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 daunting task to fit into that suit (or swim shorts), especially if you have more than a few pounds to lose. There is no quick hacks to safely losing weight, however, but there are some simple steps you can take to get you there faster.

1.     The magic weight loss combo
You need to both firm up your muscles and burn the layer of fat over them to put your best body forward. Doing just cardiovascular activities (ones which raise your heart rate) will help with fat loss but won’t change your basic underlying shape. Strength training will help firm and sculpt your muscles, and burn some fat, but may not be enough to trim that pesky layer. Cardio and weight training together is the magic combination for a new and improved physique.

2.     Be a better body time-saver
Performing both aerobic exercise and strength training seems like it would take a lot of time, but it really doesn’t have to. The secret is working harder, smarter and being more efficient. Walking on a treadmill for hours on end is great for your overall health, but it’s not going to do that much to stoke your fat burning furnace. You need to work focused and targeted. Pick a challenging activity such as Spinning®, running, swimming or step aerobics (yes, that’s still around and better than ever). Or perform plyometric intervals like jump squats, knee tucks or side jumps. When you strength train, do exercises that use multiple muscles at once – push ups, squats, lunges, walking lunges, planks and pull ups. These burn more calories and work more of your body faster. The best of both worlds? Kettlebell training. Kettlebells are incredibly challenging cardiovascularly, and also strengthens your muscles. Kettlebell training burns a ton of calories and turns you into a fat burning machine (read my column on kettlebell training to learn more).

3.     Supercharge your diet
Start your morning with a protein-rich meal to keep you fueled throughout the day. Low fat cottage cheese (without any sugary additives) is an excellent choice. Sprinkle some almonds and fresh berries on top to give you staying power and better heart health. Another benefit to eating a high-protein breakfast is you avoid the “afternoon slump” that plagues so many of us. This bout of fatigue often causes you to rush for a sugary, fattening snack to help keep you awake. Sugar in the afternoon does not help you fit into that bikini.

4.     Carbs: To eat or not to eat…that is the question
Carbohydrates (breads, pastas, rice, sweets, cakes, tortillas, chips, candy, even some vegetables and fruit) are often villainized. In truth, we need carbs in our diet. What we don’t need are processed foods high in simple carbohydrates with little nutritional value. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables are an important part of most diets. However, it’s easy to overdo “carbs” overall and if your goal is to lose weight quickly, backing off on the carbs might be a help.

What works for many is to limit “obvious” carbs to once per day (this does not include fruits or vegetables). You might have old fashioned rolled oats with your cottage cheese for breakfast and that would be your carb for the day. Or you choose an “extra fiber” bagel with lunch. Perhaps save your carb for dinnertime. The best time to eat a carbohydrate, by the way, is immediately before or after a hard exercise session. So if you really want that muffin, time it to correspond with your workouts.

It’s all a matter of finding what works for you. Too few carbs can leave you exhausted. Too many and you don’t lose weight. Chart what you eat and how you feel. Base your carb intake on that. There is nothing wrong with cutting back for a short period of time. But for the longer term, we all need the fiber and other benefits whole grains provide. Just use common sense and try to eat a balanced diet.

5.     It’s all in the ‘tude
One of the easiest ways to look good in your bathing suit? Wear your smile and a happy attitude. It sounds hokey, I know, but if you think you look good, other people will think you look good, too. Stand confident. Stand tall. Be happy. Think of all the things your body has accomplished. Every scar, every stretch mark tells the story of your life. Remember – you are your own harshest critic. Others don’t see the faults you do. Cut yourself some slack.

Work hard. Eat smart. Wear a smile. It really is that simple.

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, Spinning® director, author and speaker. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

New Year’s resolutions are the conventional end to the Holiday season. Each year people all over the world party the old year out, with intentions of starting the new year with a bang of positive action. From quitting smoking and saving money to running a marathon, New Year’s Day marks a new beginning. But these new beginnings are often short-lived since four out of five people don’t keep their resolutions. In fact, 30% don’t even make it to the end of January.

One of the hardest resolutions to keep is the resolution to lose weight and get in shape. Why? Because people often don’t have a plan, or an idea of what it takes to get there and how to stay motivated. They start drastically cutting their calories, over-exercising and trying to undo years of damage in an impossibly short amount of time. By the end of the first week they are hungry, tired and discouraged…and their resolution begins to wane.

Can you be the one that succeeds? Yes, absolutely, by using the most important weight loss tool in your arsenal: Your brain. Success or failure at anything is all in your head so to speak. Weight loss itself truly is easy. It’s simply burning more calories than you take in. So why is so difficult to accomplish? Because of our brains. You need to ‘outsmart your smarts’ and here are five ways to do it.

5. Find the reason. If your motivation to lose weight is to just “be better looking” you are setting yourself up for failure. Being “hotter” is not a real enough goal to keep you from that plate of warm, inviting nachos. Your main motivation should always be your health, not weight loss. Your focus should be on balancing your blood sugars, lowering your cholesterol, improving your muscle strength and bone density, and elevating your  mood. Every time you reach for something you think you shouldn’t be eating ask yourself, “How does this benefit my health?” If it doesn’t benefit you, don’t eat it (or don’t eat a lot of it – a little bit is fine). Think of your body as a car, and the foods you eat as the gas (fuel). An apple will fuel you better than a donut.

4. See the gray. Don’t look at food and exercise as black or white (“If I eat this cookie, I have blow in and I might as well continue to eat”, or “I don’t have time to go to the gym today so I might as well do nothing”). Black and white thinking gets us all it trouble. The gray areas, though hard to get used to, are where health and happiness meet. Did you drink two glasses of wine instead of one? So what? Just stop now, move on, and remember to pay attention next time. Don’t compound any damage by continuing to eat or drink. One incident really doesn’t matter. It’s your whole week that counts.

3. Find balance. You can be the thinnest and fittest in the land, but will you truly be happy? Probably not. The happiest people are in great shape and overall healthy, but they are not stick-thin and they do indulge once in awhile. After a night of hanging out with friends and eating less healthily, for example, these people are back at the gym, full of tales from the night before and no regrets. It’s not a big deal to them. They are both taking care of their physical and emotional needs by giving in once in awhile.

2. Take yourself seriously. We focus so much on everything and everyone around us (our jobs, kids, spouses, activies) that it’s easy to not take our own health seriously. Day after day we often put other people first, leaving our own needs in the dust. The solution? Realizing that every “bad” choice has a longer term consequence on our health than just what we do at the moment. Take your health seriously and make smaller, positive choices every day.

1. Realizing you only have one shot. The life we have is the only life we get and there are no “do-overs.” If you are waiting for that perfect time or the perfect set of situations to start taking care of yourself and losing weight, it’s not going to happen. You have to make things happen. On your own. Now. Today. Before it’s too late.

Only you can change your life and your mind. By reconsidering the way you think about your life, food, and exercise will you be successful with weight loss. You will begin to see a larger picture, and not just the moment…and you will be happier, thinner and most of all, healthier.

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, Spinning® director, author and speaker. Follow Helen on Twitter, about.me or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

“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 article I focused on tools you could use to avoid gaining weight through the Holiday season (read “The 5 Easiest Ways to Stay Fit Over the Holidays“). This year, we are considering some very simple things you can do before the Holidays to actually lose some weight. Losing weight and burning fat beforehand gives you some extra breathing room to enjoy your festivities, so continue reading the 12 Days of Holiday Weight Loss to get started. The tips provided are both surprisingly easy and effective. The key is to be consistent with them and follow through.

(Start with Day 1, then keep that going while adding Day 2. Then keep Day 1 and Day 2 tips working, add Day 3′s, and so on. When the Holidays actually arrive, not only will you have possibly lost weight, but you will also have gained something far more valuable: healthy new weight loss habits.)

Day 1: Water. First thing in the morning and 15 minutes before every meal drink a full glass of water. Why? In addition to providing your body with the fluids it needs to work efficiently and clean your pipes, water also helps you feel fuller. Feeling fuller helps you eat less. Eating less leads to weight loss. So drink up – before every meal.

Day 2: Commercial break bust-out. Americans watch an average of 4.5 hours of television at night. Some of that time  can be put to good weight loss use. Pick two commercial breaks each hour (if you are watching an hour-long show, do the exercises twice. For a 30-minute show, do them once). Perform this short but intense exercise sequence. It won’t make you too sweaty but will really get your heart rate going. Every time you step up your heart rate, your metabolism follows.

If you have a staircase available, step up and down on the bottom step for a count of 20 with your right leg, then repeat on left leg. Then, placing both feet together, hop up on that bottom step and then step back down one foot at a time. Hop and step. Repeat for a count of 10. If you don’t have a step, do knee pull ups from a standing position using both arms and alternating legs. Or do a series of jump squats (20-30). Repeat next commercial, working harder as you go along.

Day 3: Veggies and fruits. On your trusty calendar or PDA, make a note to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day (though the food pyramid recommends nine servings, that’s a hard ideal for most people to reach). Write down your veggie goal each day and what you actually ate, then try to make them match. Create a game out of it. Eat your veggies before your other foods at dinner or lunch where possible. You will fill up on good stuff, leaving less room for the not-so-good stuff.

Day 4: Work your stomach. Every two days, take about 15 minutes to exercise all the muscles in your core. Aim for exercises that move you naturally and work all the muscles, including the deeper ones. Perform planks, slow mountain climbers, bicycles, and knee tucks on a ball. Pull up with your belly button and up and in with your pelvic floor (lifting up towards your ribs as you work) as you exhale on the effort(s). Not only will these moves help flatten your abs, but they will also provide internal support for your back.

Exercise descriptions:

Knee tucks

Planks

Bicycles

Mountain Climbers

Day 5: Start snacking. Eat three light and healthy snacks a day to keep your metabolism going and your hunger in check. Light string cheese, lean lunch meats, cottage cheese, fruit or a small serving of nuts will do the job. If you have a piece of fruit, add some protein and/or fat with it (nuts or cheese, for example) to balance out your blood sugar. Just keep the snack fairly small and healthy.

Day 6: Breathe. Add deep breathing into your daily routine. Take a few moments to clear your head and bring fresh oxygen into your body mornings before you rise and at bedtime. Relax your abdomen, breathe in deeply (expanding your ribs out towards the sides rather than front/back) and then exhale completely while pulling in and up with your diaphragm and pelvic floor. A bonus is that this helps tone your abs, too. Breathe slowly and deeply.

Day 7: Vitamins and minerals. Take a daily multivitamin and 800 IUs of Vitamin D3 (remember that multivitamins also have Vitamin D in them). Recent guidelines from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have increased the daily IUs for Vitamin D from 400 to 800. Some experts feel that is still too low, so use your own judgment.

Day 8: Try something new..a new exercise class, routine or equipment. Experiment with something you have not done before. Each day, pick a new activity and make it fun. Start your own “12 Days of Fitness” with a new routine every day. Try a kettlebell, Spinning®, Pilates or Zumba class or DVD. Or change up your weight training by working slow and heavy one session, and faster and lighter the next. Give yourself room to play and experiment.

Day 9: Balance. Add some balance training to all of your exercise routines. You can even add this into your “commercial fitness” (Day 2 above). Use an unstable surface like a thicker mat, BOSU or pillow. Go barefoot. Practice standing on one leg, squatting with one leg, plank with your elbows on the unstable surface. Unstable surfaces make you work harder and use more muscles, thus burning more calories.

Day 10: Cut down on sweets. From this day on, cut back on the sugars you know about. There are so many unexpected products that contain sugars we are not aware of (ketchup, anyone? Bread?). When you reach for a snack, try plain yogurt with fresh berries instead of the sweetened kind. And those pre-packaged snack packs that have a “low” calorie value? They are loaded with sugars. Pick a more natural option without added sugars. A sugary snack won’t do anything for your health. Save the sugar for where you will really enjoy it: Holiday desserts.

Day 11: Fiber. The easiest way to get enough fiber (experts recommend 30-40 grams per day) is with Day 3 above (fruits and vegetables) as well as legumes (like peas and beans) and high fiber grains. Rule of thumb? Don’t eat any grain product with less than 5 grams of fiber per serving.

Day 12: Like yourself. It’s easier to stay healthy and on track when you like yourself. When you a truly happy with who you are you are less likely to treat yourself poorly. Eating less-than-healthy foods, not exercising and not getting enough sleep is treating yourself poorly. See yourself as others see you and ask yourself, “Would I let my kids eat that? Would I let my mom exercise to little? Would I be concerned if I my spouse slept this short of time every night?” If you wouldn’t do it to them, don’t do it to yourself. You count.

Start with these easy steps to improve your health, weight and fitness. Eat healthy and clean 80% of the time over the Holidays and indulge 20% of the time. The important thing is to not binge or beat yourself up if you eat too many yams or an extra serving of dessert. Just let it go, move on and forget about it. It’s not the end of the world.

A good life is having balance, and the Holidays are about celebrating with family. Have both.

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, Spinning® coordinator, author and speaker. Follow Helen on Twitter, about.me or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

“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 involve starving and detoxifying yourself. It doesn’t even involve cutting out dairy. What it does involve is activating the one muscle that can truly help you lose weight: Your brain.

The Easy Steps to Weight Loss

Step 1: Re-Set Your Priorities

You have to want it. If you truly wanted to lose weight you would have done it already. Stop and think about that for just a moment. When you’ve wanted something badly in the past, I bet you made every effort to make it happen. Nothing stood in your way and nothing could hold you back. The same applies to weight loss. I lost 80 pounds easily when I wanted to (and I gained 20 of those pounds back when I didn’t “want to” anymore).

If you really wanted to be thinner you would put down the fries. In reality, they aren’t even that tasty, are they? You eat them anyway because they give you something you are missing in life – something that’s more important to you at this moment than losing weight.

Reprogramming: Figure out what you are missing and change your priorities, because that is what’s keeping you fat.

Step 2: Stop Obsessing Over Food

Obsession of any kind is not healthy, and obsession over everything you put in your mouth will only lead to weight gain. None of us are perfect and it’s the drive to be perfect that leads to weight gain. Often, if you eat one “bad” food it’s easy to believe that you have “blown it” and then continue on an eating spree.

Reprogramming: Remember that there are no “bad” foods – just better and worse choices. A cookie is a cookie, so just have the one cookie and enjoy the moment, then make a healthier choice next time.

Step 3: Shift Your Goal from Losing Weight to Becoming Healthier

As part of step 2, forget trying to lose weight. Focus instead on doing something healthy for your body. When you are tired, hungry and faced with the choice of an apple or a bag of potato chips, it’s easier and more satisfying to choose the chips. Dismiss the craving for a moment. Banish the delicious crunchiness from your thoughts and think about this: What are the health benefit of chips? None, really. Then why are you eating them? Because they taste good? But what will they do to your blood sugar, your arteries, your brain function?

Reprogramming: The more often you are able to choose the apple over the chips, the healthier you will be and mentally stronger you will become. The better fuel you put in your performance engine (you), the smoother that engine will run. The more often you make healthier food choices, the easier it becomes.

Step 4: Eat More Fresh Foods

It’s fairly easy to add a salad, for example, to every dinner. Make it a large one using dark green and colorful vegetables like spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, and carrots. This simple habit will really spiff up your nutrition and give you a dose of natural vitamins and fiber. Beware of the calories in dressings and just splash on some balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, or a dash of olive oil. Eating a large salad before your major meal will help you feel fuller and cut down on your overall calories.

Reprogramming: Fresh and raw foods are good. Learn to choose salads instead of tortilla chips – most of the time.

Step 5: Eat Often and Eat Less

You’ve heard the “eat every 2-3 hours” mantra before, but eating frequent meals truly helps weight loss efforts. By eating often you do not become ravenously hungry. The feeling of starvation is what often leads you to making poorer choices like pastries instead of low fat string cheese. Make sure you eat something light before you go out, and plan (but don’t obsess) about how you are going to fuel your body throughout the day.

Reprogramming: Don’t let yourself go hungry. Eat often. It doesn’t take a lot of thought once you get used to it, and it will save your body and your sanity in the long run.

Step 6: Live Your Life

Make the healthiest choices you can at any given moment, but don’t skip the slice of cake at your birthday party. Live a little and live well.

Reprogramming: Quality of life is as important as quantity of life. Eat healthy most of the time and allow yourself some splurges.

In reality, weight loss is not easy because we don’t let it to be easy. I am the first one to admit when I slip, but I don’t beat myself up over it any longer. I realize I am human and attempt to make a healthier choice the next time I eat (and not wait for the next day or the next Monday).

Your main purpose is to be healthy – not skinny. Remember that fact every day, remove the pressure of “dieting”, and weight loss will come almost effortlessly as your bonus.

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, Spinning® instructor, author and speaker. She specializes in helping people fit weight loss and exercise into their busy lives. Follow Helen on Twitter, read her story or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

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 and effectively. Some of this year’s products are challenging, others simply fun, but they are all reasonably priced and offer an end to excuses.

Keeping your workouts fresh and varied are the keys to sticking with any exercise program. Boredom breeds inactivity. Along with the tried and true picks reviewed previously (see Homegrown Muscle and Time Saving Workouts) these products are worthy additions bound to put some perk back into your workouts. Mini-trampolines, weighted fitness balls, all-in-one exercise bars, water fitness toys, and a reliable source of product reviews round out this year’s choices. There is no lack of variety here…and no more reasons to skip your workout.

[Trainer's POVs are listed following each product are pros and cons.]

Weighted Fitness Balls with Velcro®
Harbinger® (price varies)
(Price varies) – www.harbingerfitness.com or major retailers

Weighted fitness balls are a staple in any home gym and an all-around fitness favorite. These versatile weighted balls elevate your heart rate, tone your muscles, and increase your flexibility and balance. Weighted balls are used by seniors as well as athletes, and their potential for variety is endless.

These softer of fitness balls have been my choice for years, but the slippery surface when wet has posed problems as the ball slips away. Another issue is the difficulty keeping a grip on the ball when performing single hand exercises during strength and balance moves. Harbinger has solved these problem by adding a Velcro strap to their fitness balls, which allow the ball to stay in place while you twist, jump and reach. With the fitness ball now firmly in hand, the range of exercises that can be performed is much larger than with “non-Velcro” fitness balls.

[Trainer's POV. Pros: A great benefit of these Harbinger balls is that they really do stay in place, which make them great for agility and balance training. They can even stand in for kettlebells during simple movements due to their shape and weight distribution. They are amazingly sturdy and can tolerate fairly rough use. Cons: The lighter weights of the fitness balls, ranging from 2-10 pounds. A heavier offering would be nice.]

The JB Berns Urban Rebounder
$99.95 -  www.urbanrebounding.com and major retailers

Though rebounding has been around for quite awhile it has not lost its charm. Rebounding is still “in” at major health club chains like Crunch and Bally’s and with good reason: It elevates your heart rate, works your abdominals and increases muscle tone in your legs and butt. Jumping or running on the trampoline is surprisingly challenging, and simple moves such as squats are made more difficult by the suspended surface. The Urban Rebounder also comes with a detachable safety bar that allows you to do exercises that require more balance or security.

From a consumer point of view, the Rebounder is loads of fun. Running, jumping and dancing all take on new meaning when you spring into the air. Adults and children bounce away, not realizing how much effort is involved (rebounding is purported to burn up to 700 calories per hour).

[Trainer’s POV. Pros: Rebounding provides many exercise options, making this a great way to work out at home with few other accessories. Cardio and strength can both be performed on this one unit. Traditional stomach exercises as well as Pilates-inspired moves are more challenging than on the ground. Cons: The size of the Urban Rebounder is a drawback, and it was difficult to attach the stand to the unit.]

Lebert Equalizer
$99 – www.lebertequalizer.com or online retailers

The Lebert Equalizer bars seem, at first glance, too simple to be versatile. However, delving deeper into the Equalizer bars show exactly how many exercises you can really perform. The portable strength training bars use your own body weight to work your arms, stomach, chest, back and leg muscles. From push ups to pull ups, and dips to squats, more muscles are used with each exercise because you are working against gravity while trying to keep your body stable.

You can easily vary the toughness of any workout by controlling the angle of your body, creating more or less resistance, or adding props such as stability balls. You can even add a cardiovascular component by using the bars as hurdles, or increasing flexibility by stretching on them.

[Trainer’s POV. Pros: I had a chance to try the Lebert Equalizer at a fitness conference and was impressed with the stability of the bars and the degree of exercise difficulty that could be obtained. I did not feel any risk of the bars tipping over, which has been my main concern. Cons: The size. I can’t see it in my bedroom.]

Aqua Fitness Set by Body Glove
$39.95 – www.bodyglove.com or online retailers

Working out in water is big right now and it’s trend that continues to grow. Body Glove is bringing their Aqua Fitness Set to the market to give your body an additional challenge. The kit includes a waist belt, wrist- and ankle belts, and gloves lined with foam inserts, all designed to increase resistance and make working out in water even harder.

[Trainer's POV: Teri McQuaid, certified personal trainer and aquatic fitness instructor, tested the Aqua Fitness Set and found it to be one of the better sets she has used. “They add a great new dimension to my water workout”, says McQuaid. "The gloves are good and I like the foam padding. It lets you adjust the resistance. And the material on all the pieces is soft - not too stiff or rough”.]

RevAbs DVD System
$79.95 – www.revabs.com

RevAbs is a complete DVD set that focuses on one thing: getting customers as ripped abs as they can get. Though not everyone can genetically or physically sport a 6- or 8 pack, RevAbs incorporates both strength- and cardiovascular training to get you as close to the 6-pack as you can possibly get.

David Thayer, a 58-year-old cyclist from Murrieta, ran through the entire RevAbs system and shared his thoughts. He found the program easy to follow and the production quality excellent. The exercise level is aimed at intermediate exercisers, with one trainer always showing lower-intensity modifications. “The ‘Mercy Abs’ routine is the best I’ve ever done”, says Thayer. “On average, my ab strength and endurance increased a lot. I would, however, recommend anyone with over-50-year-old knees to go easy on the vertical movements”. His overall opinion? “Pros: Makes you stronger quickly. Cons: You’ll never look like the guy on the cover.”

ACE Fitness Product Finder
Free – www.acefitness.org/reviews

Though not a fitness product, American Council on Exercise’s newly re-launched Get Fit web site provides an excellent source for fitness-related articles and honest product reviews. This resource features non-biased expert reviews for fitness products spanning 18 categories, on everything from the PX90 to the odd-looking Vibram athletic shoes.  The site also offers editor’s ratings as well as ratings from users.

[Trainer's POV. Pros: A good, unbiased resource. Cons: If you have your heart set on a certain piece of equipment, you might not like what you read.]

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, certified Spinning® instructor, author and speaker. She specializes in helping people fit weight loss and exercise into their busy lives. Read Helen’s story or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

Check Resistance Off  Your List

Everywhere we look we are bombarded with articles on avoiding holiday weight gain and how to indulge sensibly. It’s all relevant, practical and helpful information. But will you really follow the advice given? Probably not. Why? Because of your own mental resistance. Mental resistance is the number one obstacle in your way this season – not that plate of cookies.  It’s simply easier not to work out. It’s simply easier to indulge. It’s simply easier to say, “I’ll wait until January”. But why let your resistance win? In the end, you are the one that pays the ultimate price. Every year, a few pounds creep on. And every year, those same pounds are not lost.

The Ultimate Gift

While you may not be able to stop all the Holiday eating, you can still stick to your workouts. It may seem daunting and pointless to try to exercise now, but it’s really not. In addition to building muscle, burning fat and keeping your heart and joints healthy, exercise provides a very valuable benefit: Keeping you sane. And sanity, in and of itself, is the most priceless gift this time of year.

15 Minutes to Save Yourself

If you don’t have time to hit the gym, exercise at home, in your hotel room, or at your parents’ house. Use express workouts to get the most out of your limited time. 15 minutes is very doable and you will feel and look better for it. Think you don’t have time? Do it in front of the television. Or when you first get out of bed. Really. It’s very easy to fit in.

Time-Crunch Secrets

Need more motivation? Here are 5 easy ways to blast fat while indulging in Holiday fun:

Single Leg Push Up (Photo: ACE)

1. Move that Body (Weight). Forget machines and weights this time of year. Use your own body weight for a fast, full workout. Push ups are amazing at toning the entire upper body. Lunges and squats shape the legs and rear. Planks, mountain climbers and bicycle crunches define your stomach and strengthen your back. If you have a stability ball that’s even better. The number of challenging exercises that can be performed with the ball are nearly limitless and keep your workouts far from boring. For a free and comprehensive library of exercises with body weight and props, visit the American Council on Exercise (ACE) web site.

2. Quality, not quantity. When pressed for time, the best way to see results is to work short but hard, with good form and quality exercises. Don’t waste valuable time this season with isolated bicep curls and side leg lifts. Elevate that heart rate while training your muscles (jump squats are a perfect example, or step ups on a sturdy step stool). Force a few extra reps during push ups. Hold your position at the bottom of a squat.

3. Keep in motion. Move from exercise to exercise with no rest in between. Design a circuit that flows from one exercise to another and cycle through it twice. Squats. Steps ups. Planks. Mountain climbers. Push ups. Bicycle crunches. Side planks. Jump squats. Dips. Done. Shop.

TRX in Use (Photo: ACE)

4. Bring portable equipment with you when traveling. The best pieces of lightweight exercise equipment are exercise tubing and the TRX Suspension Trainer. Rubber resistance is versatile, inexpensive and very challenging. Purchase some exercise tubing with handles and a rubber “figure 8” for an intense muscle toning, fat burning session. Or invest in the TRX Suspension Trainer, where every part of your body is worked with a small wonder that fits nicely in your luggage. This full body workout strap system used by athletes and military personnel anchors  easily in doorways, trees, or an overhead bar.

5. Go intervals. Intervals are hard and burn a lot of calories. It’s easy to design body weight intervals (exercise harder until heart rate elevates then flow to an easier, more targeted exercise.) Add some plyometrics (run in place, jump over a small object, perform jumping jacks). Or take it outside for some sprints during your walk. It’s a fast and effective way to stay fit with minimal time investment.

Don’t forget – resistance training offers a higher “after burn”, so you continue to burn calories long after you stop your workout sessions. Squeeze in bits of exercise here and there…and face the New Year with fewer resolutions.

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, certified Spinning® instructor, Pilates instructor, author and speaker. She specializes in helping people fit weight loss and exercise into their busy lives. Read Helen’s story or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

The last home workout article, Homegrown Muscle: Building a Home-Based Gym, focused on the essentials and recommended simple budget-friendly add-ons. From paper plates to stability balls and kettlebells, we ran the gamut with options that kept you motivated and on the path to weight loss success.

This time around we’ve found some “break-out stars” to supplement, or even replace, your home gym. Below each item you will find a “Trainer’s note” with my observations and comments.

[Trainer's note: I do not receive endorsements for any of these products. They are items I actually use myself or with my current clients. ]

Burn More Calories

Using your body weight engages more muscles, which in turn burns more calories. Two of this year’s products do exactly that: The Gravity Bar from GoFit, and the Perfect Pullup from BodyRev.

Use Gravity with the Gravity Bar

GOFIT GRAVITY BAR®
$99.95 – www.gofit.net or Dick’s Sporting Goods stores

With the Gravity Bar you utilize your own weight to work virtually your entire body. Almost any exercise imaginable can be performed with the Gravity Bar’s pull up bar and adjustable straps with handles/harnesses. Angling your body at different degrees makes the exercises easier or more difficult, allowing you to adapt to your changing fitness level. This system also encourages you to focus on keeping your balance, engaging more muscles overall.

In reality, the Gravity Bar could potentially be all the strength training equipment you need. It mounts fairly easily in any standard doorframe and, while similar in function to the TRX® Suspension Trainer® (read review here), it has the added benefit of a pull up bar and ab straps.

[Trainer's note: I love a challenge and the Gravity Bar gives me one. It's fairly inexpensive and I have discovered many more exercises than the DVD or handouts show. It's amazingly versatile and very effective. The only drawbacks are its lack of portability and its visibility in my doorway. It took about 15 minutes - for a guy - to install. Despite warnings not to swing and climb on it, the unit has held up to well to mistreatment from kids. ]

Perfect Pullup Builds Strength

THE PERFECT PULLUP
From $59.95 – www.perfectpullup.com and major online retailers

The Perfect Pullup joins the Perfect Pushup (read review here) in leading the home fitness equipment pack. With these two items in your house you may have a complete home gym, provided you are creative with exercises. The Perfect Pullup is close to perfect now that they have replaced the plastic hooks with metal ones (the old plastic clips tended to break after just a few uses). The Perfect Pullup comes with the famous rotating handles that hit your muscles from different angles and the challenging ab straps.

What makes this product more multifaceted than the average pull up bar is the unit’s swing-down arm, which allows a whole other range of exercises, from triceps presses to single leg squats. Again, many more exercises can be done than the ones shown.

The Perfect Pullup installs in any standard doorway and is easy to make virtually unnoticeable.

[Trainer's note: I had a client install the Perfect Pullup in his home in about 20 minutes and tested it there. It did everything it was supposed to do and more. Much more innovative than originally imagined. My client uses it religiously along with the Perfect Pushup and has already seen results. I would recommend some self-sticking felt on the doorframe when bar is in "down" position to keep it from scraping.]

For Fun and Fitness

Hoop Girl - Hoop for Fitness

HOOP GIRL HULA HOOP
$29.95 and up – www.hoopgirl.com

Hula hooping may seem to be a silly, ineffective endeavor, but a few minutes with a Hoop Girl hoop may change your mind. Hula hooping is both stimulating and relaxing, leaving you feeling invigorated and in a better mood. The Hoop Girl hoops are made of heavier weight and friction tape, which lets even the most uncoordinated person hoop after just a few attempts. Hula hooping burns calories, strengthens the abdominals and releases tension in the low back.

Available in a variety of weights and colors the hoops, created by Christabel Zamor, are designed to be fun and easy for adults to spin. An instructional DVD is included, though some of the music and clothing are a little odd. You will be surprised at how easy it is and how fun hula hooping can be.

[Trainer's note: I take five minute "hoop breaks" when I am working at my desk. It helps me think and be more creative. I've used it in my circuit training classes and the participants, after their initial resistance, loved it. It's a fun, heart-rate raising, pressure-relieving add-on to many fitness programs.]

–

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-certified trainer, certified Spinning® instructor, author and speaker. She specializes in helping people fit weight loss and exercise into their busy lives. Read Helen’s story or download her free LA’s the Place Fit Life e-book.

I Was Severely Obese

Something you probably don’t know about me is that I am a real person. I am not some young, always-skinny crop top-clad gym bunny. I am almost 43 years old, the mother of two, a busy trainer and writer. And I used to be fat…very fat. In fact, I was considered obese. I lost a lot of weight and am now in the “normal” range (though about 10 pounds heavier today than in my buff “after photo” below, but that’s life!). However, I am very fit…and very healthy. That is what I want to share with you: How to regain your fitness and become healthier – to feel better in your body – and to live life to the fullest.

Easy Tips That Help

I put this compilation together as a way for you to have fitness information at your fingertips. Inside, you will find, for example:

• Ways to increase your metabolism (page 1)
• Hints on getting fit after 40 (page 6)
• Tips on creating an inexpensive home-based gym (page 3)
• Why Spinning changed my life (even though my butt hurt for weeks) (page 11)

My “Surviving the Holidays” article may be about how not to gain weight over the Christmas season, but the tips are applicable to Easter, Fourth of July or any other holiday where eating is pretty much mandatory.

The Secret to Success

Getting in shape is both harder and easier than it seems. The secret to success is consistency. Just like with anything else in life. If you start – then stop – then start again, it’s not going to happen for you.

The Fit Life encourages you to work fitness into your life, learn how to make the best choices for you, pick something you love as a form of exercise, and above all, to be honest with yourself. My personal essays are very honest. As with, “I Love My Thighs” (page 14.) I really do love them…they can climb any hill I put in front of them. (You’ll see my less-than perfect thighs in action on the bike, happily pumping away for 60 miles, in the accompanying photo.)

Helen M. Ryan Before and After

Learn How I Lost 80 Pounds

In The Fit Life you will also read my story about how I lost 80 pounds, re-discovered fitness, and how I now use what I learned to forge a career helping others with their weight loss struggles. In my essay, “My A-Ha Moment” (page 9), I talk about how it felt to be part of that struggle:

“In August of 2003 I weighed 198 pounds. I wore a size 20. I could not walk very far, I could not climb stairs. My feet hurt all the time. I had spent years staring into the bottoms of empty ice cream containers, spoon in hand, wondering what had happened to me and my life. Where did I go? Who was this unhappy creature eating away her days, passing time, waiting until she died? I had no answers.”

I may not be able to provide you with all the answers, but I hope this guide can help you on the path to your fitter life.

The Fit Life book. It’s yours. It’s free. Courtesy of www.LAsThePlace.com.
>>Click Here to Download the Free E-Book<<

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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 tidy, but heavy, package called a kettlebell.

Everything Old Is New Again – and Better

Kettlebell training is an intense type of exercise originating from Russia more than 100 years ago. Resembling cannonballs with handles, kettlebells are used extensively by Russian military and athletes. These workouts have become a favorite choice of many celebrities. Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lopez, Ethan Hawk, Matthew McConaughey, Penelope Cruz, Lance Armstrong, Mariska Hargitay, Jason Statham, Kim Cattrall and other A-listers all credit kettlebells with helping whittle their physiques – in record time. The three-in-one workout (strength, cardio and flexibility) takes only an average of 30 minutes and helps you get stronger, leaner and in great shape.

The newfound interest in kettlebells can be credited to Pavel Tsatsouline, who created the world’s first kettlebell instructor certification program (RKC). A former physical trainer for the Soviet Special Forces, Tsatsouline popularized the kettlebell workout in the United States through programs he developed and marketed.

Why Does It Work So Well?

Sarah Lurie, CSCS and RKC, founder of Iron Core in San Diego, California, and the expert behind GoFit’s home kettlebell line, started training with kettlebells after an injury from traditional weight training. She used them to recover and fell in love with the other benefits the full-body workout gave her.

“With kettlebell training, I was exercising my entire body, getting a great cardio and strength workout and spending half the time doing it,” says Lurie. “No longer was I isolating body parts, laying or sitting on a machine — now I was using and moving my body as an integrated unit.”

Louis Towkaniuk, RKC and owner of Cutting Edge Fitness in Murrieta, California, agrees. Having been on the scrawny side before taking up kettlebells, his new workout allowed him to become strong and defined without adding too much bulk. At the recommendation of his brother, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), Towkaniuk tried Pavel Tsatsouline’s bodyweight training program and naturally migrated to exercising with kettlebells. He worked his way up to heavier bells, transforming his own body in the process. “With kettlebells you are forced to use your stabilizer muscles to control the weight. You gain strength, flexibility, balance, and explosiveness”, says Towkaniuk.

Kettlebell training is hard. Quite hard, in fact. But it’s hard in a way most people find manageable. More muscles in your body are used with each move, which raises your heart rate and encourages your body to burn more calories. The intensity of these workouts allows you to exercise for a shorter duration, but with more gain. According to a 2007 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, doing bursts of harder exercise (interval training) not only improves your cardiovascular fitness but also your body’s ability to burn fat.

An Amazing Butt and Thigh Workout

Kettlebell workouts may improve you cardiovascularly and tighten your abdominals, but they also hit a spot that’s of primary concern to women: The hard-to-reshape butt and thigh area.

Notes Lurie, “The majority of kettlebell exercises use your glutes, and hamstrings, so your butt really works hard throughout each movement. The result is a shapely and firm rear end – one that hundreds and lunges and squats can’t even come close to matching.”

From Injury Prevention to Treatment

Both Lurie and Towkaniuk have experienced first-hand the rehabilitative benefits of kettlebells. Lurie regained her strength and fitness after her injury, while Towkaniuk rehabilitated his own separated shoulder. Clients who have come to both trainers with bad backs and other discomforts are now often pain-free.

Terry Srodawa of Temecula, a client of Cutting Edge Fitness, is happy with his results. “Before, every single workout would result in my tendonitis acting up and hurting. Within just a week of starting kettlebell training with Louie, the throbbing was gone.” Another fan of Towkaniuk’s kettlebell classes, Richard Smeerdyk, concurs. He had experienced the typical “lower back pain syndrome“ and had not exercised his back much before. “The kettlebells really helped me out”, says Smeerdyk. “I work my back and core without really knowing it. And I find it much more rewarding than spending an hour, hour and a half at the gym, running from machine to machine.”

Kettlebells can help people with back pain by strengthening the back and stomach muscles, while simultaneously increasing flexibility through the spine and hips. Weak stomach muscles and tight hips are often the causes of back pain, and keeping them in shape and pliable supports the spine.

Where to Kettlebell

In-home:
Lurie partnered with GoFit to make kettlebells available to home users. The GoFit kettlebells are available at Target and major sporting goods stores, as well as online at www.gofit.net or www.ironcorekettlebells.com.

Studio classes:
Find an RKC (Russian kettlebell certified instructor) near you:
www.dragondoor.com/rkc/

Kettlebell training in Murrieta, California:
Cutting Edge Fitness
www.cedgefitness.com
38415 Innovation Court, Suite K
Murrieta CA 92563
 (760) 468-0687 

Kettlebell training in San Diego, California:
Iron Core Kettlebells
www.ironcorekettlebells.com
2950 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109
 (858) 551-2673 

Helen M. Ryan is an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer
and a Certified Spinning® Instructor.

With enticement everywhere, what do you do? Give in and pay the price in January? Or sacrifice now and start the new year without a brand-new muffin top? To make it easier on you, here’s a guide to enjoying yourself sensibly.

1. Stay in Motion
Exercise whenever you can squeeze it in. Staying active will keep your metabolism revved up. Exercise also reduces your stress level and clears your mind, a welcome bonus. So park far away from the mall entrance; carry your own bags; clean vigorously; rise 20 minutes earlier and hop on the treadmill; perform as many squats, lunges and pushups as you can muster. Jump on a trampoline or participate in half of your regular exercise class. It doesn’t matter what it is – just keep moving.

2.  Keep Eating
Before you do anything else – eat. Eat prior to every shopping trip, party and gathering. When you are starving you are apt to eat anything that is not nailed down. You will ingest too much, too quickly and make bad choices. So eat frequently and healthily. Before a party, have some low fat vegetable soup or steamed veggies. Try healthy fiber-filled foods to take the edge off your hunger.

3. Wear Your Clothes Tight
Wearing something that’s snug around your waist reminds you to keep focused on your goal, which is to not overindulge. If you are comfortable and have room at the waistline it is easier to overeat.

4. Survey the Scene
When at a party or gathering, spend a few moments surveying your food choices. Pick out a couple of items you really can’t miss (the brownies? Grandma’s special casserole?). Then, using the smallest plate you can find, select salads (go easy on the dressing), veggies and lean proteins (chicken breast, shrimp, skinless turkey or beans). When you have filled up on healthy goods then proceed to your favorites. Take a small serving of each and enjoy.

5. Shut The Voices Out
Don’t listen to the crackers and nuts. They will call your name. They will entice you to eat more of them than you should. One visit to each is fine; but handful after handful is easy to do without thinking, and the calories add up quickly.

6. Eat Slowly
Take your time. Enjoy. Talk a lot. Sip water in between bites. Give your stomach a chance to tell you when it’s full.

7. Don’t Linger
Put some distance between yourself and the food. When you are done, you are done. Move on.

8. Brush Your Teeth
If you can, bring a toothbrush. After dessert brush your teeth. You will be less likely to keep eating if you can’t taste the food you just ate.

Have a good season but party with restraint. Even if you gain only a couple of pounds, remember – few people actually lose that holiday weight. Eat what you really like, skip what you really don’t care for. And move your body more. Focus on being with your family and friends and sharing moments rather than focusing on the food.

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 longer associated only with seniors, aquatic fitness allows us to work our bodies hard, yet stay cool and comfortable.

Athletes, housewives, rehabilitation patients and even children are catching this next wave in fitness, and a wide variety of workout options are now available. According to the Aquatic Exercise Association, a not-for-profit educational organization, popular exercise formats that have been developed and adapted for use in the pool include:

• Kickboxing
• Pilates and yoga
• Sports-specific training
• Plyometrics
• Deep water running
• Targeted core training
• Bootcamps

Benefits of Exercising in Water

1. Burns Calories
A properly structured water training session can burn up to 500 calories, which facilitates weight loss.

2. Provides Full Body Conditioning
When you move through water you are always encountering resistance, which challenges your muscles. Water provides a well-balanced workout that encompasses the major components of physical fitness: endurance, muscular strength and flexibility….all in one shot.

3. Saves Time
In the pool your exercise sessions involve working muscles in pairs, so you accomplish more in less time.

4. Easy on the Joints
Water makes your body buoyant and the impact to the joints during exercise is significantly less than on land. Not only is this good for seniors, but athletes needing cross-training, rehabilitation patients and pregnant women benefit from the lessened joint stress.

5.  Alleviates Back Pain and Strengthens Core
Water provides a low- to no-impact environment that reduces stress on the spine, which sometimes allows you to work harder than on land. Deep water exercise is also a very effective core strengthener, which is important for back health and good posture.

6.  Provides Cross-Training
Repetitive motion often leads to injuries, so moving your program into the pool or changing up your exercise completely gives your body a well-deserved break. Runners, for example, often find deep water jogging a welcome, yet challenging, alternative to the constant pounding on pavement.

7. Keeps You Cool
Though you do sweat during pool exercise sessions, the water helps wash the sweat away so you don’t feel uncomfortable. Overheating is a frequent danger with hot weather workouts and is much less likely in the pool.

8. Relaxes You
The fluid movement of water relaxes you and facilitates better sleep. New mind-body classes such as pool yoga and pilates also reinforce relaxation. Specialized treatments such as Watsu, a gentle form of body therapy performed in warm water combining elements of massage, stretching and shiatsu, offers a complete relaxation experience. And when in doubt – merely float. The gentle motion of the water will cradle you and let your muscles release. 

As with all exercise, consistency is key. Do your research and find a water-based program that appeals to your personality and needs. That way, come fall, you won’t be struggling to fit back into your jeans.

Stay cool.

Below most items you will find a "Trainer’s Note" with observations, comments and recommendations to get you started.

 [Trainer's note: Where brand names are mentioned there may be other products available that perform the same function. I do not receive endorsements for any of these products. They are items I have first-hand experience with and use with my current clients. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before beginning any exercise program.]

THE ESSENTIALS

Stability Ball
$11 and up – major retailers and sporting goods stores

The stability ball is the single most essential piece of exercise equipment for your home gym. Exercising on a ball forces your body to use a variety of muscles just to keep you from falling off. It helps increase strength, improve balance and posture, burn calories, encourage spinal stability, and restore flexibility. Even while working various other body parts on the ball, your core (stomach and back) is usually active and engaged. A strong core is key to preventing, and relieving, low back pain.

Almost any exercise performed with free weights, body weight and/or tubing can be accomplished on a stability ball. From crunches to bicep curls and squats, the stability ball adds a challenging element.

[Trainer's note: Just sitting on the ball is good for your posture. Try 10 minutes a day of sitting and bouncing on it in front of the television, getting used to the feel.]

Free Weights
Various prices – major retailers and sporting goods stores

Running the gamut from inexpensive to pricey, free weights come in all shapes, sizes and materials. Expensive barbells, benches and machines are not necessary when you have dumbbells. Dumbbells allow you a wide choice of exercises and ranges of motion. They also permit you to perform more stability-challenging moves (such as incorporating balance elements like single leg, a ball, BOSU(r),etc.) to engage your core and other muscles.

[Trainer's note: Focus on "fighting gravity" when using dumbbells. It's easy to let gravity pull you too fast. Go slow. Use heavy enough weights for your muscles to become fatigued.]

RECOMMENDED

Pillow
Various prices

A regular pillow is a great way add some challenge to your routine. As you become stronger, use a pillow as a "balance pad." Almost any exercise receives an added boost of intensity by incorporating this simple, inexpensive household item. Stand on it, sit on it, even lay on it, while you work out.

BOSU(r) Balance Trainer
From $99 – major retailers and sporting goods stores or www.BOSU.com

BOSU stands for Both Sides Up, and is that funny-looking blue bubble dome you might have heard of. A BOSU is like an exercise ball cut in half, with a hard plastic platform on the bottom. The exercise varieties are endless: Jump on it, hop over it, rotate, squat, push up, crunch and press. Endurance, strength, stability, flexibility and balance are all gained on the BOSU. The simplest moves (like a crunch, the "dead bug" or just standing on it) will suddenly become a challenge. Your core activates and your legs engage. More steady than a ball, you can even add challenging abdominal exercises like the V-sit. Your kids will love it, too.

[Trainer's note: Spend some time playing with the BOSU. Find a partner and play "partner games," too. It's so much fun you won't really realize how hard you are working.]

Kettlebells
From $29.95 – major retailers and sporting goods stores

Mariska Hargitay credits them with helping her regain her body after pregnancy. Jason Statham used them to get lean and ripped. Other stars like Jessica Biel, Jennifer Lopez, and Matthew McConaughey have all used them. So what are kettlebells? Solid cast iron bowling ball-shaped weights with handles….the hottest trend in full body workouts.

Kettlebells are centuries old, but kettlebell training as we know it today stems from Russia. They provide a thorough, whole-body workout that incorporates strength, endurance and flexibility. The kettlebells’ off-centered weight forces you to use more stabilizer muscles with each move, thus involving many muscles simultaneously. Your core stays active and your body’s muscles learn to work smoothly as one unit.

Sarah Lurie, the nation’s premier kettlebell expert, has partnered with GoFit to provide "The Iron Core Powered by GoFit" kettlebell system for the home market. The kettlebells, along with an instructional  DVD, are now available at leading retailers and sporting goods stores. Lurie, a mom-to-be, is also releasing "Mommy Moves," a pre- and post-natal kettlebells workout designed to strengthen core muscles and build endurance. Available soon at Target stores.

[Trainer's note: My butt was sore for two days afterwards. That's a positive for a woman over 40.]

The Perfect Pushup
From $39.95, major retailers or www.perfectpushup.com

The Perfect Pushup allows you to perform push ups that are easier on your joints yet more challenging on your muscles. The rotation handles are designed to let your arms rotate naturally, for a deeper, fuller push up.

[Trainer's note: I can do less than half of my normal number of push ups while using this. After my first time, the following day I felt muscles in my back that I had never felt before.]

EXTRAS

TRX(r) Suspension Trainer(r)
From $149.95 – www.fitnessanywhere.com

If you are fairly strong, have good form and want one piece of equipment that "does it all," TRX straps fit the bill. With the TRX Suspension Training System your body weight is your equipment. Completely portable, the suspension system mounts in doorways, on trees or any overhead bar. The bright yellow straps work your core with virtually every move, and increases strength, stamina, balance and coordination. It provides unlimited versatility and easily progresses you from one exercise to another.

[Trainer's note: While Fitness Anywhere recommends it for all levels, as a trainer who has worked with and absolutely loves the system, I would recommend it only for intermediate to advanced exercisers. Beginners should receive professional instruction before starting.]

ADD-ONS

Gliding Disks (or paper plates), www.glidingdisks.com
Exercise tubing, major retailers or www.spriproducts.com
Full foam roller (6" x 24"-36"), Target or www.performbetter.com
Medicine ball (weighted ball) – various weights, major retailers and sporting goods stores

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 look very comfortable. I felt physically awkward:  I was very overweight and out of shape in a room full of really fit people. I wanted to leave, to run as fast and far as I could, but did not want to be seen as chickening out.

The first half hour was hell. My behind was numb, my legs were shaky and my heart was pounding. But then I felt something inside. A little spark that ignited a part of me…a part I thought was long gone. That spark re-ignited my pilot light and eventually changed – and saved – my life.

Lessons learned from the bike:

1) It’s OK to be alone. When you’re in class you are with a group of people but also alone. You close your eyes and just feel your body moving. You learn that it is OK to be by yourself. No one but you is going to get you up that hill. No one but you is going to keep you pedaling towards the finish line. You suddenly realize that you are a capable person and that you like being with yourself.

2) Accept what you are faced with. A Spin class is a lot like life (or a fortune cookie): You never know what you are going to get. There are ups, downs and  flats. As you round a corner, you find a monster hill waiting for you on the other side. You could stop. You could gear down. You could just go home. But you don’t. Because as in life, when an obstacle presents itself you find a way to get over it. And when you do you feel great. Each obstacle and each climb makes you stronger and ready for more.

3) Never give up. You ride hour after hour, mile after mile. Some days you stay in the saddle riding at an easy pace, chipping away at the miles, just as with work and home life. Other days you hit a fast flat, racing along, trying to hold your pace until the finish line. Your legs are burning, your heart is pumping and still you keep going because you know you can make it. It’s mind over matter.

4) Be in the moment. With so much to do each day you rush around frantically, always planning your next move, next errand or next day. In Spin class you learn to be “in the moment.” If your mind starts wandering you will not be able to keep up or hold the pace. So you stay focused on how your body feels, what it is doing and how it is moving. You have to consistently breathe and relax, feeling your thighs moving smoothly and rhythmically. You learn physical awareness, which keeps you in the present and enjoying the moment.

5) You can survive most anything.  With each class that passes you gain more and more strength. You learn that burning thighs won’t kill you and that you can keep your heart rate elevated for much longer than you thought. You discover that you are far more capable than you ever imagined and that a strong will can overcome tired thighs. From this you realize that you will most always make it through.

6) Ditch the comfort zone. Sometimes it’s fine to be in your comfort zone. It’s easy and familiar. But you soon learn you will never really improve if you don’t break free and place some stress on your body and mind. Whether you are riding an uncomfortable interval or considering a career change, going outside your normal boundaries will only lead to growth and improvement….which in turn makes you better.

7) Love your body. Sometimes we all feel physically inadequate. Our bottoms are too droopy, breasts too small, biceps not large enough. What you learn in Spin class is to love how your body works and how it feels when it is functioning at peak performance. Your thighs might be larger than you would like, but they are strong and functional and can climb anything you put in front of them. Your chest might be less than impressive, but it holds a heart that can skate through an 85% effort and lungs that can feed your body with precious oxygen. You learn to love what you are and ignore what you are not. It’s your body – it’s healthy – it works – and it’s strong. Be in it…and love it.

When I look at my life today I realize how much the Spin bike has taught me. I apply all of the above each and every day. I am comfortable being alone. I have incredible stamina, fortitude and persistence. I am not afraid of what lies ahead – I take it as it comes and handle it one challenge at a time. When I play with my children I am with them, not in my own head planning the next day. I realize that I am mentally stronger than I think and I can jump over almost any hurdle life places in front of me. Mentally, as well as physically, I push the limits, constantly learning new things, expanding my horizons and challenging myself. And my thighs can probably leg press a mini-van. These same thighs have carried me through many a Spin class, up real mountains, and through 100 mile rides on my road bike.

Now, with my new life, I chase endorphins instead of chocolate. I know that happiness comes from within and that overcoming challenges is what makes us strong and balanced. I’ve also learned that almost nothing is impossible.

For 15 years I did not exercise. I was obese with high cholesterol, mired in unhappiness and depression. I did not like the direction my life was taking, but felt powerless to change it. I had given up on myself and had thrown my dreams out the window. But when I started Spinning I began to feel a change in my mind as well as my body. With each class I mastered more and more and became increasingly confident. The hours logged on that bike taught me some valuable lessons…not so much about fitness or health but about myself. And life.  

According to the American Obesity Society, 30% of American children are overweight and 15% of American children are actually obese, with the numbers steadily rising. Lack of exercise is a contributing factor. And yes – the personal trainer’s children hate to exercise.

So..to Wii or not to Wii That was the question.

I did decided to give the Wii a chance and purchased it for my son’s 11th birthday. The Pokemon game allows you to just sit there as usual – no surprise. But the Wii Sports game gets children actively involved.

My daughter loved the fitness tests for each sport (bowling, boxing, tennis, baseball) and did very well. She kept working at it until she lowered her Wii Fitness Age (a good thing).

My son (who hates to move an inch) actually boxed until he was sweaty and his arms were tired. Then mommy gave it a shot. Who knew I had such a powerful right hook?

My daughter was squealing with delight as I smashed the virtual bag to smithereens, increasing her score, and my son was proud that mommy was finally playing video games.? I was so inspired by the boxing game I?ve decided to get a free-standing boxing bag and some gloves. Can you say stress relief"

My verdict If they play more active games the Wii can contribute towards daily exercise goals. But it’s still hard getting them off the couch.

The couch potato? games are favorites. We have decided as a group to allow an extra 15 minutes of video games (any kind) in exchange for 30 minutes of Wii Sports a day. It?s not huge – but it’s a start.

www.flexyourbody.com 

We all have an "a-ha moment." Mine was at the 2007 IDEA fitness convention at an athletic skills and drills workshop. Not much of a place for a revelation. There were no lights from heavens above, no angels singing. Just a single blue, half-dome BOSU, propulsion….and me.

In August of 2003 I weighed 198 pounds. I wore a size 20. I could not walk very far. I could not climb stairs. My feet hurt all the time. I had spent years staring into the bottoms of empty ice cream containers, spoon in hand, wondering what had happened to me and my life. Where did I go? Who was this unhappy creature, eating away her days, just passing time, waiting until she died? I had no answers. The young, fit, happy, passionate, hopeful 20-year-old I once knew was gone. She had been replaced by an older, unfit, unhappy, passionless, hopeless 37-year-old one who could not even reach her feet to tie her shoelaces.

When I subconsciously made my decision to give myself one last chance, to make one final effort after thousands of failures, it was the beginning of a new life,  but also the end of an old. My resolution to better my health, reduce my cholesterol, strengthen my bad valve-plagued heart, and reduce the excess weight that caused me so much physical pain ended up costing me my marriage, my family and much of my life.

Losing weight for me was never about looking better or being attractive to the opposite sex. I couldn’t, and still can’t, care less. I wanted to feel my body move again. Wanted to feel alive again. Wanted to have less pain. Wanted not to have people look at me in pity. Poor fat girl. No self-control. I used to be strong. I used to be healthy. I wanted to feel that again. I wanted to show my children that exercise is good. That our bodies are meant to move. How great it feels to work and stretch your muscles. And how it builds you from the inside, providing mental strength and fortitude, purpose and passion.

I fought hard. I would get up early before my kids rose and strength train. I would walk them to school. I tried to squeeze exercise in without compromising too much time with my family. I gave up television completely and sacrificed any other recreational activities so I could spin. But fighting hard for my health became the problem, because I had started fighting for something. Myself. Finally standing up for me. Becoming who I used to be. And standing up for me meant developing a backbone, which was the beginning of the end.

By "finding myself" I lost the life I was used to. But I also gained purpose and meaning: helping others. Helping them get healthier and stronger. Lowering their cholesterol. Strengthening their hearts. Making them laugh and looking forward to working out. Freeing their minds. And hopefully gaining longer and better lives. I could finally contribute something to the world. Give some positive energy back instead of draining it, as I had before. Teach my children happiness and pride of accomplishment.

My "a-ha moment" was bittersweet. I had made huge physical and mental gains. I was healthy again. I could keep up with a room full of fitness professionals, feeling my body working and moving, joints smooth and bones strong. I could sense all that I had sacrificed to get there, and all that I had lost.

But for one moment, that magical moment, I was the "old" me. I was in a convention hall – yes – but soaring, body and soul. Free to be me. To feel my body move. Just for minute, be that 20-year-old again. And flying.

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