LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH IN THE NEW YEAR
WITH TOFER STEWART
The US Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ) has certain guidelines for Americans when it comes to health and fitness . As far as exercise routine , HHS recommends a minimum of 150 minutes for cardio and two days of resistance training through all your muscle groups . While that ’ s a good base , locally renowned personal trainer and owner of Pacifica Athletic Center ( PAC ) Tofer Stewart advises his clients and others that they should be getting more than that . He typically recommends at least 3 – 4 hours of cardio and 3 – 4 days of resistance training each week .
Getting into a regularly scheduled exercise routine makes all the difference for his clients , Tofer says . Especially with what we ’ re all going through in the pandemic , people from all walks of life are getting sick both physically and mentally . In this issue , we want to highlight PAC and how Tofer and his team can help everyone feel better and combat those winter saddies .
See the Difference
There are many different aspects to exercise . Fitness is one , of course , but beyond that , exercise is a lifestyle . There are a lot of people that get into the gym to lose a little weight and work out for a couple months , then come back to it on and off . PAC tries to encourage the development of a regular fitness lifestyle instead .
Exercise promotes better sleeping habits and boosts your immune system . While there are no studies showing that exercise prevents COVID , they do show that it tends to make it less severe if you do get it . The better your immune system , the better chance you have of fighting off the virus .
“ If you ’ re not working out regularly , it should feel weird ,” says Tofer .
At first , it ’ s a struggle , but the hardest thing is really to get through the doors . Once you get signed in and get going , the rest is easy . It ’ s motivating yourself to get there that ’ s uncomfortable .
The truth is , no one knows what they ’ re doing . No one ’ s watching you . When you find a good gym like PAC , you always feel welcomed and good about being there . Everyone is there to learn , to grow , to socialize , and to enjoy the health benefits , which are so numerous . Did you know that by exercising regularly you will reduce your blood pressure and prevent strokes , cancer , diabetes , anxiety , and arthritis , to name a few ? You ’ ll also be hard pressed to match the feeling of euphoria and stress relief when you finish your workout . As we know , we could all use as much stress relief as possible .
When you start becoming healthier and happier , you start exuding that and people gravitate towards you . That just grows , lifts you and the people around you up , and spreads throughout the community .
Powerlifting to the Top
While he hasn ’ t had any Olympians yet , Tofer has had many personal training clients compete in powerlifting tournaments . Tofer laughs because none of his clients ever came to him intending to compete , but he showed them a taste of powerlifting and they were hooked . “ The success and the development in powerlifting is infectious , and it ’ s hard to shake off wanting to
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