Month: February 2014

Bio

 

 

Sharissa Reichert is the personal trainer to meet all of your fitness needs. She is AFFA certified in personal training, nutrition, senior population, Yoga essentials, pre- and post-natal fitness, PNF stretch (specialized stretch), Pilates Yoga Double Ball and stress management.

 

Sharissa creates your individualized program in a very caring and professional manner. She gives you an exercise program that will make you improve your health, strength, balance, and flexibility. She creates a, and a fitness program that you will truly enjoy. She is well-versed in training clients with special needs, such as bone loss (osteopina and osteoporosis), heart conditions, injuries, knee and shoulder issues, morbid obesity, scoliosis and many other issues.

 

Sharissa takes a holistic approach to fitness, looking closely at you and your needs as an individual. She takes into account your individual body mechanics, lifestyle, and preferences when designing your program.

 

Sharissa has 9 years of experience in the fitness field. She has worked at Crunch Gym, and has managed at Fitness Together personal training studios, taught classes, and served as a fitness director supporting other trainers in program design. She is now the owner and proprietor of Bene-Fits Personal Training and serves the greater-Brooklyn area.

 

Sharissa has an extensive knowledge of yoga, Pilates, weight training, and martial arts and incorporates all of these disciplines into her workouts.

She also has an extensive knowledge of nutrition. She is well-versed in healthy cooking and Proper nutrition.

 

When she’s not training, Sharissa is a food activist who fights for your right to have healthy food in your neighborhood and on your plate. She is also the developer of the Super 60s workout class for active seniors and the ‘Thought for Food’ seminar on how food affects the brain and how to develop a healthy eating style.

 

 

Why work with a Personal Trainer?

 

Workout videos, exercise classes, and fitness TV shows are meant for 75% of the population. They are not meant for anyone with any type of physical issues. A personal trainer can create a safe, effective program that meets your individual needs. Sharissa has designed thousands of workouts for all types of bodies.

 

On working with seniors:  

 

“I love to work with seniors,” says Sharissa. “Seniors are a population that is often ignored and underestimated by most fitness professionals and by society at large. It is amazing to me to watch a person who is over 60 and was told just to stay in bed for their health a generation ago to improve with exercise. I love to facilitate the improvements of my senior  clients. I love seeing them walk better, not have to worry about falls and bone breakage, and be able to do things they haven’t been able to do in years. Anyone can improve. You just have to work at it with the proper guidance.”

 

On working with pre- and post-natal clients:

 

“I also love to guide my clients through the birth process. My pre-natal clients have very easy births with little pain, and my post-natal clients look like they did before having their babies – and sometimes better. ”

 

Services:

1-hour session

½-hour session

Skype lesson

Consultation with mini-session and 3 printed workouts

½ hour PNF (full body stretch)

 

Check out my fitness and nutrition blog

Bestpersonaltrainerbk.com

 

 at On Twitter@bene-fits.

 

 

s.reichert66@gmail.com

 

Exercise and Personal Training During Pregnacy: What You Need to Know.

Exercise and Personal Training During Pregnancy: What You Need to Know

 

 

 Recently, I was at the gym and an extremely pregnant friend of mine and Pilates instructor squatted away at the hack squat machine. She is in great shape and goes to the gym almost every day.

 

One by one, what seemed like everyone in the gym went up to me and asked me about my friend who was 9 months pregnant and squatting with weights.

 

“Should she be doing that?” 

 

“Isn’t it time for your friend to stop exercising?”

 

Even other trainers said to me, “I know she is in good shape and should be exercising but her big belly makes me nervous.”  

 

“Is that safe for the baby?”

 

There are so many myths about pregnancy and exercise. The truth is that pregnant women should exercise, and there are benefits for the mother and the baby. My friend had a very easy birth to a wonderful baby girl and had a perfectly flat stomach three months after childbirth. Yes, it was OK for her to be at the hack squat machine at 9 months pregnant.

 

Let’s look at some myths about exercise and pregnancy that date back to the middle ages. I can’t believe that we still mention them in this modern age.

 

1. Exercise can cause miscarriage. This is the number one fear and totally not true in a healthy pregnancy. The reason most miscarriages occur is due to a genetic defect of the fetus. Plain and simple the wrong combination of sperm and egg could not have made a viable baby. In the cases where miscarriage is caused by other factors, exercise on a regular basis is said to help PREVENT miscarriage.

 

2. Exercise is too stressful for pregnant women. This was considered a fact until about 30 years ago. But now we know that is a total myth. It doesn’t even make any sense. Of course there are no pregnant Ironman competitors, but this is because pregnancy does require a lot of the body’s resources. Pregnancy is a time to stay active within reason.

 

3. Exercise during pregnancy hurts the fetus. Total myth! Not true at all. The fact is that active, exercising moms have healthier babies. Babies born to exercising moms have lower body fat levels, and the latest research suggests exercising moms give birth to babies with more developed brains and higher IQs.

 

4. Exercising pregnant women care about their looks more than their babies. This is complete sexist rhetoric. Of course pregnant women who work out look better after giving birth. They also have easier childbirths, which means less stress for baby, and if mom is healthy she can take better care of the baby! Working out during pregnancy is healthy, not selfish.

 

5. You can get hurt more easily while working out when are pregnant. Though this is actually true, too often this rationalization is used to dissuade women from exercising while pregnant. What you do need to know is there are many precautions that you need to take when working out while pregnant. The general precautions for exercise during pregnancy are: nothing too vigorous, no workouts longer than an hour,  and no exercises preformed on flat on your stomach or your back. Also, be sure to drink plenty of water when exercising, and be super careful when stretching. One word of caution: Every pregnancy is different, there are a few kinds of pregnancies where exercise IS strictly forbidden. These are special situations that require a doctor’s care and guidance.

 

Now, the question is: what exercise do you do when you are pregnant?

 

In terms of classes, there are plenty of great ones for pregnant women. I recommend pre- and post-natal yoga, restorative yoga, Pilates, or even zumba. Stay away from kick boxing and hot yoga during this time.

 

But if you want the best advice on what is safe or good to do when choosing an exercise program for pregnancy, get a personal trainer who is certified in pre- and post-natal exercise. Like any other person who helps you with your health, you will need someone with the right qualifications. There are many great trainers both male and female who have pre- and post-natal certification.

 

A trainer who is certified to train women during pregnancy or after the birth of their child has taken the time to get educated about the special considerations that must be taken into account.

 

What will not help you is a trainer with just a lot of experience, who does not have this kind of certification.

 

Finally, pick someone you feel comfortable with and who feels comfortable with you. This will make working together easier for both of you. The trainer should not baby you, but he or she should not push you too hard either. Prenatal exercise should feel like work, but not too difficult — somewhere in the middle of your minimum and maximum capacity for exertion.

 

Both mom and baby will enjoy the benefits of good health through exercise!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working Out for Keeps

Ah, the gym in January. Every class is full to capacity. Every weight machine is being used. Every person selling gym memberships is busy, busy, busy. Every personal trainer is booked.  Then by the end of January, half of these new gym members are gone, and classes go back to the regular amount of attendees. By March, at least half of the new members are not working out, wasting their memberships and money to boot. As a matter of fact, half of you who start working out will stop after just a few months.

 

Why is this? Because “working out,” according to most people, is too hard, too time-consuming, too boring and sort of painful. How can you keep this from happening to you? Let’s look at some ways to make exercise a priority in your life and keep you going to the gym or exercising for good this time.

 

First, gyms are actually clubs; they all have their own feel, equipment and members. This is why there are so many women-only gyms, many women are too shy to work out in front of guys. Try a few different places before you invest your money and time. Most gyms offer a free trial period; just be bold enough to move on if you find that one or more are not for you. For example, if you are new to working out, you might not want to join that body building gym. Who wants a huge, muscle-bound guy asking when you are going to get off that machine?  Some gyms are like singles bars, with everyone dressed in cute outfits trying to talk to each other. You may want the social interaction or you may just want to be left alone. Find a gym that you feel comfortable in.

 

Second, location, location, location… Pick a gym that is close to work, school or home, or on the way there and back. A gym or a class that is easy to get to will help keep you from making excuses not to work out.

 

Getting started: Start slowly if you are not used to exercise. Joining the gym and then taking every class you can, using every weight machine and going crazy with exercise at first is just a bad idea. Over-doing it in the beginning leads to a sore body, injury and burnout. Start slowly if you are new to exercise. If you have never exercised start with half-hour workouts for a week or two, and then move on to hour-long workouts and classes. If you are an intermediate exerciser, go three times a week and then move up to however many gym visits you have time for after a week or two.

 

If you are new to the gym, get a personal trainer, hands down. It’s worth every penny. Even if money is tight, get at least five sessions. This will give you a perfect workout designed for your body, not the 75% of the population represented in large classes or workout DVDs. It may seem like a lot of money to spend, but if getting some help at first keeps you in the gym all year long, why not? You will save money in the long run by not wasting your gym membership.

 

Don’t judge. Just try something new. Try everything and choose activities that you enjoy. You may be pleasantly surprised by that yoga or pilates class that you had thought was too easy. You may end up having a favorite weight machine or routine that makes you feel better than you expected.

 

How about working out very early before work? After work, people tend to be tired and hungry. Many of my clients (and I myself) like to kick off our day with some exercise. Then it’s out of the way, and you will find that it gives you more energy throughout the day. Getting up early and exercising just feels great. As many of you who read my blog know, I get up very early and practice Qi Gong in my local park and run and stretch.

 

I am asked all the time, what the best thing to do to get in shape? “Is this bad?” “Is this better?” “Will this help me?”

Overall, my answer is, whatever motivates you as an individual and gets you exercising consistently should be your goal. Making exercise a priority and working out at least twice a week contributes myriad benefits to your health and mental well-being. Go ahead. Make the time and take the time to get healthy!