temperature and then store in the refrigerator overnight or until ready to serve. This stew improves in flavor if made at least 1 day ahead. Reheat, covered, over medium heat or in a 350°F oven. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.