Tone Those Arms!

My younger sister's wedding is next month, and yes, we are wearing strapless dresses for all the world to see our arms. So what is a girl to do when she is faced with an impending deadline and a lifetime of pictures to look back on? BODY BLADE!

The Body Blade is a funny looking piece of equipment. See for yourself here: http://www.bodyblade.com/

I often take my clients out to local parks to work out, and whenever we use the Body Blade it draws in some attention. To many people it looks as though we are preparing to sword fight and are swinging our way into battle, I have even heard comments like: "those look dangerous." Whatever onlookers are thinking as they watch our sessions, one thing is for certain, the Body Blade produces RESULTS...especially to the arms, shoulders and core.

I train men and women, but the majority of my one on one clientele are women 40 and over, and they all have a similar, chronic complaint: the jiggle on the back of their upper arms. I have been training women for years using many different types of exercise routines, and I have to admit the Body Blade targets the upper body and core and produces fast results. And no, I am not being paid for this endorsement, I just enjoy this product and so do my clients.

The Body Blade is easy to use and most people report it is fun too, and I have to agree. With one simple piece of equipment I can train a client's entire upper body. Throw in some squats, lunges, step ups and intervals and we have a complete training program with one piece of equipment. Now I really do sound like an advertisement.

Remember, it is important to vary your workouts, no one resistance training routine will solve all of your fitness needs, but this product is a simple, efficient and inexpensive piece of the puzzle. I hope you enjoy using it.

Have a healthy day!

The Key To Health

Continuing on my healthy lifestyle blog from yesterday, I found a report from the Harvard Medical School Newsletter promoting the virtues of exercise as a critical component to health and longevity. You can read the article for yourself: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/HEALTHbeat_062107.htm



But here is a quick quote from their June 21, 2007 newsletter:

"In a nutshell, exercise can:
-reduce your chances of getting heart disease. For those who already have heart disease, exercise reduces the chances of dying from it.
-lower your risk of developing hypertension and diabetes.
-reduce your risk for colon cancer and some other forms of cancer.
-improve your mood and mental functioning.
-keep your bones strong and joints healthy.
-help you maintain a healthy weight.

-help you maintain your independence well into your later years."

When you are sick, you do not feel good, you do not want to get out in the world and live life to the fullest. When we are sick life has to slow down until we are better....and some of these illnesses take months or years to recover from, if you can recover at all.



Find time for fitness and exercise, there are more reasons to do it everyday.



What is your motivation?



Have a healthy day!

Don't Lose Weight, Feel Good

Let's KISS

Let's K-I-S-S

Keep It Simple Silly. I love when I can share the easiest and most practical information with you, because let's face it: if it gets complicated we may not take the time to do it.

So today's info is the best nutritional advice I have heard in a long time.

There has been so much debate and advertising lately that carbs are bad for you, and should be avoided. I have heard them all too, but today I was reading an interview with Dr. Chris Mohr, PhD, and I loved what he had to say: EAT MORE FIBER!

Talk about keeping it simple!

Think about it, the carbs that are good for us contain more fiber: veggies, fruit, and whole grains. Refined carbs have less fiber (or none at all) and those are the carbs you want to limit your intake of.

So make sure you are eating vegetables with every meal and you will have better results with your nutrition program.

In the spirit of keeping it simple, that is all I have to say for today!

So add more fiber and have a healthy day!

Who Woulda Thunk It?

One of my mentors in the Fitness Industry shared this article with me:

http://health.yahoo.com/news/177766

Take a moment to read it and come back,

I'll wait.

Wow, who woulda thunk it?

I have a question, on a positive note:

If you are in a group of people who are living a healthy life style,

And losing weight, is the social stimulus just as powerful?

There is strength in numbers,

And whether your goal is to lose weight,

Or maintain the status quot,

Be mindful of those you are surrounding yourself with.

When you are trying to live a new, healthy life style,

Enroll AS MANY of your friends and relatives in the program as you can.

You will have the support you need,

As well as be able to offer support to others who need you.

THAT sounds like a win/win situation to me!

Have a healthy day!

CAUTION....PROCEED WITH CARE!

I wanted to chat a bit about nutrition today,

Or more precisely, the LACK of nutrition

In our daily eating habits.

I am on the same emotional roller coaster you are.

We all have our good days, and our more challenging days.

Sure, it is easy to eat healthy on days we feel great,

But what about the moments when we are confronted by stress?

How do you handle your eating skills then?

In the past, I would have either binged on some chocolaty snacks,

Or I would have refused to eat all together.

It occurred to me last week, on one of my more challenging days,

That I still feel the impulse, albeit ever so slightly,

To return to my destructive habits of eating.

After years of being aware and working on healthy eating patterns,

I was amazed I still felt the urge to binge and purge.

So why didn't I?

Because I developed a much stronger Mantra.

That Mantra is: I deserve to eat healthy foods that nourish my body.

I never told myself I should, because there is an opposite: shouldn't.

What I have been telling myself is that I DESERVE to eat.

For a long time I didn't believe I deserved anything positive in my life,

And it showed on a daily basis in my actions and how I treated myself.

So, the next time you feel compelled to binge or starve

Ask yourself a question:

Why do I want to do that?

You can discover your own Mantra in your answer,

And find that you are stronger than you ever knew.

Let me know what your Mantras are, I would love to hear them.

As always, have a healthy day!

Not All Created Equal

This weekend I was meeting with a friend of mine to discuss

My boot camps.

He trains kick boxers, specifically Muay Thai Fighters,

And asked if I could hold sessions for his team,

He wants his students to develop: Power, speed, endurance, and Strength,

And he finished by saying something about working them so hard they throw up...

EWWWW......

Was my first thought,

My second thought was that I understood what he was saying....

Take them to their limits.

But I quickly reminded him that making a group of guys work so hard they vomit,

Well, that's easy.

Making them work hard WITH a specific purpose in mind that supersedes the work load,

That is responsible training.

See, some trainers will work you hard just to prove a point: That they can.

But often it is to the detriment of the client or student.

I'll put it another way: I can make you run and squat and do push ups until you puke,

But if those exercises are not designed to help you attain your goal,

You are more likely to get an injury before you get a result.

Why am I mentioning all of this to you?

Because there are some trainers who will design the MOST difficult workouts

Just to prove something,

I want you to feel free to ask questions about the overall program design.

If you are not happy with the results you are getting, please know that you can ask

Or comment about how your body looks and feels.

Your trainer should be able to support the workout structure,

And modify it accordingly, especially if you feel any pain.

The myth about "no pain, no gain" went out the window with the type writter,

It is archaic and old school.

Yes, exercise IS uncomfortable, but there is a vast difference between true pain and general workout discomfort.

As for the kick boxers, they may actually throw up, but these guys are getting in the ring

With other guys who are punching and kicking them because THEY WANT THEM TO!

They will get pushed beyond their current fitness and endurance limits

So they survive in the ring.

They are elite athletes,

You do not need to work THAT hard, or be incapacitated the next day due to your workouts.

Stay in communication with your trainer,

And if they are not helping you, find another trainer who will.

Be safe and sweaty.

Have a healthy day!