Should You Do Yoga on Rest Day?

People who exercise regularly will attest: working out can become a habit. When it does, missing a day in the gym or the studio can feel awful. You want to look and feel your best, after all! That’s why it can be so easy to think rest days are counterproductive. Doesn’t skipping a day put a dent in gym gains? Isn’t it true that people who take rest days are more likely to miss their fitness goals?

The thought of a rest day might repulse you, but believe this: rest is just as crucial to your gains as working out. Without proper rest, you risk doing serious damage to your body in a whole host of ways! Overworking your body can lead to a weakened immune system, sleep difficulty, a decrease in strength, and injury. The fitness and medical communities agree on this.

Working out (especially strength training) is really the process of tearing your muscle fibers and then allowing your body to rebuild those muscle fibers to be even stronger for next time. The fiber damage is necessary for growth, but the repair doesn’t happen when you’re active. It occurs while you rest. If you don’t give your body time to rest, it won’t be able to repair your muscle fibers. That means you’ll plateau on your gains. Nobody wants that.

Print vs. Online Marketing: Which Is Right For Your Business?

Living in the information age has many advantages, but marketing to specific audiences and niches presents specific challenges. How can we best reach our target audience or attract new customers? Is there a way to bridge the gap between traditional and online marketing?

The simple answer to the latter question is, “yes.” In fact, doing so is no longer a matter of choice; it’s a matter of survival. Successful marketers know when and where to use each.

 

Online Marketing

relying heavily on online marketing works for businesses that match one of two basic criteria:

1. You have a brick-and-mortar company but you do a considerable percentage of your business online
2. You only do business online (eg. e-commerce)

In both instances, a strong online marketing presence is critical to success because you are dealing with a customer base that extends beyond a single location or geographic area.

4 Reasons to Try Working Out with Trainers

Going to the gym is the first step towards building a healthier lifestyle, and it is important to do it right. One of the first choices that a person needs to make is if they are going to work with a trainer or not. A trainer can make a big difference, so it is important to understand what they can do before making that choice.

 

Fixing Form

Technique is important for people who are working out. Maintaining proper form will maximize the impact of the workout and help to prevent stress and injuries. The basics are fairly simple, but it can be hard for people to watch their form while they are working out.

A good trainer will know how to do each exercise properly and be able to keep an eye on their students. That ensures that those students will learn as quickly as possible and benefit from good form from the earliest stages of their workout.

4 Creative Marketing Trends Coming in 2019

To keep your business competitive in today’s fast-paced digital world, you need to stay up to date on the latest marketing trends so you don’t get left behind. To help you do that, we’ve compiled a few of the hottest creative marketing trends that you’re sure to see throughout the year of 2019.

 

Native advertising

Vastly different from the sponsored posts you’ve become adept at ignoring, native advertising is when marketers subtly slide the product or service into a piece of existing content. This provides users with a break from the overwhelming, in-your-face style adverts they’ve grown used to.

By working strategically with content creators in your niche, businesses of all sizes can gain large amounts of exposure without relying on heavily pushing their products and services.

When Sales Go Wrong and How to Fix It

In the field of sales, many different factors make up the job. Sales personnel must know about their products, services, and business; they must understand the costs, shipping, and time it takes for consumers to receive their purchased goods; they must know when products are running low or when they are discounted, and they have to know how to sell the product to people.

While it is a lot to keep track of, sales managers and businesses can keep their employees one step ahead by preparing them for possible issues that may arise. Whether it be within the team or between an employee and customer, use these tips to prepare for when sales go wrong.

For customers:

Immediate Communication. Anytime there is an issue with your sales or product; you must notify the customer in a timely fashion to give them the chance to plan and address any inconveniences that may arise. It might not be easy, but it is necessary. With the proper timing and approach, it is possible to build a stronger relationship based on the accountability and responsibility displayed.

Improve comfort. Find a way to help the customer deal with any inconveniences caused and never put any blame on them. Work to diminish the blow as much as possible, and allow them the opportunity to discuss any fear or disappointment they may have.

Apologies. Learning to apologize appropriately is a skill that is utilized in all areas of life. However, when it comes to sales, an apology should not be the first thing on your mind. Without a plausible solution, the customer won’t be receptive to the apology and may find it condescending.

Compensation. When it comes to business, the number one motivator is profits, which is driven from consumers. Therefore, when a consumer takes a loss–whether that be through products or services, they should be compensated for more than they lost to ensure their business stays with your company, and that their negative experience dissipates.

For employees:

Education. Stay ahead of the potential issues by keeping your team educated and up-to-date on all things sales and your company. By involving them in the metrics of the company, the sales staff becomes more than their own sale numbers.

Team Tension. No matter what field or industry you work in, tension and conflict are sure to arise. If unaddressed, these things can impact the workplace culture and overall productivity. Rather than allowing it to brew, pay attention and encourage employees to communicate. Chances are it is all a misunderstanding.

Stop talking. One of the quickest way to lose a sale before hanging up the phone is continuing to talk to the potential customer after they have expressed readiness to get started. By trying to further sell, personnel may say something that could make the customer think twice. Rather than taking the chance, stop discussing the product after they’ve agreed to give it a try, and move into solidifying the sale.

Originally published on http://josephbenevento.net

Marketing Trends Coming in 2019

Each year, the extensiveness of technology and its advancements continue to expand. It seems that what looks to be impossible this year with technology, will become a reality by the next. Because of the continual advancements, businesses must stay on top of the different trends that come as a result. Stay in touch and on top of marketing trends in 2019 by checking out these expected fads.

Forget Ads – Out with advertisements, in with reputable content. People no longer trust companies to provide accurate information over dramatized results. Rather than trust the people aiming to make profits, consumers are not looking to people they know, branded sites, and reviews. It is projected that 30% of all internet users will be using ad blockers by the end of 2019.

Authenticity – As everything shifts from human-based customer service to automation and bots, there is a genuine concern that businesses will suffer a loss due to the lack of opportunity for relationship building. However, 2019 already has a solution: offer an authentic experience by adding a personal touch when possible and making an effort to connect with consumers on a consistent basis.

Content Marketing – To say that content marketing is a new concept would be wrong, by nearly a decade. While it is widely known that using informative content to build your brand can be extremely successful, content marketing in 2019 has flourished into a content marketing plan. Rather than focusing on the content specifically, content marketing now requires extra time to create and publish consistent content that helps companies achieve their goals while providing meaningful value to the audience.

New Formats – Technology is the new wave, and how we use it have continued to evolve. 2018 proved to be the year of videos, and 2019 has no plans to slow it down. Podcasts were another new format that saw substantial interest, and bot usage became an option to produce better customer service. Find success in 2019 by adopting new formats and mediums and ditching the ones that don’t pan out.

Personalization – If you weren’t aware of personalization in 2018 (you must’ve been living under a rock), you will hear of it in 2019. Anticipated to be a top marketing fad this year, personalization of products and services will become a more mature and extensive process in 2019. Because of the scale personalization will take, 2019 will see a lot of experimental models and concepts, as companies work to leverage their technologies and data to procure revenue.

Originally published on http://josephbenevento.org

A Beginner’s Guide on How to Build Muscle

Even the most muscular person in the world once began as a regular person with regular triceps and invisible ads. We all have our starting place. However, with the plethora of blogs, insta-gurus, and continuous ads featuring nothing but muscles, it can seem a bit intimidating getting started.

Using the following information and advice, any novice can feel comfortable beginning their muscle building journey. Take your time, prepare, and ease your body into your new routine.

Nutrition

Anyone who went from not working out to going to the gym 3-5 days a week can tell you about the obvious need to eat more food. Even people who began exercising to lose weight understand the need to eat more (maybe not more food in general, but more frequently). So when it comes to building muscle, you are going to need a lot more frequent meals. It is a fact that the body requires a surplus of calories (taking in more calories than you’d expend in one day) to build muscles. You need to be eating the right things. However, nutrition entails more than just eating extra.

For building muscles, protein is key to muscle growth and recovery. The general rule of thumb offered for protein consumption is about one ounce of protein per pound of bodyweight. For muscle building, however, that number could be higher. It all depends on your body, your goals, and training intensity and volume.

Tips

Start Simple – Before jumping into a new gym membership, spend a few days or weeks specifying your goals and determining a routine for yourself. Along the way, begin working out at home with squats, lunges, planks, and push-ups. By spending the first few weeks building your core, your targeted exercises later will come at a less painful cost.

Tweak it – As easy as it is to get comfortable in your routine, it is not a good idea. If your mind and body are comfortable with the routine, it probably isn’t doing much for you. After mastering an exercise, you should almost immediately be looking for different variations. Keep your muscle gains from a plateau by remembering to mix things up.

Supplements – If it wasn’t for supplements, would GNC even be a thing? All jokes aside, the right supplements can be beneficial to muscle gains, fat loss, increased performance and increased strength and power. However, there are many different brands and options, so research is a must.

Vitamins and minerals – No, supplements are not the same thing. Yes, you can/should take both supplements and vitamins and minerals. In reality, most people are deficient in a lease some of the vitamins and minerals categories. Used for metabolic processes and other body functions, vitamins and minerals become even more of a necessity when intense exercise is introduced.

Originally published on http://josephbenevento.org

Incorporating Fitness into your Lifestyle

Joseph Benevento: Everyone needs to incorporate fitness into their daily lifestyle. Sedentary people are at greater risk for heart and cardiovascular problems, joint problems, and diabetes. Staying in shape means that you will live longer and be more satisfied with your daily life.

 

Starting Fresh

It can be daunting to start a fitness plan. Rather than going all in, it’s a good idea to start slow and to work your way up to a more rigorous schedule . First, try incorporating more movement into your daily routine. Stand as much as possible when you would normally sit. Do exercises while you are watching TV. Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work. Incorporate stretches and strength moves throughout the day, like squatting when you pick something up off the floor. These little changes can add up to a great start on your healthier lifestyle.

Easy Tips for Those Entering Sales

Joseph Benevento: A career in sales can be a promising path to take, but it also takes a positive attitude and an outgoing personality. Since your income depends on your ability to close sales, adopting the best sales strategies can impact your ability to earn a good income. Instead of relying solely on your winning personality, try incorporating some of these strategies into the way you approach and handle each potential customer.

 

Forget the Hard Sell

An aggressive sales approach is likely to turn people off, especially in today’s climate. Consumers are interested in forging relationships with businesses they can trust, so they tend to veer away from those businesses that seem solely intent on making a sale Instead, try to solve a problem for your customer in a way that relies on your product. Consumers are more willing to buy, if they feel as though the product will really help them.

Marketing Mistakes You Should Avoid At All Cost

Marketing is the first step towards selling a product and keeping it relevant. In the recent years the task of marketing something to the masses has become more rigorous due to the amount of platforms you are now able to share your product on, and the amount of reach it is getting when shared on them. In order to keep your product relevant and selling, here are some mistakes you should avoid at all cost.

Lack of Planning
Failing to plan is essentially the same as planning to fail. When marketing a product to people, there must be a strategy put in place first. Where is the product going to have the most impact? Will it be on Facebook, where you are able to write long post? Or an add on Twitter that shows up on people’s timelines. All of this should be taken into consideration when setting marketing goals, as well as a timeline, since study shows that it takes consumers multiple encounters with an add to recognize a product.