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Melanie Cole (Host):  Whether you're just someone who's keeping fit to stay healthy, or you're an athlete looking to improve your next sport; personal training can take your fitness game to the next level, and getting back to the gym may seem daunting if you don't know where to start, but it's a lot easier than you might think.  My guest today is Tina Ermert Bortner; she's a community health educator and worksite wellness coordinator at Lourdes Health System.  Welcome to the show, Tina.  So, if somebody comes to you and they are a non-exerciser, let's start with the non-exercisers -- people who have never done anything, what do you tell them is the first best bit of advice to get started on a program and keep that momentum and motivation going -- what do you tell them first?

Tina Ermert Bortner (Guest):  Well, one of the first things I like to point is focus on progress.  You don't want to have to have to focus on perfection.  A lot of people think that they have to tackle all of these grand goals all at once.  If they just focus on small goals, one at a time, they're a lot easier to achieve, and it's also important to remind people that it's okay to reward yourself with any small success that might come your way.

Melanie:  Okay, so let's talk about rewards first, because that is something that people are confused about.  They say, "Oh well, I walked a mile today, so I can have that piece of chocolate cake."  Or, “If I'm trying to lose weight; I lost my two pounds so now I’m good to eat whatever.”   So should we be rewarding ourselves with what?

Tina:  We should be rewarding ourselves with things like telling yourself, "Okay, I walked an extra mile" or if you're working with the pedometer or Fitbit tracker, you know, and I put an extra 2,000 steps in today, then you should say, "Okay, well maybe I should be able to buy myself something that's going to help keep me motivated" -- like maybe a new workout outfit or maybe a new pair of athletic shoes.  Something's that's going to be in that fitness mindset that's going to help, you know, keep you on track, and then in addition to that, maybe even just feeling those rewards like, you know, you're feeling better about yourself.  You're getting a really good night sleep so you're feeling that you're, you know, a better performer throughout the day; you know, you're feeling more confident in yourself.  Your self-esteem is going up.  All of these things are rewards for you.  

Melanie:  So, then how do they get started?  And if they want to start setting goals, smart goals we hear that term smart goals, realistic and timely, and how do we set these goals and what do you tell people about setting those goals and maybe even journaling or starting on the scale, using that as a place to begin -- what do you tell them about getting started?

Tina:  Well, understanding exactly what's involved in a well-rounded, balanced fitness program, I think, is a good place to start before you even get into the goal setting.  So, understanding that there are three components to a balanced fitness program.  The cardiovascular or the aerobic component, you know, our heart is the most important muscle that we have, so by keeping it conditioned cardiovascularly, you're going to, you know, not make it have to work as hard which is going to result in improved health benefits.  The strength training part, you know, building muscles -- the more muscles that you have then you're going to be able to burn calories from fats faster in addition to improving bone density.  Conditioning your body, so and then finally, the stretching component.  So the more flexible that we are then we put ourselves at less of a chance for injury; you know, we prevent aches and pains; we're improving our posture.  So understanding those three components of a well-rounded program is a good way to start.  Once you understand what needs to be done, then you can go on and start going forward from there.

Melanie:  So, they understand that these are three components and there are some more components that sometimes people are looking at and hearing about in the media today that include functional fitness, balanced training, proprioceptive techniques.  Do you advocate that people work on all of these kinds of things at the same time or separately?

Tina:  It depends on the individual.  Now, if it's somebody who's starting out, I would say get in tune with how your body feels; listen to how your body feels, and then adjust your workout accordingly.  So, if you're the person that has just always been very sedentary; you have a very sedentary job and then you're just exhausted when you come home, and you just really don’t have that motivation.  You're not quite there yet; you're not in that ready stage of your life, then just start very small.  Just start with things like, you know, maybe instead of taking the elevator or the escalator, take the steps.  You have a co-worker that's, you know, in the same suite as you.  Instead of, you know, calling that person or shooting an e-mail, maybe walk over to that person and let them know what it is that you need.  Park a little bit further away from the store so you get a few extra steps. So just doing these small changes so that you start thinking like an exerciser, eventually a more structured program, I think, will fall into place for people.

Melanie:  So, they can start with simple things like walking and then they'd like to progress a little bit.  How do they learn how to use equipment or weight train or, you know, women are always asking, "Well, I don't want to use too much weight; I don't want to look like, you know, a German swimmer."   Even though this is a myth of fitness, what do you tell them about starting that strength program and getting going and trying those weights?

Tina:  Well, in a perfect scenario, I think personal training is really the best way to go.  You know, you have to make sure that the personal trainer that you connect with has, you know, a similar personality as you.  Somebody that you really feel comfortable with.  Somebody that you have that trust with.  If personal training is not an option because it can be costly for a lot of people, there's all kinds of great programs out there where you can find exercise programs like to help you get started where they really break down, you know, what is a bicep curl, and by you improving your muscles and your biceps, like what's that going to enable you to do.  Is it going to help you lift things better?  And really explaining to people exactly what that muscle does, and how it's going to help you improve your activities of daily living.

Melanie:  So, if new exercisers start with that simple walking, they maybe hire a trainer, they learn how to personal train, and they get into the flexibility stuff, what about somebody who's more experienced, but they still want to see results, and they are feeling like they're hitting that wall as it were -- they're stagnant; they're not seeing any more results, or they are bored.  What do you tell them about stepping it up a little bit; changing up the game a little?

Tina:  Well, there's something, you know, maybe -- trying a different type of class.  There's all kinds of really fun, like, boot-camp type of classes out there.  You know, circuit training, maybe the environment that you're currently in just isn't working anymore.  You know, like you said, you hit that plateau, and it's just -- the motivation isn't there anymore.  So, just trying to find something new.  Exercise is something that you have to constantly stay on top of, you know, and especially for the person who isn't, you know, a beginner in this area.  Somebody that's been doing exercise their whole life.  You want to always to try to find something new.  It's important to always feel challenged; you want to feel comfortable, but feeling challenged is always the key in order to get past that plateau and see improvement.

Melanie:  Tina, how do you see the technology helping with that motivation that people are looking for?

Tina:  I think these techie trends that are out there are really, really taking off.  You know, years ago, before all of this technology, the journaling was a tool that was helpful for a lot of people.   You know, writing down the type of exercise that they did in a day, and how they felt before the exercise; how they felt after the exercise.  Now, I mean, everything is right there in our smartphones and the Fitbits.  So, a lot of people have really adapted to that, and I think it's helpful for a lot of people.  I teach group exercise classes, and I have some ladies in my class -- most of the ladies actually – they have these Fitbits, and in addition to the group morale that they're experiencing, they have that thing on their wrist, and it's just really helping to keep them motivated.

Melanie:  Then wrap it up for us, Tina, with your very best advice for listeners about getting started on a well-rounded fitness program to improve their overall health and what you tell people every single day about starting it and sticking with it.

Tina:  Well, I think the best way to succeed at anything in life is to always have a plan -- a realistic plan.  Something that isn't too overwhelming for you.  You know, setting smart, realistic goals, rather than these large-brand goals that can overwhelm you is really the way to go.  Exercise does not have to be your enemy.  Exercise can be fun.  You just really have to find something that you enjoy and don't give up right away.  If you try a group exercise class, and you decide, "Oh, you know, this really isn't for me; I think I want to try something else," -- well then maybe you'd prefer just exercising alone or just with your best workout buddy.  So, don't give up.  Just keep trying to find something that best suits you, your lifestyle, your personality, and so if that doesn't work, then just seek the help of a professional, and we go from there.

Melanie:  Thank you so much Tina for being with us today.  It's great information.  You're listening to Lourdes Health Talk, and for more information, you can go to Lourdesnet.org.  That's Lourdesnet.org.  This is Melanie Cole.  Thanks so much for listening.