Hey baby, how would you like to do it anywhere? Yup, that's right, I said it... you and I can do it anywhere.Well, now that I have your attention, perhaps I need to clarify a little. When I say we can do it anywhere, I am talking about EXERCISE. There are some really great simple moves that require no equipment so they are perfect for performing in front of the TV during Survivor or in a hotel room after the nightmare meeting you barely survived.I call them THE BIG 5 because these moves hit all the major muscle groups. In...
Wendie Pett is a nationally recognized name in the fitness industry. She's passionate about motivating and encouraging people to make fitness and nutrition part of their daily routine.The essence of total beauty - mind, body and spirit - is what Wendie Pett is all about.When I decided to launch my "7 Questions With..." series of blogs, I quickly thought of asking Wendie to take part. I love her approach to health and fitness and I adore her vivacious personality.Check out what Wendie has to say about getting visibly fit at any age -- and about the three biggest mistakes we...
"Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure." Ah, excuses. We all make them. And, in turn, excuses make us less likely to achieve the things we want to achieve -- like a lighter weight or a better shape.As a total wellness professional I have heard most every excuse known to man. So today let's recount the top 7 excuses people use to avoid exercise.I will give you the way to overcome each excuse. Of course, to get it done, you need to stop making excuses!The 7 Worst Excuses for Not Exercising1. I hate to sweat!But seriously...
With a tip of the ski cap to the Winter Olympic Games, I'm awarding gold medals to a trio of exercises that can help you tighten and tone your butt.Before going into workout details, however, I need to dispel a few myths and misconceptions surrounding the topic.First, it's important to understand that you can't spot reduce body fat. There is no way to dictate what are of your body you lose fat from. Fat is burned globally from all areas of the body, and how this plays out is largely dictated by genetics.The bottom line: You can do butt exercises...
When we set out to write this post, we intended it to be a top list of every weight loss related app in the appstore, but quickly realized that there are over 1,000 apps related in some way to weight loss including: calorie counters, food diaries, weigh-in logs, heart rate monitors, pedometers, nutrition trackers, and everything in between. Apps range from the practical to the downright silly. We simply had to narrow it down, and the topic that caught our attention the most was the "fitness & workout" category. There are some truly amazing apps out there that can help you...
Forner NFL player Dave Hubbard has come up with what he calls a new formula for fitness -- a formula that will transform your body and energize your life.And it only takes 10 MINUTES A DAY to see results!If we can't find 10 minutes a day for fitness, then we're in deep doo-doo here folks.Hubbard, who way back in the '70s played on the offensive line for the New Orleans Saints, developed his fast and effective workout after hurting his back in a skydiving accident.For Hubbard, long sessions at the gym were no longer possible. And he soon discovered they...
It's January 11th -- how are your diet and exercise resolutions faring?My new diet is going very well, thank you. Sure I'd like to be more active. I have done some walking and I have run the basketball court with the team I coach.Okay so I really haven't done a lot in the way of fitness. I do know that has to change soon or my weight loss progress will plateau. And there's nothing more frustrating than a stuck scale needle!Fitness guru Brad Schoenfeld wants to help you and I get on track. The author of such popular books as...
When you hear the word core, what comes to mind? Abs? Lower back? Obliques? If you thought one or more of these answers, you're partially right. Basically, your core comprises all the muscles that are responsible for moving and stabilizing the trunk or spine.Simply, your core is your body without arms and legs. If there's any weakness in any muscle of this system, your core is compromised.I hear all the time about people who have strong abs, but a bad back. One of the reasons is because they do 5,000,000 crunches a day and neglect the other muscles of the...
Oh, the wonder of the human body! From the time you're born, your body is doing its best to achieve or maintain homeostasis, the process by which the internal systems of the body maintain a balance, despite external conditions.Your body is doing all it can to maintain posture, stay at ideal weight, and gain strength.Unfortunately, some of us are to blame for sabotaging its efforts.Other than inherited sickness, or an unfortunate accident beyond our control, we thwart our body's efforts to be in optimal health.While there are a myriad of ways to be healthy, I believe the gateway to...
You have undoubtedly heard the saying, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." The fitness equivalent to that statement is one of my favorite quotes by Jane Caminos: "A waist is a terrible thing to mind."That is never truer than during the holiday season.A new study suggests that on average, Americans probably gain about a pound during the winter holiday season. This finding runs contrary to the popular belief that most people gain from 5 to 10 pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. New study or old, around our house, I guarantee the numbers on the scale...
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from Women's Home Workout Bible (Human Kinetics, 2009) by Diet-to-Go fitness contributor Brad Schoenfeld. Read the feature then see how you can get a free copy of this economical and insightful new book! Setting Up a Home Gym: The Essentialsby Brad Schoenfeld, DTG Fitness Pro& author of Women's Home Workout BibleFirst, the good news: You don't need to spend a fortune on a home gym. No matter what your budget is, you can build a gym that suits your needs. Now for the caveat: The less money you have the more savvy you...
If you haven't heard it before, I'll say it again: muscle responds to resistance or load. Whoever told you that loading the muscles with weights just gets you big, is a load of crap.Whether your goal is to increase bone density, get stronger, or sharpen the nervous system; the level of tension placed on the muscle dictates the measure of results.If you're a woman doing bicep curls with those 2-pound "insect weights" -- those cute little colorful dumbbells stacked neatly in the gym -- it's going to take you a long time to get lean.Or if your a man who's...
You have undoubtedly heard that childhood obesity is rapidly on the rise. It now outranks all other health problems as the #1 concern for children in the United States. Equally disturbing is the fact that stress now ranks among the top 10 child health problems in America. I'd be willing to bet that the rise in childhood obesity and stress directly corresponds with three things:1. The decline in physical activity − the once obligatory recess and P.E. class − in schools.2. The invasion of technology.3. Fast empty calories.Kids today are simply not moving like they used to. Of course neither...
Trainer shmainer... who needs one? Well, I'd say most people can use one. In our service-oriented society where people are hiring people to do everything from financial advising to holding their umbrellas, why not personal training?The rewards for personal training are far greater than the common services requested by most patrons. Besides peace of mind, there's nothing greater than having a sound and healthy body to take you anywhere you need to go.A personal trainer is your best bet to getting into the best shape of your life! Let's look at my top 5 reasons you should...
About 80% of all people who start an exercise program stop working out within a few months. This usually follows a familiar pattern: After a short time the novelty of training starts to wear off. Enthusiasm wanes. You begin to skip workouts. Little by little, the number of missed workouts increases until your goal of getting into shape becomes a distant memory. Don't become a statistic. You can beat the odds and become a life-long fitness success story. All it takes is a commitment to goal setting. Goals are a function of your motivation-the reasons for wanting to exercise. So...
I have been motivating and educating people on exercise and fitness for almost 20 years. I enjoy teaching people the truth concerning how their body works-either for or against them-depending on how they exercise.I believe it's best to first exercise your mind before you exercise your body. Comedian Emo Phillips once said, "I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this." Very funny! But seriously, it is your brain that tells you what to do. So if you expect your brain to instruct you accurately, it...
Circuit training seems to be the latest trendy workout routine... and for good reason. Everyone is either trying to lose body fat or to build muscle or cardiovascular endurance.Unfortunately, some of the workouts I've seen belong in Cirque du Soleil rather than a gym floor.What's worse, some of these people are under the guidance of a McTrainer -- run of the mill "fitness pros" you can find everywhere. Because they're more affordable than the average experienced trainer, consumers end up getting these trainers off the dollar menu.In the long run, it's the consumer who ends up getting supersized with some...
It's common knowledge that exercising is a great way to boost your metabolism. But while virtually any type of physical activity will provide a metabolic lift, some routines are better than others in terms of ratcheting up your body's ability to burn fat.If you're interested in reducing body fat (and really, who isn't?), I'm going to make things easy for you. The actual workouts won't be easy, but the template for success certainly is.I've compiled three high-energy fitness routines guaranteed to stoke your fat-burning furnace-all you need to do is put in the necessary sweat and effort to achieve terrific...
I do great at dieting. Where I have trouble with a healthy lifestyle is starting and sticking with a fitness plan. Oh, sure... I always have high hopes of trimming down and toning up. I plan fitness regimens of 3 days a week of exercise and 4 days a week of treadmill.I start. Then I stop. Then I start again. Then life throws me yet another curve and I tell myself I'll put fitness on hiatus until things smooth out.A few days turns into a few weeks. My resolve melts... and so do any muscles I've managed to build.I now...
