Tag: boost energy

Can You Really Relax Your Way to Getting In Better Shape?

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The best way to get in shape may be to spend more time doing
less.

A new and growing body of research, clinical studies and just
plain old experience shows that spending LESS time exercising —
including shorter exercise sessions, less time spent “working”
in each session, and greater time spent recuperating – boosts
your fitness, resiliency and health.

If you read my last blog post, this may sound familiar to you,
because we discussed how you can relax your way to being more
productive. Yes it’s true: the best way to get more done may be
to spend more time doing less.

This definitely goes for exercise. And I’ve been a proponent for
shorter, more “pulsing” type exercise sessions for years now.

I was literally forced into taking more of a pulsing or interval
approach to my training – by my asthma.

As you may know, one of the reasons I really got into breathing
exercises and dynamic energy principles was because I suffered
from moderate to severe asthma (which unfortunately went
undiagnosed for years). I found out the hard way that following
the typical approach to aerobic or cardio activity – which is
to exercise at a steady-state, “aerobic” level for a decent
length of time – was the exact opposite of how you should
exercise if you have asthma.

So, I was forced to change my paradigm. I read and studied the
ins and outs of interval training, adapted it to my situation,
and discovered that I actually got into BETTER shape – with
shorter workouts…more time between workouts (because interval
training is meant to be intense, your body needs more time
between sessions to recover)…and with less actual “work” or
exercise in each workout!

But how can this be? Why is an interval or pulsing approach to
training so results-producing and efficient?

First, let me give you some basics on what interval training
actually is.

Interval training consists of interspersing brief periods of
intense activity with periods of lower intensity activity or
rest.

A boxing match is a great example of intervals: The boxers box
for three minutes, then go to their respective corners for a
one minute rest. They repeat this cycle for 12 rounds.

Interval training arrived on the fitness and sports training
scene in a big way about 25 to 30 years ago. Over time, it has
been proved that a program of intervals, interspersed with
adequate rest periods, is the fastest and most efficient way
to build both anaerobic and aerobic (endurance) capacities.

Here are a few examples of interval training:

– Doing 100-yard sprints interspersed with walking;
– Running up a hill, then walking down;
– Biking for 2 minutes at an accelerated rate of speed, then
slowing down to an easy rate for 2 minutes;
– Walking fast for five minutes interspersed with walking
slowly for five minutes.

Interval training is applicable to just about any activity or
exercise you can think of. Here are a few variations to get
you thinking:

– Lifting weights: Perform an exercise for a certain number
of repetitions (a set); then rest for one to two minutes
between sets before repeating;
– Calisthenics: Perform push-ups or body weight squats for a
certain number of repetitions, or for a certain period of time
(a set); then rest for one minute before repeating;
– Boxing, Kick Boxing: Hit the heavy bag for three-minute
rounds interspersed with one-minute rest periods.

Why is incorporating interval training in your fitness routine
so beneficial? Interval training and its variations are
recognized as the most efficient way to achieve cardiovascular
fitness. Your heart and lungs work hard during the interval.
Then they work even harder during the beginning of the rest
period.

You’re basically pushing your heart, lungs and involved muscles
to new levels of effort – with each interval, and each interval
workout, you literally expand the capacity of your
cardio-pulmonary system. This is so important not only for
fitness, but for your health and longevity.

Here’s another benefit to this type of training:

Performing a series of intervals accelerates fat burning and
weight loss. It also accelerates muscle growth by taxing or
stressing the muscles more intensely, and by stimulating the
release of growth hormone.

And here’s where the “relax to get more fit” comes in:

Incorporating intervals into your fitness regimen reduces the
time required for you to achieve a training effect. Each workout
is shorter. And within each workout, you are actually “working”
much much less than you would doing steady state activity, such
as jogging, doing the elliptical, doing an aerobics class, etc.

And, you get fitter faster.

One last, important point:

You should enjoy your fitness routine. With a properly
structured exercise session, you should feel good when you
finish. You’ll have a warm feeling of tiredness or fatigue – a
”good” tired. You’ll feel great because you’ve moved that body
and completed the most important “to do” of the day.

I’ll have some more pointers for you on my own approach – that
makes interval training even more effective – in my next post.

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. Breathing and dynamic exercises, like those in the Secret
Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II are naturally interval
in nature. They give you a surefire way
to target, develop and maximize the work performed by your
lungs, as well as the structures that support proper breathing.

If you’re serious about improving your physical condition and
health, you should make it a point to focus on expanding
your vital capacity and ability to breathe properly. Dynamic
breathing exercise will help you get fit more quickly. And it
provides the foundation for robust health and longevity. Read
more about it by clicking here.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

Can You Really Relax Your Way To Being More Productive?

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In a recent article, Tony Schwartz, the chief executive officer of
The Energy Project and the author, most recently, of “Be Excellent
at Anything”, wrote an article titled “Relax! You’ll Be More
Productive”. (You can read his full article here.)

Here’s the basic premise of his article – which, by the way, is
based on years of research, observation and practice:

“More and more of us find ourselves unable to juggle overwhelming
demands and maintain a seemingly unsustainable pace. Paradoxically,
the best way to get more done may be to spend more time doing
less. A new and growing body of multidisciplinary research shows
that strategic renewal — including daytime workouts, short
afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the
office and longer, more frequent vacations — boosts productivity,
job performance and, of course, health.”

I’ve followed Tony Schwartz and his partner, Jim Loehr, for years.

They developed their expertise in coaching high level, professional
athletes in how to compete effectively and maintain excellence
over a sustained period of time. Then they took their learnings
and experience to the business world. They have spent the past
15 or so years working with organizations and individuals,
helping them perform better while achieving better balance in
life.

Their message and approach is attractive to me because I
realized, some time ago, that simply trying to “fit more” into
each day was a recipe for failure. Here’s what I mean.

I was (and still am, to an extent) a time management junkie.

I’ve read or studied or listened to a lot of the programs out
there. I’ve alway been pretty good at managing my time,
starting way back when I was in high school at good ol’
Marshfield High.

Hell, I had to be, given my schedule. I was at the top of
my class (#3 actually) while taking all advanced placement
and honors courses. I played sports (basketball and softball).
I participated in other extra-curricular activities at school.

I studied martial arts – kenpo, at the time. I was active in
my youth group at church. My junior and senior year, I
worked a part-time job (not by choice, my Dad made me).

So…to say that I could manage my time and fit in a lot
is an understatement!

However, even into adulthood, I always felt like I should do
more. There were always other things I wanted to be able to
focus on and fit into my life. I figured, if I could get
even better at time management, I could fit in those other
interests or projects.

My goal was to gain one more idea, one more distinction, to
help me do more. Over time, I found that a handful of key
principles made the most difference. When I put these into
practice, I got more done and felt more in control.

But…I also felt like I was jammed in every day.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to stay busy. I like having projects
to work on.

What I don’t like is feeling that I have to script every
minute of every day just to get my shit done. There’s a lot to
be said for a few minutes here and there to relax, to
contemplate, to just sit and think about things.

I realized that, even if I wasn’t the hamster in the wheel
running nowhere….it was only because my wheel was actually
moving somewhere. I was still running harder and harder in my
wheel, and not necessarily feeling like I was getting any
better at it.

This frustration lead me to widen my focus. I soon realized
that completing a good, productive day, and ENJOYING that day,
meant more than scratching items off my to-do list. It meant
more than just managing my time.

It meant managing my ENERGY.

And, like so many times in my life, I received an invaluable
lesson from my practice of martial arts.

I went through a phase in my training when I really got into
kickboxing. Not “cardio kickboxing”, but the real thing, where
you actually get into the ring and fight full contact.

As you can imagine, the training and conditioning for this
type of fighting is way more involved than the training you
do for point sparring, in which each fight is only two minutes
long (although those two minutes can seem veeerry long if
you’re in a tough match).

My kickboxing instructor taught me quite a bit about ring
management and energy management. He said that the two were
intertwined.

In terms of energy management, he used to hate watching boxers
or kickboxers come out and “showboat” in the first round. These
guys would come out and throw every punch and kick in their
arsenal, trying to score early and perhaps impress the judges.

Trouble was, by the end of the second round, they were
exhausted. Not only had they wasted a lot of energy, but they
had not succeeded in analyzing their opponent, using feints,
fakes and different defenses or counters to see how their
opponent responded.

Plus they ended up putting on a boring fight.

As my instructor taught me, a better approach is to fight
within yourself and follow your plan, your strategy.

Of course, you have to be prepared for the other fighter to
be aggressive, and you have to be able to alter your tactics
if necessary.

But, if you have conditioned well for the fight, and you
manage your own energy during the fight, you will have the
gas to do what you need to do, all the way to the end.

I actually had to experience this for myself, in the ring,
to fully appreciate it. But then the light bulb went off
over my head.

“That’s it! No longer will I focus on time management. I’ll
focus on energy management!”

There is so much to energy management, I could write a
book. (In fact, I think I will.) But here’s one of the most
helpful things I’ve learned about energy management: take
small breaks throughout the day.

More specifically, take a break every 90 minutes or so.

Your body and brain have a natural rhythm, and cycle through
energy peaks and troughs in approximately 90 minute intervals.
This daytime rhythm mimics the night time rhythm we are
all familiar with – that cycle between deep sleep, REM sleep
and light sleep.

The difference is that during the day we move from a state
of alertness progressively into physiological fatigue
approximately every 90 minutes.

Most of us have become oblivious to these natural cycles.
See if you can get in synch with yours.

For example, when working, take a five to fifteen minute
break every 90 minutes to do some deep breathing, walk
around, or stand up and stretch. Sometimes I will go out
back and play with the dogs for a few minutes. Other
times I may do a few chi kung exercises.

Remember, it’s not how long, but how well, you renew that
matters most in terms of performance. Even a two or three
minute break to move around and breathe deeply can make
a huge difference in your energy levels.

Here’s another insight from Tony Schwartz:

“Working in 90-minute intervals turns out to be a prescription
for maximizing productivity. Professor K. Anders Ericsson and
his colleagues at Florida State University have studied elite
performers, including musicians, athletes, actors and chess
players. In each of these fields, Dr. Ericsson found that the
best performers typically practice in uninterrupted sessions
that last no more than 90 minutes. They begin in the morning,
take a break between sessions, and rarely work for more than
four and a half hours in any given day.

“‘To maximize gains from long-term practice,’ Dr. Ericsson
concluded, ‘individuals must avoid exhaustion and must limit
practice to an amount from which they can completely recover
on a daily or weekly basis.'”

So, here’s my take on the question of, “Can you really relax
your way to being more productive?” My answer is a
resounding YES!

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

The Five Pillars of Effective Energy (and Life) Management

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Have you ever had a day when you just couldn’t seem to get going?

You had plenty to do. You had plenty of reasons to get up and at
’em. But you just couldn’t seem to pull the trigger, focus, make
yourself get started. You just didn’t feel “motivated”.

Instead, you lollygagged around (that’s a Texas term for you
Yankees). Or you got “busy” doing minor stuff, like moving a few
files around, or trolling through your emails or Facebook, or
cleaning your work space.

Not that these are bad things to do once in awhile…but you know –
and I know – these aren’t the types of activities that will move
us closer to our goals.

The reason why most people fail to realize their potential in
their life and work is because they fail to cultivate, wisely use,
and regularly restore their energy.

When you feel lethargic, unmotivated, and directionless, it’s
often due to lack of energy. When you’re in this state, it’s
easy to succumb to busy work, unimportant activities, eating
poorly, zoning out, and so forth.

On the other hand, when you feel energetic, you have a better
sense of control over yourself. You are more directed, you know
what you need or want to do, and you do it.

THE FIVE PILLARS
The five pillars that support your ability to cultivate and
manage your energy effectively are:

1. Deep breathing
2. Good nutrition
3. Physical exercise
4. Adequate sleep and rest
5. Time for reflection

(1) DEEP BREATHING is absolutely critical to generating more energy.

Just a few cycles of slow, deep, gentle inhalations and
exhalations can restore and rejuvenate you, both mentally and
physically. I highly recommend taking short “breathing breaks”
at regular intervals during your day, as well as during your
exercise session.

Think about how vital, alive and energetic small children are.
This is because they naturally breathe deeply, into their
tummies. They continually tap into that primal, vital power
inherent in each of us. Learning proper breathing and specific
breathing techniques – like the ones I teach in my programs –
can quickly catapult your energy and overall health to new
levels.

(2) GOOD NUTRITION means providing your body and brain with the
nutrients they need.

The best way to do this is by making quality, natural foods the
major part of your diet. Focus on quality protein, healthy fats,
vegetables and fruits, plus drink plenty of pure water. To help
maintain constant energy levels throughout the day, eat every
three hours or so.

Eating three complete meals – including a good breakfast,
substantial lunch, and smaller dinner – interspersed with a
couple of small healthy snacks, will keep your brain and body
humming along. When I say “complete meal”, I mean a meal with
balanced amounts of protein and carbohydrates, plus some fat.

Minimize your use of caffeine, sugar and refined foods. Here’s
where it can get really dicey! When you are tired or stressed
(or both!) you may get cravings for carbohydrates and sugar,
and you’ll feel like you need more. Taking it easy on these
will help you avoid crashing and burning.

(3) PHYSICAL EXERCISE is pretty obvious, isn’t it? The more
intensely and regularly you work your body physically, the more
mental and emotional energy you will have.

In fact, I would say that you will fall short mentally and
emotionally – perhaps even spiritually – if you are not
cultivating your physical energy.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, you do not have to work out
for long periods of time to benefit. Shorter workouts that
focus on intervals of higher intensity work, alternating with
intervals of rest and recovery, are the optimal way to train
your body (and brain).

Any type of activity lends itself to interval training, from
walking and running to strength training and martial arts.

(4) ADEQUATE SLEEP AND REST is probably the area that we all
fall short in, at one time or another. With all the demands on
our time, it can be difficult to get to bed at a decent hour.
And many people don’t get good quality sleep once they do hit
the hay.

Getting more sleep may be the most significant, results-producing
change you can make in your life.

Optimal sleep means lights out by 10:30pm at the latest, and
getting at least seven to eight hours of sleep. Every hour of
sleep before midnight is the equivalent in quality to two hours
after midnight.

Optimal rest means taking small breaks throughout the day. Your
body and brain have a natural rhythm, and cycle through energy
peaks and troughs in approximately 90 minute intervals. Most of
us have become oblivious to these natural cycles. See if you can
get in synch with them.

For example, when working, take a five to fifteen minute break
every 90 minutes to do some deep breathing, walk around, or stand
up and stretch. Also be aware of that low energy time that hits
most people between 3 to 4pm in the afternoon. Regularly do
something you enjoy, just for the fun of it.

(5) TIME FOR REFLECTION means making time each day to be alone
and quiet. You can use this time for prayer, meditation, or
inspirational reading. You can also use it to regularly review
your goals and reflect on the vision you have for your life
and your future.

Reflection and spiritual cultivation helps keep you grounded
and focused on what really matters in life. Most importantly,
it helps re-ignite and fuel that passion and enthusiasm for
living that so many people seem to lose.

Just a few minutes each day devoted to this type of activity
can make a huge difference in how you go through each day.

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. No matter what your current level of energy, you will feel
better, healthier and more motivated with just a small investment
of time each day in breathing and energy exercises. They are fun,
simple and easy to do. So take advantage of the strategies,
principles and exercises from any of the programs at the Best
Breathing Exercises website. Bring the zest back into your life!
Order the program of your choice today at
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

Never Feel Like You Have Enough Time? Here’s Why

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Do you have enough time?

Time to get your work done? Time to take care of your family. Time
to be with your family? Time to simply…”be”?

If you’re like most people, you feel like you never have enough
time for all the “must-do’s” and “want-to-do’s” in your life. So
you may focus on time management, working more efficiently, better
scheduling your day so you can “get more done”….

And that’s all to the good. However, most time management books,
courses and approaches basically focus on how to fit more things
into the same amount of time.

Wall-Clock

I’ve learned that’s the wrong way to think about things.

And in this and the next few email tips, I’d like to share the
evolution in my thinking about time management. It’s made such a
significant difference in my life – when I have applied this
approach – and I know it can make a big difference in your life
too.

Here’s the single phrase I want you to remember. If nothing else
sticks or makes sense, this alone will make all the difference
in your world, if you think about it AND apply it:

“It’s About Energy, Not Time!”

When I first heard this, I realized “Yes!” It’s congruent with
so many things I have learned and experienced over the years.

However, I still didn’t completely get it, not until I put more
of the pieces together. And I still forget this sometimes and
fall back into the hamster wheel approach to life. (You know,
that big wheel the hamster runs on. The hamster can run as hard
and as fast and as long as it possibly can, but it never gets
anywhere.)

But first, let’s review the issue of energy versus time. This
will help us better understand how energy management fits into
time management and our ability to achieve a better-rounded,
satisfying life – without feeling exhausted all the time.

Let me ask you something:

Are you always brimming over with energy and enthusiasm….and
maintaining that energy throughout the day, no matter how
demanding, crowded or crazy your day gets?

If you’re like most people, your answer ranges from “sometimes”
to “rarely” to “never”.

When I hear people complain about “never having enough time”, I
can almost always bucket their complaint into one of two reasons:
not enough time, or not enough energy. And the truth is, the
time complaint is usually related to a lack of energy too.

This energy equation is a big one. It’s a huge issue in everyone’s
life these days, when we all seem to have more to get done than
we have time. It’s one reason why I focus so much on providing
programs that help enhance energy. I know how difficult it is to
stick with a fitness program or eat well when you are feeling worn
down.

Yet, we only have so much energy to put into each day. Being
able to harness, cultivate and manage your energy is a necessity
if you want to have a full, high quality, successful life. It’s
also absolutely vital to improving and maintaining good health and
fitness.

The Four Types of Energy

We each have four types of energy to cultivate. They are:

-physical energy;
-mental energy;
-emotional energy;
-spiritual energy.

Physical energy provides the foundation for the other types of
energy. If your physical energy levels are low or depleted, your
mental and emotional energies will be negatively impacted. The
fastest way to improve your mental or emotional state is through
physical activity.

Mental energy is the energy of creativity, problem solving and
decision making. Your level of mental energy is a major determinant
in your quality of life.

Emotional energy is the energy of excitement and enthusiasm. This
provides the spark in your life. Negative emotional energy can be
a huge hindrance. Almost everything you say and do is affected by
your emotional state, either positive or negative.

Spiritual energy is derived from your deepest beliefs and highest
vision for your life. Regularly tapping into your spiritual energy
helps restore you and gives you perspective on what is really
important in life.

The reason why most people fail to realize their potential in
their life and work is because they fail to cultivate, wisely use,
and regularly restore their energy.

Most people burn up most or all of their emotional or mental
energies on a regular basis. At the same time, they don’t tap
enough into their store of physical and spiritual energy.

This imbalance leads to a failure to restore and rejuvenate, which
leads to a vicious cycle and that “hamster in the wheel” feeling.

You know that feeling of being totally depleted of energy and
enthusiasm. You quickly become irritable or thrown out of synch.
You eat poorly, don’t have the energy or time for physical activity,
and miss out on the sleep you need.

And you never seem to have time for yourself and for doing those
things that bring you happiness and joy.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. No matter how busy or stressed
you may currently feel, you can take some concrete steps to improve
your energy…better manage your energy levels…and leverage each
type of energy to help restore and enhance the others.

Which in turn will help you not only manage time, but transform time.

We’ll talk more about how in your next tip.

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

How the Wrong Type of Exercise Can Set You Back

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Here is the second in a three-part series on the 5 most critical
mistakes people typically make when starting a fitness or weight
loss program – AND how to avoid them so you stay on the fast track
to radiant health and fitness.

MISTAKE #2: WORKOUTS THAT LAST TOO LONG

This mistake could also be described as, “Doing too much too soon”.

When beginning a new fitness program, most people have a lot of
enthusiasm. So much enthusiasm, in fact, that they are prepared
to take drastic action to get their body into shape.

They typically begin with a high volume and intensity of activity,
such as long sessions of walking, running, lifting weights, doing
aerobics, or whatever their chosen activity is.

This approach is guaranteed to lead to undue post-workout muscle
soreness, excessive tightness in the muscles, joint pain, and
possibly even injury.

Also, long exercise or training sessions involving high volumes
and/or intensities usually mean sacrificing quality for quantity.
This leads to a focus on fatigue as the determiner of a “good”
workout, versus assessing how you feel as a result of a sequence
of workouts.

These long, fatigue producing sessions lead to a rapid decrease
in motivation. Pretty soon, that initial enthusiasm wanes and
excuses for not being able to work out start cropping up.

A better (and healthier) approach is to focus on the quality of
your workouts.

Focus on fewer exercises or modalities of training. Make a more
intense and focused effort at each of them. Until you have built
a solid base, keep your workouts short, say 30 minutes to one
hour maximum. The reality is, you can achieve excellent results
with only 30 minutes a day of training.

You need to give your body the chance to adapt to any new level
or type of activity. So begin rationally. Don’t do too much
too soon. Plan on doing less than you think you can handle.
Build up consistently.

In order to experience a training effect, your body only needs
to experience stress that is slightly greater than what it
normally encounters. There’s no need to kill yourself with mega
long workouts.

When scheduling your workouts, plan on exercising for an amount
of time you know you can fit into your schedule. Exercising for
an hour or two per day may seem impossible. What about 15
minutes? Is that doable?

Yes, “Only 15 Minutes Per Day” has become a cliché. But it’s a
good place to start if you haven’t been doing anything. Once you
get going and begin to experience the benefits of even 15 minutes
of focused activity, you will naturally want to do more.

You’ll make more time in your schedule for exercising because you
want to, not because you think you have to or ought to.

MISTAKE #3: FOLLOWING A ONE-DIMENSIONAL FITNESS PROGRAM

When beginning an exercise program, people often take up one
particular type of exercise and become immersed in it. They focus
all or nearly all of their time and energy on this one activity.
They don’t complement it with supplementary modalities that
balance and enhance the core activity.

Here are a couple of examples:

-The runner or cyclist with puny, underdeveloped torso and arms,
because he or she doesn’t do any strength training;
-The body builder with the impressive physique who can’t walk up
a flight of stairs without getting winded, because he or she
never does any aerobic activity.

Imbalances in training lead to imbalances in the body’s
development, muscle and joint problems, and overuse injuries
caused by repetitive motion.

Insufficient diversity can also lead to boredom and stagnation.
It deprives your body and mind of the variety that’s conducive
to growth and development.

To get the most from your fitness program, strive for a balance
between the following activities:

-Deep breathing and visualization for mental rehearsal, stress
management, and health;

-Strength training for development of strong muscles and bones,
good posture, and improved capacity to handle the activities of
daily living;

-Stretching for flexibility, avoidance of injury, and relaxation;

-Aerobic activities (or “cardio”) to improve aerobic capacity
and heart health, enhance recovery from strength training
workouts, and get yourself moving.

As you plan your fitness program, seek to integrate each of these
elements. You can include all of them (or some subset) within
each workout. Or you can include them over the course of a
series of workouts performed over a week or so.

You can also structure cycles in your program. Within each cycle,
emphasize one of these areas as your priority. Do enough in
the other areas to maintain. This is great way of keeping
yourself fresh and keeping your body guessing.

Many people think they should select aerobic activities as their
primary focus. Aerobic capacity is important, and regular doses
of steady state activities, such as running, cycling, swimming
and walking are beneficial. However, too much of this type of
activity can cause your body to lose muscle.

A better way is to incorporate intervals or “pulsing” into
your program. (I’ve written about this before in past blog posts).

Resistance training should be the foundation of your fitness
program. Building strength helps you function better in daily
life. It promotes better posture and is very effective at reducing
the risk (and even reversing the effects) of osteoporosis.

Studies have shown that strength training has a more dramatic
effect on body composition changes – that is, putting on lean
body weight and losing fat – than aerobic activity.

Stretching should also be a priority, especially when you are
first starting out. Properly done, stretching helps you learn
about and establish control over your body. It promotes
flexibility which enables you to move more fluidly and freely.
It also helps avoid injuries and relieves nagging aches and pains.

We’ll conclude this series with Mistakes #4 and 5 – and how to
avoid them – in the next post.

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

Avoid These Critical Mistakes…and Get Off to a Rip-Roaring Start This Year

kvanness01

Happy New Year!

As I sit here typing, I’m thinking about my goals and plans for this
year. And I have already taken action this morning to get me moving
toward several goals in important areas of my life.

I know I feel better when I get off to a good start, be it the
beginning of a day, the beginning of a project….or the beginning
of a new year. In that spirit, I would like to share some thoughts
to help you get off to a great start this year: the 5 most critical
mistakes people typically make when starting a fitness or weight
loss program.

And, more importantly, I will tell you how to avoid these.

These mistakes commonly derail fitness programs, leaving the person
with a feeling of failure and frustration. This in turn makes it
that much harder to get going again.

The good news: these mistakes are avoidable. Avoid them and you’ll
find yourself on the fast track to radiant health and fitness.

MISTAKE #1: NO GOAL

When it comes to planning and beginning an exercise program, most
people don’t focus on what they really want. They know they need
to “lose some weight” or “get in shape”. They may have been
encouraged (or even warned) by their doctor to get more active, eat
better and lose some weight.

But most folks do not take the next step to set a specific goal,
or set of goals, that will attract and energize them.

Instead, they set off on a “get into shape” program without
identifying what exactly that means to them. Consequently, they
meander through various routines and diets. They often jump on the
latest fads.

They may lose a few pounds, but the pounds invariably pile back on
as they lose motivation.

Does this sound familiar to you? If so, don’t feel bad.

The same thing has happened to all of us at one time or another.

When this happens, you lose out on the feelings of achievement,
success and vibrant health that come from a rationally structured
fitness routine.

Having a specific goal or set of goals is the critical starting
point to a successful fitness regimen.

It’s best to focus on one major goal. This should be the one
thing above all that, if achieved, represents true success to
you. For example, your primary goal may be to lose 20 pounds
by the end of the year.

Then articulate two to three minor goals that support your major
goal. For example, you could set interim weight loss goals you
wish to achieve at the end of each month. Or you could set
activity goals, such as building up to walk or run for 30 minutes
straight.

Write down your major and supporting goals and review them
frequently, preferably every day. This is a key point. There is
tremendous power in seeing your goals in writing and saying them
out loud to yourself on a regular basis. This keeps them top of
mind and helps you stay focused.

Once you have established your goals, create a general plan for
how you will achieve them. Decide which activities you want to
focus on, such as walking or running, lifting weights or doing
bodyweight exercises, and so on. Also decide on which days per
week you will train, and at what time of day.

Be specific on this, but also be prepared to make course corrections
along the way as you assess how your plan is working.

A big boost to the success of your fitness program is to record
your activities.

Keep a simple log of your workouts and what you eat. Record not
only what you have done (the process), but also your results,
such as recording your weight once per week.

Recording your activities and progress helps you maintain focus and
momentum. It’s very satisfying to record a successful day during
which you completed your planned workout and followed your nutrition
plan.

Documenting the less successful days is also important. This helps
you identify trends in your behavior. For example, you may find
yourself missing workouts every Friday for three weeks in a row.
You realize that, by Friday, you are usually tired and worn out
from the hectic week. You are coming up with excuses not to work
out.

Realizing this, you can take action. You can make Friday a recovery
day (a day when you don’t work out). This allows you to follow your
own natural rhythms, and sets you up for a successful and energetic
workout on Saturday or Sunday.

When reviewing your progress and setbacks, keep in mind you are
only competing with yourself, not with anyone else – and NOT
woth anyone else’s idea of what you should be doing. Progress at
a pace that makes sense for you. You’ll enjoy the process more
and will be pleasantly surprised at how much you can achieve.

Mistakes #2 and 3 will be coming along in my next blog post.

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

Jump Start Your Fitness Program From the Inside Out

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How balanced is your health and fitness program?

Are you hitting all the important areas, such as strength, stamina,
flexibility, and diet.

It’s easy to get into a rut when you’ve been exercising for
awhile. And if you haven’t been exercising, you will probably
re-start your program doing pretty much the same things you were
doing before.

In my experience, most people tend toward a certain type of
exercise which dominates their training time and energy.

The two major camps are strength training versus aerobics. Seems
like many people either run, work out on the elliptical or
treadmill, or do aerobics or zumba or whatever the latest fad
is…or they tend to hit the weights.Sometimes a little
stretching is thrown in for good measure.

It’s important to ensure some balance and variety in your
training.

After all, variety is the spice of life. If you keep doing the
same type of workout, over and over again, you get diminishing
(or even disappearing) results.

You will also get bored. Which means it’s more likely you will
quit your program, especially when you hit the inevitable
plateaus.

On the other hand, when you have some balance in your training,
you’ll find that you are more enthusiastic about it. Changing
the combination or order of elements in your workout can add a
wonderful dimension. The variety keeps you (and your body)
guessing and craving more.

When it comes to fitness and health programs, one area most
people ignore is their breathing.

You should devote part of your time to the cultivation of
breath control and power. Making a small investment of time in
dynamic energy exercises – like the ones I teach you in “The
Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II”
(http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html)
will enhance the results you get from exercise, as well as your
internal energy and focus.

Breathing is the direct and instantaneous way to tap into the
life force, the vital energy that flows through each of us.

Performed properly, deep breathing coupled with dynamic
exercises is a powerful method for accessing and flowing your
internal power.

Doing these exercises strengthens your body from the inside
out, and has a more profound and lasting effect.

From a purely practical standpoint, this type of dynamic deep
breathing helps develop breath control, expand the capacity
of the lungs, and build stamina. It improves posture. It also
develops the diaphragm, abdominal and other core muscles in
such way that they are strong and coordinated – a key to
developing power for movement, as in athletics, martial arts,
even activities of daily living.

This type of dynamic exercise creates harmony between the breath
and the physical. Not only are you strengthening the muscles
associated with breathing. You also are creating and
increasing a sense of harmony and relaxation across both mind
and body.

It’s health-giving and life-extending, and I strongly encourage
you to tap into the benefits that await you from investing just
a few minutes a day – or a few minutes at the start of your
regular workouts.

To learn more, visit
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_energy2.html

You Can Do It!

Karen_signature

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2013

Relaxation and Power: Make It Work For You

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In any athletic endeavour, you must first learn how to relax before you can develop optimal power.

When you try to move faster, or hit harder, by excessive effort, you actually sabotage your efforts and move more slowly. You also move less efficiently, so you tire more quickly.

The same holds for academic or work-related activities.

When you try too hard to concentrate or focus, you may find your mind actually wanders more than usual. And you find the task at hand more difficult to do, meaning you tire of it more quickly.

On the other hand, when you first relax, and tell yourself that your project or task will be fun – or that at least it will be satisfying to complete and get over with – you find yourself becoming immersed in the project. You effortlessly concentrate. You lose track of time. And, before you know it, you have finished it.

Time to kick back and have a cold one!

Well, guess what. This natural paradigm of effective performance applies to the most elemental activity you perform every second of every day: your breathing.

And putting this principle to work, along with some focused attention on your breathing, can help you harness the most fundamental source of power in your body.

When you first begin to work on your breathing, you should focus on learning how to breathe more completely. Ironically, you don’t breathe more fully and completely by trying harder. You actually breathe better when you are relaxed.

You open up your breathing by loosening the structures that support healthy breathing, and learning how to relax through deep breathing. This is the heart of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume I: Invigorate and Rejuvenate.

Just a few minutes of these types of exercises will have you relaxed yet focused, calm yet full of quiet energy. They’re great to do at the end of the day, or any time you need a little de-stressing or a pick-me-up.

Once you have learned the elements of complete breathing, and how to breathe in a relaxed manner, your next step is to increase your lung capacity and power, as well as strengthen your torso area – the area of the body that supports breathing, posture and a healthy spine.

By combining breathing techniques with certain types of movement, you are able to enhance internal energy and lung power, while at the same time strengthening your core muscles.

You also have to focus while doing these types of exercises. So they are wonderful at helping improve your concentration and ability to focus and get things done throughout the day.

These are the exercises that make up the Dynamic Energy Routine, which is in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume 2.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check these programs out. I’m positive you can benefit from these wonderful exercises.

You Can Do It!

 

 

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

The Power of Being In the Moment

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There is a concept in traditional martial arts called “beginner’s mind”. The Japanese word for this is “soshin”.

As a beginner, the first time you do something you really have to concentrate and focus in order to do it correctly.

The idea of soshin is to continue to be like a beginner when p erforming various tasks. No matter how trivial a task is, retain the mindfulness of a beginner when performing it.

Have you ever engaged in some kind of creative work, or have you ever become so engrossed in doing something, like playing and laughing with your kids, that you lost all track of time?

This happened because you were living in the moment. You truly felt more alive and energized by doing it.

It’s an incredible feeling, almost a state of flow.

This is one of the things I love about the martial arts…and one of the reasons I highly recommend it for kids and adults.

During hard training, you have to concentrate 100% on the instructor’s commands and on your movements. When sparring or fighting, you have to be totally focused on your opponent and your own strategy and tactics.

During these times, I lose all sense of obligations and responsibilites outside of the training hall.

I stop worrying about what needs to get done, or the latest problem or issue. Although these things await me, for the moment I can just …. be. And enjoy!

Performing conscious breathing, or other types of breathing exercises, can help you create these moments of presence.

When you focus on your breathing and on how your body feels in response to the breathing, you are in the moment.

And at least for this moment, you forget about responsibilities, issues, and demands.

You stop dwelling on health problems or aches and pains. And you help yourself to relax and feel calmer, more centered, and more in control…regardless of what is going on around you.

Breathing exercises and being in the moment are not instant cures for all that ails you. But awareness of your breathing and of the present moment can help you lead a calmer, more relaxed and healthier life. It can imbue everything you do with more power.

I encourage you to put these concepts to work by making them a regular part of your life.

You Can Do It!

 

 

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

http://www.BestBreathingExercises.comcom

P.S. Discover how you can use your breathing to enter a state of effortless flow and power with the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course Volume 1: Invigorate and Rejuvenate. The movements coupled with complete breathing will invigorate, rejuvenate and relax your body, mind and spirit. Pick up your own program CD’s at the Best Breathing Exercises website.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

Three Steps to Breathing – and Living! – On Purpose

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If you want to live bigger and better, with more energy and enthusiasm, vim and vigor, all you need to do is…breathe.

Your breathing practice can be as simple as 10 deep, complete breaths in the morning when you first wake up.

If you integrate conscious, focused breathing with your physical exercise, you are furthering your mastery of your breathing…AND transforming your exercise sessions into something a whole lot more powerful and beneficial.

And, if you invest a little time in learning various types of breathing techniques, you will have a tool and a resource you can use to enhance your health, improve your stamina and power, and increase your mental focus and clarity.

Unfortunately, most people don’t even bother with the first step: doing some deep breathing every day.

An even smaller percentage get to steps 2 and 3.

You may think you don’t have the time to learn such things. Or you may be concerned that, in order to correctly perform breathing exercises, you have to be at a certain level of physical fitness.

Perhaps you’re worried you will have to twist your body into contorted positions or chant or something.

I’m not making this up! These are objections I have actually heard from people.

This is part of what motivated me to make proper breathing instruction and breathing exercises more accessible to people, including those who may not be interested in doing yoga or learning chi kung or tai chi, but would still like the benefits of such practices.

A lot of information on breathing and energy practices make it all seem so esoteric and so mysterious that you need a degree in Chinese medicine, or advanced abilities as a yogi, to fully understand and benefit.

Not so!

The first, very accessible step, is to learn a few basic techniques.

Then apply your breathing skills to every day situations, such as: exercising; sitting in traffic; sitting in a boring meeting; relaxing and calming yourself before bedtime.

Here’s an excellent question from a Dear Reader:

Hey Karen,

I faithfully practice outside every morning. I’m a very recently retired Personal Trainer, but proper breathing is something I’ve ignored over the years, other than when a client was lifting a weight. My question is – When I inhale, how long do I hold the breath? Or is it simply, like yoga, as long as I’m feeling comfortable?

I want to thank you for the updates. They really help.

Al

KVN: Thanks for your question, Al. And great to hear that you do your exercises outside every morning. It’s a great way to start the day, isn’t it?

Now, in answer to your question: it depends.

It depends on your purpose for the breathing exercises you are doing.

At a very basic level, breathing techniques can be grouped into ones that help open up and relax your breathing spaces, and help you get grounded and centered.

Other techniques help to balance your breathing. Still others are used to increase breath control, lung power, and the generation of power, such as techniques used to increase power and speed in the martial arts.

You can find a rational, effective progression of these types of breathing exercises and techniques in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volumes 1 and 2. (And you can take advantage of a special price and extra bonus when you order both programs together. For details, please go to the Dynamic Energy Exercise Course page.)

When you hold your breath for longer than 4 to 8 seconds, you are using breath retention techniques.

Hindu and Taoist masters developed breath locks, or “bandas” to help improve their ability to retain their breath for longer and longer periods of time.

This was done, in part, as a meditative aid.

Breath retention techniques are also used to help develop breath control and internal power. These types of techniques are practiced in traditional martial arts to develop maximum power and focus in the practitioners’ strikes and kicks, as well as make the practitioner more resistant – or even impervious – to blows from their opponent.

For your own breath practice, you should perform most breathing techniques as Al described: be comfortable in your breathing.

This means getting into and maintaining a rhythm of inhalation and exhalation, and letting the pauses between the inhale and exhale occur naturally.

The main thing is to balance your inhalation and exhalation.

For example, an excellent rhythm that works well for most people is 4:2:4:2. In other words, inhale for 4, hold for 2, exhale for 4, hold for 2.

You can do multiples of these to extend your breathing. So, you could inhale for 8, hold for 4, exhale for 8, hold for 4. You get the picture.

If your goal is to develop better breath control, you can add breath retention exercises into the mix. Generally speaking, you should do some balanced breathing first, as a warm up.

Then move into breath holding, performing 5 to 10 repetitions of each exercise.

Here, you should push yourself a little bit. Not to the point that you are gasping for air when you finally breathe. But gradually, over time, extend your hold on the inhale or exhale.

For an excellent workout, add dynamic tension to your breath holding, as well as exhalations against resistance. You will work up a sweat in no time!

You Can Do It!

 

 

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!” http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012