Fitness & Wellness

Pelvic Floor Exercises For Women

Pelvic Floor Exercises For Women

Published by on July 25, 2024 | Leave a response

If your pelvic floor muscles aren’t strong enough, you’ll have problems with bladder and bowel continence. The pelvic floor can affect women’s sexual sensation since it supports the uterus. Weakness can even cause back pain. Pelvic floor exercises strengthen the muscles. The stronger those muscles are, the less fear you have that you’ll wet your pants if you sneeze or laugh. That’s especially true for pregnant or older women.

What are the pelvic floor muscles, and how can you strengthen them?

As the name implies, these core muscles are on the floor of the pelvis. They support the bladder, bowel, uterus, and core. They also regulate abdominal pressure. You can start with a simple exercise done on the toilet when you urinate. Focus on the muscles you’re using to allow the urine to release before you go. Attempt to stop your urine by tightening those muscles before you start urinating. A kegel exercise is done the same way but not while urinating. Instead of stopping a urine stream, tighten and relax the muscles you use to do that. You can do it anywhere.

Do a bridge and then squeeze.

A bridge starts by lying on your back with your knees bent with your feet flat on the floor. As you exhale, pull your belly in as tight as you can and squeeze your bottom tightly, lifting your body to a straight angle from your knees to the top of your head. Hold, then slowly lower your body as you inhale. To improve the pelvic floor workout, hold a ball or pillow between your knees.

A clamshell helps build the core muscles.

The clamshell is a simple exercise that starts by laying on your side with your upper body lifted and supported on the forearm of your lower arm. Bend your knees at a 45-degree angle, putting your upper arm on the floor for stability. Keeping your heels together, lift your upper leg like a clamshell opening. Hold and then lower the leg back to the starting position. Do ten, then switch sides.

  • Do a side-style leg left. Lay on your side with the bottom leg bent and the top one straight. Lift the upper leg while you tighten the pelvic floor muscles. Slowly lower the leg and repeat. Switch sides.
  • Doing a shallower squat with feet closer together can help strengthen the pelvic muscles. Keep your back straight and lean slightly forward while you bend your knees and lower toward the ground. When returning to the standing position, focus on tightening the pelvic muscles.
  • Pelvic floor exercises can help stop the stomach from pouching. If the pelvic floor is weak, it causes your organs to droop and push out the stomach.
  • Just like any exercise, focus on form and technique. It’s even more important for pelvic floor exercises and the reason most people need to locate where they are before starting.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Reasons Why You Should Log Your Workouts

Reasons Why You Should Log Your Workouts

Published by on July 10, 2024 | Leave a response

In Houston, TX, clients log their workouts for many reasons. The most obvious reason to log your workouts is to check your progress and find out what’s working and what’s not. It shouldn’t take much time, especially if you only log the exercise and the number of reps. Some people like adding extra information, such as whether doing it was easy or extremely difficult. That gives more clues to the fitness level at which they perform. If the exercise feels easy, increase the number of sets or repetitions you perform to make it harder.

Logging your workout can save you time.

If you list all the exercises in chart form and do it in the same order each session, all you have to do is look down and see what exercise comes next. You don’t have to think about it or worry you missed one. If you’ve ever opened the refrigerator door and forgot what you were getting or left the grocery without picking up the one item you wanted (but had a basketful of other things you didn’t plan to buy), you know how helpful having a list to check off with the number of reps can be.

You’ll be more accountable for finishing your workout.

There’s something about writing down the number of repetitions and sets that makes you feel like you need to be honest and do everyone. If you aren’t logging your workout, it’s easy to skim by and adjust the workout to fewer repetitions or sets to finish faster. Writing down a false number on your log makes you think twice and keeps you accountable to yourself.

Logging the workout makes it more challenging and game-like.

If you’re playing any game, keeping score is part of the fun, even if you’re playing against your previous record. Winners keep score for a reason. They like seeing the improvement. It drives them to focus on doing better. Exercising is hard work, but so is playing any sport. It can also be fun if you change your mindset to make it one. It takes a while to see the changes in your body, but not nearly as long to experience improvement. You won’t know you’ve improved unless you logged your original score.

  • If you don’t already log your progress, start doing it. Give yourself a few weeks to ensure you progress. Then see how you feel about doing it. Most people find it very rewarding.
  • Keeping extra notes can help you address specific issues. If you continuously struggle to do one regular push-up and it’s the same for weeks, it’s time to look for an easier version. Once your numbers show you conquered that, you can move to the traditional, more difficult one.
  • If you need encouragement later and have kept your logs, you can look back to the earlier months and see how far you’ve come. It can be motivating.
  • If you need more accountability, share your workout log with a friend once a month. Knowing someone is checking on you can be enough to push you to exercise on those days when you’d rather not.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Getting Fit With Online Help

Getting Fit With Online Help

Published by on June 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Everyone should have the opportunity to learn how to get fit and the ability to follow the advice. Many people don’t have access to a gym or a personal trainer. It might be too expensive, not close to their home, or not open when they have time. Those are all reasons people have turned to online help and why I provide it. I believe everyone deserves to look and feel their best. If you’re a busy mom, a person whose hours conflict with gym hours, or on a budget but crave feeling good, an online option may be right for you.

You can follow along and go back if you miss something.

If you’ve ever taken a live fitness class, you know the frustration when you first begin. Until you learn the routine, the moves seem to zip by. You may miss many of them. Online workouts are exceptional when it comes to learning the movements. You can go back until you get the form right. Nobody is judging you if it takes a bit longer. By its nature, it’s a customized workout.

Most people have erratic days and may have to skip in-person workouts.

You won’t have that problem when you work out online. If your day is hectic and falls completely apart, you can take time out and work off the stress. There’s no set schedule for working out online, although I always suggest you make an appointment with exercise. That way it becomes a habit. If your days are long and hours are crazy, online exercising can be the best option to ensure you workout daily. For people with a tight budget, online options are affordable. You get a whole month for about the same price as a Big Mac meal and a cookie and it’s much healthier.

You can blend an online option with gym visits or other types of exercise.

Whether you love riding a bike or enjoy your day at the gym, online sessions complement your program. If you choose the gym for strength training, online training can provide the cardio. It can offer strength and flexibility training if running or bike riding is your cardio. You can push as hard as you like or pull back if you had an intense workout the previous day. You are in control when it’s online.

  • You don’t have to make a big commitment to online training. You can choose each month whether it’s right for your needs. It’s a way of testing the waters without a large investment.
  • Online training is perfect if you’re a new parent who can’t find or can’t afford daycare. You can do it when the baby takes a nap. You won’t have to rush to get there and back home or worry the whole time you exercise.
  • You might not be ready to dedicate the money or time to personal training or the gym. Online training is a good conversion option.
  • Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any fitness program, whether online or in person. In most cases, they’re delighted you chose to improve your health.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Fitness Products You'll Love

Fitness Products You’ll Love

Published by on June 10, 2024 | Leave a response

If you live in Houston, TX, and want to improve your potential for success or give yourself a special treat for a job well done, new fitness products can do both. Some are low-cost items yet improve fitness results for the average person without breaking the budget. Others are special clothing that helps improve results and boost the success you hope to achieve. Many of the items don’t cost much but provide a huge benefit.

Have you tried exercise bands?

Resistance bands, also called exercise bands or strength bands, help streamline your figure by toning muscles and building strength. They’re inexpensive and far easier to store than bulky weights, kettlebells, and exercise machines. They add a new dimension to every workout and boost results every time you use them. You can use different colors to get different resistance levels, so they’re perfect for personalizing every routine.

Waist trainers give you motivation.

You’ll get quicker results when you use waist trainers, even if they’re short-term ones. You can use them before you have a big event to get the look you want. You can even wear a waist trainer to that event for a sleeker, smaller waist. While the results aren’t permanent, seeing your waist smaller makes a lasting impression. They help you focus on posture.

Use a smart-scan program or meal plan to help you lose weight.

If you’re shopping for healthy food, many food scanners grade food based on nutrition. Using a meal planner takes all the guesswork out of eating. Meal planners provide menus and shopping lists. They focus on personalizing your diet to fit your needs and preferences. You’ll also save money by using a meal planning service. There’s no waste. You use the food for several meals. You do all the cooking in one day, so it’s quicker than a drive-through during the week. You don’t have to wait to treat yourself to this fitness product, it will save you money.

  • Home gyms are excellent additions to your fitness journey but may be too expensive or bulky for most people. TRX systems are often more reasonably priced and can substitute for busy days when working out at the gym isn’t an option.
  • If you’re pushing it to the limit, don’t make your breast ligaments do the same. A good sports bra can keep the girls in good shape even when it’s high-impact. Good sports bras improve posture and keep you comfortable.
  • Heart rate monitors can help you check the intensity of your workout and keep it within safe levels. You can push yourself without worry when you know your heart rate. It doesn’t replace checking with your healthcare professional.
  • Whether it’s Ztepshift, our 90-Day Challenge, or the 15-Day Ab Attack our online services will help you get into shape faster and on your schedule, not ours.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Are You Swimsuit Ready?

Are You Swimsuit Ready?

Published by on May 25, 2024 | Leave a response

It’s already warm and expected to get warmer. You know what that means! It’s time to make sure you’re swimsuit ready. If you haven’t even started, there’s still time to improve significantly in how you look in your bathing suit. It’s never too late to get ready for swimsuit season. Create a weight loss goal and then start exercising to shed those extra pounds and tone the muscles to get a trimmer, slimmer appearance. You may not reach your ultimate fitness goal, but there’s no better time to start than now. You’ll get the benefit of most of the summer to enjoy fun in the sun with your new appearance.

It takes a healthy diet and regular exercise to get in shape.

Even if you exercise all day for days in a row, you won’t get the results you want if you eat junk food the rest of the time. You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Junk food doesn’t provide the nutrients you need to build muscle tissue. It contributes to cellulite and causes weight gain. Learning how to eat healthier isn’t dieting. It’s all about making better food choices. Fill your plate with colorful vegetables, healthy fat, and high-quality protein. If you snack, make it whole foods like fresh fruit or nuts. It’s time to enjoy the bounty that nature provides.

Start moving.

You can get in shape with small group training and Lifestyle bootcamps at RC Fitness. Whether you’re new to exercise or a seasoned veteran, there’s a program specifically for you. You’ll push yourself harder than you thought possible, but you’ll also see such good results you’ll want to work even harder. You’ll get the fastest possible results. You’ll work every part of your body. Exercising can help no matter what your goal is.

Track your progress.

People always do better when tracking their progress. It’s human nature. If you’re motivated, holding yourself accountable helps on those few times when you’re tired and don’t feel like exercising. Tracking your progress makes it more like a game. Winners keep score. You can track both your food intake and exercise program. If you stick with healthy choices in food, track only the unhealthy options, like food containing added sugar or highly processed food.

  • To boost results, increase your activity level. Instead of circling the parking lot trying to find the best space, park further from the store and walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you’re at a desk all day, get up and move at least once an hour.
  • Focus on your posture. Walk taller. You’ll look thinner and more confident when you do. That makes everyone look better. Look at yourself in the mirror as you slump. Change to good posture. It makes quite a difference.
  • Hydrate frequently. Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired. Drinking water a half hour before eating also fills you up, causing you to eat less. Avoid sugary soft drinks and fruit juices.
  • Get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep affects your hormones. It causes the body to produce more of the hunger hormone and less of the hormone that makes you feel full. You eat more when you lack sleep and move less.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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The Power Of Active Release Technique (ART)

The Power Of Active Release Technique (ART)

Published by on May 10, 2024 | Leave a response

If you live in Houston, TX, you may have heard of the Active Release Technique (ART). It’s a way to relieve pain. Chiropractors, massage therapists, doctors, and physical therapists provide the services. It has been shown to help relieve pain and improve mobility. It helps by finding knots in muscles and fascia and using pressure to release them. It can aid nerves, tendons, fascia, and muscles to move pain-free.

What do they do that helps?

Before any healthcare specialist uses ART, they gather your pain and medical history. They assess and evaluate your situation. Once the general location is determined, you either lay or sit comfortably as the provider uses his hands to locate a lump showing contraction or a tight area that indicates tissue tension. It might hurt. If it does, you need to let the practitioner know so he can reduce the pressure. The tender area is where there’s an adhesion or tightness of the underlying tissue. It’s often a lump. The practitioner pushes it as you move in a specific way that helps pull on it and free the adhesion. It takes about 15 minutes to a half hour for a treatment.

Not all pain can be treated with ART.

Even though it helps many conditions, it’s not helpful for some. It’s why the healthcare provider has a lengthy evaluation before starting. It can help with iliotibial band syndrome, which causes the iliotibial band at the side of the knee to become painful. It can help with shoulder pain, shin splints, surgical scars, plantar fasciitis, hip pain, back pain, knee pain, neck pain, bursitis, and tennis elbow. ART can also help improve limited motion or pain from soft tissue.

It’s becoming more popular because it works.

Many people love it because they feel better afterward. It causes their pain to diminish and eventually disappear. It helps improve range of motion, functional mobility, and flexibility. There’s less tension in the tissue and improvement in the injured muscles. As the soft tissue adhesions break up, your movement improves, and you’re less apt to damage or pull other muscles or tissue in your body.

  • One back pain study showed that when comparing myofascial release to ART, ART brought superior pain relief. A different study showed it superior to myofascial release for plantar fasciitis.
  • The combination of pressure and a specific movement is the key to achieving release. You may not be able to do the complete movement. Do as much as you can. If the pain becomes unbearable, let your provider know.
  • If scar tissue causes pain, ART can help. Signs of scar tissue include stiffness, pain when exercising, sharp pain near the heel, numbness, reduced flexibility, inflamed joints, decreased strength, and tingling or weakness.
  • There are four areas of certification and training for ART. The upper extremity, lower extremity, spine, and nerve. Check for accreditation before getting treatment. Always discuss using ART with your primary healthcare provider first.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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How To Beat A Plateau

How To Beat A Plateau

Published by on April 25, 2024 | Leave a response

One of the reasons I love working with people in Houston, TX, is that they’re tough and keep pushing until they accomplish their goals. It can be extremely difficult, especially if you’re plateauing. You may be dutifully hitting the gym or sticking closely to online workouts and not experiencing any weight loss. It may be because you’re plateauing. That occurs for many reasons. It doesn’t mean you can’t get past it. You can beat a plateau by making a few changes.

It’s easier to lose weight initially.

You change your eating and exercise patterns dramatically when you first start. You also weigh more. It takes more energy—calories—to do everything. If you were ten pounds heavier, it’s like carrying a ten-pound weight everywhere. You’re bound to burn more calories. You don’t require as many calories to maintain your new lower weight or burn as many calories. Your weight loss will slow or stop unless you readjust your diet or workout. How do you solve it? Make your workout more difficult as you get fitter.

You may not be plateauing, just experiencing normal weight loss.

If you chart the weight anyone loses, you won’t see a straight line. People will lose more weight in one week than they might in another. You may need to reset your expectations and look at fitness gains over several weeks. You may lose four pounds one week but only lose one or none the next. You still average two pounds a week. You still average two pounds a week. You may be gaining muscle mass that weighs more than fat tissue. If you’re losing inches but not weight, that’s the reason. You’re still making progress.

You may need to push yourself more when you workout.

You might experience plateauing if you’ve been doing the same workout since you started and didn’t increase the number of sets or reps. Your body becomes efficient at any movement it does repeatedly. As it becomes more efficient, it burns fewer calories. Whether you’re doing online workouts or in-person training, we always keep the sessions fresh and make frequent changes to prevent body efficiency. It also helps prevent boredom and keeps you motivated.

  • Check your calorie intake. You don’t have to overeat to gain weight or hit a plateau. You might not be counting the calories you drink. If you love fancy cappuccinos or drink a few soft drinks daily, it could be the problem. Fruit juice is also high in natural sugar and calories.
  • Don’t fret too much about one week of stalled weight loss. Just focus on eating healthy and exercising the next. If you don’t see any progress in two or three weeks, it’s time to change your routine.
  • Track your food intake if you’re plateauing. It makes you more aware of everything you eat. You might discover you frequently grab a handful of the kids’ candies or treats. Those handfuls add up.
  • Continuously pushing too hard and working out at maximum intensity can work against you. Your body needs rest. Alternate your workout between high-intensity workouts and active recovery, such as walking.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Become More Productive

Become More Productive

Published by on April 10, 2024 | Leave a response

Getting more done in the same allotted time is part of many goals, even fitness goals. You can become more productive by making some changes in your workout. One example is using HIIT—high intensity interval training. It’s not an exercise but a way of doing any exercise. You alternate intensity throughout the workout, going from peak intensity and then back to a recovery pace, then back to peak intensity again. You need 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise weekly but only 75 to 150 minutes of intense workouts. You can’t maintain a high intensity for long. Alternating intensity allows you to do that.

Have a workout plan.

When you use a trainer or online workouts, they provide the plan. You’ll get to work immediately without wasting time deciding what to do next. There’s no indecision or waiting when you know what to do next. Waiting too long between workouts due to indecision allows your heart rate to drop, making the workout less efficient. If you have a written plan that uses gym equipment, if the next machine is in use, skip it and return later when it’s empty.

Include warm-up and cool-down exercises.

Warm-up exercises are stretches. They involve moving your body in a similar way as your workout entails. Unlike cool-down or static stretching that you do after you workout, they’re dynamic stretches. Dynamic stretching continuously moves through different stretches, while static stretching is stretch and hold, like toe touching. Squat-to-heel-raise, jumping jacks, and walking lunges are examples of dynamic stretches. They slowly increase your heart rate and body temperature and promote blood flow and oxygen to the muscles. They increase your range of motion, decreasing the risk of injury. All these things help optimize your performance so you increase benefits from your exercise session.

Do strength training or add weight to cardio workouts.

If you’re doing cardio, wearing ankle weights and wrist weights can increase the calories you burn. Holding dumbbells while doing lunges or squats increases difficulty and provides more benefits. Don’t forget to include strength training in your workout program. Strength training builds muscle tissue as it burns fat. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism is. It also can help prevent osteoporosis, lower your blood pressure, improve your mood, and make you less prone to injury.

  • Do compound exercises that use more muscles and joints, such as squats or lunges. If your exercise only targets one muscle group, like bicep curls, they won’t build as many muscles or burn as many calories.
  • Have a cup of coffee a half hour before working out. Caffeine in coffee can boost your energy level by stimulating your nervous system. You’ll have more energy and enjoy the workout more.
  • Plan your workout for a time when you won’t get interruptions. Turn your phone on airplane mode if you must have it with you.
  • Track your workout. Track the number of sets and reps you do each session. You can also track how easy or difficult they were to do. That helps you make necessary modifications to your program.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Become More Flexible By Stretching

Become More Flexible By Stretching

Published by on March 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Everyone should include stretching in their workouts. In Houston, TX, we incorporate stretching into the workouts to help people stay flexible. Staying flexible is vital to staying fit. It protects the muscles from injury when doing everyday tasks. Stretching helps increase the range of motion, allowing easier movement. It reduces the pain caused by tight muscles. It improves posture and balance, helps boost strength-building, and improves overall performance.

There are many types of stretching.

The two best-known types of stretching are dynamic stretching and static stretching. Dynamic stretching involves movement. It helps warm the muscles before doing an activity. The activity could be running, softball, weightlifting, or other fitness challenge. Dynamic stretching is active. You move your joints and muscles in a way similar to your impending exercise. Static stretching is a stretch-and-hold style exercise. Squats to heel rise and jumping jacks are examples of dynamic stretches. The cobra pose—aka core stretch—and head-to-knee forward bend are examples of static stretching.

Both dynamic and static stretching improve flexibility.

Dynamic stretching helps warm the muscles and increases the range of motion. You contract your muscles throughout the entire movement. It increases circulation to increase the range of motion to relieve stiffness. You do static stretches after your muscles are warmed. They’re more flexible and loose. That looseness allows you to extend your muscle’s range of motion which increases joint and muscle flexibility.

Stretching helps you stay fit even when you’re not exercising.

If you work at a desk or spend long periods sitting idle, stretching can help you stay fitter. Getting up and stretching increases the oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body. It can loosen muscles and improve your posture. Poor posture not only reduces flexibility, it also can cause breathing difficulties, digestive issues, TMJ, and incontinence.

  • Yoga stretches can relieve back pain. Two yoga poses, the cat and the cow, combine to improve flexibility. Both poses start on the hands and knees. The cat pose stretches the muscles as you lower your head and arch your back. Drop your back and raise your head for the cow pose.
  • Side stretches and twists can relieve back pain, improve flexibility, build core strength, and whittle your waist. Stretch your arms out perpendicular to the body and twist your upper body so your left hand points in front of you. Twist the opposite way until your hand points behind you.
  • Relax your back and improve flexibility with a simple stretch. Let your hands dangle at your side and bend over, allowing your arms to drop forward with your fingers toward the ground. Bend as far forward as possible.
  • Stretching prepares your heart for more strenuous exercise. Besides increasing blood flow to the muscles, it increases blood flow to the heart and heart rate. It increases blood pressure slowly rather than spiking it.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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Best Ways To Get In Shape By Summer

Best Ways To Get In Shape By Summer

Published by on March 10, 2024 | Leave a response

It’s the perfect time to get in shape. There are still several months before summer is here. That gives you three to four months to get your body swimsuit ready. It doesn’t matter where you start, whether you’ve never exercised, are overweight, or just have to tone your muscles to look your best, starting now is all that’s important. You may not reach your ultimate goal, but you can make huge strides toward it. In the four to five months until mid-summer, you can lose 40-50 pounds, tone and tighten your muscles, and develop a healthy sexier appearance.

Focus on eating healthier.

You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Healthier eating isn’t dieting. It’s making smart decisions and choosing food that helps you meet your goal. RCF offers custom meal plans as part of the personal training programs. If you want to build or tone muscles, your program will include food containing the nutrients to accomplish that goal. No matter what your goal is, the personalized diet will help you reach it.

Is your goal realistic?

You’ll never be six feet tall if you’re 5’1″ and fully grown. Some things aren’t possible. Losing over 200 pounds before mid-summer is impossible if you’re healthy. Hone in on your goal then create a plan of action to reach it. After changing your diet to a healthier one, create an exercise program. You should include strength building two to three days weekly, giving your body 48 to 72 hours between sessions. Include cardio, balance, and flexibility training in your workout.

Combining a healthy diet with exercise can trim and tone you.

If you want to lose weight, your goal is to look thinner. Toning muscles helps do that. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does. One pound of fat needs a larger container than one pound of muscle. It’s like comparing a container for a pound of feathers with one for a pound of metal. The container for feathers will be much bigger. Working out burns fat and builds muscle to make you look thinner. A healthy diet and exercise burn calories to help you lose weight. That also makes you look thinner. If weight loss is your goal, combining the two is the best way to reach it.

  • Increase your activity when you’re not exercising. Burning calories and getting beach-ready shouldn’t stop at calisthenics. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or walk to lunch rather than drive.
  • Get adequate sleep. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body creates more ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and less leptin, the one that makes you feel full. You’ll have less energy and want to eat more when you lack sleep.
  • Drink plenty of fluid, preferably water. Water fills you up without adding calories. It also flushes out toxins in the body, improves your skin, and keeps you energized.
  • Have someone hold you accountable. One reason our personal training classes are so effective is that you’re held accountable. You’re more likely to stick with the program. Our personal training program can be private or small group training. Both types hold you accountable to help you reach success.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C. Fitness

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