If it Works for Jennifer Aniston It Has to Work for Me…Right?

My love of reading developed at an earlier age than my passion for fitness and health, but I love that the two can be connected. As a nerd at heart and working in research and hospital labs in my former life, an analytical and often critical approach to all things research is deeply ingrained in my being. I realize not many people would actually read research papers on exercise and nutrition for fun but I do have some tips on how to determine if the latest workout (or diet) featured in Cosmo or Self isn’t just a fast fading fad?

Everyone and their nanny has a fitness book/DVD about health. How do you know if they are truly legit? Well first of all, these celebs aren’t planning their own workouts, not even Jennifer Aniston or Gwyneth Paltrow. Behind every great celeb body is a crew of professionals from Personal trainer(s)- yes- plural, personal chefs, and a plethora of personal assistants, to do all the everyday mundane things we all need to get done. This allows the celebs to train every day and sometimes hours a day.

– Look beyond the article – who is promoting this new workout? Do they have a vested interest or are they unbiased? Is the author the creator of the workout or is he/she a neutral, objective testor?

– Research the trainers profiled- what is their background, certifications, experience?

– Money – who or what company is funding this book/article/research?

– Real testimonials – be aware that most testimonials are paid fitness instructors or just genetically gifted models.

– Does it make sense – if it’s too good to be true – it really is. If you ask anyone who has successfully lost weight and kept it off, they will tell you it wasn’t easy.

If you are interested in a great book on exercise science, try this one:

The First 20 Minutes – Gretchen Reynolds This (unbiased) research-based book shows the effectiveness of your exercise is dependent upon the quality of your workout in the first 20 minutes. This info is encouraging to those with time constraints because it demonstrates that even longer workouts will not be as effective if we piddle around in the beginning of our sessions or take a long while to really get going. Scientifically proven data to demonstrate how better to use our workout time, how to train for various general goals, supplement use and more. Also, read why just getting up off your butt and moving has huge health benefits.