It’s important to establish a healthy morning ritual, as it sets the tone for the day. It also helps re-energize, builds focus and eliminates stress caused by the chaotic morning rush
Get that body moving first thing in the morning to alleviate any back and neck pain from sleeping and to aid circulation. Stretching will not only make you feel more limber, but will also increase oxygen to your brain to make you sharper.
Based in Melbourne, Rocco Sorace is a well-renowned celebrity fitness and lifestyle trainer who lives and breathes every element that a holistic lifestyle encompasses. Director of the sought-after Vita Health and Fitness and a qualified personal trainer and Pilates instructor, Rocco aims to help people get fit at home with his fitness workout online workouts, Fitness Pilates – Intermediate Workout, Fitness Pilates – Advanced Pilates Workout, Body Transformation Program and his new Your Personal Trainer at Home DVD.
Fitness Pilates: Intermediate Workout & Fitness Pilates: Advanced DVD Workout
These revitalising Fitness Pilates programs have been tailored for those looking to work out at an intermediate or advanced level in the comfort of their own home. Rocco has discovered his own unique approach that really delivers results, promoting;
Improved strength, flexibility and mobility
Improved abdominal and back strength
Stress relief & relaxation
And even sustainable weight loss (due to increased muscle condition and metabolism)
Body Transformation Program DVD
Rocco’s own weight loss program is designed to help, motivate & support those who want a total approach to body toning and/or fat loss. His holistic workout involves a warm-up, cardio, strength and fitness, Pilates and stretch down, finishing with a body relaxation session to calm the mind and body. This is based on his sought-after 12 week fitness program.
Your Personal Trainer at Home DVD
Your Personal Trainer at Home has been created for you to achieve your fitness goals in the convenience of your own home to get you feeling fit and happy. His sort after program has been created to fit into your busy life
There are four sections to the program, which can be split into five days or can be done all at once. The program consists of:A 10 minute fat burner butt and thigh workout to lengthen and tone your lower body and burn calories. A 10 minute upper body workout targeting your triceps, biceps, and your back to improve posture. A 10 minute interval cardio increasing your heart rate and fitness level Ending with a 30 minute super abdominal workout with fitness pilates which will help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and core giving you the best workout down under.
“A lifestyle choice is about the way you think, eat, shop and treat your mind and body. It’s about getting the connection between all aspects of your life right. Shift your mind set and you’ll see results,” says Rocco.
Rocco Sorace Interview on Fitness Pilates
How do your workout programs help people transform their bodies?
Rocco Sorace: Results from My Fitness Pilates in conjunction with your daily walking and healthy eating plan:
You will strengthen your body while relaxing the mind- A great opportunity to gain physical strength while experiencing relaxation and stress relief at the same time.
Experience exercise without the pain – Through controlled movements and training you will work on deep muscle groups to minimise the pain, stress or jarring of muscles caused by other exercises.
Lose weight and gain core strength- With holistic guidance my program is great for weight loss as it speeds the metabolism while building the strength of the abdominal and core muscles. Direction towards proper nutrition and hydration is also key to the holistic approach to losing weight and gaining strength. Remember to get eight hours of sleep each night.
Improved posture while building back muscles- Helping to improve posture through alignment of the spine and increased strength of muscles in the back is an important element of this holistic approach to wellness and fitness.
What results will be seen on completion of the DVD?
Rocco Sorace: Total well-being:
Holistic means all-encompassing which is why I teach a complete mind-body program focusing on more than just the physical benefits. Through proper techniques the student gains relaxation, stress-relief and increased focus. Assisting you with everyday activities, increasing performance in sports, and contributing to the creation of a calm, centred demeanour. It is hard to resist this holistic exercise approach. We have effectively moved beyond a time where physical fitness is purely physical. We have naturally evolved through mind-body fitness to a more holistic approach to inner and outer beauty and wellness.
How many times a week do you suggest participating in your programs?
Rocco Sorace: Three times a week in conjunction with your daily power walking or any cardio exercise you enjoy. Aim for at least 30 minutes of cardio per day.
Your DVDs are 80 minutes in length – does each work out have to be 80 minutes?
Rocco Sorace: The workout is just 45min with relaxation at the end for that extra bliss. 80mins is with all the intro and extras.
How can we motivate ourselves to exercise daily?
Rocco Sorace: It is estimated 60-70% of the Australian population does not engage in regular physical activity. The most common reasons as to why people fail to stick to a regular exercise regime include lack of time, inability to get to a gym, lack of motivation, fear of injury and misconceptions about exercise. It is barriers such as these that have caused up to 70% of us to sacrifice regular physical activity, an element that is as vital to our health and well-being as food, water and shelter. By taking a closer look at the barriers that keep us glued to our couches, I hope to help anyone out there who is struggling to overcome them!
“I don’t have enough time to exercise.”
One of the leading reasons as to why many of us fail to stick to a regular exercise routine is the belief that we never have time. With the busy lifestyles most people lead, it can seem almost impossible to fit in a workout every day. However, studies have shown that if we can commit just 30 minutes a day to some physical activity, health and well-being can improve dramatically.
I don’t believe that there is anyone out there who is unable to dedicate just 30 minutes a day to their fitness, even if it be split into two sets of 15 or three sets of 10 minutes. Whether it be taking the stairs instead of the lift to the office, taking a walk during your lunch break, kicking the footy or playing some Frisbee with the kids after work (I’m sure they would appreciate it!) or hiring a mobile trainer to train you at the destination/time of your choice, there are plenty of ways to keep active.
“I don’t have the energy to exercise.”
It can be a struggle to get moving at times, but I can guarantee that once your body becomes accustomed to regular workouts, energy levels will soar and sitting still is the only struggle! I remember being new to exercise and sometimes dreading what lay ahead, but before I knew it, I began craving the workouts, because I loved the way I felt afterwards.
When we exercise, endorphins (AKA ‘happy hormones’) are produced and released into the body, causing an overall sense of happiness, relaxation and well-being. So if low energy levels are preventing you from staying active, focus on how fantastic you will feel if you do workout regularly!
“Exercise is boring”
This is only the case if you choose boring activities! You wouldn’t wear the same clothes, or eat the same food everyday, so if physical activity is as vital to our well-being as these things, why choose the same boring exercise?
Choose something you enjoy, whether it be dancing, a sport, or having a personal trainer provide you with a program that caters for your likes and dislikes. Ensure that you mix up your exercise routine, so you are not taking part in the same activity everyday (eg: Monday night dancing class, Wednesday night Personal Training session, Friday afternoon beach jog/walk), this way our minds stay motivated and our bodies stay challenged.
“Exercise is too painful” or “I’m afraid I’ll injure myself”
The old saying “no pain, no gain” is one that should be disregarded completely! Exercise DOES NOT and SHOULD NOT need to be painful to be beneficial and effective. Yes, it may be true that if you are training towards an elite level of fitness (such as an athlete or bodybuilder preparing for competition), you will need to endure a high level of intensive training. However, for those of us who wish to exercise for the sake of general health and well-being, a moderate level of activity will suffice.
Still, it is important that as fitness increases, the intensity of our workouts are increased also, to ensure that our bodies continue to respond to the activity. A good personal trainer will be able to provide a program suited to your goals and adjust it according to increases in your fitness levels.
At NO stage throughout a work out should any pain be experienced, and if it is, the activity should be ceased immediately.
A great instructor once told the class I was participating in, “This is not pain, this is just necessary discomfort!”, and I think a life of looking and feeling fantastic is worth enduring a bit of “necessary discomfort”!
The barriers mentioned above are only a few of those preventing us from engaging in regular physical activity, and hopefully I have helped to show that there are many ways to overcome them. So next time the alarm goes off and you are tempted to put off you workout regime until ‘next week’, remember all of the benefits of exercise awaiting you, pull on those trainers and get yourself on the track towards achieving the optimal health, fitness and well-being you deserve!
What else do we need to do, alongside exercise, to be healthier?
Rocco Sorace: Burn fat with resistance bands and dumbbell compound squats. While most people may immediately hop on the treadmill or elliptical, or perhaps join a circuits or spinning class when looking to lose weight and body fat, cardio isn’t the only way you can lose body fat. Strength training actually helps to boost your metabolism, burns calories and builds lean muscle mass.’ Try my Sculpt muscles 15 minute workouts with Your Body Transformation Program and Your PT AT Home workouts.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many businesses to struggle, St Kilda based personal trainer Rocco Sorace instead saw the pandemic as an opportunity.
“Before the lockdown, when I used to train clients at the gym, I noticed a lot of my clients didn’t enjoy using the traditional latex resistance bands, because they’d slip a lot, and end up snapping over time,” Rocco said.
“I decided I should develop my own resistance bands, with non-slip stitching, material, and hand grips to prevent slipping and snapping.”
When Melbourne went into lockdown last year, he saw it as “sink or swim”. As all the city’s gyms were forced to close, and he was unable to hold training sessions or teaching workplace wellness Pilates or Yoga classes with clients, he knew he had to do something big for his business to be able to survive.
Between hosting Workplace wellness classes and personal training classes over Zoom or Teams, Rocco spent six months inventing his proprietary design, which he is currently in the process of trademarking.
Roccobands’ first batch selling out in just five hours. Since then, the brand has continued to experience unprecedented demand.
“It’s amazing being able to live the entrepreneurial dream, even through the lockdowns we’ve had over the past year,” Rocco said.
“It can be tricky, especially when you’re dealing with the fitness industry, where and you’re competing with a lot of younger influencers and fitness fanatics on Instagram, but I really believe there’s a market for everyone, and that if you persist, and stay true to yourself and your clients, you’re going to succeed.”
Rocco believes the key to RoccoBands’ success is they are “stronger and better in quality than similar products on the market.”
“With the pandemic, more and more people are working out at home, so these bands really help them take their workouts to the next level,” Rocco said.
“They’re incredibly eco-friendly, because they’re very robust, and are not going to wear out quickly. They’re also very hand-friendly as well, so anyone can use them – even my clients with arthritis, who struggle to use traditional bands and dumbbells.”
At present, RoccoBands are sold as a 3 pack set, including 1 x 1.5 metre light fabric resistance band, 1 x 1.5 metre medium fabric resistance band with handles, and 1 x non-slip medium strength fabric loop “booty” band. Every set also comes with a branded carry bag, and three downloadable workout programs by Rocco.
They can be used at the gym, at home, or outdoors for resistance, flexibility, strength, and personal training, body posture improvement, yoga, pilates, and weight loss.
Let’s talk about your inner wellness. Workplace wellbeing should probably be top of the pile not the bottom for your people right now. More into
Pilates is for Life‘You will feel better in ten sessions, look better in twenty sessions, and have a completely new body in thirty sessions.’Pilates Heals‘Change happens through movement and movement heals.’Your Spine‘If your spine is inflexibly stiff at 30, you are old; if it is completely flexible at 60, you are young.’
Working with your own limits is at the heart of Yogalates, everyone has different strengths and needs and Yogalates can always be adapted to the individual.
Yogalates is superb for flexibility, muscle toning and endurance. We have complied a list of what we consider some of the top body benefits of Yogalates.
Increased flexibility
Yoga and Pilate exercises and poses can be as difficult or as easy as you choose them to be. Yoga carefully focus’s on all joints in your body, even the ones you aren’t used to using. The more you put into Yoga, the more you will get out of it, it can lead to improved joins and flexibility in the back.
We have a range of workplace programs that can be customised to suit your office and available space. Engaging in workplace wellness activities, like exercise and eating well, increases employee productivity and performance.
Wellness Week Mental Illness Awareness Week happens at the beginning of ever year. It is an ideal opportunity to educate everyone in the workplace about mental illnesses. Making this part of your annual wellness strategy normalizes the topic rather than addressing it only after an employee experiences a mental illness. Taking care of your employee’s health is important as you want them to function in work positively, this is why managers may look into Michigan health management consulting services and other health support, so they can see what is the best course of action for their staff.
It is possible for employees to feel stressed for a variety of reasons. The problem can be related to their work-life balance, being unable to achieve their target, or being anxious about the new role within the company. Employers who care about their employees are sensitive enough to notice when they are going through a difficult time. It is for this reason that few business owners consider hiring a corporate wellness consultant that can help employees rid themselves of their self-doubt and realize their potential, which can positively affect their mental health.
In addition, encouraging fitness in the workplace can actually be extremely beneficial for employers. If you take the example of senior living centers, even they might have a wellness program endorsed for the elderly population. So, what’s stopping the corporate sector now? The endorphins released during exercise mean that employees have more self-confidence and energy, they have more positive attitudes when at work, and they are less stressed.
Yoga Teaches Balance, Focus, and Concentration The great thing about yoga is that it is done with a holistic perspective. … Stress relief and increase in balance, focus, and concentration are just some of the mental benefits of yoga you can expect to get. Ultimately, this all results in calmness and peace of mind.
We travel to your workplace to run yoga, Pilates, meditation and fitness classes as well as provide exercise physiology services. Sessions are scheduled at a time that suits your workplace. Pilates and Yoga improve circulation, digestion, muscle tone, strength and flexibility and both have a core connection and a mind / body element.
Enquire with your HR manager now to start investing in a wellbeing program in 2019.
No budget for a wellbeing program?
No problem; most of our corporate clients are in the same boat regarding well being budgets. That is why we offer competitive and affordable classes from only $10 per class partly or fully paid for by the employee. All we need is a room and we look after the rest.
My team and I have over 15 years of experience working with corporations like Australian Unity, ANZ, Diabetes Australia and the Murdoch Institute.
Our focus is to improve employee health and wellbeing through Pilates/resistance classes as well as yoga and meditation.
Call us on 0412 519 485 Email [email protected] www.vitahealthandfitness. www.vitahealthandfitness.