Female Fitness Blog

Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Beauty is not in the face;
beauty is a light in the heart ~ Khalil Gibran

Beauty is how you feel inside, and it reflects in your eyes. It is not something physical ~ Sophia Loren

How many of us have asked someone (usually our “significant other”) something along the lines of “Do these pants make my butt look big?” or “Do I look fat in this dress?”. 

Sometimes we ask a sister or a close gal pal, but usually we ask the men in our lives this kind of stuff.  And I really feel badly for the guys on this one, Ladies, because I don’t think there is any good answer to that. 

If they say, “Well, they are not the most flattering pants you’ve ever worn”,  they are dead meat (even if its true — and even if we KNOW its true).  Because true or not, there isn’t a woman on the planet that wants to hear it.

Really smart men side-step that one with a “No, Honey, you know I always think you look beautiful…no matter what.”  And even that’s not a safe answer, because often they’re accused of not being honest — or being dismissive.  Maybe the safest answer is, “Well, Sweetie, what do YOU think?”. 

To my mind that really is the most important one, any way.  Why are we asking these kinds of questions in the first place?  And what in the name of heaven is the most politically-correct response?

In fact, I would be curious to do a study on exactly what time of the month (and after what behaviors) this question usually asked. 

My hallucination is that it is: 1) while we are going through a raging bout of PMS and 2) immediately following a pig-out with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.  In fact, that also seems to be the time that most of us decide to try on a bikini (you know the one that we bought on sale a few years ago and that never fit quite right from the get-go).

The better question is — why are we asking other people (even those we care about most) for their opinion of our bodies? 

Because the truth is even if they thought we should be gracing the pages of Victoria’s Secret (move over, Ms. Lima, coming through), if we don’t believe it — it doesn’t matter what other folks say or how many times they say it.

I have a girlfriend who was a model for about fifteen years.  Drop dead gorgeous.  She told me an interesting story.  She said that she used to have a few steady clients that would “book” her but whose clothes she really did not enjoy modeling, because she felt that she didn’t look good in that particular line. 

On occasion, during a modeling job she would say something in passing about how she didn’t think that she looked very good in these particular outfits — in front of the client.  And she told me that every time she did this, she would never get booked by that particular client again.  No matter how many times they had used her in the past.

She said that taught her a valuable lesson.  After it happened a few times she resolved to keep her mouth shut regardless of how she felt in the clothes. 

Clearly, the client thought she looked great!  That’s why they had booked her in the past — and that’s why they continued to book her…until she put the notion in their heads to the contrary. 

The point is your reality and other people’s reality (particularly when it comes to an analysis of your physical appearance) may have absolutely nothing to do with one another.

I’ll tell you another story along the same lines that really struck me as a teenager.  Back in high school, I had these jeans that I really thought of as, well not the most flattering.  I wore them, but I didn’t think they looked that great.  In fact, I thought they made me look a kinda fat and dumpy — and I always felt a little self-conscious when I wore them. 

Long story short, a good guy friend of mine told me on day that he had overheard some of the other guys in the gym lockeroom discussing me — and these particular pants.  My stomach dropped…OMG…I was right!!!   He was about to tell me something I didn’t want to hear…they were making fun of me??  I just knew it!!

But NO…he told me that the conversation was how HOT the guys thought I looked in those jeans.  I damn near hit the floor!  How could that be???

Well, naturally I wore those jeans till they went threadbare after that — and with a completely different attitude.

But the point is NOTHING in that situation had changed except my attitude.  And unfortunately, my attitude changed based on someone else’s opinion and validation.  I could have just skipped a step (and saved myself a few months of unnecessary discomfort) by telling myself that I looked great.

I personally haven’t asked my husband (or anyone else) those kinds of questions in years. 

One, because I think its a set-up so you can get pissed off at somebody else due to your own insecurities about your body (which ultimately only you can deal with).  And two, because until you believe that you are attractive nobody in the world can convince you otherwise.

Again, as with other insecurity issues I think a good way to go with this is to act “as if”.  In other words, “fake it ’til you make it”.  Pretend you believe it, try to push out any other thoughts, act as if you believe it — and bit by bit you will come closer and close to actually believing it. 

Also, I would follow my model friend’s advice and stop asking ridiculous questions.  Bottom line, there is only one answer to that question that matters anyway — and that is the one that you give silently to yourself. 

Now repeat after me, Girlfriend, “Damn, I’m fine…damn, I’m fine…damn, I’m fine” .

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Okay, I love animals…and this is my blog so from time to time everyone will have to deal with it.  This is another AMAZING clip of a lion reunited with his human caregivers.  Looks very circa Dukes of Hazzard, but I love it just the same…..“Mommy, how come ALL the other kids get to have lions and I don’t?!”

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

We all know that obesity and lack of physical exercise are two major risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease.  But is one more important than the other?  Also, for those individuals who are obese — how protective is being physically active?

That’s what researchers in Boston wanted to know, so they followed the BMI and exercise habits of nearly 39 thousand women for an average of 11 years to see which was more predictive of developing heart maladies — being obese or being inactive.

According to the results published in this week’s Annuals of Internal Medicine, (not too surprisingly either) — the lean, active group were the least likely to develop cardiovascular disease.   More specifically as compared to normal weight active women (defined as 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week):

• Overweight active women had a 54 percent higher chance of developing heart disease
• Obese active women had an 87 percent higher chance of developing heart disease
• Overweight inactive women had an 88 percent higher chance of developing heart disease
• And obese inactive women had a whopping 2 and 1/2 times greater chance of developing heart disease

(*Overweight was defined as a BMI between 25-29 and obese was defined as having a BMI greater than 30)

So although exercising regularly did offer overweight or obese women better protection against heart disease than their sedentary counterparts, the risk of overweight women who exercises was still considerably greater than people of normal weight and worked out.  So while working out is great the news is still the same.  At the end of the day its not an “either or proposition”.  You still need to maintain a healthy body weight - - and workout.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

If you belong to a well-equipped fitness center, you’ve probably seen one of the latest types of strength training equipment called Freeform Equipment.  The question you may have is, “Is this type of equipment effective?”

Freeform Equipment is cable-based and allows motion in multiple ranges within the exercised joint’s capability.  It requires more balance and stabilization, thus using more of your core.  In my opinion, it’s very effective and highly recommended. 

But don’t just take my word on it.  Data collected from a study published in the January 2008 National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research evaluated strength gains compared to freeform equipment and traditional fixed equipment.

The study included sedentary individuals who were randomly divided among a control group, freeform group and a fixed-form group.  Each individual performed 8 -12 repetitions of a variety of strength training exercises 2 times per week for 16 weeks.

Results of the study included that the freeform group showed twice as much strength improvements as the fixed-group (115% vs 57%).  Also, balance improved in both groups, but there was a 245% increase in balance capabilities with the freeform group.  The fixed-group only had a 49% increase.

One more thing too.  This wasn’t mentioned in the study, but was stated on the Free Motion Fitness website that freeform equipment burns more.  “FreeMotion equipment activates more muscles you burn more calories.”

If you’re looking into increasing your strength and balance capabilities, check out freeform equipment.   Lifetime Fitness has a great selection.  However, don’t give up on traditional fixed equipment.  It’s best to incorporate a variety of training methods and equipment together instead of only using one, such as free weights, elastic bands, bodyweight exercises, etc.  You will always surprise your body this way and not encounter the dreaded “plateau.” 

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

I’m thrilled to be the fitness expert on The Dream Team for Health Magazine’s 6-month feature “Your Feel Great Weight” by Kimberly Dawn Neumann.   

In the May issue you’ll see the cardio and resistance workouts I designed to help three women (and the Health Magazine readers) on their journey to looking and feeling great!  As they say, “on newstands now”…hope you’ll check it out!!

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Sure you know you can catch colds from other people…but what about weight gain?

The Framingham Heart Study has been analyzing the long-term affects and health consequences of lifestyle choices since 1971 .  The study now has more than 12,000 participants (more than double the initial size), including the children and grandchildren of the original participants.  It is a landmark project which has provided invaluable information about the association between certain choices and maintaining health — or developing disease.

One recent finding from the study that I found amazing….was that obesity in one’s social network increased the likelihood of a person being obese.  The effect was strongest in same-sex friendships (for both genders), but there was also an effect with opposite-gender friendships (and much less surprisingly, spouses)

Why would this be?  Researchers theorized that when one’s friends are obese it is more socially accepted as the norm for others within that network to be obese, too.  Even more interestingly, the relationship had much more to do with the “closeness” of the friendship, than it did to physical proximity with some of these people living hundreds of miles apart from one another.  Additionally, neighbors who were not friends, did not influence whether a person was overweight.   And the relationship was the strongest in situations where both people named each other specifically as being good friends.

So the next time you’re frustrated about your weight, feel free to call up your friends and yell at them (it’s their fault, after all)… or better yet –convince them meet you for a long walk.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

Every time I go to a Subway Restaurant, I take notice of how so many people add on a lot of unhealthy condiments to their sandwiches. Many of these people think they are ordering a healthy meal, but they ruin it by adding mayonnaise and other creamy spreads to their food.

However, mustard,is one condiment which is low in calories (about 4 to 10 calories per teaspoon) and virtually no fat. The different varieties include brown, yellow, spicy, smooth and coarse. Be adventurous, try Dijon, Parisian, and stoneground varieties, as well as those with added herbs for great taste.

Be aware that sweet mustards, such as honey mustard,have much more calories. Around 30 - 40 per teaspoon, so use sparingly.

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Yup, that’s the story according to British researchers. 

We already know that smoking during pregnancy can effect the health of the newborn, including increasing the risk of miscarriage, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and low birth weights.  But, now it appears that there is a psychological effect on the infant, as well.

A British study of more than 18,000 babies used a scale to evaluate mood, receptivity to new things, eating and sleeping patterns.  Researchers found that when pregnant women were “heavy smokers” (defined as 10 or more cigarettes per day) throughout their pregnancy they had babies who we classified as having more difficult dispositions, appearing fussier and less content.  Whereas women who quit during early pregnancy had much better behaved little ones.   

So if the fear of major health risks doesn’t inspire you to quit (and come on now — it should), maybe the thought of giving birth to a tiny terror might.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Scientists have know for years that regular exercise causes beneficial structural changes in the heart.  However, new research is showing that the changes which occur vary considerably based on the type of exercise done.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital used echo-cardiograms to measure the hearts of collegiate level resistance athletes (football players) or endurance athletes (rowers) over the course of  their normal 90-day training periods.

While both groups had a significant overall size increase during that time period, their were sports-specific differences beyond that. 

Endurance athletes had an increase in the size of both the right and left ventricles (the part of the heart associated with bringing oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and out to the body). 

Resistance athletes, on the other hand, had a distinct thickening of the walls of the left ventricle. 

Not surprisingly, there was an associated difference in function, as well.  Endurance athletes had an increase in the length of the diastolic (or “resting phase”) of the heart.  While resistance athletes had a decrease in the diastolic phase, although both were within normal limits.

Researchers were surprised at the significance of these changes in such a short period of time. 

This new information points to the need for doctors to provide more specific recommendations about how much and which type of exercise should be done based on whether or not the person has a healthy heart — or a particular type of heart disease.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

WOW!   Someone sent this to me yesterday.  For the back story click the youtube link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqkzJoRua5U

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Pretty much everyone who is not living under a rock now knows that exercise is recommended for pregnant women to keep them healthy. 

But now new research (presented this month at The American Physiological Society’s annual meeting) suggests that working out may provide the developing baby with cardiovascular benefits, as well!

According to Dr. Linda May, of the Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscienes,

“When the mom exercises during pregnancy, the unborn baby gets the same type of training effect that you would see in an adult — so you see the lower heart rate and also improved heart rate variability, which is evidence of improvements in the nervous system of the heart.”

“Maternal exercise may be the earliest intervention to improve the heart of children and possibly the best,”

This is the first research to suggest a direct link between maternal fitness and the fitness of the unborn baby.  Very compelling evidence to add to the pile to indicate that virtually all women should be engaging in regular, moderate intensity exercise, particularly low-impact cardio. 

Pretty sweet deal for the fetus, Mom does all the sweating and the kid gets all the benefits!  Apparently, the theme starts even earlier than we thought ;-). 

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Happy Earth Day!!

Here are some quick ideas on how to make your fit and healthy lifestyle more earth-friendly.

1) Recycle your sneakers.  Now your old kicks can help someone else get fit.  Nike has a Reuse-A-Shoe program that turns old sneaks (of all brands) into a product called Nike Grind.  Grind is use to make sports surfaces in communities all over the globe.  Click here for the address or drop off location near you. 

2) Stop buying bottled water (or at least cut down).  Bottled water burns fossils fuels in its transport and fills landfills with waste.  Check out ThinkOutsideTheBottle for more info.  Get a great looking reusable bottle you can customize at Sigg.com

3) Save energy, burn some of your own!   Many of the trips we use our cars for can be done on foot or by bike.   Some of the places in the world with the highest longevity have the fewest cars (Cuba, small villages in Italy and Japan).  People well into their 80s and beyond, end up doing their daily errands by walking to town or riding their bikes around.  Think of ways that you can do the same.  Upside for you — and the planet.

4) Beware of disposables.  Many gyms offer complementary, disposable grooming items like razors, or plastic shower caps.  All too often we grab one, use it and toss it.  Next time rather than just grabbing one make sure that you really need to take another.  Can you reuse the one you have a few times?. Recycline has even made a reusable razor from recycled plastic.  You can use disposable blades with it (again use it more than once, please unless you’re Grizzly Adams), but it saves lots of waste from plastic handles which pile up in landfills.

5) Not necessarily a “fitness topic”, but – know what your “carbon foot print” is.   The average American dumps almost 17 metric tons of carbon dioxide into the environment EVERY year!!!  Click here to calculate your impact and find out what you can do to reduce it.

Earth Day is the REAL Mother’s Day — What gift can YOU give her this year?

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Women complain about PMS, but I think of it as the only time of the month when I can be myself.” - Roseanne Barr

A PMSing woman can be a dangerous yet fragile creature.  Alternating between screaming like a banshee, crying at the drop of a hat and eating everything in the house even remotely related to chocolate.

So as a service to women who suffer from this condition (as many as 85% of us do) and the men who are sleeping in tents in their backyards to avoid them, I thought I would blog a bit on the physiological reasons behind PMS.

If you’re a woman you know that PMS is definitely NOT all in your head.  But what is it exactly about the time of the month BEFORE “that time of the month” that makes you feel like your head might start spinning around uncontrollably and spewing pea soup?

The symptoms of PMS include:

• Acne
• Breast tenderness, swelling
• Feeling tired
• Having trouble sleeping
• Having an upset stomach
• Headaches
• Backaches
• Changes in appetite
• Joint or muscle pain
• Trouble concentrating
• Anxiety, tension, irritability
• Crying spells
• Depression

PMS occurs one to two weeks before your period starts (during the “luteal phase” of your cycle) and is thought to be caused by a combination of factors, including: hormones, genetics, neurotransmitters.  During this time there is an increase in estrogen and a decrease in progesterone both of which effect brain chemistry. Including:

• Serotonin: A neurotransmitter involved in depression and carbohydrate cravings
• GABA: (aka gamma-aminobutyric acid): A chemical involved in feeling calm (hmm…safe bet this one goes down during the luteal phase)
• Endorphins:  Natural opiates made by the body which cause euphoric feelings (apparently these take a nose dive too)
• Norephinephrine: Involved in regulating heart rate, blood pressure and mood

PMS is more likely to occur in women who are between their late 20s and early 40s, have at least one child, have  history of depression in the family and/or have experience post-partum depression or other mood disorder.

PMS can be helped by:

• Exercising regularly
• Talking a multi-vitamin which includes 400 mg of folic acid and Vitamin D
• Eating a healthful diet
• Avoiding caffeine or alcohol
• Avoiding salty foods or simple sugars
• Getting enough sleep
• Managing stress
• Eating an entire bag of Hershey Kisses (okay, so I added this one!)

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

Want to get better results with your workouts? Want to look sexier?
Try unilateral training.

Unilateral training is exercising one side of your body at a time. It is a very effective and alternative training method that creates more muslce involvement because of bilateral deficit. This means that the total weight you can lift with each limb working by itself is greater than two limbs working together.

An example is the Single Leg Extension (see pic above of my wife, Cida). Adding up the weight you can lift with each leg will often be greater than the total weight you can do with both legs. Because the weight lift with both legs is less than each leg doing weight independently, you have a strength defecit. You’ve also overloaded your muscles more than you could have using both legs at the same time.

The downside to unilateral training is that it takes longer to complete. So, if you have a limited amount of time, bilateral (both sides) is the better option.

One final note. Unilateral training is tough and requires a lot of concentration. Only intermediate to advanced exercisers should do unilateral training; not beginners.

Look into unilateral training to take you to the next level.

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Someone told me that there was a list on Amazon made by a woman who lost 50 lbs!!   I looked and there is was.  Apparently, she really liked it!!  Thanks, Shannon!!!  You should be really proud of yourself!!!   Best,  G

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

My friend Sal asked me the other day why I never recommend milk to clients.  I told him that milk is not the best choice for optimal health and is actually bad for you in many ways. 

Why do you think the American Dairy Association has such an aggressive marketing approach with their “Got Milk?” commercials and hiring sexy celebreties and superstar athletes like David Beckham?  Could it be they don’t want you to know everything about milk?

Here’s why I don’t recommend milk and other dairy products:

1. Whole milk is very high in saturated fat.
2. Whole milk has a lot of cholesterol.
3. Milk and dairy products are highly processed and have traces of antibiotics and penicillin which places a big burden on your system.
4. Not good for people who have asthma or other breathing problems.
5. In my opinion, skim milk tastes horrible (too watered down).

You most likely already knew these things, but here’s a couple of things you need to consider.  According to Harvey Diamond, author of “Fit For Life,” he says:

• “Cow milk has casein, which coagulates in the stomach and forms large, tough, dense, and difficult to digest curds that are adapted to the four-stomach digestive apparatus of a cow.  Once inside the human system, this thick mass of goo puts a tremendous burden on the body to somehow get rid of it.  In other words, a huge amount of energy must be spent in dealing with it.  Unfortunately, some of this gooey substance hardens and adheres to the lining of the intestines and prevents the absorption of nutrients into the body.  Result:  lethargy.
• “Also, the by-products of milk digestion leave a great deal of toxic mucus in the body.  It’s very acidic, and some of it is stored in the body until it can be dealt with at a later time.  The next time you are going to dust your home, smear some paste all over everything and see how easy it is to dust.  Dairy products do the same to the inside of your body.  That translates into more weight instead of weight loss.  Casein, by the way, is the base of one of the strongest glues used in woodworking.”

A better option is soy milk.  Soy milk is low in saturated fat, lower in calories, contains a good amount of protein (about 6 - 7 grams per serving), and doesn’t have any cholesterol.  And, the best part, soy milk is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (isoflavones).  Phytonutrients are the extracts from fruits and vegetables which have been proven to reverse/prevent cancer and other diseases.  Cow milk does not have phytonutrients.

But what about calcium from whole milk?  Soy milk has the same amount of calcium per serving as cow milk.  Also, there are other food items that have a good amount of calcium, such as spinach, brocolli, nuts, and various fruits.

Harvey Diamond always used to say “Cows don’t even drink cow milk.  Only baby calves drink cow milk when they are born.”

Look into soy milk.  It tastes great too! (Try Silk Vanilla)

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Fifteen reasons why men could have 2 dogs but not 2 wives

1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.

2. Dogs don’t notice if you call them by another dog’s name.

3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.

4. A dog’s parents never visit.

5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.

6. Dogs like to do their snooping outside rather than in your wallet or desk.

7. You never have to wait for a dog; they’re ready to go 24 hours a day.

8. Dogs find you amusing when you’re drunk.

9. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.

10. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, ‘If I died, would you get another dog?’

11. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.

12. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.

13. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don’t get mad. They just think it’s interesting.

14 Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.

And last, but not least

15. If a dog leaves, it won’t take half of your stuff

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

• Believe it or not, I actually spent part of Saturday afternoon running around a room on my “haunches” pretending I was a monkey (complete with screeching)  — trying to catch my fellow fitness professionals.  Yup…true story.  Plus, I think they video taped it, so I can pretty much forget that run for the presidency.

My company hosted a IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) Certification.  It is a the first of its kind fitness certification designed to teach fitness professionals how to work with children.  (Hint: you do NOT put them on machines). 

Founded by youth fitness pioneer, Brian Grasso (and his associate, motor learning expert, Dr. Kwame Brown) the IYCA is committed to reversing the alarming decline in youth fitness.  Both Brian and Kwame spoke passionately about the loss of “physical culture”, particularly in childhood, that our country has under gone in the last several decades.   

The data backs up their concerns: 

• About 30% of children (6-19) in the US are overweight. About 15% of children 6-18 are obese.
• There is a racial disparity with low-income children faring even worse (23% of African-American kids, 18.9% of Hispanic children and 12% of weight children)
• Boys and girls are equally likely to be overweight
• This is more than triple the rate of childhood obesity in 1980

What is radically different about Brian and Kwame’s approach to fitness is that they are passionately committed to making fitness fun — so that kids get hooked on moving and being physical without ever thinking of it as “exercising”.  They found many ways to disguise some very sophisticated concepts in “athletic development” as games and pure fun.

I spent the better part of an hour:

• playing “monkey tag” (one team is “it” making screeching noises and the other team are running trying not to get tagged making “ooooh, oooh” noises)…you had to see it to believe it
• trying to stand up from being face down with my eyes closed the entire time, trying to end up standing on one foot with my eyes still closed and my arms overhead then hold the position until a verbal cue signaled that I should drop into 3 one-legged squats
• playing “red light, green light” with lunge walks across the room
• doing a Simon sez version of a “plank progression”
• jumping and doing half and full turns in mid air (okay, well trying to do turns in the air)
• being part of the rhythm machine (the leader makes a beat with her body - clapping, stomping and everyone tries to stay with her - (Bryna, one of the IYCA coaches was amazing at this!!)

Honestly, I don’t think this is just “kid stuff”.   I think a ton more adults would be exercising if they were letting loose and having a good time being silly and laughing with other adults.

Ironically, they’d also probably be getting a more balanced, comprehensive and integrated approach to fitness — and be at less risk for overuse injuries.  The fact is, you can only do the same actions, machines and exercises so many times before your body breaks down.

Plus, the stress reduction aspect was amazing.  At one point or another all of us were laughing hysterically at ourselves — and our friends.  Time flew and you didn’t realize how hard you were working until you stopped.  The competition was all in good fun and everyone felt they had a victory in something.

It was a powerful lesson for me as a fitness professional to remember to lighten up, worry less about “exercises” and let clients have some fun with movement.  A lesson that I put into practice the following day when I tried a few of the things I learned with my very fit, very young at heart — 67 year old client.  Nope, definitely not just for kids…

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Okay, well at least a fitness walk ;-).  As I said a few days ago, its glorious out there this time of year.  A perfect time to get reacquainted with nature — AND get in shape at the same time.   

Most people assume that working out outside requires jogging or running, but that’s not true.  Walking is a perfect exercise for most people. 

It provides effective cardio, that’s easily accessible, low-cost and, most importantly, low-impact.  It is the impact aspect of running that causes virtually all of the injuries (from plantar fasciitis to shin splints).  Even if you want to start jogging you need to work up to it slowly by combining fast walking for 3-5 minutes with 1-2 min of jogging.  This allows your musculoskeletal system to get conditioned for impact and reduces your risk of injuries.

To that end, I ‘m adding here the bonus video from The Best Me Ever.  It was previously only available to those who purchased my new weight loss and toning system for women, but I think the information that it contains is so important (especially at this time of the year) that I’m including it here so everyone can get started.  Check it out…

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.  ~Aldous Huxley

Above all, do not lose your desire to walk.  Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness.  I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.  ~Soren Kierkegaard

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty.  She’s ninety-three today …and we don’t know where the hell she is.  ~Ellen DeGeneres

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

One of my friends, Chris E., shared this experience with me today on the topic of stress management.  I thought it was well said and thought I would share with you on this blog.

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”  Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, “the absolute weight doesn’t matter.  It depends on how long you try to hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.  In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management.  If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.  Don’t carry it home.  You can pick it up tomorrow.  Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.  Relax.  Pick them up later after you’ve rested.  Life is short.  Enjoy it.

And then he shared some ways of dealing with stress and the burdens of life:

• Drive carefully.  It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
• If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
• Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
• When everything’s coming your way, you may be in the wrong lane.  Try changing.
• To the world you might be one person, but to one person you just might be the world.

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour and not complain of the inconveniences.

Have an awsome day and try to be stress free!

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

This was a forward sent to me the other day that I thought was really beautiful…
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that
wasn’t supposed to ever let you down probably will.

You will have your heart broken probably more than once and
it’s harder every time.

You’ll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken.

You’ll fight with your best friend.

You’ll blame a new love for things an old one did.

You’ll cry because time is passing too fast, and you’ll eventually lose someone you love.

So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you’ve never
been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset
is a minute of happiness you’ll never get back.

Don’t be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin.

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

Here’s a great smoothie recipe before an intense workout (at least 2 hours before) and it tastes super great!  Serves 2

• 1 cup of soy milk
• 1⁄2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
• 2 tablespoons low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 banana
• 2 teaspoons whey-protein powder or soy-protein powder
• 6 ice cubes

Nutrition Information:

• Calories

  241

• Carbs

  48g

• Protein

  10g

• Fat

  2g

• Saturated Fat

  1g

• Fiber

  2g

Enjoy!

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Submitted by Fit and Female Blog

Okay…this is way off topic here, but my folks forwarded it to me and I think it is amazing.  Don’t know if the “back story” is true or not.  But the story is that this woman nursed this lion back to health and then he was sent to a zoo after his recovery.  Apparently, this was his response to seeing her.  

“Mommy, can I get a lion too…..PLEEEEEEEZE?!!!!”  Check it out…

http://www.telestereo.com/Archivos/video.html

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Submitted by Louis Moore’s Build a Better Body Blog

It’s only natural to engage in activities that produce more benefits than costs.  Who wants to slave away in a job that pays very little with few rewards?  Who wants to spend tons of hours and energy attaining a college degree and then not even use it later in life?

The same thing applies in the area of exercise adherance.  If you don’t exercise and eat well on a regular basis, maybe you don’t view the “benefits” of exercise and healthy living outweigh the “costs.”

The “costs” of regular exercise and healthy living vary considerably from person to person, but could include:

• the time it takes to exercise
• the hassle of getting to the fitness center
• the expense of a fitness center membership
• the expense of fitness equipment and supplies
• muscle soreness after some workouts
• having to miss out on preferred activities
• feeling tired after working out
• sweating a lot
• not knowing anyone at the fitness center or not having a workout partner

I could go on and on with reasons why people don’t want to exercise.  I’ve heard a ton of responses throughout the years.  The important thing, though, is to first recognize your obstacles, and then think about the “benefits” you can receive.  The “benefits” have to really be strong and become important in your life.  You have to really want it bad enough in order to outweigh the “costs.”

Some “benefits” could include the following:

• feeling more alert and focused
• more energy
• better sex appeal
• a boost in self-esteem
• Improved health (cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.)
• weight management
• sleep better
• sports performance
• opportunities for socialization and meeting friends

Other benefits may be long-term, such as living longer and active aging. 

The trick here is finding ways to overcome your obstacles and making the benefits worth it.  Many sedentary people mistakenly assume that people who regularly exercise are different from themselves (that regular exercisers are consistent because they love every second of it).  Well, the truth is, all regular exercisers encounter obstacles every once in a while but still find ways to overcome them.  Why?  Because their “benefits” far outweigh their “costs.”

Start today and make a list of your major obstacles to exercise and healthy living.  Then, make another list of your “benefits.”   Now, you can start developing your own set of worthwhile goals and then affirmations

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