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GROUP FITNESS CLASSES – THE NEW SAGA

Small group workouts have always existed, but it is only in the recent years that it has become strikingly popular. These fun wrapped exercise classes operated by certified personal trainers are a great way to benefit our body mind and soul.

Group Training
Group Training Class

Benefits of Group Training

  • Many a times, it gets difficult to motivate ourselves to hit the gym. Group training helps in such situations by giving us that extra push or encouragement to work out with friends or acquaintances.
  • Group training has a more structured modus operandi and thus makes us more accountable to ourselves.
  • Since an individual works out in a group, a healthy competition develops, which in turn motivates and helps to reach one’s fitness goals at a faster rate.
  • Working out in groups are fun and hence one enjoys the workout more.
  • Since the group training programs are run by fitness professionals who bring in lot of variety to the sessions, it helps to break the boredom or stereotype workout routines.
  • The fitness instructors can give more personal attention to the members.

Group TrainingJoin these fun wrapped exercise classes operated by certified personal trainers to benefit yourself !

So make exercise social! Bring along your friends and sign up for free with an experienced trainer.  

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Low Intensity Interval Training (LIIT) – The New HIIT

LOW INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (LIIT) VS HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING (HIIT)

We all are aware of the Rabbit vs Turtle race. This is a learning lesson in our day to day practical life. When it comes to exercise or fitness training, we might start off with full stamina and confidence but get tired or injured very soon and end up taking long breaks from our workout routine to recover. What happens in the process is we fall prey to bad internal damages. Today, it is much wiser to follow the ‘Turtle way’ and go slow but steady in order to win the race of a ‘fit life’.

Low Intensity Interval Training
Forget the severe muscle cramps and hop into LIIT

LIIT OR HIIT

There has been a significant shift from HIIT to LIIT off late realizing the benefits of the later. HIIT is definitely effective, but it comes along with the slogan-“No pain no gain”. For many of us specially, people with some prior injuries or elderly, HIIT thus become a big challenge. Studies show today, many people prefer to choose LIIT over HIIT.

LIIT – THE BENEFITS

  • It is the best form of workout for beginners or people recovering from any injury.
  • These workouts are programmed with low intensity thus are easier on our joints.
  • It can be easily opted by elderly people who cannot go for high intensity workouts.
  • Since it leaves us with almost no injuries, we can be more consistent with our workout routine.
  • LIIT helps to build up stamina before you opt for higher intensity exercises.
  • It is very helpful for people having issues like anaemia, thyroid etc.
  • It has a steady positive result and thus brings us close to that fit self we dream of.

HELP US TO HELP YOU

However, every body type is different from one another and so is our demands and capacity. Whether you choose HIIT or LIIT the main idea is to work towards leading a healthy and fit life. So don’t let your today ruin your tomorrow. Get up, find yourself a fitness coach or a  workout partner or a personal trainer and achieve an overall health and fitness all year round!

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Change your lifestyle now to lose excess weight!

Fitness Trainer Singapore

If you are reading this, you most probably want to lose that extra layer of fat. Congrats! you are at the right place! If you do not suffer from a thyroid glands dysfunction but still have an issue with increasing waistline, all you need is to change your lifestyle. If you are honest to yourself, you probably have one or more of the following habits:

  • Your last meal of the day is after 8 pm and it’s mostly rice, bread, noodles or pasta.
  • You sleep late and wake up late in the morning.
  • You find yourself munching on potato chips, fries or other fast foods.
  • You just love carbs! Bread, rice, noodles, pasta etc.
  • You do not drink eight glasses of water a day.
  • You drink canned beverages or fruit juices.
  • You skip meals.
  • You do not have a healthy and nutritious diet.
  • You have a desk job and you are physically less active.

weight loss StringsSG
Extreme weight loss

9 lifestyle changes for healthier version of you

1. Have an early Dinner

You should be done with your dinner no later than 8 pm. No need to change what you eat, but yes, do change the quantity. Reduce the portion of carbs like rice, pasta or bread by 75% and replace it with vegetables, chicken breast, turkey or fish. If you badly need red meat, feeding on them once or twice a week is not a problem.

2. Sleep early and wake up early in the morning

Sleeping late is perhaps the worst habit one can have. When you are awake late at night, your body releases a hormone called cortisol which is responsible for many health problems like high blood pressure, hypertension etc. Sleeping late means, you call for more bad skin, dark circles and obesity.
Yes, sometimes due to work and other mundane stuffs, we do get late but if you try and make this small change, eventually you will place yourself in a win-win situation. Remember, here, you are opting for a better body, giving yourself an opportunity and as the saying goes “opportunities are like sunrises” so don’t miss that sunrise! Wake up… wake up and go for a walk to start your day right.

3. Munching can be fun with healthier choices as well

You probably have had a bad day, fatigued and starved; all you want is to throw up in your comfy couch and a bag of chips or fried delicacies. Stop! This is where all those extra calories come from. Instead try to snack on nuts, protein bars, Greek yogurt, fruits… the options are plenty!

Healthy Diet StringsSG
Healthy Diet

4. Don’t let Carbs be your best friend

I know carbohydrates are a big time stress buster. It is perhaps the best reward food that anyone easily falls for. But what is alarming is the increasing rate of ‘obese carbohydrate craver’ and I am sure you would not like to be the one. So the question is “Can’t I eat cabs at all”? Off course you can indulge yourself into complex carbs like green vegetables, wholegrain foods etc instead of simple or processed ones. Unlike simple carbs which instantly converts to glucose, complex carbs break down at a much slower rate and thereby maintains a steady flow of energy to your body. They are rich in fiber and also reduces the level of bad cholesterol (LDL). Hence try to eat more complex carbs like Oats, Yogurt, Kidney beans, Brown rice, Broccoli, Spinach, and Grapefruits etc.

5. Drink plenty of water

‘Water is life’… yes it absolutely is! However, we tend to drink lot of other drinks the whole day but not water. Water has zero calories and so many health benefits like it boosts metabolism, flushes out toxins, boosts the immune system etc. If your goal is to lose weight, have a healthy looking skin and a good health; then you must drink at least 8 glasses of water a day… the more the better.

6. Avoid those canned Beverages

Yes, when you are thirsty and tired, you do crave for that bottled drink which gives you immense satisfaction. But have you ever thought how does that 300ml drink satisfy your cravings? The truth is these pre-packed bottles are loaded with sugar which instantly raises your sugar level and thus boosts your calorie intake. However, if you think wisely all you needed was a glass of water and not these empty calories which just added on to your carbs intake for the day with no nutrition added.

7. Skipping meal is not an option

If you think that by not eating a meal you will be able to reach your goal… then my friend you are wrong. Losing on your scale has to be done in a healthy manner and not by starving yourself. Skipping meal means lowering your metabolism and thereby helping your body to gain fat. On the contrary the idea is to control your portions and eating healthy.

8. You must have a healthy and nutritious diet

Your diet is like your bank account and hence good food choices are like good investments! So next time you plate yourself, ensure that you have incorporated 40% vegetables, 30% protein,15% healthy fat and 15% complex carbs. Your diet should be simple and real food. Remember, the key to a good body is 80% good eating habit and 20% exercise.

9. Be more active

Try to give yourself that extra push needed to achieve your desirable waistline. Yes, it is tiring to hit the gym after day’s work and sometimes time is a constrain too. However an hour of walk or run will work wonders for you. You might not get involved into hard core weight training but can always engage into some other forms of exercises like swimming or a sport of your choice. All you need is to burn out those extra calories of the day that your body doesn’t need.

What StringsSG has to offer

All being said, I do agree that in todays’ fast pace life, it is difficult to follow these little dos and don’ts. All you need is a proper guidance from someone who is thinking on your behalf and guiding you through your journey. StringsSG brings you closer to that guidance… that fitness professional who would understand your goals, your lifestyle and accordingly plan a well fitted workout and the best diet for you.

Personal Trainer Singapore
Personal Trainer

All you need is to:

  • Submit your request with your goals, budget, availability etc. at StringsSG.
  • View responses from fitness trainers with higher match percentage to your criteria.
  • You may choose to initiate conversation with fitness trainers using the integrated chat system.
  • Before finalizing on the trainer, make sure to view their profile ratings and reviews.

Request for a Fitness Trainer

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Top 7 benefits of functional training you need to know!

Functional fitness exercises

In the first place, it is very important to understand that, we need to train for life and not for events. Functional fitness is all about training ourselves to build a stronger body for our everyday activities. This fitness cum weight loss program is a bridge between personal training and physical therapy.

1. Strengthen muscles

The target of functional exercises is to strengthen various muscle groups of our body. When our muscles are strong, it improves the overall physical stability and thus helps us to perform daily activities with minimum risks and greater ease.

2. Brings in balance and coordination

Functional exercises include various exercises like single leg balance exercises, lunges, step-ups etc. all of which trains our body to balance and coordinate and thereby create a synergy within our body.

Functional fitness exercises
Girl UGI Ball for Functional fitness

3. Good posture 

We all fall prey to bad postures through our day to day activities. People with desk bound jobs often suffer with spinal issues. Functional fitness exercises are a solution to such bad posture problems.

4. Improves muscle memory

Functional fitness involves repetition of same exercises in few sets which boosts our muscle memory as they exercise our brain too.

5. Core strength and stability

Functional fitness exercises like crunches helps to strengthen our core and in turn betters our spine too.

Functional Exercises
A strong core means ownership of power, strength and stability

6. Power

Functional exercises focus on both upper and lower body. Multiple reps of exercises like push-ups, squats, bur pees helps to develop total body strength and power. This further helps us to move quickly in real life activities.

7. Reduces joint pains

Functional fitness helps the body to get back to basics i.e. back to the form it is designed to move and perform. These exercises are very beneficial for chronic joint pains in back, neck or knee.

Goodbye to joint pains with functional fitness exercises
spine of man and woman in pai

So, the idea is to stay fit year-round. Personal trainers teach these functional exercises which helps to train the muscles and prepare them to perform daily tasks proficiently. So get in touch with the right weight loss trainer or bodybuilding trainer  and get more functionally fit!

Tags :- Fitness Trainer Singapore , Personal trainer Singapore , Freelance personal trainer Singapore , Fitness classes Singapore

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Benefits of body combat workout you need to know!

Body Combat- Mixed Martial Art Workouts

Running is one of the most effective cardio exercises but not always enjoyed by everyone. An alternative to this is a Body Combat workout routine that includes aerobics, muscle strengthening, flexibility, core strengthening, fat loss, stretching and balancing.

This Body Combat is an action packed workout that guarantees to make us sweat and pumps our heart to a rapid rate.

Body combat which is a combination of Kickboxing, Karate, Muay Thai, Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do etc. has number of benefits.

Body Combat- Mixed Martial Art Workouts
Body Combat- Mixed Martial Art Workouts

1. Improves the cardiovascular fitness

This repetitive high intensity workout routine is a massive calorie burner and thus aids to improve the cardiovascular functions of our body.

2. Helps in weight loss –

Body combat being a combination of all the above mentioned forms, helps to burn on an average of 600-750 calories for an hour workout. This intense form of workout serves as a weight loss program and thus helps to lose fat.

3. Helps to tone the muscles

Body combat is a full body workout that trains both the upper and the lower body to transform it in a defined shape and thus helps to tone the muscles.

Body Combat - helps to tone up muscles.
Body Combat helps in muscle toning

4. Body combat is a big time stress reliever

These power-packed classes carry a strong positive energy which acts as a therapeutic treatment for people in immense stress and pressure. This in turn acts as a stress reliever.

5. Helps to improve bone density

Body combat exercises allows to use low weight and advocates high repetition resistance training which in turn increases our bone density.

6. Helps to boost self confidence – 

Engaging in body combat exercises is a great way to release negative energy. We feel very positive after a body combat exercise or a group class which in turn helps to stimulate our confidence in ourselves.

So there is no excuse to stay away from this amazing workout! Get in touch with personal trainers in Singapore who will guide and train you with body combat exercises that will help you to achieve the self you always wanted!

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Best Core Training Exercise to Get Six Pack Abs

Plank

What is Core?

Core refers to the muscles around our trunk and pelvis i.e. the abs, chest, back and down to the pelvic floor. Our functional movements are highly dependent on this part of the body. Lack of strength in these areas, affects our stability. Core stability is very important to protect our spine and surrounding musculature from injury.

Which muscles form the Core?

You must have noticed that fitness trainers at the gym, always reminds us to engage the core when doing exercises. Core exercises train the muscles in our pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony which in turn gives us a better balance and stability.

Why is Core training important?

Core muscles are important as they serve as a base for strength, power, endurance and coordination. Attaining core strength means acquiring proper posture and saving the back from injuries while doing rapid movements or while lifting weights.

In order to evaluate our core strength, we must check our static core strength, dynamic core strength and posterior core strength. Exercises like plank, side plank helps to understand the static core strength while the knees to chest and toes to bar, hanging leg raises analyses the dynamic core strength. The dead lifts are for the posterior core stability.

Common Exercises for Core Strength

1. Planks

Plank helps to develop strength in the core, shoulders and arms.

Plank
Man in plank position

2. Side Planks

Start doing Side Planks – to achieve a strong core and abs of steel

Side Plank
Girl doing side planks

3. Hanging Leg Raises

One of the best exercises for developing abdominal and core strength.

Hanging Leg Raises
Woman leg raises

4. Deadlifts

The key core strength building exercise.

Deadlifts
Dead lift with barbells

However, it is very important to correct our postures while training ourselves with the above mentioned core exercises. There are many professional personal trainers in Singapore who can train the correct form and guide us to attain the stronger self.

So without any more delay, let’s focus on building core stability first and then, proceed to build our core strength! Get a personal trainer.