New Addition to an Active Lifestyle

Hi Everyone! 

Last month was an exciting one for me.  I recently welcomed a new member into my family.  No, not a baby, we'll not a human baby anyway.  I purchased a dog!  A German short-haired pointer puppy.  Her name is Gabby and she has been quite a handful.  Short hairs are known to be dogs with a lot of energy and Gabby definitely fits that description.  This works well with my lifestyle as I like to be very active and even on my worst days, I have no choice but to get up and take her for a walk.  Her favorite place to go is the beach.  Luckily I live in South Boston and the beach is only a few blocks away.  She loves to play fetch and just run up and down the beach.  This allows me to get my own workout in as I'll run up and down the beach and she'll just chase me.
This leads me to my point.  Dogs can be excellent exercise partners.  Whether it be walking, running, or hiking, most dogs are usually up to the task.  So if you have a dog or have considered getting one take into account the effect they can have on your fitness routine. Just make sure you check with your veterinarian before you take your dog on a long run.  Some breeds are more capable of handling long distances than others. 
Spring is here, so get outside with your pet and enjoy!

Russ's Bio

Russ Erikson

My passion for fitness grew through my love of sports.  I was very active as a child and played many different organized sports.  Starting with soccer, hockey, and tee ball as a youth and football and track in high school.  I’m pretty sure there were a few years of basketball mixed in there as well.  Haha!

I have always held a passion for sports, both as a spectator and participant, but most enjoyed the active lifestyle myself. It was in high school, around the age of 14, that I started weight-training.  This was something I really come to enjoy and knew would be part of my routine for the rest of my life.  To this day, I still love the feeling of accomplishment physically and psychologically upon completing a workout.

After high school, I went on to participate in college athletics and played football at Bentley College (now Bentley University).  Weight training was required for everyone on the team.  This was fine with me since I had been doing it for 4 years already.  During these years I had the benefit of working out with other guys on the team, which was good for motivation, having a lifting-partner and for spotting purposes. We were fortunate to have an athletic trainer at Bentley that provided our training programs during and after the season.  After school, I moved home and quickly got a gym membership. I continued to work-out out consistently, but never really thought about becoming a personal trainer until a friend of mine told me about Ann Marie and Cutting Edge Fitness.  I met with Ann Marie at Cutting Edge Fitness 6 years ago when introduced me to this unique style of training.  She put me through my first high-intensity, slow-speed weight-training workout and I was hooked.  I started training with Ann Marie, and soon became a trainer at Cutting Edge, the rest, as they say, is history.

Some of the hobbies I enjoy are of course working out, skiing, and other recreational sports.  I've participated in many road races over the years including Reach the Beach, Samaritans Run, Smegs Legs, Jingle Bell Run, Santa Speedo Run, Boston Marathon 5K, and one Sprint Duathalon.  The races are fun and help keep me active outside of the gym.  I love personal training, connecting with clients and helping them achieve their goals, improve their fitness and lead a healthier life.

Through my experience as a fitness professional I refer to this quote to sum things up for those looking for motivation to start a fitness program, as I use it to motivate myself:

“If it is important to you, you will find a way.  If not, you will find an excuse"

Russ hails from Rockland, MA, which is about 25 minutes south of Boston, and now lives in South Boston.