Tag: fitness program

Three Numbers to Focus on When You’re Getting Back Into Shape

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If you’re trying to get in better shape…trying to get BACK into
shape after months or years of relative inactivity…or thinking
about getting back into shape, here’s a quick tip to help you get
focused.

Before I begin, let me share a couple of things I’ve learned over
the years. Nothing earth-shaking. Just a few solid, simple ways
of approaching any sort of health-improvement or self-improvement
project you elect to undertake.

These ideas come from my own experiences.

On the positive side, from successfully getting into kick-butt
shape for sports, for martial arts and kick boxing competitions,
and so forth.

On the negative side, from having to battle weight issues at
several points in my life…as well as the mental and emotional
humiliation and anguish that come along for the ride when you are
overweight.

Potentially Helpful Learning #1: There are no rewards for quitting.
And there are no rules or laws that say you can’t “try, try again”.

In other words, most people who have tried to lose weight have
given up or quit at one time or another. This includes those who
have successfully lost weight and gotten into great shape.

It’s just a part of the process.

For example, you make some progress and you decide to “relax” a
little. Before you know it, you are eating like a fool, not
working out according to your plan, and you have regained the
weight.

Or the other common example: you start out all enthusiastic,
but don’t see the results you expected as quickly as you expected.
You get discouraged and give up.

This happens to everyone. You’re not a loser if you give up, or
if you relapse! It’s part of the process.

Give yourself permission, right up front, to relapse. Recognize
it as part of the process you have to go through to reach your
goals.

And, if and when you relapse or quit, make sure you climb back
on and continue to ride. Learn from the setback. Move forward.

As long as you get back up and keep trying, you are succeeding.
And the results you seek will surely follow.

Potentially Helpful Learning #2: Keep Things Simple!

When you’re first starting out on a project as important as
improving your fitness and health, it’s best to keep things
simple.

Here’s one example:

When assessing where you are now, and where you would like to
be, regularly measure and record these three key numbers:

(1) Your weight

(2) Your waist size

(3) Your body fat percentage (or, alternatively, your lean
mass percentage).

Why?

Well, your weight is important as an overall indicator of
health and fitness. We all know approximately the range of
pounds, kilograms or stone we can handle and still look and
feel pretty good.

However, your weight tells only part of the story.

Your waistline measurement is actually the more important
measure to focus on. Because it’s an indicator not only of
how lean or heavy you might be, but also of your chances of
developing heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic (and
preventable) diseases.

As for your body fat percentage: like waist size, this number
is as much a health indicator as an indicator of fitness.

You can make substantial changes to your body composition –
meaning you lose fat and put on muscle – before you lose a lot
of weight. And changes in body composition can have the most
dramatic impact on your appearance – regardless of how much
weight you have lost (or gained, if you are thin and trying
to get bigger).

So, focus on body fat percentage as an indicator of increases
in lean mass relative to fat. Improvement here will help keep
you going, even when the scale is not moving as fast as you
would like.

Those are the three key numbers to focus on.

Oh yea, there’s one more thing.

There’s a “magic ingredient” to embarking on your “get into
awesome shape” program which, when sprinkled in and over your
efforts, will almost guarantee good results.

What is it?

You’ll have to wait til my next post, my friend…

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

For Transformative Results, Add This Twist to Your Fitness Program

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Want to add a tremendously energizing yet restorative twist to
your fitness program?

You can amplify and accelerate the effects of weight training,
bodyweight exercise, aerobic exercise, and stretching and
flexibility exercises, with proper breathing.

The result is a much more effective and efficient fitness regimen
that leaves you feeling energized, builds you up, and improves
mental clarity and focus — so you are more energetic and
efficient throughout your day.

As I’ve said before, you don’t have to believe in the concept of
Chi (internal energy), or energy flowing, to experience the
benefits for yourself.

But sometimes we Westerners require physical or scientific proof.

The concept of Chi (Qi) has been studied, and is becoming
increasingly accepted, under western medical parameters. And many
doctors and other health practitioners are beginning to respect
the premises of energy meridians and the efficacy of eastern
practices, such as acupuncture, meditation and chi kung (qi gong)
as useful and powerful adjuncts to conventional medicine.

The fact is, the same concepts of internal energy, flowing and
enhancing your energy, and so forth, were alive and well in the
western world, even through the early decades of the 20th century.

Terms such as “vital nerve force” and “vital energy” abound in
many of the physical culture and health enhancement publications
of the early 1900’s. There is a wealth of practical and inspiring
knowledge in books and courses from that time, many published in
the U.S. and Europe.

I’m not sure exactly what caused western medicine to move away
from these common understandings and practices, but unfortunately,
it did…to our detriment, I think.

At any rate, one of the more interesting examples of physical
proof of internal energy is the isolation of the thymus gland
as a physical source or regulator of internal energy. (The
thymus gland lies under the breastbone and is part of our
immune system.)

John Diamond, President of the International Academy of
Preventative Medicine, was an expert on human energy potential
and the neurological and physiological by-products of energy.

He used tests to trace energy flows and muscular strength based
on whether the test subject was thinking positively or negatively.
After literally thousands of tests, Diamond discovered that
pessimists tested weaker, and had lower energy flow, than
optimists. And pessimists tended to have smaller thymus glands.

In fact, the thymus gland shrinks in high stress situations.
Diamond believed that the thymus monitors and rebalances our
internal energy. His findings and teachings became part of
the Applied Kinesiology (AK) discipline.

AK is somewhat controversial, and I’m not advocating it. But
I do think this physical evidence is intriguing.

Of course, experiencing enhanced energy levels, mental clarity
and increased confidence and enjoyment can be triggered by many
things.

Any time you have been totally engrossed in an enjoyable,
challenging or rewarding activity, you have experienced that
state of flow. You kept going for hours without being aware of
the time, and without experiencing any fatigue or tiredness.

Imagine being able to induce such a state, whenever you needed
or wanted to, to enhance your efforts or experience.

Whether to add a dimension to your exercise routine…or jump
start your efforts at losing weight…or improving your ability
to concentrate or be creative…all these things (and many more)
can be enhanced through gaining control of your breathing and
energy.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

P.S. The “Dynamic Energy Exercise” approach I discuss here is
introduced in the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise
Course. The course involves integrating breath training, breath
control, and breathing patterns into regular exercise. It also
leverages simple but powerful exercises and techniques to flow
your internal energy and strengthen and temper your muscles
from the inside out. Discover more by clicking here.  

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

One of the Most Powerful Things You Can Do To Ensure Success in Your Fitness Program

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Article first published as One of the Most Powerful Things You Can Do To Ensure Success in Your Fitness Program on Technorati.

One of the most powerful things you can do to ensure success with any kind of weight reduction, fitness, or self-improvement program, is to keep a journal.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as a coil-bound notebook, or even loose papers that you place into a folder or notebook. And it doesn’t have to be elaborate, either. In fact, the less elaborate, the simpler, the better. If it’s too complicated, you’ll stop using it.

In this journal or notebook, you record your activity, what you ate, perhaps what you weighed (once a week). You might also write down (and re-write each week) what your goals are.

For example, if you have a goal to lose 20 pounds, write it down. Then make it even more specific by placing a deadline on it. “I will lose 20 pounds by March 31st, 2011.” With a deadline, you can then work backwards to determine where you need to be in relation to your goal, each month and each week.

Use each week’s goal as a driving force as you plan your week ahead. Then do the workouts, and follow the eating plan, which help you toward that goal.

Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? So simple that it probably isn’t a big deal.

Not so fast, though.

I read somewhere (seemingly eons ago, so this is not new information) that recording in a journal is highly correlated with success.

Not just success in losing weight, or achieving high levels of fitness…success in all areas of life, including financial, personal relationships, self-development, and so forth.

I’m not sure what it is about writing something down that supports, perhaps even propels, a person to greater levels of effort and, ultimately, success.

I’m sure the simple act of measuring what you are doing and where you are in relation to your goal has a lot to do with the power of keeping a record. You may be able to delude yourself from day to day — but reality is all there in black and white in your notebook.

Perhaps it’s the embarrassment of having nothing to fill in if you have not done the tasks or items you planned to do on a given day.

It may also be the wonderful sensation you feel when you record something you have accomplished. If you keep a “to-do” list, you know what I mean. There’s something really satisfying about scratching some pesky item off your list.

Several weeks ago, as I was cleaning out closets, I rummaged through a couple of boxes I had not looked at in about five years. I found an old spiral-bound notebook that I had used as a training and nutrition log some years back.

It’s funny, but I never looked through the log or looked at previous entries during the time I was using it. But looking through it now, some years later, I could actually remember what I was doing and how I felt at that time.

As I flipped through the notebook, I could see the periods when I was making great progress, as well as the periods when I was not doing so well.  During the periods in which I was making progress, there was consistency in the regularity of activity recorded, as well as in progress being made. On the other hand, the not-so-great times corresponded to more days with blanks in them, or written notes about what got in the way of my training. Some of the excuses I came up with were very entertaining!

You may already journal on a regular basis. If not, I highly recommend it. You can keep a record of just about anything in your life. It’s a great way of keeping yourself on track and focused.

It’s also a great way of memorializing the stresses, failures, advances and victories you encounter along your journey in life.

This practice can keep you on track today. And, with the perspective of time, it can make for some good reading in the future.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness
www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. If you have a goal to lose weight and “finally” get in shape this year, it’s time to put a deadline on it and get
cracking! If you’d like some help in wittling down the waistline and blasting off the flab, then check out the “Fire
Up Your Metabolism” Program. Limited time offer – get your copy today!

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011