Harley Pasternak is a renowned fitness and nutrition expert who has worked with some of the hottest celebrities, including Halle Berry and Kanye West.
Pasternak’s clients are big fans of his approach to fitness and nutrition—it’s easy to follow and is based on healthy strategies backed by science, unlike many of the fad diet and exercise plans. Pasternak backs his work up with a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology and Nutritional Sciences and an Honors Degree in Kinesiology. Here’s what he has to say on the state of health today:
Why are people bored with exercise and what can they do to make it more exciting?
Mix it up, he says. “A recent survey that showed more than 50 percent of exercisers are bored with their current workout and had lack of motivation after 30 minutes.” He sees little variation in the type of exercise and location. Pasternak emphasizes variety in your workouts, including different types of activity, varying workouts between indoor and outdoor, changing up the equipment you use, and motivating yourself with great music.
What is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to exercise?
“Most are doing too much too quickly,” he says. “Looking for fast results, people try CrossFit, Insanity and get injured. Biggest Loser fans see participants doing crazy hard workouts, but they don’t always see the resulting hamstring pain.”
Harley has these 7 tips to improve your health today:
1. Get a pedometer or a Fitbit and get moving.
Take 10,000 steps everyday. Many people are sedentary for most of the day and only move during their hour of exercise. We all need more movement. He suggests walking your coffee break and parking further away from your destination to get more steps.
2. Get a blender and make smoothies with healthy fat, fiber, protein, fruits and vegetables.
A smoothie can be a meal substitute or a powerful snack. Try this superfood smoothie recipe.
3. Focus on strengthening the muscles in the back of your body.
Most people focus on the muscles in the front and are left with weak muscles in back. Pay attention to your low back, upper back, hamstrings and back of the arms.
4. Hydrate!
Thirst is often confused for hunger. Drink all day to stay hydrated. Try a flavored water, like Vitamin Water Zero, or throw a lemon wedge in your water to keep it interesting.
5. Don’t go it alone.
Recruit a friend to join your program and work together. You will be much more likely to stick with exercise, and you’ll have someone to get you back on track quickly.
6. Follow a good program, every day.
Knowing there is a plan for tomorrow will help you stay focused and prevent “falling off the cliff”. Find a good trainer, buy a book, or search online for a balanced program that works for you.
7. Stop complaining that you have no time to workout.
We all can make the time—or be forced to spend all of our time dealing with eventual illness that comes from an unhealthy lifestyle.
Pasternak is hugely popular because of his reasonable and doable approach to diet and exercise that has his followers raving about their results. He has appeared on Oprah, ABC’s Good Morning America and in numerous publications like Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health.
