Embarking upon a serious strategy to improve personal health and fitness requires more than good intentions. Dietary changes may well be necessary, especially if a rigorous new exercise regime is implemented. In addition to switching from low fiber, high-fat foods to low-fat, high fiber and low sugar diets, performance can undoubtedly be enhanced by the judicious consumption of high quality supplements. While these should never be considered as dietary substitutes – they are all intended merely to supplement healthy diets – benefits obtained from probiotics, antioxidants such as green tea and vitamin C, multivitamin supplements and, for those whose exercise regime is especially demanding, protein powder and meal replacement powder can yield significant benefits. Dietary considerations aside, though, a critical element in any endeavor to achieve optimum health and fitness is exercise. And the sheer determination and willpower required to sustain a new exercise regime ought not to be underestimated. Sadly, many fail to progress beyond the ‘good intentions’ phase: a few visits to the gym, followed by the resumption of previous lifestyle patterns. Established patterns are notoriously difficult to permanently change, and one way of maximizing the chance of success is to consider instruction from a personal trainer.
