AIMC Health Tip - What To Do With Some Resistance Bands To Stay In Shape

Resistance Bands are a great tool for working out on the go or you don't have access to a gym for a free weight workout. With any exercise program, check with your physician and also understand how to use resistance bands. The key is control and form.

You can use resistance bands for a full-body workout by performing exercises like squats, bicep curls, rows, and chest presses, or you can use them for targeted training and warm-ups. Resistance bands can be used to add resistance to bodyweight exercises, assist with movements like pull-ups, and help with rehabilitation. Strength training:

• Bicep Curl: Stand on the band, hold the ends with palms facing forward, and bend your elbows to curl your hands up.
• Squats: Stand on the band, hold the ends, and perform a squat, pushing back up to a standing position. You can also add a shoulder press as you stand up.
• Bent-Over Row: Stand with your feet on the band, hinge at your hips, and pull the band towards your chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
• Chest Press: Wrap the band around your back, hold the ends, and push your arms out in front of you.
• Overhead Press: Stand with one foot on the band, hold the handles, and press the band up over your head.
• Clamshells: Lie on your side with the band looped around your thighs, and lift your top knee, keeping your feet together.

Assistance and accessory work: = Pull-ups: Secure the band to a pull-up bar and place your foot or knee in the loop to get assistance as you perform pull-ups.

• Warm-ups: Use bands for exercises like band pull-aparts to warm up and build shoulder stability before lifting weights.
• Rehabilitation: Resistance bands are great for rehabilitation after an injury because you can control the resistance and range of motion.

How to adjust resistance To increase resistance: Use a band with a higher resistance level, shorten the length of the band, or adjust your stance to make the exercise more difficult. To decrease resistance: Use a lighter band or increase the slack in the band. Here is a great site for buying some resistance bands to get started on your workout.

https://www.shop.com/ALLINMYCART/s/resistance+bands?credituser=C7440067 For more Health/Wellness, go to http://linktr.ee/aimchealthsolutions

What Is Better Online Fitness or In-Person Fitness?

Online personal training programs provide you with more value for your money than what your regular gym charges and the cost is comparatively lesser. Personal Trainer sessions in normal gyms will cost you a lot. But in an online training session you can get the same kind of assistance for a far cheaper cost.

In-person training offers immediate feedback and adjustments. Trainers can see your form and technique in real-time. They can make corrections on the spot. This helps prevent injuries and ensures you perform exercises correctly.

In-person training provides opportunities to learn first-hand through seeing and acting. Face-to-face interaction is essential for greater clarity and understanding than online training.

Finally, with in-person training, you have the benefit of human interaction from a social perspective. Generally, people are happier when they are around other people, well as least people that exercise are.

Here are a couple of options for you!

- If you live in the Metrowest of Boston, I encourage you to join me at LA Fitness in Natick MA. This is the time to get going!

- If you like online training - 54D is the best! Here is more information to get started - https://bit.ly/3RfEBm6.

Check out our video -

AIMC Health Tip - What Is Better Online Fitness or In-Person Fitness? -

Do You Have the Cold Weather Doldrums? Go to the Gym!

We are in the height of winter which tests your motivation to even leave the house. This is the most depressing time of the year especially in the northern climes. I have noticed time and time again with myself that I wake up in the morning and feel a little down and unmotivated, but as soon as I get to the gym and get lifting, I feel great and all of a sudden, I got motivated to tackle the day and be successful.

Here are three reasons we go over in our video on why you need to get to the Gym and Get Rid of the Doldrums! 1- Mental Health - w/ People Interaction 2- Increase Blood Flow and Warm Your Body Up 3- Strengthen Your Immune System

Check out our Video on the DeSocial Connector YouTube Channel - 

AIMC Health Tip - Do You Have the Cold Weather Doldrums? Go to the Gym and Warm Up!

If you are in the Metrowest of Boston and like to get to the gym, come workout w/ me at LA Fitness Natick MA. For more health/wellness, go to http://www.aimcbizsolutions.com and also check out Core3 Health on http://www.allinmycart.com

#Fitness - Selecting The Best Place To Workout -

Working Out on a regular basis is essential for a healthy lifestyle alongside a healthy diet and taking effective supplements. There are different types of fitness activities from strength training, to cardio to group training like CrossFit or Boot Camps. But what is the best place for you to workout. It depends on your goals and what environment you are comfortable in.

- Picking A Fitness Facility

There are different levels of fitness facilities from that "country club" version with all the bells and whistles and then the full-service gym to those "hotel gyms". It depends what you are looking to do. Those "high-end" gyms are great for networking and being able to do different workouts from sports to swimming to free weights. A full-service gym is better if you focus on strength training w/ cardio and a class here and there. A "hotel" gym is best when you just want to stay in shape but have less variety in options.

If time is an essence or maybe you are that introvert, a home workout would do. A combination of using resistant bands and your own body weight can be a very effective workout routine.

- Working Out in a Group Setting

You heard of Boot Camps, Cross Fit etc. They are great since you are working out with people with the same goals as you. Unlike working out alone at the gym, you are able to try different routines and are able to influence the people around you. It is also always good to hit your body with different exercises you don't normally do at a regular gym.

Finally as always I recommend talking to a fitness expert to help determine what is best for you. Always understand your goals and stay consistent, and you will notice amazing results.

As always, we are here to help. Check out our AIMC Health Solutions Fitness Page here - https://bit.ly/3SjJetW

Check out our You Tube video - AIMC Health Tip - #Fitness - Selecting The Best Place To Workout -

4 Ways to Shake Up Your Fall Fitness

When it comes to getting serious about fitness + healthy goals, most people think of January 1^st as the only window you have to hit “reset” on your habits + routine, but why wait? The truth is, Fall is a great time to recommit to fitness goals or finally break that plateau with a set of exciting new exercises. As the weather changes, let the cool, crisp air breathe some new life into your usual routine with these 4 ways to shake up your Fall fitness!

Autumn is the transition from the busyness of summer to a more focused “back-to-school” vibe that you can still harness to refocus your energy and get back to you. This is a unique opportunity to set a routine that’ll carry you through the indulgent holidays and into the new year ahead of the curve! Since late fall gives us plenty of tempting reasons to stay inside—shorter, darker days and treats galore—getting your momentum before the holidays are in full swing is crucial! If you’re ready to tackle fall fitness like a pro, we’re here to help.

1. Take Advantage of the Outdoors

Without the heat and humidity that made summer workouts hard to stick to, outdoor workouts become much more comfortable as Fall rolls in. Especially after a hectic summer + back-to-school season, many of us are ready to get back to some sort of routine and Fall weather brings us some of the some of the best opportunities to take that long, awful treadmill session outside in the beautiful scenery!

Bonus: did you know that taking your Fall fitness outdoors actually has a number of benefits over sticking to your gym schedule? Whether you’re hitting the long trail or choosing to make exercise productive by taking on yard work, there are numerous benefits including:

• Logging a harder workout: According to the American Council on Exercise, when you’re active outdoors your body is encountering a constantly changing environment. Keeping up requires your body to adapt need to all of the small changes in your surroundings like slight inclines, wind, or obstacles which means you work harder than if you were running on a treadmill!
• No Membership Fees: With the holiday season right around the corner, wouldn’t it be great if Fall fitness didn’t add to the financial stress? With outdoor workouts, all you need is you!
• Cleaner Air: While gyms (at least the good ones!) have decent ventilation systems that keep the air moving, those indoor systems still can’t provide the same clean air as the great outdoors! According to the Environmental Protection Agency, indoor spaces can be more polluted than outside. This is especially true in larger cities, which only adds to the list of pros.

2. Change When You #FindYourFit

Summer heat and early sunlight pushed many of us to earlier morning workouts, but this is more difficult when it comes to Fall fitness. Since the sun gets to wait until closer to 8 a.m. to wake up, it might be a good time for you to do the same! Working out at different times, whether it be over your lunch break or after work, will help to not only give you a much-needed break from super early mornings but can also help in getting your body out of its normal routine. Just make sure you’ve got your Isotonix ®Turn Down to help you slip into a restful sleep afterward! Switching it up has been shown to help break the mental and physical plateaus that hold us back, and seeing those results can be a great motivator.

3. Hop on the Treadmill (or Off of It!)

If you’re a cardio junkie (guilty!) then it’s time to take a brief hiatus from the treadmill, stair climber, or elliptical that’s been holding you hostage. Incorporating resistance or strength training will do wonders for shaking up your Fall fitness. Plus, the burn you get from strength training lasts much longer than the one from your LSS cardio session and you’ll see improvements in your overall body composition. Hello, little black holiday dress!

Don’t think that just because you hate cardio to begin with that you’re off the hook!  Shaking up Fall fitness means this also applies to people whos idea of cardio is running from the treadmill.  Taking a step back from the barbell to work in one or two days of cardio might be just what you need to trick your adapted body + brain into stepping it up!

4. Get Creative with Circuits

Between HIIT, tabatas, and circuit training, there are endless ways to turn your slow + methodical routine into a fast-paced + exciting heart-pounder!  Mixing different speeds + lengths of cardio with isolated and compound strength training transforms a long workout session from a simple walk into a full-body workout. Not sure where to start? Try some of the ideas below:

Outdoor Trail Circuit:

• Warm Up: Walk 10 minutes
• Easy Jog: 2-3 minutes
• Run: 2-3 minutes
• Sprint: 30-45 seconds
• Recover: Walk or jog until your breathing returns to normal.
• Strength Move: 60-90 seconds, complete as many of one of the following:
  • Push-ups
  • Triceps dips
  • One-legged squats
  • Split Squats
  • Burpees
  • Plank Hip Dips
  • Jump Squats
  • Side-to-Side Skater

This makes up one cycle! Do 4 to 6 cycles total. Be sure you’re mixing up the strength moves throughout your workout to make the most of your time!

Indoor Bodyweight Circuit: 

• Warm Up: Jump-rope 10 minutes
• Tuck Jumps: 12-15 reps
• Push-Ups: 12-15 reps
• Jumping Jacks: 45 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds
• Air Squat: 12-15 reps
• Mountain Climbers: 12-15 reps
• High Knees: 45 seconds
• Rest 30 seconds
• Tricep Dips: 12-5 reps
• Glute Bridges: 12-15 reps
• Burpees: 45 seconds
• Rest: 30 seconds

Repeat this 3-4 times with 1 minute of rest in-between + you’ll feel the burn!

AIMC Health Tip - #Fitness - What To Do With A Couple of Dumbbells 2019 ...

Why the Fitness Club is Better Than the Nightclub

It is hard to believe I turned the big 5-0 last month considering how I do not feel old at all and have a zest for life and am excited for what is ahead.   I am involved with a lot of side hustles and run professional networking events in the Boston area and the majority of the attendees are younger and serious about their career and life which is enlightening.  Hanging with so many successful young professionals has had an amazing positive effect on me that I feel like I have just turned 30 instead!

I remember back when I was in my 20s, it was all about partying till 4am at the various nightclubs in Boston, Providence and even the occasional trip to a warm climate.   My colleagues had the day job, then went out till 4am, got up at noon and may hit the gym to sweat out the hangover.   Fitness was important but not the center of life then.  It was all about how hungover you can get.

As I got older, the nightclubs started to close and more fitness clubs were opening.   I remembered a time when Rte. 9 in Framingham was a strip of nightclubs whereas today it is dotted with fitness clubs.   The fitness club was becoming the new nightclub where people congregate, shared workouts and diets and even met their significant other.   I was pretty amazed when I went to the gym on a Friday evening recently and it was packed.  Back in 1995, you went to the gym on a Friday night, you were a loser.

Today, people are healthier than ever.   With yoga, SoulCycle, Crossfit and your basic free weights, it is cool to be into fitness, and not cool to smoke cigarettes.    That is why of all of my business ventures, my health/wellness business is my baby.

So why is the Fitness Club Better Than the Nightclub?

1)  Being active in a Fitness Program is an Investment in Your Health whereas investing in a cocktail at a Nightclub will only result in a headache and oversleeping the next day.   You feel amazing after a workout and are ready to tackle the day.   After a big night out, the only thing you are tackling is your pillow.

2)  People are positive and happy at the gym.  You notice that people encourage you at the gym and smile (well except for those that overdid it with some of  those supplements).   There is no drama at the gym, it is all business.   At a nightclub, it is all about drama.   Well look at her or why is the bartender so slow.   Why are there so many brawls and bad stories at the end of a night out?   Don't see that at a fitness club.

3) Successful people tend to congregate at the gym.    I met a lot of entrepreneurs and forward thinkers at the gym, even on a Friday night.   Refer to #2, nightclubs tend to congregate people that have no direction in life.   It is all about who you  hang with, right?

So hopefully, you will join the fitness revolution and get strong, feel great and look great!   I am rooting for you and want you to think 50 is the new 30 and 60 is the new 40.   It is the best de-aging process there is, so let's rock, at the fitness club.

Spring is a New Beginning to Get Into Better Health - Some Tips

Just like New Years, the Spring Season is always looked at as a time for new beginnings.  The last of the cold snowy weather is in the rear view and the days, especially the evenings are nice and bright.

When it comes to your health, you should always be consistent every day to ensure you maintain a great balance of exercise, diet, mindset and of course take a great supplement.   You need to work all sectors of health in tandem to ensure great health.    The old saying, you can eat an amazing healthy diet but it doesn't mean much if you are a couch potato.   On the contrary, you can be a gym rat, but if you indulge in fried food, it would be exactly a pinnacle of great health.   Finally, your attitude toward life and how positive you are is the cherry on the sundae.   OK, maybe the cherry on a nutrition bar.

As mentioned, your health maintenance is broken down into your fitness activities, diet, mindset and supplements.  What I like to do is offer some tips for each that are very basic.

Fitness - 
I can just simply say join your local gym and hire a trainer to put you through hell at the gym.  Instead, I like offer some easy exercises you can do in place of going to the gym if you have a busy productive lifestyle.

• If you work in the office, take the stairs whenever possible and get up and walk around. or at a minimum stretch, every 15-20 minutes, so you maintain great blood flow and digestion of any food you eat.    Sitting in your office for hours on end is worse than smoking a pack of cigarettes.
• Always take a walk after eating, breakfast, lunch and dinner.   By walking, you will be able to easily digest your food and burn off any unhealthy calories.   Do not do any strenuous exercise right after eating.
• If you don't go to a gym, pick up a pair of dumbbell weights and do about 10-15 minutes of exercise daily.   Here is a great video on a full body workout using a pair of dumbbells.

Diet -

I wanted to first mention that when you mention that you are on a diet, it does not mean you are working to lose weight.   You can always be on a bad diet full of fried foods and bad carbs.

• Water is the single most important beverage in your diet.  Water helps you digest, provides energy and even helps you maintain a great weight.   Your body is 60% water, so simply if you are thirsty, drink water.
• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and lunch is the second most important.   I know this sounds backward, but think about it, when are you the most active during the day.  The worst thing to do is have a huge dinner then relax.   There are basic like avoiding sugar, especially white sugar, too much dairy and processed foods, but if you eat small portions and exercise regularly, it is OK to treat yourself once in a while.
• Never ever skip a meal.  Any weight loss program that recommends to skip a meal, or drink this shake or even wear this wrap around your waist, is not a worthy weight loss program.  The key to maintaining a great lifestyle is eating small nutritious meals.

Positive Mindset - 

It is how you feel about yourself and your life that will determine how focused you are on your fitness and diet.    Always visualize yourself at your goal, looking and feeling great.   There will be tough days but always know there are great days to look forward too.

• Avoid negative people.   I know you hear this a million times, but really, what does a complainer do for you?  Nothing.   Hang out with people better than you.
• Find the root cause of your health issues.  Is it stress?  If so, find ways to relieve your stress.   if needed, contact a professional to help you especially if stress is effecting your weight and your well-being.
• There will be traffic, there will be issues at your home, or you may lose your job.   Everyone has bad days, but the difference is, is how they handle adversity.  A positive mindset, great diet and exercise will help you get through those rough stretches.

Supplements -
Yes, supplements.   Face it, our food is not as healthy as it was 30 or 40 years ago,  We are always in a rush and the supermarkets are full of canned goods and processed cereal that is not very good for you.   Walk around the supermarket and look at labels.  I bet 70-80% of food you buy either has sugar,salt or pesticides on them.   Do you really think that apple in the fruit stand has no chemicals on it?  Think again.   This is why supplements are more important than ever.

• Make sure your vitamins are liquid based and are biodegradable so you are able to absorb the nutrients within five minutes.   A pill will need to be digested and broken down in your stomach.  Your stomach breaks down food and anything else you eat, so why not take a supplement that goes to your small intestine and absorb the nutrients instantly?
• Be leery of any sugar snack such as cereal, pop tarts or even soda that claim that have extra vitamins and minerals.   Think about it, sugar is evil so why eat or drink something that claims it is healthy for you and it has a lot of sugar in it?
• Milk does not do a body good.   This may fall under diet, but I wanted to make something clear.  The calcium in milk is not the pure calcium that your body needs to maintain good bone health.  The supplement needs to also have magnesium in it to absorb the calcium.   Does milk have real magnesium in it?  I think not.

So hopefully our blog provided you some simple steps toward great health.  Spring is all about new beginnings so why not start today on your healthy journey!

When It Comes to Your Health - It Is All About Love, Nutrition and Exercise - An Inspiration from Max

Recently, we lost our beloved miniature pinscher, Max, after enjoying 15 and half years of his 18 years of life.   Max was our son, our laughter and our guard dog.   After a long day, it was always heartwarming to see his little tail wagging in happiness to see you and then he proceeded to beg for a treat.    Max has provided more memories that will forever be on our minds.

It has been a tough few weeks.    As we broke the news of Max's passing to friends, family and colleagues, the outpouring of sympathy warmed our hearts.   When we mentioned Max's age, that he passed at 18 years old, a sense of amazement and eyes popping our of their heads was a common reaction.    Wow, Max lived 18 years?   The life expectancy of miniature pinschers was around 14 years.   We were always asked, what was our secret to Max's long life?

It was easy.
Love, Nutrition and Exercise.

Love - We were always there for Max and telling him that we loved him and made sure he had all the comforts of home.   We treated Max like gold since he was gold to us.

Nutrition - We rarely gave Max human food.  After all, he is a canine.   We made sure he had his vitamins and ate the best food.   He would have a treat here and there, but we made sure the treats had the nutrition Max needed for a long life

Exercise - Max didn't just sit around.   Until his last week, we took him out for walks every day, sometimes 3 or 4 times a day.  Max has hiked a few short mountains and walked some of our great beaches.   Back in the early days, he would sprint after the squirrels and rabbits in our back yard.

What we learned from caring from Max is how important, love, nutrition and exercise is to personal health.   I know I am stating the obvious, but for some people that are not in the best of health, perhaps something is missing that will help them reach their health and wellness goals.

Here are some ideas to help you focus on the three important aspects of great health.

Love - At AIMC Health Solutions we always stress that positive mindset and determination is the most important part of a health/wellness plan.   First, get rid of any negative influence in your life and focus your energy on the positive influences in your life.   Even if you are totally out of shape and are going to the gym for the first time, congrats to you and hang with people that cheer for you, not hurt you.   You will notice your energy level go up the more you are around positive influences.

Nutrition - It really is all about what you put into your bodies.    You heard that sugar strips your body of nutrients and even causes disease if taken in high doses.   Dairy, alcohol and soft drinks do nothing to help your health.   Yes, milk has calcium, but it is pasteurized calcium, not the real thing.  Focus on food that is naturally produced like fruits and vegetables, and take a vitamin supplement to help closed the gap on your body's daily nutritional needs.    Once you start eliminating sugar and artificial foods out of your diet, you will notice your appearance and general feeling about life to be a lot better.

Exercise - Another important aspect of what AIMC Health Solutions preaches to their clients is fitness and exercise.   You can eat the best foods, take the best vitamins, but if you don't move, you may still have health issues.   A recent study mentioned, that people that sit at a desk all day at their job is worst than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.    Put together an exercise program with a mix of cardiovascular work, free weights and even yoga and follow it at least three or four days a week.   A little tip is to go for walk after each meal so your body processes your food faster.   The more you exercise, the better you will feel about yourself and reach your health and wellness goals.

Finally, when it is all said and done, focusing on love, nutrition and exercise is what it is all about, so lose the negative nellies, eat small nutritional meals, and get the gym and you will experience some amazing results!

How Do You Motivate Yourself To Exercise Consistently?

I am going to start off my blog with a little personal gloating to get you motivated.   I was a skinny little kid growing up in Rhode Island and had a hard time keeping up with the jocks at my school, when it came to sports and girls.  I was known as "Little Jeffy" and yes, the girls though I was cute and all, but face it I didn't win any athletic awards.  When it came time to graduate and everyone was getting their yearbooks signed, one message from one of my best friends in high school wrote me was a message that stuck to me throughout my life.   The one line that stuck out to me was "Jeff, you'll never be a bodybuilder.."  Hmm... was this a motivational message or the hard truth?

So I went to the local sporting goods store, and got myself a weightlifting belt and The Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding from Arnold Schwarzenegger, read the book cover to cover and got to work.  That was 1988.

I started going to my university's gym and it was a rough start, but I got motivated really quickly when I was around athletes and I continued going to the gym on a regular basis in between classes.  The next thing I knew, I was benching beyond my weight, and running a 5k around the streets of Boston.   Girls started recognizing me, I was getting the respect my peers and I was getting more and more confident in myself.   Because of  my new found confidence, my girlfriend at the time and I decided it would be best to "see other people".  The things you do when you are young.

But this is not the point of my message to you all.  My message is that you need to start somewhere to work toward reaching your goals and believe me, I started at ground zero..

Fast forward to today, 29 years later, I can say for all of this time, I have consistently gone to the gym 3 or 4 times a week every week, while mixing in cardio exercises, without taking a break.     The only "breaks" were to address some surgeries I needed.   What motivated me most was the feeling I had after working out.   It is a high like no other.  If I went more that two days without a workout, I felt like crap and started to twitch.   What also motivated me was the positive energy you experienced at the gym.  I always befriended determined and focused people at the gym and we motivated each other to reach our goals.    Finally, this was one of my motivating factors for starting AIMC Health Solutions in 2015.

So I would like to provide you some motivating tips to help you get started and be consistent in reaching your goals.

1.  Try Group Fitness

Group fitness classes keep you motivated. The energy of a group would keep you going in the moments that you want to quit.

2. Get addicted to the post-exercise endorphin rush

My motivation is the knowledge that I will have an awesome endorphin rush afterward and run around, smiling like an idiot for a few hours. I am seriously addicted.

3. Surround yourself with personal motivation

Write your goals on sticky notes and post them everywhere.  The bathroom, your car and even on your smartphone.

4. Work out with people who will cheer you on

Having people standing behind me, yelling and jumping up and down when I’m stuck at the bottom of a heavy squat is the best motivator.   It is amazing what you can do with a little encouragement.

5. Think about how you're sticking it to your doubters

See my message from my high school friend and how it motivated me to prove him wrong.

6. Track your successes

I actually track my workouts in the Calendar function on my phone so I can see what I did recently and know to mix my workouts up to shock the body.

7. Write down how you feel after every workout every time

So, when you are low on motivation to wake up and go for a run or a workout and reap the benefits later.

8. Listen to the voice inside that says, "I can do this!"

I did it and so can you.   Working out and getting healthy is all about your mental state and determining yourself to get healthy and stronger.   There is no reason for you to not reach your goals.

My bonus tip is to workout in the morning.   It helps you get through the day and have a great sleep pattern and diet.   The positive energy from your workout will transition to your daily activities and you will be more successful in what you do.