See someone jogging or running outdoors?...DON'T DO these 3 things!

Running outdoors 'Rocky Style' - Not quite but still...

I consider running a VERY important part of my fitness program as do many others. I usually do my running in the streets of my neighborhood. Of course extra precautions should be taken when running outdoors...
Here you can find a wide variety of running and jogging safety tips


3 outdoor running annoyances? - OH YEAH


Over the years I've encountered numerous interesting happenings while running outside...here are 3 things that upset me a bit while I was running. While I kept my temper inside I was a bit annoyed...

Beep at me - This has scared the heck outta me before...I'm in "the zone", running outdoors, concentrating - then hooooooooooooooonnnkkkkk, the funny thing is, it's usually someone I know from the neighborhood that just wants to say hi. Next time send me a text!  lol

Asking for directions - Okay, this one may be controversial...after all if someone is running they probably know the area right? please, please, please! - ask someone else. Best case scenario you ONLY mess up the runner's workout a bit. I have jogged in place while giving someone directions, okay messed up my run a bit but no biggie. Worst case scenario a runner can faint if not worse due to not cooling down properly - ESPECIALLY if he/she stops suddenly to give directions. So please find someone else or go to your nearest gas station. Once I had to be rude and motion to a driver that I could not stop and was sorry...I kept running. Guess it wasn't really rude, a runner would understand I'm sure.

Release the hounds - No, this isn't a Simpsons episode with Mr. Burns! If you know an area is know to be full of runners please keep your dog on a leash. I love animals but there is something VERY scary about seeing a Pit Bull running at you...I was lucky that time - about 10 feet before he attacked me the owner was able to call his dog back - WHEW! Bottom line? - whether it is a poodle, pit bull or lion (okay disclaimer: DON'T get a lion etc. as a pet) please keep your dog on a leash, especially in an area where runners and children are...hey, it's probably against the law anyway to have your pooch unleashed :)

Share some of your wild outdoor running stories here :)

Thanks for checking out my blog!

In Health and Happiness,
  Daniel Stone

5 Sleezy Health Club Secrets!

Is there a party at those gyms that I'm missing?...

Oh those incredible commercials...you know the ones where everyone is partying at the gym and there are so many beautiful women working out. The intention to get you to join is great isn't it? isn't it? What can be wrong about a health club? why not just choose any good ole gym?hmmm...let's take a look at 5 of the sleezy gym secrets many health clubs withhold from its members

A contract harder to break than a deal with the devil...

Many potential members don't read the fine print of membership contracts. It often takes a certified letter to cancel a gym membership that is a 'month to month' - IMPORTANT - ask how a membership can be canceled...you may want to join a different gym or move eventually so this is key!

We are a cesspool of germs...

Some gyms are dirtier than bathrooms! Just a fact of life...Make sure the gym you join is clean! There should be sanitizers and paper towels throughout the gym. In the cleanest gym I worked in, the staff - including the trainers, were required to look around often for uncleanliness throughout the gym. Not wiping down the equipment after use was not tolerated. Often, these little things go overlooked - UNACCEPTABLE! - You are paying for a membership to help you get healthier - not SICK.

Maintain our equipment? - yeah like 10 years ago...

Too many times a health club will wait until an accident occurs or a piece of exercise equipment breaks to fix it. Worn out treadmill belts, loose screws on equipment and cables that are frayed are only a FEW things that can lead to severe injury or even death. Top quality gym management understands this and takes preventative measure.

You're on your own buddy!...

You want a quality spotter or just want to ask some fitness questions but the personal trainer is flirting with the woman behind the front desk! geez! Every health club should have a qualified staff member on hand and proactively helping out members. I'm not talking about holding the member's hands throughout the workout or gicing out freebie personal training sessions but general assistance. This also gives the trainer an opportunity to let potential personal training clients learn about their services.

Need some help? - use our 'punk'...

Think all 'trainers' are certified? Think again! Many gym owners cut corners so they don't have to pay a higher rate that trainers charge to patrol the gym floor. There is no NATIONAL law that states a personal trainer has to be certified. While the 'trainer' who is watching the gym members may be somewhat knowledgeable, you should join a gym that hires only CERTIFIED personal trainers. It actually goes beyond just being certified. A personal trainer should have a nationally recognized certification.

What are some sleezy secrets you have noticed about some health clubs? What are some of the amazing things you enjoy about your gym? - as always, you are encouraged to share here...

Health and Happiness,

Daniel Stone

What I said to my FEMALE client that almost got me FIRED!

The training session was going great until...

She didn't say anything after I uttered those words with confidence and a smile...she just stared.

It wasn't a nice stare - more like a glare - not exactly the evil eye but I got the point...I had upset her. Would there be a lawsuit? Would she tell the gym owners about what I said? Read on...

I had been training her for awhile, for about a year and she was getting good results. She was actually different than a lot of the clients I was used to training. You see, she actually asked questions about fitness during our sessions. This is something that many clients DON'T do.

Personal training is more than setting up the weights for you...

Competent personal trainers WANT you to learn more about fitness...

We would LOVE for you to ask more questions...

Yes we like to share stories and develop a nice friendship/business relationship but first and foremost should be teaching clients and helping them get RESULTS

So what did I say to her that ticked her off?

I actually meant it as a compliment but I chose the wrong words. On that particular day she was asking me many more fitness questions than usual. I was enjoying answering them for her, I really was. Towards the end of the session after a set I said to her "If I could train you, I could train ANYONE" oops picked the wrong words...

What I really meant was that...she was a great challenge for me to train because she actually demanded accountability from her trainer - you see too many clients are content on allowing their trainers to just put them through the motions. I've seen it so many times. A person has been training with a personal trainer for years - and still doesn't know how to put together a basic program for themselves! As a client you should strive for improvement in health and fitness as well as learning more about health.

What ended up happening?...

So did I get fired?...not exactly...Did I get sued - nope

My client didn't say anything that session but the following one she expressed how she felt. I had hurt her feelings. I apologized and gave her 10 FREE sessions (okay I didn't give her any free sessions). After explaining to her what I meant she forgave me but she said "you should watch your words more" - Almost 10 years later I have DEFINITELY taken her advice and learned from it.

How do you handle a situation where you know you have said the wrong words?...

Health and Happiness,

Daniel Stone

Why are you spontaneously DATING your food?

A hot nutritional date...with your local grocery store

So we have learned a great deal about grocery shopping. We hear it over and over. Never shop when you are hungry and bring your list. Both of these steps will help prevent you from purchasing snacks...or does it really?

Tell me your strategy :)

Plan your nutritional meals

So here's something great you can do that will take about 15-20 minutes a week but have a MAJOR impact on your nutritional intake and in-turn your health. Plan Your Meals...ok ok I hear what you are saying "I'm too busy", "that's annoying", "who does that?!" Well it isn't too tough. Just write a few down to start. Small steps will go a long way and this is what you will AVOID...

You know you're hungry and you know your body needs wonderful, nutritious food but you are in a rush and just decide to "grab anything". This is where that meal planning would have really come in handy. Instead of a powerful, nutritiously sound meal it becomes like a drive to a local fast food place - You've just been out on a date and now your healthy food is MAD as heck that you cheated on it.

So just a brief summary:

1)Follow those shopping rules...they help - but only if your list doesn't include junk food ;)

2)Plan your meals - even if you don't plan them all, eventually you may show your family a whole menu for the week - In color and all - I'm talking 5 star restaurant style!

3)Ensure your kitchen doesn't become a competing fast food franchise

4)Don't cheat on your healthy food - well, maybe just ONCE IN AWHILE

Do you plan your meals out? Do you prepare meals well in advance?

Share some of your fit nutritional strategies...

In health and happiness,

Daniel Stone

Trip to the gym and an Ice Cream Facial!

My first gym

The first gym I joined was amazing to me. The gym had all the equipment I loved...and a rock climbing wall too! We both had a great time and there were some VERY interesting characters there...more about that another time :) I was only 16 at the time so my older brother, David, would drive me there. As our schedules changed a bit I had to find other means of transportation. I tried to convince my mom to let me drive there with only a learner's permit but it was a no go. I decided to use my wonderful bike.

Cycle baby! Don't steal my bike...again

I was a bit paranoid taking my bike to the gym. You see every bike I have ever owned has been stolen eventually. The worst was when I went into a fruit and veggie store for 5 minutes and when I came out my bike was gone. I mean WTF? - and that doesn't stand for 'where's the fruit'! Well, I had a bike chain and consistently rode to the gym and back. It was around 5 miles total and I enjoyed it a lot.

Great workout and here's an ice cream...in yo face!

It was a gorgeous Summer day and I had gone to the gym...with my bike. It was a hot day I'll say that but I was focused. I had goals and the gym was in my plans. I had thrown away all the excuses. Too hot to bike ride to the gym? puleeeeeaaasseee!!! I was in NY not Nevada! I was almost home when a bunch of rowdy teens, driving, turned a corner and headed my way. I remember hearing laughing and I remember seeing one of them throw it from about 20 feet away. It was an ice cream in a cone, vanilla! It landed right in my face as I was cycling! I have no idea why they threw it but even at 16 I learned from that - by the way I did NOT eat any of that ice cream.

Consistency and no one can stop you except ONE person...

Eventually my brother and I started going to the gym together again so I didn't have to ride my bike there. That Summer I learned a lot but two things stand out. If you want to make health and fitness improvements it is key to be consistent. You will NOT get desired results if you are wishy-washy about your health or basically anything goals you want to achieve in life. There is however, one person that can stop you from achieving greatness...that is YOU. You are the only one who can TAKE ACTION and fulfill your dreams. All the motivation in the world means absolutely NADA if you don't get up and get going towards achievement.

Do you have any CRAZY gym stories?...why not share them here :)

To health and happiness,

Daniel Stone

Why I started working out and why ANYONE would care?

Did I start working out for the wrong reason?

It's a question I still think about A LOT. "Why did I really start exercising?" I've narrowed it down to two reasons but first let me start by saying I started exercising somewhat regularly at age 13. That seems very young but put simply I was INTO it. Oh and back to the "Why anyone would care?" question in a bit :)

Stretching...In the kitchen?!

It's one of the few vivid images I still have of my father...him stretching his hamstrings after a run. He would stretch em out in the kitchen - maybe he was anxious to eat after a long run?...

I was eating breakfast and I saw him stretching, I saw the look in his face - of accomplishment - he loved exercising, especially running and the marathons he ran expressed that. After he passed away due to a heart attack at age 50 those memories were even more etched in my mind. You see the reason why he hadn't passed away years earlier was because he had been exercising . If not for his commitment to exercising, no doubt I would not remember any of the wonderful memories I was blessed to have with him. I decided a couple of years later health had to be a priority in my life...

Perhaps it was vanity though...

So I was 13 and weighed 99 pounds and boy did I hear about it. From calling me "rake" to "twiggy" to "stick" I was teased a lot. It wasn't vicious but it was enough to get me motivated...I wanted to be BIGGER and STRONGER. To top it all off my brother David was in incredible shape - I was very jealous and wanted to have an incredible body too!

Does the reason why I started matter?

So I've come to the conclusion that I will always remember the sparks that helped me adopt a MUCH healthier lifestyle. I can proudly say I have been exercising consistently for over 20 years now! Along the way there have been many challenges and no doubt plenty more will arise. In the end the past serves for lessons learned the important thing is that I took action.

So why should you care?

The truth is most people will not care why I got started in this industry but I'll say this. If I could adopt a healthier lifestyle so can you. I had A LOT of challenges in getting started but I just did it. Sometimes you can't plan too much you just need to take ACTION. Many people wait for motivation before taking action. Take ACTION and the motivation will come! The more results you get the more motivated you will get!

Your time is NOW!

Maybe you have been exercising on a consistent basis as well - That's AWESOME! Maybe you're in a "fitness rut" and haven't trained in awhile Perhaps your workouts are lacking that extra passion ingredient. It's time to only take the great memories of the past and what you have learned and use it to build a better future. Take ACTION today and start having your greatest workouts. I challenge you but more importantly, find your inner fire and CHALLENGE YOURSELF!

My question to you is: What motivates YOU to lead a healthy, fitness-filled lifestyle?

In health and happiness,

Daniel Stone