Nimble Blog

Before You Join The Gym…

Are you ready to start an exercise program but have no clue where to begin? Your first instinct might be to join a gym.  After all, that’s where people go to work out- right?  But is a gym the best place for you to learn how to exercise?  Health clubs can be very intimidating, especially if you have never exercised before.  Consider this before spending your hard-earned cash: studies show that as many as 7 out of 10 new gym members quit before ever achieving any of their goals.

As a former personal training manager for some of the largest gyms in New York City, I have seen first-hand how easy it is for new members to get lost in the sea of cardio machines and weights.  Trust me when I say, you need to be prepared before you join the gym or your fitness goals will be easily derailed.

So how do you prepare for truly changing your health?  Well, much like you wouldn’t want to dive into the middle of the ocean without a few scuba lessons, you shouldn’t jump into the middle of a fitness routine without first learning some things about your body.  We all need a little instruction, and starting in the right direction can make all the difference.  Make a good investment in your health and hire a private personal trainer. I say “private” because that’s where you’ll get the best service .  Large health clubs offer personal training but I don’t recommend you start here.  All too often I’ve seen health clubs hire staff more for their ability to talk you into purchasing sessions than for their actual exercise knowledge.  There’s also the environment.  How much of a personalized and focused experience can you really have when you’re sharing space with dozens, if not hundreds, of other people?

Private fitness studios are where you will find highly educated trainers who are motivated and passionate about your health and fitness.  These smaller facilities offer supportive environments where you can learn to succeed.  In our studio, Nimble Fitness, we know that a client’s health is only as strong as the foundation it’s built on.  Our principles of awareness, understanding and action establish a life-long pathway to health.  We start new clients with the basics - know your body, understand how it works and then take three daily actions: movement, good food choices, and sufficient rest.  This is how you learn.  This is how you change.  And this is how you succeed! Now that you are ready to start your own journey to better health, do some research and seek out a good private training studio that will steer you on the right track. (If you live or work in NYC contact us.)  I guarantee it will be the best investment you ever make.

-Antonio Sini

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My Cleanse Adventure …The End

It has been 3 weeks since I started this Cleanse Adventure. Once I found a cleanse I thought was right for me, I followed the direction, eliminating dairy, meats and caffeine from my diet for 3 days. I followed that with another 5 days where I stopped eating all together. My diet for those days consisted of some special herbal packets mixed with apple juice. I ate no solid food during this time. On my 9th day I reintroduced food into my body but started slow with simply grains, vegetables and fruits. On the 10th day I began eating solid food and have been back to a regular diet for almost 2 weeks. Here is a summary of my experience and the results that followed.

As you know, I was skeptical about putting myself through one of these. Now that it’s over I’m glad I did. When I started I weighed 207 lbs and had 14% body fat. On the 8th day (the last juice day) I had lost 6 lbs, weighing 201 lbs with 11.6% BF. This was a pleasant surprise as I did not consider weight loss to be one of my priorities. Today, almost 3 weeks into this, my weight has gone back up to 203 lbs but my body fat is down to 11%. That’s a total loss of 3% in 3 weeks -pretty awesome!  Mind you, I have been doing 40 minutes of cardio 3X a week along with some light strength training but this is the same exercise program I did before the cleanse. The difference is that my body is acting more efficiently and changing whereas before I was pretty stagnant and not seeing as much muscle definition. My metabolism has definitely been turned up a notch. The other really big thing I’ve noticed is how consistent my energy levels are throughout the day (and I’ve had some long days). I feel as fresh at 7am as I do after 1pm, all the way up to 9pm when I get home. This wasn’t the case before. I frequently needed naps after lunch and would have highs and lows throughout my day. My diet hasn’t changed much, but I have cut my portions down by 1/3. Out of everything, this seems to be the most noticeable change my body has made. Pretty impressive.

In summary, I feel more energetic, less tired and healthier today than 3 weeks ago. I have lost 3% of my body fat and a total of 4lbs. I sleep well and poop regularly (Yea I know, “Too much information!”). Food tatse better and I have renewed motivation to work out more consistently. Those first 8 days were challenging but I am happy I stuck to it and finished (with the support of my wife, of course). For me, this was definitely an adventure that was worth every bowel movement (Sorry, I had to throw that one in). Thank you for coming along for the ride, now go out and seek your own healthy adventure.

….If you missed it, here is the rest of my cleanse adventure.

Smile!

How far can you make your smile travel?  Nothing has more power to elevate a mood than the impact of a genuine smile.  Surprisingly enough, the benefits of a smile extend not only to the recipient of the warm gesture but also to the smile’s originator.

Smiling will send a positive message to the person you express yourself to.  This can potentially change that person’s mood, making them feel better and in turn smile too.   As that person’s day goes on, his or her smile brightens the day of someone new …and so on and so on.

Your smile could potentially travel from person to person, eventually reaching and brightening up the day of a loved one many miles away.  So the next time you think of your Aunt Betty in Waterloo, Wisconsin, send her some good cheer.  Simply smile at the first person you see and let that smile find it’s way to her (I recommend you give her a call too).

Antonio Sini

Volunteer Your Way to Better Health

As a member of the New York City Mountain Biking Association, I volunteer my time to build and maintaining multi-use trails throughout parks in New York City. A few weeks ago I helped with some trail maintenance at Highbridge Park in upper Manhattan. Rather than drive to Highbridge, I decided to up the ante and ride my bicycle the 28 miles from my house. This was a perfect opportunity to reduce my carbon footprint and make our planet a little greener while getting in a full day of exercise and activity. It couldn’t have been a better day too. The sun was shining and temperatures hovered around 65. My ride took just under 2 hours and I managed to put in another 3 hours of solid trail work. At the end, I was a little sore, a little scratched up and a little tired (ok, exhausted was more like it) but also really proud to have done my part to improve our city and make our planet a little greener.

Volunteering to do things like this is a great opportunity to incorporate more activity into your life. I know for me, working outdoors in the park beats sweating in some stale gym any day. Maybe the gym isn’t for you either? Don’t let that stop you from living a more active life. Seek out activities, which you find interesting and keep you active. Volunteer to spend the day playing with kids from a local youth group, participate in a sponsored charity walk or help with general park maintenance in your own community. Get out there. You’ll feel better all around.

Nobody’s Perfect

As a holistic health coach, I’m often asked, “How much do you work out?” and “What types of food do you eat?”

I wish I could tell you that I exercise 7 days a week. And I wish I could say that I don’t occasionally have bad Chinese food for dinner. Like you, (and everyone else on the planet) I am not perfect. The truth is - it’s no fun being good all the time. But that’s what’s so great about being healthy. It’s about making good choices, often, and not about being perfect. Don’t beat yourself up or quit just because you had a bad day or even a bad month. Take action and live healthy now. Make yourself a great salad for dinner. Get up an hour earlier and take a walk outside before heading out to work. It’s when you consistently make good choices that the results will start to show. We may not all be perfect but we can certainly all… Live Healthy Now!

– Antonio Sini

My Cleanse Adventure / Part I

I keep hearing about these cleanses - how they’re good for you and how they have helped people with all sorts of issues - from losing weight, to curing cancer!

When I hear “cleanse”, I picture some new-age spa where a woman in a white lab coat leads me into a room decorated with pictures of Buddha. She orders me to undress and put on a hospital robe (you know the kind). Next thing I know I’m laying on my stomach with some guy named Bjorn about to put a double latte frappuccino someplace I don’t care to publish. The other vision I have is of some (already too skinny) celebrity drinking a weird concoction of lemonade made with cayenne pepper …eeww.

You could say my idea of a cleanse is slightly skewed but I did find a great explanation on Wisegeek.com. This is their definition - “A cleanse is a health regimen designed to remove toxins from the body. Some cleanses target the entire body, while other focus on specific organs such as the liver, kidneys, or skin. In most cases, a cleanse requires a temporary radical change of diet, although some cleanses are designed to help people transition to a healthier diet. Many proponents of natural health engage in regular body cleanses to improve their health and treat underlying medical issues. Cleanses are also used as a weight loss tool in some communities, while others engage in body cleanses as a spiritual activity.”

That sounds pretty good but now the question is… Do these cleanses actually work? Do they do what they claim? Follow me on this adventure as I research the different cleanses and their claims. I’m going to pick the one I think is best and try it for myself. Let’s see what the fuss is all about and if these “toxin removers” really work. Stay tuned!

…follow the entire adventure here.

My Cleanse Adventure / Part II

As it turns out, most cleanses are designed to just clean out the intestinal tract and colon.  I guess I thought a cleanse was something that would clean out my entire body - like a lasagna, margarita and nicotine exorcism.   There are  total body cleanses but these are much more involved than I think I’m ready for.  These type of  cleanses claim to clean out your liver, lungs, gallbladder, kidneys, lymph nodes, blood, and skin, bringing your body “into its original homeostatic state.”   The one caveat is that they last several weeks and are really strict in their diet (starvation diet!).   It  honestly  sounds like hell to me so I’ll just stick with the simple colon cleanse.

Now… I reviewed a dozens colon cleanses on the internet.  My personal favorite is ColonBlow. (The name says it all!) OK, maybe not.  It was tough steering through all the ads and websites.  I got the feeling a lot of these “reviews” were written by the manufactures themselves.   Finding the right cleanse is going to be tough (NOTE: please stop sending me emails to try out your cleanses.) I’m going to continue my research and ask around in the fitness circles to see what other health experts (who I know and trust) recommend.  Whatever cleanse I decide to try needs to meet a few criteria:

1. A name that instills confidence that I am doing something good for myself. (sorry ColonBlow!)

2. Is it safe? My cleanse needs to be all-natural and herb based. I want the purest and highest quality ingredients that are free from damaging chemical additives or artificial ingredients.

3. Don’t give me any outrageous claims. If you tell me your cleanse will give me 20/20 vision and that I will be able to levitate off the ground – forget it.

4. I am experimenting with this to draw my own professional conclusion but I don’t want to waste my time or yours (the reader). I want a cleanse that the majority of people who have tried it, like – even if the results were minimal.

…follow the entire adventure here.

My cleanse adventure part III

After a lot of research, I found a cleanse I’m ready to try. It’s from a company called Blessed Herbs. The funny thing is that I didn’t find this one on-line. Blessed Herbs never came up in any of my Google searches. This cleanse was recommended to me by a few friends who had actually done it themselves. I was having trouble deciding which cleanse to try because all I kept finding was crap. I went to the blessedherbs.com and within 2 minutes I was sold. They have pictures of customers and the crap (literally) that was flushed out of their system.  Besides the funny testimonial, the information on the site came across as genuine and very knowledgeable. Their products are all-natural, and claim to be gentle on the body, which makes sense to me.  On top  of that, their ingredients are certified organic. Now, I don’t want to hype up this company too much. I have no idea if their stuff is going to make me sick or what, but they did give me a good first impression.  That’s  important.  Let’s see what happens.

I received my package and read the directions. This is how it’s going down…
I start with 3 days of pre-cleansing, where I cut out meats, dairy, fried food and …caffeine. (Ugh!). In addition, I’ll need to reduce the amount of food I eat each day so by the third day I’m eating hardly anything. (This is going to hurt). I will also be taking these pills which are supposed to help me poop regularly. They say I need at least 3 good bowel movements per day before I start the actual cleanse. I have to figure out how many pills I need to take every night to have my 3 regular bowel movements. Lucky for me I’m already pretty regular because these pills are big and not easy to swallow. After the pre-cleanse I will be on a strict liquid diet for 5 days. Every three hours I must drink a mix of apple juice and a packet of the “blessed herbs.” This will be all I am allowed to consume for those 5 days. I also need to drink lots of water and continue to take “my number” of poop, pills.

Ok, seriously …what the heck have I gotten myself into?  Don’t forget to come back for Part IV, where this “Cleanse Adventure” truly begins.

…follow the entire adventure here.

My cleanse adventure part IV

Today is day 4 of my cleanse. Actually, it’s the 1st day of the liquid-only portion. I’ve been preparing for this the last three days by eating a little less and completely eliminating dairy, meat and coffee. My head was pounding for a solid 12 hours the first day! …but I was expecting it. I drink 24oz of coffee almost every day, so I knew my body would let me know it was not happy. Yes, it hurts, but the good thing about coffee withdrawal is that it only lasts a day or two. Then it’s like you never missed it…for me at least.

Restricting my calorie intake was way harder than I anticipated. I like to eat. Although I was supposed to eat 1/4 of my normal calorie intake on that 3rd day of my pre-cleanse, I probably ate more like 1/2 of a normal day. I figure since I’m not eating meat or dairy (which take several days to fully digest) I would be fine.

Tomorrow I eliminate all food.  Boy I can’t wait.  Not!

….follow the entire adventure here.

My cleanse adventure part V - first day fasting

Here are my notes for the day…

6:00 am
My first “juice” (a blend of apple juice and about 3 tablespoons of the Blessed Herbs powder) went down without a hitch. It sort of tastes like talcum powder mixed with apple juice - yum!  I don’t feel hungry but my energy is noticeably low.

10:00 am
Second juice …ugh. My energy is fine but my stomach is letting me know that I should be near a bathroom. I feel something happening.

11:30 am
Whoa, now I really have to go!

11:45 am
Hellooo …the cleansing process has officially begun. That was a bit traumatizing.

3:00 pm
I have managed to clean out my bowels 3 more times today. Who knew I was so full of sh… well, I mean, considering I’m on an empty stomach!  I just want to clarify that this stuff is not diarrhea.  This crap (literally - Ha Ha) is long and rubbery and leaves a light brown blob floating at the top of the bowl. (Let me remind you that this is a blog on cleansing and not politics)!  I have had to pee a lot too.  Note: This could be particularly annoying if you’re not near a bathroom all day. Lucky for me, I am.

5:00 pm
My energy was zapped for about 2 hours in the late afternoon so I took a nap and now I feel better.  I have a mild headache. My body also feels a bit sluggish and slow - as if its trying to conserve energy.  I wouldn’t say I’m disoriented but it takes me an extra minute to get my thoughts together.

9:00 pm
Ugh, I want to eat everything I see. Why does television have soooo many food commercials?  I’m irritable and hungry but not starving.  I peed about 20 more times and pooped a total of 6 times today.  There is definitely a cleansing happening here.

Only 4 more days to go…

….follow the entire adventure here.

My cleanse adventure part VI

Here are notes from my 2nd day of fasting…

6am
I slept pretty good last night; no dreams of 12oz steaks or chocolate milkshakes (although that seems to be on my mind right now). Off to work!

11am
I was feeling good so far until I walked past the diner where I get my usual order of blueberry pancakes with bacon on the side. I’m just kidding - I only order that on occasion. Is it too late to call this off?

3pm
Two BIG bowel movements so far. These are darker in color but still floaters and still rubbery. At least I’m getting my fiber…i think. I had a brief moment where I was exhausted but then my energy came back. I even managed 30 min on the stationary bike.

8pm
Oh God help me. I walked onto the train home and everyone was eating pizza. The guy next to me, the lady behind me …everything smells like pizza! The worst part is I have to drink one of my juices on this stupid train. “Anyone want to trade?”

10pm
What’s up with all the fast-food commercials! Are they trying to make me go insane? I’m agitated and tired of peeing.

How many days do I have left?

….follow the entire adventure here.

My Cleanse Adventure / Part VII

Here are my notes from the 3rd day of fasting…

Last night I got the most restful 8 hours of sleep I can remember. So restful that I slept through my alarm and had to call in late. When I woke up I felt pretty good but by 9am I was disoriented and moving slowly. My wife pointed out that my knees were dry and ashy. I have to remember to drink more water. I must also note that my body has a chill I can’t shake. I felt it last night too and had to turn down the ac - much to the dismay of my wife.

10:00am - 4:00pm
I’ve been pretty irritable all day today. My mind keeps wondering and I have trouble focusing on work. I’m also going to the bathroom every 45 minutes to poop or pee.

6:00pm
As the day wore on my body adjusted. My bowel movements became less frequent and smaller. I also felt less fatigued and only mildly irritable. The one thing that is annoying is the constant urinating. I think I’m peeing every 15 minutes.

9:00pm
So my wife asks me to make her a cup of tea. I walk into the kitchen and there, sitting on the counter, is a piece of smoked turkey sausage left over from dinner. I swear she’s trying to set me up! I stare at this thing while I prepare my wife’s tea. Temptation is grabbing hold of me and I can’t resist… I pop that bad boy in the microwave and peak over my shoulder to make sure the wife doesn’t see. “Honey, everything ok?” she asks. “Yes dear, I’m just heating up the water” I reply.  (Microwave Ding) I pick up the sausage, take a whiff and sink my teeth into it. You know when you feel like your doing something really bad? Thoughts of the last 3 days flash through my mind. I chew a few times, savoring the flavor. C’mon man, how could I give up so easily? Guilt starts to set in. I take another bite …mmmm. I’m still chewing. This is the most delicious GRRRRRRRRRRR…… “Antonio what are you doing?” D’oh! My wife had snuck up behind me and was now looking at me with pity and disappointment. She didn’t have to say another word. I spit out the pieces in my mouth and threw away the rest.

10:00pm
“How’s your tea sweetie?” I ask. “Good. How’s your juice?” she replies.

….follow the entire adventure here.

My Cleanse Adventure / Part VIII

It’s been 4 days since I’ve eaten solid food.

Here are my latest notes…

Another good night’s sleep last night.  It is amazing how much the body can rest when there’s no solid food to break down.  Today I feel completely fine.  There’s no hunger, no agitation, and my energy is good.

9:00 am
I just had a pretty big bowl movement; Interesting considering I haven’t eaten in 3 days.  Could this be the residue from 36 years of cheeseburgers, pepperoni pizza and chicken egg foo young?  The Blessed Herbs pamphlet did mentioned that the body would strip the gunk from my intestinal walls around the 4th day.

2:00 pm
My stomach cramped up a few times this afternoon and my stool has become soft - not quite diarrhea but close.  Maybe we’re reaching the ice cream and milk shake layer of my intestinal walls?

6:00 pm
I’ve got to say, I feel pretty damn good.  I’m alert and happy.  I haven’t been thinking about food at all.  My stomach is still gurgling but I haven’t had to run to the bathroom.  When I feel an urge, I go.  It is quick and easy.  (*note:  make sure you have access to a toilet if you decide to attempt this or any other cleanse)

7pm
Lucky me, its pot luck dinner on the express train tonight.  “Anyone like a chalky mix of apple juice and this blessed poop powder?”

10:00 pm
I’m tempted to just call this off tonight.  I’m trying to rationalize that I feel fine and there’s not much “stuff” coming out so why bother for another day?  Funny thing is- these thoughts, they only happen at night when I’m not distracted by my busy work day.  I suspect if I were sitting at home doing nothing all day that the mental part of this experience would be more challenging.  Of course, I am not going to quit now.

Only one more day to go - Woo Hoo!

….follow the entire adventure here.

My Cleanse Adventure / Part IX

….follow the entire adventure here.

Day 5 - The final day of my fast.

So here it is, my 5th day without any solid food.  Today is, by far, the best day I have had during this whole experience. I feel amazing.  My head is clear.  I’m alert.  I don’t feel fatigued, slow or sluggish.  I’m not hungry or craving any food.  My body feels great too.  All the little aches and pains I normally notice are gone.  It’s as if I’ve crossed a threshold where I no longer feel like I’m struggling to stay on this cleanse; like I’ve reached Shangri-La! Ok, maybe you think I’m delirious from the lack of food but I’m serious.  It could be the stuff in the powder mix but what I suspect has happened is that my body has somehow adapted and in the process stabilized.  By not having to break down food, my energy levels are nice and steady today.  My bowl movements have gotten pretty small and I’m not peeing as often as before (although still more than normal).  I’m almost in shock how good I feel.  Still though, I will be looking forward to breakfast tomorrow.   I have to remember to keep it light.  The Blessed Herbs manual says to ease back into solid foods and skip meat and dairy for a few days.

Should I go French toast or waffles…mmm?

Make sure you come back for Part X - my last post, where I will summarize
the final results of my cleanse adventure.

A Smart Approach to Tackling Your Fitness Goals

When it comes time to get fit, we often find ourselves joining a health club or local gym, thinking we’re taking a step in the right direction, but are we really setting ourselves up for failure?  For someone who’s not in such great shape, and maybe a little embarrassed by their lack of fitness, a health club can be very intimidating.  Studies show that as many as 7 out of 10 new gym members get frustrated, confused and discouraged after just 3 months.  As a personal trainer and former fitness manager for some of the country’s largest health clubs, I’ve witnessed this all too often. 

If there is one piece of advice I can give you before you decide to go out and join a gym or health club, it is to consider hiring a personal trainer.  The cost of a trainer is worth it when you consider the many benefits.  A good trainer will evaluate your unique needs and set progressive goals to help you achieve success.  The personalized attention and education you gain is invaluable.  They will help you take ownership of your health and learn in the process.  Think how confident this will make you feel when you want to work out on your own.

Most health clubs have their own trainers and will offer you a complimentary session with one if you join.  This option is ok but be careful.  Do not just let someone assign a trainer to you without first meeting that trainer and speaking with them.  It is very common for gyms to hire trainers more for their ability to talk people into purchasing sessions and making sales than for their exercise knowledge.  You want to make sure the person you work with is experienced, knowledgeable and, most importantly, enthusiastic about their profession.  You have to actually like your trainer; how they speak, what they say and how they treat you as a person.  It’s important to feel a sense of trust from the very beginning.

Let me also make a point of saying that great trainers come in all shapes and sizes.  I know its cliché but don’t judge a book by its cover.  Just because a trainer looks like a fitness model doesn’t necessarily mean they have the knowledge to give you the kind of workout you need.  Look for a trainer who has broad range of expertise.  The best trainers know and incorporate many different styles into their clients exercise programs.  If you really want to find a great trainer, go to a private personal training studio.  These studio are staffed by certified and knowledgeable professionals; highly educated trainers who are truly dedicated to helping their clients.  You can feel confident that you are getting quality service and the most knowledge.  Before you know it you’ll have the confidence to walk into any health club and take your fitness to the next level.