Manon McGovern, creator of The Traveling Trainer, is a fitness and weight management specialist who loves sharing her passion for a healthy lifestyle. She studied Exercise Science at The Ohio State University and started personal training and teaching group exercise classes to introduce herself into the fitness world. She enjoys personal training and teaching Yoga, Spinning, KickBoxing, and strength classes.
Now working full time in corporate wellness, Manon spends her free time freelance fitness writing and working on her own fitness site, The Traveling Trainer. Manon is a certified Health Fitness Specialist, Weight Management Specialist, YogaFit Instructor, KickBoxing, Indoor Cycling, and Group Fitness Instructor. Check out her site, www.traveling-trainer.com, or connect with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/The-Traveling-Trainer/) or Twitter (@trvling_trainer)!
You know mediation, yoga, and going for a walk are good ways to destress. Better yet, hopefully you’re taking advantage of those methods. Aside from the standard stress busters, there are some unconventional and fun ways to clear your mind and boost your mood. Try some...
Cottage cheese skin, orange peel skin, whatever you want to call it. Cellulite. Such a cringe-worthy word, is it not? Though the majority of us have to deal with it, nobody wants to have cellulite on their body. Effecting 80% of women, cellulite is a one of the most common...
If you can handle the taste and the jaw workout, oil pulling is gaining popularity as a natural dental hygiene and health boosting practice. Though it’s becoming more and more popular, oil pulling is no new trend. Claimed by ancient Indian medicine to cure over 30 diseases, oil pulling has...
We have officially reached the dog days of summer. With high humidity and even higher temperatures, your typical run outside can be unappealing, let alone dangerous! When the humidity level is high your body can have a difficult time cooling itself. Your skin keeps sweating in an attempt to cool...
20’s, 30’s, and 40’s... What To Do To Be Your Healthiest In Your 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s… find out how to stay fresh looking and feeling through the decades. You CAN look and feel as young as you do in your 20’s if you take good care of your body....
Breaking news! In case you haven’t heard, sitting is the new smoking. People who sit for the majority of the day have just about as high of a risk of heart attack as those who smoke. Wow. And these days, almost everyone (unfortunately) has a sedentary lifestyle. Even if you...
Let’s face it, some days you just do not want to leave the house and go to the gym. Sometimes, it’s just too gloomy outside to bundle up and head to the yoga studio. No motivation to get out the door? No problem. Something is better than nothing, so...
As we approach the holidays, it’s about time for some serious calorie consumption. On average, Americans consume about 4500 calories on Thanksgiving alone. Most of us only require about 1600-2100 calories on any given day, so that is quite a bit extra! This shocking number does bring to mind some...
Most of us have been there: you’re powering through a workout or doing something as ordinary as walking up the stairs and...ouch. Your knee twinges, pops, twists, or any other abnormal, unwelcomed feeling. The knees are fragile joints that do a lot for us on a daily basis. We use...
You did it - you just completed the race you have been training for for the last couple months. The medal is around your neck, you’re tired and proud. If you have recently completed a race and crossed it off your bucket list, your workout routine has been...
As much as we don’t want to admit it, the temperatures are dropping and soon enough, there may even be some white stuff falling from the skies. As the colder weather rolls in, our fitness routines often make their way into hibernation. With the cold temperatures also comes the holiday...
There is so much nutritional information floating around the media that it can be hard to decide what to believe and what to brush off. Lately it seems like the most popular new “diet” is to be gluten free. But aren’t whole grains good for us? Why does it seem...
On average, we spend about one third of our lives sleeping. These days, people are sleeping less and less. Due to our busy schedules and racing minds, we often slack on sleep. The importance of getting adequate sleep (the exact number of hours is different for everyone) is often overlooked,...
Losing weight is no easy feat, especially when it’s just one of the items on your ever-growing to do list. With work, school, caring for family, friendships, housework, errands, and so much more, gym time and meal preparation can seem impossible to fit in. Don’t give up hope! The good...
High protein diets, protein shakes, protein bars, and so on and so forth... just what are the best sources of protein and how much should you have each day? Men and women have different needs for protein. In addition, your body type, age, and activity level can all effect...
We’ve already filled you in on all of the miraculous, multitasking benefits of coconut oil. Now, just like everything else in the ever-changing world of fitness, there’s a new miracle worker in town! Meet apple cider vinegar, the fat fighting and house cleaning miracle ingredient. Typically used as an...
There are countless workouts and diets to get you beach ready for your summer vacation, but what about taking care of all of the damage we do to our body during our week away? Something about being on a carefree vacation, perhaps an all-inclusive one at that, makes you leave...
Do you ever wonder why some of your favorite (or least favorite) exercises are named what they are, or who came up with them? Did you have a set of burpees in your last workout that you’d like to yell at someone for? Are you looking for someone to blame...
If you've always wanted a sleek, toned, sexy stomach then this is the workout for you! Now, we know that abs are made in the kitchen (see our clean eating guide for help with that), but awesome ab workouts are part of the picture too! Try out these killer...
There are so many misconceptions about yoga out there that it can be all too easy to not give the practice a try or hinder yourself from getting the most out of a class. Despite its growing popularity and the countless benefits of practicing yoga, even people who have...
Burgers, beers, and football- woohoo! But all of this celebrating and socializing during football season can mean boo-hoo for your waistline. With simple recipe and snack swaps and fool proof ways to move around during game time, we’ve got you and your waistline covered when it comes to staying...
It’s running season - time to celebrate! With so many fall races coming up right around the corner of all kinds of distances, there are more runners than any other time of the year lining up on treadmills and hitting the sidewalks and trails. While running really can be as...
You’ve probably been seeing it everywhere- from cooking to beauty uses, coconut oil is all the rage lately. The world has recently discovered the small and large benefits it has on our bodies, skin, hair, food, and so much more. This all-natural product can be found at your local...
Incredible Butt & Legs WorkoutWhen it comes to workouts, working on the lower body, in particular the butt, is a firm favorite. It...
Full Body Fat Burner WorkoutSpring has sprung and summer is on it's way. This means it's a good time to start getting your body ...
Time to Jump Start Your Cardio WorkoutCardio, we all know we should be including this into our fitness program but not everyone enjoys it,...
Full Body Workouts with Just Dumbbells!Chances are you have a set of dumbbells laying around the house or collecting spider webs in the gar...
Arm Yourself for Spring: The Best Arm Workouts for Every Kind of ExerciserSpring has sprung. March 21st boasted the first day of spring and with that comes sunshine, barbeque...
Ladies: Lift for Your Body TypeI remember when I started going to a gym back in 1990 (yup, I´m THAT old) that I had no idea what I...
Women, Take Over the Weight Room: Strong is the Path to Sexy!By now, most women have heard that lifting weights is the key to kicking one’s metabolism into hig...
BMI: What It Is & Why You Should Not Use ItThe Body Mass Index is more commonly referred to as BMI and is used as a popular way to determine if...
The Guide To Treat Cellulite NaturallyCottage cheese skin, orange peel skin, whatever you want to call it. Cellulite. Such a cringe-worthy...
You've Reached Your Goal Weight, Now What?Congratulations, after months, maybe even years, of hard work, you have finally reached that goal we...
Counting Calories VS Counting MacrosThe go-to system for dieting has long been calorie counting. However, the practice of counting macro...
How To Use Skipping To Supercharge Fat LossThe first thing you need to know about weight loss is that your heart rate has a lot to do with it. ...
13 Retro Ways To Be ActiveThis is a fun article looking back at some of the fun ways youngsters, and possibly parents (if they...
5 Tips To Help Change Your LifeIf you are looking for ways to change your life you are not alone. The internet is full of people as...
Incredible Butt & Legs WorkoutWhen it comes to workouts, working on the lower body, in particular the butt, is a firm favorite. It...
11 Fun Ideas To Do Something DifferentIn this day and age we spend a lot of time inside or glued to some sort of electronic device. It's t...
Full Body Fat Burner WorkoutSpring has sprung and summer is on it's way. This means it's a good time to start getting your body ...
The Low Down on VitaminsThere was a time in my life when you could open up one of my kitchen cabinets and find all sorts of ...
There’s Always Time for Breakfast!We know eating breakfast is vital to starting the day off right and the key role it plays in weight ...
The Big Guide To Apple Cider VinegarApple cider vinegar is literally making headlines these days. Used as a home remedy for various ailm...
Dust Off Those Underloved Cardio Machines & Lose Fat Faster!The Stairmaster. The bike. The rower. They are the three dusty gym machines that lose out to the tre...
The Best Half Marathons Around the United StatesIt’s time to stray from the repetitive, and sometimes over-competitive, races. Whether you are sea...
7 Essential Stretches You Should Do Before You RunDo you stretch before you head out for a run? On an early morning you may forget to stretch your bod...
Are Your Fitness Goals Attainable?Time does go quickly these days, how much time has passed since you started those New Year's Resolut...
That Cupcake Looks SO Good (AKA Losing Motivation & What To Do About It!)It’s springtime. Almost summer. And you have been working so hard. You have been watching your die...
7 Ways to Stay Motivated to Work Out During WinterYour alarm goes off. It’s a cold winter morning with a fresh layer of snow on the ground. The warm...
Dieting: The Temporary FixDiets are temporary, a quick fix to weight loss, not a long term solution. The only way to lose weig...
5 Popular Diet Crazes ExplainedSince I can remember I have seen diet books on bookshelves everywhere. Recently, however, everyone s...
Raw Till 4 (RT4) Diet ReviewWhat is Raw Till 4? Are there any health benefits with this lifestyle? Is this food plan a good fit ...
Improve Your Relationships With FitnessSome people think and actually feel that working out is ONLY about getting a hot body and looking go...
15 Things Emotionally Strong People AvoidEmotionally strong people often have numerous healthy habits any other person would envy. They know ...
7 Principles of Peak PerformanceIt is uncanny how closely connected feelings are to performance. Look at 1968 three-time Olympic med...
5 Tips To Help Change Your LifeIf you are looking for ways to change your life you are not alone. The internet is full of people as...
11 Fun Ideas To Do Something DifferentIn this day and age we spend a lot of time inside or glued to some sort of electronic device. It's t...
18 Simple Ways To RelaxLife can whiz by at great speed and before you know it, the days, weeks or months have flown by and ...
Why You Should Get Sweaty on Valentine's DayWhen you think about Valentine's Day, you think about romance, love and... chocolates! In fact, we l...
What to Do About Your Gym CrushThere's no doubt about it, the gym can be a great place to meet new people, and from time to time, e...
How to Deal With Difficult PeopleWe've all met our fair share of difficult people - it doesn't matter where you are, it's an absolute...
7 Health Benefits of Hot YogaThere’s a “hot” new trend in the Yoga world: Hot Yoga. It includes various styles and types of...
Yoga Fix: Pain in the NeckWe have all been there before. Awake at 3am, suffering from a sudden onset of ‘stiff neck’ syndr...
Yoga for Happy HipsAccording to the pop singer Shakira - our hips don’t lie. Especially if they are in pain, or reall...
Wedding Series Part 5: Dress Hunting (Staying Motivated)Every little girl thinks about her wedding day at some point. Whether it's from playing with a brid...
Wedding Planning is Causing Me to GAIN Weight: HELP!Free glasses of champagne from the hostess. A complimentary dessert from a restaurant. Chocolate-cov...
Wedding Series Part 3: The Personal Trainer - To Invest or Not?Welcome back to part 3 of the Wedding Chronicles! Part 1 was about how to get organized and part 2 w...
