Local Personal Trainer Offers Customized Fitness Solutions

Teddy Munz spent most of his childhood overweight.

Then, when Munz turned 18, he decided he'd had enough.

Munz, who now owns Keep It Simple (KIS) Fitness Solutions in Blackwood, lost 80 pounds and, he says, transformed himself. The key Munz said: Accepting that diet and exercise needed to be a part of his daily routine.

“Once I accepted that to make permanent changes in my health, that I needed to change my daily routine, living a healthy lifestyle just became something I did,” said Munz, who is an English teacher at Timber Creek High School by day and a certified personal trainer by night.

Munz now brings his personal experience to his clients who range from men looking to gain muscle mass to women looking to tone to lots of folks looking to lose weight, permanently.

This time of year, says Munz, the gyms that were crowded with those dedicated and excited for their 2012 New Year’s resolutions are starting to empty.

“At the start of the year, there is a big push to achieve. But by mid-February, many people naturally digress back to old routines,” said Munz.

Since weight loss can be an emotional journey, Munz starts all new clients with a personal consultation that not only assesses were they are physically, but also looks to the personal and emotional motivations toward weight loss.  Munz believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss—especially when it comes to diet.

Diet, he says, is the key to maintaining and losing weight.

“Many will work out all the time, but continue to eat too many calories and grow discouraged because they are not losing weight,” explained Munz. “It is a simple math problem—you need to intake less calories and burn more to lose weight.”

Munz says the first step to healthy eating is to assess what you are eating and when you are eating. He recommends keeping a food diary or using iPhone apps like Calorie Counter from MyFitnessPal.com to track intake.  In addition, knowing what kind of eater you are can make a difference—some individuals like to eat all the time; others like to eat three square meals. Munz says diet plans should reflect you and be in line with your personal preferences.

When it comes to exercise, Munz says it is about short, quality workouts.

“Time should never be an issue. Go to the gym with a plan and workout for 45-60 minutes, max,” he says.

In his personal-training business, Munz works with clients multiple times a week at home, in local gyms or on location in a park or other recreational area. He also holds weekly group boot camp sessions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art—which he believes is a fun way to get excited about exercise.

“My rule of thumb is to sweat every day,” says Munz.

Keep It Simple Fitness Solutions offers free consultations to new clients as well as affordable monthly packages. For more information, visit the KIS website.