Exercise-induced injury and group fitness

Wearable fitness devices are all the rage Do you own a Fitbit, an Apple Watch or a Garmin?

These may be the most commonly used wearable devices but there are so many others and with more to come!

Wearable technology is all the rage and allows you to not only learn more about yourself but in real-time! Of course, even the smart phone can track your steps for the day but there are also apps that help you track your heart rate, sleep, food consumption and even your mood.

So, are they worthwhile and where do you start? The first answer I believe most definitely is YES! As a personal trainer, I am always trying to help my clients become more accountable.

We use heart rate monitors in our sessions, we use program cards to record progress, we use calendar/logbooks to ensure regularity of exercise and behavior change but wearable technology allows the client to have some other accountabilities for the remainder of the week when not under our watch. How good is that!

Accountability = results.

So, in a nutshell some of the wearable devices offer some great insights and definitely help with motivation and keeping active! Where to start is another question and I would strongly recommend you do your research but the three listed above would be a good starting point.

The need to move One really positive thing that has come out of wearable technology has been the simple fact that they can tell us if we are inactive or don’t move enough.

For regular exercisers, moving is a given.

You go for a walk, a run, to the gym, a swim, attend a fitness class or play sport and within that you are moving and doing your heart, lungs, body and mind a hell of a lot of good.

Sadly though, as a population we are getting increasingly inactive and I urge you to take action and the necessary steps (pardon the pun) to move more.

Take the stairs instead of the lift or escalator. Ride or walk to work. Park your car further away from the shops or work.

Play golf and carry or wheel your bag instead of using an electric buggy.

Even schedule in a lap of the block every morning, lunch or evening.

There are so many health benefits keeping active and the standard number of daily steps we should be aiming for is around 10,000. Are you getting enough?

Book in one scheduled class or session a week We live in a time now where there are more exercise options than ever before and I urge you to take action on improving your health and wellbeing by allocating 30-60 minutes each week to a scheduled exercise class or session.

Think about what would interest you the most and that you would enjoy and then make the time.

There are 168 hours in a week and surely you can find the time for yourself to squeeze in what equates to less than 1 per cent of your week to do any of the following:

Pilates; yoga; Tai Chi; personal training; aerobics; swimming lesson/stroke correction; aqua aerobics; running group; plus, loads more! Just by doing one session a week, you will develop a positive attitude and commitment to exercise and the side benefits from doing so are endless.

So, what are you waiting for! For a more information, exercise guidance or if you have any questions feel free to contact me anytime.

Justin Moran - Personal Trainer www.justintimept.com