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Posts in the tips category

Vacationing Without Neglecting Your Fitness Routine

Hello Fitness Family! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kate and I am an employee at Collage Video. I am passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle; however, my body has had its struggles keeping up with the level of physical fitness it used to handle with ease. I’ve realized that it is far more difficult to get back on a fitness regimen after stopping, than it is to push through when you just don’t want to. I recently went away to Florida and I tried to implement a (reasonable) fitness plan that could work with - not against - my vacation. I am here to tell you some of my takeaways – the do’s and don’ts that I learned along with some tips so that you can plan for your vacation with the peace of mind knowing you aren’t giving up fun in the sun or your thighs and buns!  You’ll also find these takeaways & tips applicable to your everyday life!

Firstly, plan ahead! I took the time before my trip to plan out my vacation days and I highly recommend doing this. I made sure to know what days I was doing what, and plan both the amount of time spent on working out as well as which zones on my body I would be targeting, based on the activities of that day. For example – I spent a day at the beach and a day at an amusement park. I made sure to allow more time to do intense cardio on my beach days since most of those days were spent laying out relaxing. On the day we visited an amusement park, I knew I would be walking around all day – so I focused more on upper body exercises and stretching.

(Disclaimer: Not me..but I wish!)

I brought along a couple workout DVDs to play in the condo we rented (I am a Collage employee after all!).  However, I really wanted to take advantage of my surroundings, especially when we stayed at the beach. I normally watch my yoga or stretch videos in the morning, so I got up and performed some poses to the early morning sun on the beach. Admittedly, I only got to my DVDs once... but I found success using my phone and watching workout ideas on YouTube.  If you have a phone or tablet, they can be immensely useful for working out while away from home.

One of the things that I had to accept was that I would not be able to exercise the same amount of hours as I would on my normal schedule. If for no other reason, because I wanted to spend as much time relaxing on this vacation as possible, while still maintaining a certain level of physical activity to keep up with my routine. It’s all about a reasonable balance.  I also knew it wasn’t realistic to bring my dumbbells or weights with me, so I brought a resistance band and used it sporadically.  As a side note, you can utilize home objects to sub-in for exercise equipment too - like an (unopened) gallon of water to supplement a kettlebell (within reason!). Being resourceful can be fun when supplementing away-from-home versions of your workouts!

I certainly hope my tips help you plan a strategy to fit in your fitness activities with your vacation time!  Remember you can always make time to have fun, relax, and stay fit! You can do it all!

By Collage Video | | exercise, fitness, fitness tips, health, Healthy, tips, Wellness | 2 comments | Read more

3 Tips To Get Rid of Stubborn Back Fat

By Jari Love & Collage Video

stubborn back fat

 

Ever hear the slang term Muffin Top? Or Spare Tire? These terms refer to fat above the waistline, a common weight distribution problem that torments both men and women. To make matters worse, it’s usually the last of our fat to finally go away. Women have the added struggle of dealing with fat around the bra area as well.  Back fat is considered visually unpleasing to most, but more importantly it's not healthy in excess amounts. It’s important to remember that our health is not determined by how many pounds we weigh, but it is influenced by how many pounds of fat we store. 

Advertisers know how common fat accumulation is at the waistline and exploit the concept of "spot-reduction" to sell their exercise-related products. For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept, spot-reduction is the claim that fat in specific areas can be targeted and reduced through exercises around the desired area(s). This is a myth.  Do not fall into the persuasive trap that convinces people who are trying to lose weight (which, is most of us) that spot reduction products like pills or special contraptions work.  However, there are ways you can reduce fat in these areas and feel more confident in your own skin! The solution just requires a little extra effort and determination.  These healthy tips can help you achieve the results you’re after!

Tip #1: When Muffin-Top Strikes, HIIT Back with Cardio! 

If you’re serious about weight loss and health, you’ve got to get serious about cardio. Performing cardio exercise five times a week can help your body lose weight noticeably.  For even more-intense cardio, opt for interval training (HIIT) that alternates between periods of pushing your body and recovery, since it offers the after-burn effect. After-burn means once you’ve exercised, your body can continue to burn calories — an extra 200 calories throughout the day.

Tip #2: Tighten Your Posture & Sculpt Your Muscles!  

Your body’s silhouette can greatly improve simply through adding moves that sculpt your back, shoulders, and obliques to reveal the strong muscles that lie beneath. Toning up your body can do wonders when paired with cardio. Posture-improving exercises can also help muffin top areas!

Tip #3: A Lean Diet Leads to a Lean Physique

To lose fat you must eat in a caloric deficit. Think lean protein, low sugar, and high in vitamins and minerals. Weight loss occurs when the number of calories burned throughout the day through walking, working, and exercising exceed the calorie intake that day. Keep this in mind when choosing what food to consume.  Food journals can help immensely.

 Comment your thoughts below!

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

New “Fit Forever with Kathy” Blog Now Posted!

The latest blog from Kathy Smith is now posted!

You can find it at this link: Fit Forever with Kathy!

Thanks!

By Collage Video | | fitness, goals, Healthy, Kathy Smith, Motivation, tips, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Love Notes Blog by Jari Love Now Available!

Love Notes Blog by Jari Love is now posted.

Read it HERE.

By Collage Video | | exercise, fitness, goals, Jari Love, tips, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

New “Fit Forever with Kathy” Blog Now Posted!

The latest blog from Kathy Smith is now posted!

You can read it HERE!!!

Thanks!

By Collage Video | | exercise, fitness, goals, Healthy, Kathy Smith, Motivation, practice, tips, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Love Notes Blog by Jari Love Now Posted!

Love Notes Blog by Jari Love blog is now posted.

Find it HERE.

By Collage Video | | fitness success, Jari Love, tips, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Functional Fitness Tips & Motivations Now Posted!

Check out this week's Functional Fitness Motivational Moment!
Learn more Age Reversing Tips every Thursday
here by Suzanne Andrews.

Functional Fitness Tips & Motivations Now Posted!

Check out this week's Functional Fitness Motivational Moment!
Learn more Age Reversing & Weight Loss Tips every Thursday
here by Suzanne Andrews.

By Collage Video | | exercise, Functional Fitness, Suzanne Andrews, tips, Weekly Blog, Wellness | 0 comments | Read more

Holiday Weight Loss: Is it Possible?

by Suzanne Andrews

The holidays are upon us. So much excitement, visiting friends, buying gifts and eating and eating and eating…
Come January 1st, you’ve promised yourself you’ll get that weight off. But honestly – aren’t you tired of going on another miserable diet or being stuck at a plateau with weight that just won’t budge?
It may feel like you’re destined to never see the scale budge into the lower numbers. Sure, you’ve lost weight before. So many times you could be an advertisement for “how to lose 20 pounds and gain back 30.”
You wonder why that diet the celebrity was touting as the next sure thing just isn’t working for you. (Most celebrities get paid an average of 1 Million dollars to stick to their sponsors products. What would you do for a million dollars?!)
While you got results on your diet before, it was just too hard to stick to it. If it was a no carb diet, you felt run down and tired because the body needs carbs for energy. A diet with no carbs is like trying to drive a car without gas. Impossible.
If it was a liquid diet, you craved sinking your teeth into real food. So you’re doing real good until one day or night, you just can’t take it anymore, you’ve got to have food. Guess what? You’re normal. Your body was meant to consume food for energy, not liquid, not a crazy soup diet, or a fad diet that doesn’t give your body the nutrients it needs.
So now your holiday dress is too tight and your jeans are not as comfortable as they once were.
But you’re just not ready to buy bigger sizes. You see, I can relate because I’ve been there. First after having a baby and trying to lose the weight. I have to admit it was easier back then and I lost over 60 pounds. Now in menopausal age, the weight is glued to my butt and the extra weight causes hip pain.
So I do what I did before thinking that it was rough, but worth it. Only thing is, in menopause you have to work different to lose weight. Notice I didn’t say harder, I said different....

Click here to preview Beginner's Fat Burning Workout!

It’s time to try something different...
That means no high impact aerobics because you risk damaging your joints or starvation diets that make you feel like you could eat anything at the end of the day. You don’t need to move super-fast either, just at a fat burning moderate pace that includes weights integrated with breathing exercises throughout your workout. Adding weights and breathing exercises into your walking workout helps speed up your metabolism. Walking at a moderate pace helps you contract your muscles longer and firms you up faster with weight loss as the end result. This technique has worked on many clients and even myself. I just lost 9 pounds in 3 weeks alternating between The Get Stronger Bones DVD and the Total Strength and Conditioning DVD.

 

Order Total Strength & Conditioning on DVD!

Notice I didn’t say lose 20 pounds in 21 days! As a rehab clinician who understands how the body works, I just can’t fathom all those ridiculous claims. Part of my medical training included an oath to do no harm and some claims I see on the internet are harmful and misleading. Most people search for fast weight loss, but how is that working? People who try to lose weight fast only find themselves gaining it back with extra weight. Lose the weight safely and it will stay off. Thanks for taking the time to be with a very important person – YOU.
I lost 9 lbs of fat, one dress size and hip pain so far. Losing weight and losing fat are not one and the same.
Both workouts are not crazy fast for a reason. To help you lose weight, build stronger bones, get firm and tone with medically proven moves...

Preview or order Get Stronger Bones!

The key is consistency and variety. Make sure to workout 5 days a week if you want to lose weight. Use weights every other day as you need to allow your muscles the day in between to repair. If you feel soreness, that means your muscles are getting stronger. The soreness disappears and so does the weight.
Healthiest blessings!

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

New Healthy Tips & Recipes Now Posted!

Gilad's latest blog, Healthy Tips & Recipes is now posted.

Find it HERE.

By Collage Video | | Abs, Ask Gilad, Gilad, Recipe, tips, Weekly Blog | 0 comments | Read more
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