Harbinger joined the party in 2010 with our Eco-Fit Training Mat made from 100% recyclable foam.

How do you celebrate Earth Day? Tell us and you may win a Harbinger Eco-Fit Training Mat.

According to the US News Money report, jobs in the “work-while-you-play” field are on the rise. This is great if you are looking for a flexible schedule and enjoy working with people.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 21.1% growth over the next three years in fitness trainer and aerobic instructor opportunities… and the Bureau anticipates over 60,400 new jobs by 2018!

While you may not earn the highest salary (average fitness instructor made $31K in 2010), there are areas in the country fitness professional pay is as high as $75,000/year.

Gyms generally hire for technique and personality. You may have great technique, but if you don’t interact well with clients, you could fall short in the selection process.

Same thing is true if you work great with others but don’t know what you’re doing… you’re almost assured not to get the job. Make sure you get your certification through a reputable association, like ACSM or ACE, and attend continuing education workshops through IDEA to ensure you stay on the cutting edge of fitness

Are you a personal trainer or group instructor? Tell us why you chose training as a career, and how you secured your first fitness job… inquiring minds (and future instructors) would like to you!  

Side note – Certified Fitness Professionals are eligible to participate in Harbinger’s Professional Purchase Program – for more info, contact program specialist Melanie today!

Usain Bolt fromJamaica is a three time Olympic gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He is the current reigning champion in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4×100-meter relays. He shared his must-do moves with Men’s Health: frog jump, dumbbell lunge and hanging leg raises.  Usain wows with top speeds of 27.3mph … just goes to show what regular training can help you do!

Trey Hardee, a tri-athlete fromAlabama is heading toLondon in 2012 with the gold medal his goal. His must-do moves are the decathlon circuit, including: 100-meter race, long jumps, shot put, high jump, 400-meter race, 110-meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500-meter race. This is his first Olympic appearance – and he believe that his commitment to training is what brought him this far!

Ryan Lochte, an Olympic swimmer fromNew York, is a 6-time Olympic medalist, having earned 3 gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics. His must-do move in the water is stroke play and on land he battles the ropes. Will he once again go head-to-head with Phelps this summer?

While you may never qualify for the Olympics, you may complete these must-do Olympian moves. – And that’s a huge accomplishment!  Men’s Health offers 6 Pillars of Olympic Fitness:

1. Set Clear Goals: tell someone who will hold you to it. Write it down where you will see it. Set a deadline and then take steps to make it happen.
2. Upgrade your workout. Try a new workout at a new location and keep track. Reward yourself when you hit set levels or workout goals, and create penalties when you are falling short.
3. Eat to win. Keep track of everything you put in your mouth for three days. Estimate the calories you need. Men’s Health offers an easy way to determine your caloric needs based on your level of activity. Figure out how you can adjust your diet to achieve your goal!
4. Target your weaknesses. By only focusing on what you are good at, you may not be prepared. Try working on areas that are not your strengths. This will help improve you improve your overall performance, and avoid injury in the process!
5. Cross-train. Don’t limit your training to one routine set of exercises – try whatever exercise that interests you. Men’s Health recommends incorporating some social workouts so you meet people who share your interests and will hold you accountable.
6. Make your own mojo. Find a song that motivates you. Imagine yourself succeeding. Robert S Weinberg atMiamiUniversityinOhiostates, “Imagery trains your muscle memory.” Music can help prepare your body for success!

How do your fitness goals mesh with this Olympic-sized success plan? Share your must-do moves with us for a chance to win a pair of Harbinger FlexFit Ultra™ gloves. Our top-of-the-line FlexFit gloves are a great addition to your weight training program!

The modern game of golf originated in Scotland during the 15^th century. Today golf is enjoyed worldwide by all types of people. A 2008 study by Japanese professor Osamu Saito found that the US has more golf courses than any other country with 17,672. Hollywood also has an interest – with blockbusters like The Greatest Game Ever Played, The Legend of Bagger Vance with Matt Damon, and Kevin Costner’s legendary Tin Cup.

So how do tour pros train to stay on top? Were they born great? Singh, Mickelson and Woods all started playing as children, even before they started school. Michelson mirrored his father playing golf, which created a right-handed golfer with a left-handed swing.

Golf requires control, flexibility, strength and endurance. According to Aspiring Golfer author Sean Cochran, weight training needs to be cross-specific which “develops the body to the positions, movements and requirements” of golf.

Not every player has the same swing, but the motions and stand to swing are basically the same. Flexibility, according to Cochran, is a must.  To turn the body and move through the swing requires a long range of motion. The areas that need to be trained for flexibility are the hamstrings, lower back, hips and shoulders.

Balance training is key. Balance is “the equal distribution of weight” and is based on core strength. Cochran calls it the “body’s ability to control its center of gravity and body parts efficiently.” Using the Harbinger Balance Trainer will help improve your core strength. Avoid muscle isolation and instead work towards functional training with ball crunches, Russian twists and single leg squats.

How do you maximize your performance on the course?  Are there any specific exercises or routines that help you play at your best?

Tell us – and you may win a Harbinger Balance Trainer.

Oxygen magazine offers 3 helpful tips to create a “more mindful you in 2012”.

1. Concentrate on one task at a time. Spreading your focus on too many things may mean you are missing the immediate task at hand. Oxygen suggests that “at the gym, focus on each rep”, instead of thinking about the entire set. This will help your muscles respond to each rep and keep your mind focused.
2. Add pauses to your day. Take a break from your desk. Go outside or just spend a few minutes to decompress. Oxygen recommends closing your eyes, taking deep breaths and thinking calm, soothing thoughts.
3. Cut distractions from regular activities. Try doing something without noise in the background, like eating without watching TV.  And working out without music…. Oxygen encourages you to try, observing that “without anything to divert your attention, you’ll find it easier to listen to your thoughts.”

According to Oxygen, refocusing your attention on the moment at hand may help you drop more pounds, boost your immune system, cut stress and improve your memory. Practice mindfulness and be in touch with the present moment.

Tell us how you focus while exercising… is it specific breathing? Or instrumental (no vocals!) music? Or visualizing a certain place or object?  We would love to hear from you.

According to personal trainer Robin Reichert, weightlifting has a number of benefits specifically for women. Lifting weights builds stronger bones, helping decrease the risk of osteoporosis (osteoporosis is more common in women as we age.)   Weight training increases endurance, revitalizing those old, tired muscles and helping to avoid canes, walkers or wheelchairs.

The Mayo Clinic says, “Strength training is an important part of an overall fitness program.” They recommend strength training to: develop stronger bones, control your weight, reduce your risk of injury, boost your stamina, manage chronic conditions and sharpen your focus.

Keep in mind strength training doesn’t have to be done in the weight room at a gym. The Mayo Clinic gives the following options for weight training alternatives:  use your body weight with push-ups, pull-ups, crunches and leg squats. You can also use resistance tubing, free weights and weight machines, in the comfort of your own home.

And women shouldn’t fear getting too bulky. Just because you strength train does not mean you will like look the female version of Hugh Jackman in Wolverine. Men have very different builds and they have more testosterone pumping through their system. Those two things alone affect the way male bodies respond to weight training.

Get your doctor’s approval before starting any exercise program, then allot time to weight train 2-3 times a week for 20-30 minutes. You can up your frequency when you feel ready —it may take a few weeks to build your stamina.

We have several weight training products designed to help women, including resistance cables, and our Women’s Pro gloves when using free weights or weight machines.

Tell us when you started strength training and about your results. One lucky reader will win a pair of Harbinger Women’s Pro gloves and a resistance cable.

Men’s Fitness has a list of recommended moves that will turn any park into a gym. Their 3-day fitness plan will have you doing jump squats, bear crawls, crab walks and burpees in the wide open spaces. You can use straight bars or a strong tree limb to perform pull-ups and knee raises. Parallel bars are great for dips and leg raises. And finally the monkey bars can help you with walking from end to the other, with your hands.

Self.com has similar tips for women. They recommend playing catch, Frisbee, hacky sack, Four Square, hopscotch, Hula Hoop, jump rope, kickball and tag. They even give you a calorie-burned breakdown on their site. These are great if you’re at the playground with your kids or friends. You can also see Gossip Girl’s Jessica Szohr working out with Self Magazine in this YouTube video. She’ll show you some playground moves you can do alone or with a partner.

Finding time to workout wherever you are is great for busy schedules and those times you just can’t make it to the gym. Whoever said the playground is just for kids?   Tell us how you stay active at the park or on the playground.

(Don’t feel bad if you don’t know – plenty of people still don’t know there is a difference!)

Gym fit refers to having strong, sculpted muscles, but only the ones you specifically target in your workout.

Being functionally fit means you’re prepared for everyday activities that may tax your body in ways your regular training does not cover.

Functional training is increasingly popular with aging baby boomers because it keeps individuals in shape and able to live actively and independently well in to their senior years.

IDEA Fitness Journal states 7 principles that underlie effective functional training.

1. Assess and Prioritize. While strength is only one component in functional fitness, you should look at the daily activities you perform and create a workout routine that will help you with your daily tasks. You need power to perform daily tasks and that takes strength and muscle function.
2. Make Purposeful Decisions. Using your goals and medical history you should be able to create a custom approach to meet your needs. There is not a one-size-fits-all program for functional fitness. Make sure you know why you are performing a particular exercise.
3. Train in 3 Planes. Because life is not one dimensional your training should be more than isolation training. Functional fitness reflects the ability to move better in every day life. Training in strength, flexibility and aerobics are 3 planes to have incorporated into your routine.
4. Supplement and Complement with Isolation. While functional training focuses primarily on the overall fitness of the individual and their ability to move easier throughout their daily lives, it is also important to make sure you understand your limitations or weaknesses. If there are “normal” daily activities you are having difficulty performing then add isolation training to your routine. By focusing on one particular muscle group you will be developing muscles in area you are lacking. Just remember your entire workout should not be isolation training. You are aiming for more function in your life not just bigger biceps.
5. Perform Seated Exercises Only for Particular Purposes. Standing uses more muscles than hitting. You should only use sitting exercises to train your center-of-gravity control. Of course if you are tired, can’t stand for long periods of time or have any ailments keeping you from standing then you should still continue training but from a seated position. This can still be beneficial if it’s all you can do.
6. Program from More Complicated to Less Complicated. You want to start your route with the harder exercises first. This is because as you begin to tire it will be easier to finish your workout with the lighter work at the end.
7. Maximize Safety and Success. Even though you have assessed your fitness ability and know your strengths and weaknesses, make sure you have someone nearby that can help you if needed. If you are using a personal trainer they should give you their undivided attention. If you are tired or feel weak you can adjust your workout that day. If you are unsure how to perform an exercise ask your trainer to show you, making sure you completely understand.

Don’t let age stop you from exercising!   If you’re finding daily activities a little harder than they use to be, consider functional training for everyday strength.

Do you already perform functional training as part of your workout?

Tell us about it and you may win a Harbinger Resistance Cable.

Do you know how to walk? If you’re over the age of 2 chances are you’re a walker. So why not use this lifelong ability to your advantage?

Even if you’re stuck at the office from dusk to dawn you can take a walk. Walk around the building, take the stairs to your next meeting or park as far away as possible and walk farther to the office. The bottom line is find ways to walk farther each day.

Runner’s World gives 8 reasons to walk:

1. You’ll get fitter.
2. You’ll lose weight.
3. It’s simple.
4. It’s sociable.
5. You’ll be less stressed.
6. It’s flexible.
7. Everyone can do it.
8. You will develop exceptional muscle tone.

Lately I have been looking for reasons to walk.  I have Friday afternoons free so I now load the 9-month old into the stroller and walk to pick my 8-year old up from school. It’s about an hour walk and enjoyable for all. Even going to the library can be fun with all there is to see, we all find things to admire along the way. As we have all heard lately, as little as 15 minutes of exercise a day can lead to a longer life.

Still not convinced you have time to walk? Take the Harbinger 15 minute daily challenge. For the rest of the month track your “Daily 15” and enter to win a Harbinger Fitness Pack. Your “Daily 15” can be walking, running, jumping rope with the Harbinger Beaded Rope or any other exercise you find to fit into your day. Make sure to follow us on Facebook to post your progress. Let us know if you’ll take the challenge!

Many things can lead us astray from our daily workouts — work, family, illness or other commitments. But don’t give up! There are many reasons to stick with your workout. While we know as little as 15 minutes a day of exercise is beneficial, it doesn’t have to be every day.

The Mayo Clinic recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic exercise. Experts suggest spreading it out over the course of your week, and including strength training at least twice a week.

Remember, physical activity can be done in many ways and strength training can be done with push-ups, pull-ups, squats, resistance cables, free weights or weight machines. Your aerobic activity should vary as well, with walking, running, jumping rope and even playing hopscotch.  Harbinger resistance cables, push-up bars and jump ropes are all designed to get (and keep) you going!

So don’t lose heart. In fact, save your heart — and enhance your overall well being — with physical activity.   How do you get your 150 minutes a week?