DF Tip #1: Welcome to Dynamic Fitness Tips!

Hey fitness clients, old, new, and 'wha--, who is this guy, and why am I opening this email?' types--

This message is coming to you from Dynamic Fitness and is a free fitness tidbit that I'm sending out to anyone who I suspect might be interested. If you're not, and never want to see this kind of drivel clogging your mailbox again, by all means, let me know: just respond to this email with a "cancel" in the subject line and you're off, free to find your own way through the quagmire of contradictory fitness advice entirely on your own. But it's a jungle out there, so be careful.

For the rest of you, I've been thinking: fitness training can be lonely, doncha think? You hit the gym, by yourself or with your trainer, you do your workout, you leave. Sure, there are other people in the gym, mindlessly repping out hip-adductor movements day after day while Gunter (15th place, Mr. World 1978, plus the "Best Lats" trophy) watches and counts reps, his steroid-addled brain more concerned about what comes after "5" than with his client's deteriorating form. Yes my friends, working out can be a lonely experience.

And that's too bad. Because just about everyone's doing it: going to the gym, getting out and running now and then, even playing foozball once in a while, burning off some serious calories. So why shouldn't it be something we do, if not together, well, with at least some sense of a community? Isn't that how it used to be at those old boxing gyms? You'd have Mitch, the crusty gym owner, his trusty, if punch-drunk sidekick Stan, the weathered veteran Meathead, who'd show you his battle wounds, some of them acquired in the ring, Chucky, the upstart talent, looking to break into the game...that sort of thing. Everyone knew everyone else.

Now I'm not out to throw a big party or anything, I just figured that I'd start up an occasional fitness newsletter for people that I either know or suspect are interested in this sort of thing. As in my training sessions, I hope to be pedantic, sanctimonious and utterly condescending. It works in the gym, why shouldn't it work in print?

To be honest, I'd actually like it to NOT be any of those things, because that's what kills most fitness writing. It's too cheery, it's not connected with any reality I'm familiar with (like "Park your car seven miles away from the door at work!") What I'd like to do is offer tips -- simple little things one can become aware of to improve one's fitness on a day to day basis. I promise that one of the tips will never, ever be "do situps during the commercials while you're watching TV!" I'm not saying DON'T do that, but personally, when I'm watching TV, I'm watching TV. I don't want to have to do my Kegals while they're trying to sell me cell-phone service (stole that joke from a client -- thanks, Casey!).

So after all that, guess what? Your tip this week couldn't be easier. It's this:

Drink water.

That's all. Yes, it's usually in on every list of what to do for better fitness, and we all say to ourselves, yeah, okay, drink water, whatever. And then we ignore it. But this week, don't. Just try it for one week, just this week and see how it affects you. Just start noticing how often you get thirsty, and heed that desire as often as possible by downing a glass of water. I'm not of the "drink till you need a catheter" school, but I am of the "water is the best thing you can drink" school. By changing just that one thing, you'll probably look and feel leaner, because the more you drink, the less you retain. And water retention makes your body softer and less defined. A lot of us go around a little bit dehydrated almost all the time, and that can negatively affect alertness and energy levels. Be especially careful to drink water when you've had alcohol and/or caffeine above and beyond your normal levels--those beverages can be dehydrating. So drink up! And see how you feel.

That's it for this week. Give it a try. And again, for people not interested in my tips -- shoot me an email and let me know.

Have a great week! As ever, check out dynamicfitness.us for more information about training, diet and further fitness activities.

Andrew