They might not be deadly sins, but there are five mistakes easily made when trying to lose weight. Some of these might seem like common sense, but you might also be surprised how many of these weight loss follies you are currently making.  Ready to see where you stand?  5. Skimping on Meals Contrary to [...]

By Helen M. Ryan, Certified Personal Trainer You’re standing in the fitting room filled with dread. The harsh overhead lights don’t do anything to ease your fear of the garment clutched in your hand. You slowly strip down, peel on the suit. And scream. Yup, it’s bathing suit season once more. It may seem a [...]

There is one date that is magical for many people. It is filled with hope and idealistic dreams as new and unmarked as freshly fallen snow. The slate is wiped clean and empty as time starts anew, and anything feels possible. This special date? January 1, home of the New Year’s Resolution. New Year’s resolutions [...]

By Helen M. Ryan, Certified Personal Trainer “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” ~Oprah Winfrey With the Holidays around the corner and the new year sneaking around the bend, it’s time to consider your waist line – and your dream of flat abs. In last year’s Holiday [...]

By Helen M. Ryan, Certified Personal Trainer “The one way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life.”  ~Cyril Connolly If someone told you there really is an easy way to lose weight, would you believe them? It could be a very true statement, indeed. It doesn’t involved cutting out carbs. It doesn’t [...]

By Helen M. Ryan, Certified Personal Trainer There are as many ways to exercise as there are excuses not to. With objections ranging from, “I don’t have time”, to “I don’t have money”, reasons to stay inactive abound. Every year I help you overcome those objections by researching new ways for you to exercise quickly [...]

The Holidays are busy times. Shopping for gifts, attending parties, and traveling to visit family often take priority over your own needs. With chestnuts roasting on an open fire and the smell of baked goods in the air, it’s easy to overlook the simple fact that skimping on exercise now will extract a hefty toll in [...]

With time and money in short supply, using your own body weight and changing up your exercise routine are top fitness trends according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE). 48% of ACE professionals surveyed predict that gym memberships will decline in 2009, so it’s time to look at what you can do at home [...]

Hello, this is Helen M. Ryan, The Fit Life columnist for LA’s The Place, certified personal trainer and Spinning® instructor. I have put together a little something for LA’s the Place readers – my fitness column articles (and some weight loss tips) in a handy hard-copy electronic book. It’s free for your use and to [...]

When time is of the essence, kettlebell training incorporates all elements of fitness for a full-body fat blasting workout in just 30 minutes. A simple cast iron weight can replace an entire gym full of equipment. Yes, you read correctly. Everything you need to become leaner, faster, stronger and more flexible is contained in a [...]

The Christmas holidays. They are here, once again. Endless days of parties, pastries, shopping and stress. Everywhere you look and everywhere you go temptation abounds. Clients bring edible gifts, friends deliver baked goods. The office holiday party overflows with food and drink. With enticement everywhere, what do you do? Give in and pay the price [...]

Now that temperatures are soaring, exercise may be the last thing on your mind. That hot, sticky feeling is often a great workout de-motivator. However, we have an opportunity to turn this de-motivator into a motivator: exercising in the pool. Using water as a way to get in shape is both effective and fun. No [...]

If sweating and grunting in a room full of strangers is not for you, do not fret. An effective workout can be had inexpensively in the privacy of your own home or office. All you need are a few basics and some creativity. Below most items you will find a "Trainer’s Note" with observations, comments [...]

Most things I know about life I learned in Spin class. It’s true. The stationary bike has been my teacher, and I have spent hundreds of hours learning from it. Four years ago when I saw my first Spin bike it seemed like…just a bike. Made of cold metal with an unwelcoming seat, it did not [...]

We have video game systems in my house. A lot of them. Playstation 2, GameCube, Nintendo DS. So it was a hard sell to get me to purchase yet an additional system – the Nintendo Wii. I didn’t want another reason for my kids to sit around. According to the American Obesity Society, 30% of [...]

Bringing Fitness into Perspective Air under my feet. Levitating. Higher. Higher still. Faster. Sweat pouring. The sound of my own raspy breath filling my ears. Heart pounding, thighs screaming. Tears. Welling up in my eyes, easily mistaken for sweat. Not tears of pain. Or agony. Or defeat. But joy. Joy tinged with sadness. At my [...]