Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews

Can You Walk Sitting?

by Suzanne Andrews

Can You Walk While Sitting? Now You Can!

Walking workouts continue to increase in popularity but what if you're one of the millions who have mobility issues or what if you’re just too tired after a long day’s work to walk the traditional way?

Walking, one of the best exercises for arthritis, can be challenging when you’re having knee and hip pain. Yet doctors encourage their patients to walk five days a week for improved joint function.  So what do you do when walking the traditional way is not an option?

Having treated 1000’s of patients with arthritis over the years, I answered the strong need for a walking workout with therapeutic moves to ease joint pain that you can do sitting (or standing). But designing just a seated walk wasn’t enough because walking and sitting in the same spot can get boring. So, after 6 months of negotiating, we flew to the Butchart Gardens - the most beautiful gardens in North America. Now instead of a boring studio walk, you are treated to a plethora of spectacular flowers while easing joint pain with medically proven walk moves for improving arthritis health naturally.

The Butchart Gardens is one of my absolute favorite gardens and I’m not the only one.  They get one million visitors a year who stroll the gardens either on foot or on wheelchair. Filming in the famous Sunken Gardens section and the spectacular rose gardens was amazing! Even more amazing is seeing and doing the workout on DVD. I have to confess, I’m a bit of a garden enthusiast. While I don’t have a green thumb, I can appreciate the beauty and stress releasing effects of a beautiful garden. 

In doing the six months of research for the Arthritis Walking Workout DVD, a doctor told me how stress release slows down aging. Looking at the thousands of spectacular flowers while you work is a definite stress releaser and can help you look younger!

 Whether you’ve been to the gardens or not, you'll love the results of the two walks.  Arthritis Walking Workout one makes you feel like you’re in the midst of the greatest rose garden ever developed. Arthritis Walking Workout two was filmed in the Sunken Garden, one of the most famous spots in Butchart Gardens. The moves of each walk are equivalent to a two mile walk and give you the option to use an exercise band which is included in your Arthritis Walking Workout DVD.

So what are you waiting for? Have a seat and let’s take a garden walk! 

Sale Price: $16.99!!! BUY NOW!

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.

Are You Waking Up With Stress?

by Suzanne Andrews

Stress wakes up with you every morning. Stress follows you to work in your car, at your desk. You come home to Stress and go to bed with Stress. You hear yourself saying, "if only I could get some rest and relaxation." But how?

Amazing stress secret revealed; The World is a Busy Place. You feed the kids, walk the dog, Stress, around the block, go to work, cram in a 15 minute lunch, fight traffic going home, take Stress to soccer practice, get groceries at Stress Mart, car repairs, music lessons and then you go to sleep with Stress snuggled next to you. Stress wants to have sex and instead of feeling all warm and fuzzy, you're thinking, "I hope he's kidding". Whew, all this full and active life stuff is getting to be a little much.

There never seems to be enough time. That is, time for yourself. But now is the time to make some time because before you know it you're out of time and after that, times up!

With stress reaching epidemic proportions, emotional eating has become the fastest way to release stress and that usually means fats and sugars. With the added stressors of overwhelming work schedules and the struggling demands of daily life, Americans are carrying heavier burdens and equally excessive weight. But you need not carry the weight of the world on your back, hips, thighs or belly - with these simple stress releasing techniques, you can release stress, boost your energy and lose weight at the same time.

1. 1. Breathing for Stress Release and Weight Loss:

When you are stressed, your body releases powerful hormones including the major stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol can cause you to crave sweets and other carbohydrate rich foods. Since stress can raise your blood sugar as much as a candy bar, your body will greatly benefit from quick and simple, breathing techniques that have been used for years to arrest stress which helps you avoid the urge to succumb to comfort foods. If you drive a car you have time to do this. Take a deep breath and inhale through your nose for two seconds and exhale for four seconds out your mouth. Repeat this exercise 3 times before going into work and see how you feel. Bet you do! Repeat this anytime you're alone throughout the day and again on the way home.

2. Stretching:

As we age, our muscles shorten and become tighter and the range of motion in our joints decreases. This can put a damper on busy lifestyles and even hinder day-to-day, normal activities. Chores that used to be simple, such as bringing in groceries from the car or reaching for a jar off of the top shelf, now become difficult. A regular stretching program can help lengthen your muscles, increase your flexibility and make daily living activities easier.

Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age, size or flexibility. You need to incorporate stretching into your daily activities. There are plenty simple stretches you can do while watching TV, on the computer, or getting ready for bed. If you are doing strength training exercises, stretch in between sets. It feels good and saves time from stretching at the end of the workout!

 

Yoga Chi For Energy With Suzanne Andrews

It does not have to involve a huge time commitment, but stretching can end up giving you huge results! Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect from a regular stretching program:

*Reduced tension in muscles
*Increased range of motion in the joints
*Better muscular coordination
*Better blood circulation
*More energy as a result of the increased circulation

3. Yoga:

Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia demonstrated how just one session of yoga can lower blood levels of the stress hormone - cortisol. "Participants cortisol levels were measured before and after they practiced yoga, then again before and after they sat quietly while reading or writing. After the yoga sessions, cortisol levels dropped. There was no drop after the resting sessions." Less cortisol means less cravings for sweets.

The thing that most people don't realize about yoga is that when you go into a simple yoga pose and hold it, you're using almost every muscle in your body. Just doing each pose for a few minutes helps your body to stay trim and your mind to stay fit. You wind up using your own body weight instead of hand weights and for the most part accomplishing the same thing, losing weight and gaining strength and stamina. Ever seen a pudgy yoga teacher? Me neither.

All these things lead to a stronger heart, stronger muscles, better blood circulation, more stamina and better sleep. Not to mention a better outlook when Stress rolls over and says, "oh honey?"

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.

Why Fitness Has Nothing to do with Exercise!

by Suzanne Andrews

Most people think you have to exercise a lot to stay in shape, but the real truth is fitness has very little to do with exercise. Motivation has everything to do with exercise yet we often lose our motivation right when we need it the most. Here's what you can do to stay motivated to lose weight.

Set goals and be realistic. You didn't get out of shape and heavy overnight so don't expect to look like an athlete overnight either. Take your time and set short term goals first. Set up a strategy for what you are going to eat from now on. Notice I didn't say "diet." Diets are for losing weight right before the high school reunion. You need to change your life style to become fit and healthy, so figure out all the healthy foods you like, the serving size you are going to stick yourself to and maintain it from now on. Well, okay, forever does sound final. I mean who can go without chocolate or birthday cake forever? It's okay to give in to little indulgences once in a while. Notice the key word is 'little' and 'once in a while.' One thing you don't want to do just once in a while is keep track of your progress. You need to be vigilant and this means more than just weighing yourself once a week. Journal how much further you were able to walk, run or bike today compared to last month. How much has your blood pressure been reduced? Getting functionally fit is just like a road map, you need to stop and get your bearings to make sure you're still heading in the right direction.

Don't expect perfection out of yourself. If you compare yourself to celebrities or people who have exercised for years, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Don't do it. Celebrities have the luxury of a schedule that allows them to exercise for months before a movie is made. Not to mention that they have maids, personal assistants, hair stylists, cooks, and personal trainers. That's why they look like they do on film. Their motivation for staying beautiful and in great shape is that they have to bring home a paycheck.

Speaking about a paycheck, being functionally fit is like putting money in the bank because you have less medical bills when you invest in your health.  Need more motivation? Compare yourself to you, or the way you used to be. As long as you keep at it, one day at a time, you will get results. The human body responds to whatever you throw at it. If you ingest donuts and ice cream regularly, your body reflects it. If you throw healthy foods and regular exercise at it, it will look like it. Period.

Motivation can come from inside or outside. Get support from family and friends. Join a team sport organization or email me (suzanne@healthwiseexercise.com) and I'll help motivate you! You can find my email at the end of this. 

Speaking of time, we are so busy it's tough to find the time to exercise. Stop and think about how much you watch TV. Think about the shows you watch and whether or not they are getting you towards your goal in life.  If you watch only 2 hours of TV every day that's 14 hours a week or 56 hours a month. The average American watches 151 hours a month. That's insane. Multiplied by 12 months equals 75.5 days of sitting, doing nothing, learning nothing, goals and dreams being ignored. Talk about lost productivity. Don't ever tell me you don't have time.  We all make time for what's important and I can't think of anything more important than your health.  

Vary your workouts so that they don't become monotonous. What kind of workout? Think about what do you like to do that takes physical activity and do it often? Do you prefer working out in the privacy of your own home? Try fitness DVDs. How about the great outdoors? Join a walking group. Do what exercises you enjoy the most and mix in other activities often enough so that it stays interesting yet still achieves your goals.

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, then staying motivated won't be such a chore. But if you are starting to work out for the first time in your life all I can say is, please, don't ever give up. You are headed for a happier place in body, mind and spirit that once you achieve it, you'll probably wind up writing articles just like this one to your friends, family or co-workers telling them how you took the difficult road and worked your way past the worn out shoes and perspiration to get to where you are now, feeling alive, strong, durable and invincible. I know because I lost over 60 pounds and am never going back to the plus size rack with plus size health problems.

So what are you waiting for? Get a move on.  Thanks for taking the time to be with a very important person - YOU!

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.

Three Life Lessons

by Suzanne Andrews

What You Must Know to Get Through the Tough Times

I wrote this when my youngest son was little. It stemmed from a patient responding to my coaxing her to exercise, "what would you know, you've probably never been sick a day in your life!"  (Nothing could be furthest from the truth). 

My son is in college now, but the message is timeless and it can help you get through tough times...

The teacher who influenced me the most didn't produce a scholarly curriculum or carry out formal daily lesson plans. Even though he often wishes to, he is unable to assist me with my day to day operations. Yet, he motivates me day after day to reach beyond what I thought I was capable of and surpass it. Every new day, he continues to teach, to inspire and to influence my life in a way I never thought was humanly possible. He weighs a mere 68 lbs and proudly stands 4 feet 3 inches tall. He is my son, the child that several doctors predicted I would not be able to conceive.

Lesson One: A Ray of Light From Darkness

At the age of 10, I was placed in the terminally ill section of the children's hospital.  At the age of 20, I again overcame odds and beat a severe infection in my right ovary that affected my reproductive system. At the age of 24, my left ovary was removed and for the third time, emergency surgery saved my life. However, there would be one more emergency surgery and this one would bring great joy. My son's triumphant arrival by C-section on a memorable day in spring taught me to believe in the unexpected and to never give up hope.

Lesson Two: Appreciate the Little Things

To this very day, I marvel at my son's accomplishments and realize how important it is to praise not only his efforts, but also other people who come across my path in life. My son has taught me that the simplest joys in life; laughing, listening and loving are the best gifts we can give and receive. As he continues to discover life's daily events with sheer fascination, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to reflect on his newly acquired knowledge and see the sparkle in his beautiful innocent eyes. Each fresh new moment I spend with him offers the most enriching learning experience I have ever had. He's taught me to believe that I can be a compassionate mother, a loving wife, an inquisitive student of life and a better person who has the ability to make wise choices.

Lesson Three: Choose Healthcare, Not Sick Care

One of those choices is keeping off those extra sixty pounds that once wore on me like a backpack full of rocks adding stress to every joint in my oversized body. Now I'm not talking about being a size 2, I'm talking about being a size healthy. My dear son made me realize that "love thyself' is not just a cliché. By getting in shape, you are essentially saying to all those that love you, "I love myself enough to take care of my health and I want to be around a long time to share my life with you." When we commit to love our body, we make wholesome choices and feel free to discover the restorative powers of good health. From the moment you realize you love yourself enough - a paradise lost is regained. Those seeds of wholeness - given to you at creation are within you. When you are discouraged, just look at your creation, your little miracle, and know the motivation to make healthcare a priority is within you!

Keep those letters coming as you motivate me!

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.

10 Ways to Look 10 Years Younger

by Suzanne Andrews

Here are Top 10 Exercise Moves to Make You 10 Years Younger

Prevention is always the best cure, and by adopting 10 simple anti-aging exercises into a functional fitness routine to increase your strength, flexibility and heart health, you can reverse your age by ten years. These exercises target areas of the body that frequently suffer painful and debilitating degeneration if not properly stimulated -- especially knees, hips and shoulders.

A recent study conducted at the Lausanne University in Switzerland entitled "The Exercise -- Anti-Aging Connection" firmly concludes that "Regular physical exercise is a cornerstone in the anti-aging game."  Other studies prove that your cells actually get younger with exercise and it's a lot less expensive than plastic surgery!

1. Toe Touches - Lift your arms above your head and slowly bring them down in a graceful arc until you touch your toes. Hold for 10 seconds. This helps you to increase and maintain your range of motion so you continue to bend down without pain. Repeat this exercise to increase the range of motion in your spine and legs.
2. Balance Exercises - Lift your arms above your head again, but this time rise up on your tip toes and stretch up as far as possible. Hold for 5 seconds. Gradually lower your arms to shoulder level while finding your center of balance. Then slowly lower your arms as you sink down on your heels. Repeat until you feel centered. This will help you maintain your inner balance and avoid accidental falls.
3. Shoulder Stretches - Stand up straight and extend your arms behind your back. Clasp your hands behind your back. By 'unlocking' the muscles in your shoulders, you have more flexibility to reach high shelves and remove objects without causing strain.
4. Hip Circumduction - Put your hands behind your back and stand on one foot while you raise the other a few inches and point it forward. Slowly rotate your foot in a circular motion. Stand on both feet again, then repeat the motion with the other foot. This strengthens the muscles that surround your hips to help protect against hip fractures.
5. Squats - With your hands extended straight out, do some simple squats to strengthen your torso muscles and improve your balance so you can easily get in and out of cars.
6. Resistance - Place your hands against a wall and lean your body at an angle while on your tip toes. Feel your calf muscles and your upper body strengthen. This resistance helps to strengthens bones against osteoporosis.
7. Shoulder Stretch - Rotate your shoulders in a circular motion to increase lubricant in your joints and decrease joint pain.
8. Tricep Extensions - Sit up straight in a chair, place your hands on the arm rests lift yourself up 15x to increase your upper body strength.
9. Plyometric exercises - Stand on one leg with arms slightly behind your body. Propel your body up as high as possible, reaching up your arms and springing from your legs. Perform 3 times in rapid succession, then lower your foot and repeat on the other side. This "Michael Jordan" move creates the kind of explosive energy boost that maintains the muscle power that we lose as we age and is good for carrying suitcases.
10. Core muscles - Now that all the outer muscles are warmed up and flexible, it is important to set the 'core muscles' that support your body's framework. Stand up very straight with your feel planted firmly on the ground. Contract your abdomen by imagining you are drawing your belly button down to the base of your spine. Once you have the bottom muscles set, imagine there is a cord coming from the center of your chest pulling your breastbone up. Naturally allow your shoulders to fall back as you look up. Breathe normally while you hold this position and tighten all of your outer muscles around your core muscles. Maintain full body tension as long as possible, then relax them all at once. Repeat numerous times, noticing how your body tightens a little more with each repetition.

Once you have completed your routine, rest for a moment and allow your heart rate to return to normal. Also drink a glass of water to help remove any toxins that your body naturally releases when exercising to further enhance the anti-aging effects of your functional fitness.

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.

How to Stop Diabetes Now!

by Suzanne Andrews

Do you ever feel like you're the main character of a country and western song? Your rent is overdue, you hate your job, the truck broke down and now your doctor says you've got diabetes. Yee-Haw! No wonder we are stressed to the max.

Just to clarify- bear with me here - your body communicates with itself using chemical messengers called hormones. Several organs in the brain and body produce hormones that flow to other organs through the blood where these messages are received and the corresponding organ responds by producing another hormone that fixes a problem detected by sensors in your nervous system that alerted the brain in the first place.

Insulin is a hormone. It chemically dissolves sugar molecules in the blood so that they can be converted into the energy that powers the heart, organs and muscles.
Diabetes comes in two types. Type one is usually hereditary. The autoimmune system in your body goes haywire and attacks the cells in your pancreas that produce a hormone called insulin. Without the sugars being broken down you won't have much energy.

Type two diabetes is caused by the pancreas not producing enough insulin hormone even though the brain keeps signaling it to. If you have a faulty pancreas you are at a higher risk of type two diabetes and need to take steps now to not aggravate the situation. It is unfortunate to have either type one or type 2 diabetes, but if you have type 2, you are at an advantage because you can actually stop diabetes from attacking your body by implementing your own plan of attack. But first I'll explain why it is so vital that you pledge to take charge of your health from this day forward.  And because this is a serious disease that I treat in rehab therapy on a daily basis, I'm not going to beat around the bush because lives are at stake!  If I can help you know the facts, maybe I can help you.

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blood vessel disease and heart disease giving you two to four times higher a chance of dying from heart disease. Another shocking fact is that people with diabetes have a sixty percent higher chance of having one or both limbs amputated!

Thirty minutes of exercise a day is vital for your health and survival. Exercising with diabetes literally gives your body physical medicine as working out with diabetes actually helps to stabilize your blood sugar. Your body also has receptors in them and if you are overweight, the receptors that help normalize your blood sugars don't work properly. So weight loss and increased activity is a must. 

Own Your Copy of Stop Diabetes Now!

Side effects include more energy, stable blood sugar, improved circulation, longer lifespan and you get to keep your legs. In the case of diabetes, it really is use it or lose it. As an occupational therapy practitioner, I often find the biggest challenge is motivating my patients with diabetes to exercise. Sadly some don't take the advice and eventually I am called upon to teach them how to use a sliding board transfer from their wheelchair to their bed because they no longer have legs. Use your arms, use your legs, and get your circulation going!  I know this may not sound pretty, but it is heart breaking to see people who could have saved their legs if only they used them while they still had them.

Diabetes is a silent killer and slowly attacks your body without you even realizing it. When diabetes advances even further, you can lose your eyesight. The choice is so simple. Eat right and exercise. Make sure to choose exercises that don't involve isometric movement - these are exercises where you tense up a muscle and don't move your joint. Whether you have diabetes or pre-diabetes, a fitness and nutrition plan is crucial.

If you have pre-diabetes you can make the right choice now to to not be one of the 800,000 new cases diagnosed in the US each year. That's 91 people every hour. The more you exercise with diabetes, the less dependent your muscles are on insulin, so even if your pancreas isn't producing much, that's OK, it doesn't need to. Working out when you have diabetes keeps your blood sugar and body in balance. Since exercise controls diabetes from attacking your body, exercise is a must when you have diabetes. I've never had a patient tell me they enjoy their blindness or amputation. But after you work out, you feel good!  And you deserve to feel good. Just make sure that your blood sugar isn't under 100 when you workout. 

So keep your mind on the bright side of things and don't become the subject of a sad country and western tune. You can live a full and active life after all. Yee haw! 

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.

Ease Arthritis Pain

by Suzanne Andrews

 5 Ways Water Aerobics Eases Arthritis Pain

Water aerobics are one of the best ways to ease arthritis pain with benefits lasting long after you’ve completed your water aerobics session. If exercising on land is difficult for you due to joint pain, water aerobics are the perfect way to gain muscle strength without having to worry about excess pressure on hurting joints. Listed below are five ways that water aerobics ease arthritis pain.

1. Water Provides a Cushion

   Simply being in water for Water Aerobics provides a cushion for fragile bones and joints affected by arthritis. Most water aerobics are done when you are immersed in water to your waist and at that level of water your body will be bearing only 50% of its weight. The buoyancy of water allows movement with less pain than traditional out-of-the-water exercise for joints and muscles stiffened from arthritis.

2. Water Decreases Swelling and Soothes Stiff Joints

   Nothing feels as good as something warm on stiff joints and water not only provides that soothing relief but it can also relax sore muscles, decrease joint swelling and provide comfort when exercising is difficult and painful. Pools heated from the summer sun are an enjoyable way to ease arthritis pain as you can experience immediate relief in the water. Performing water exercise in a pool that is between approximately 82 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal for pain relief. Heated pools can do for your whole body what other forms of heat can only do for specific areas to which it is applied. Warm water provides the ideal environment to do exercises that a person with arthritis might not normally do.

3. Water Is Less Stressful

   Water Aerobics provides an environment for exercise that decreases the stress on painful joints compromised by arthritis. Some people have referred to water aerobics as "floating traction" as it stretches, loosens and flexes joints in ways that would be impossible if they were not in water. During water aerobics, painful joints are relieved and their range of motion and flexibility are increased. All these difficulties make living with arthritis painful but with water aerobics they can be dealt with in an environment that accommodates each individual's fitness and health.

4. Water Builds Up

   Water Aerobic exercise works all the muscles at the same time and increases the cardiovascular endurance without the impact on your body of traditional aerobic exercises on land. Being immersed to your waist, upper torso or neck increases the return of blood flow to the heart from the extremities. Increased blood circulation to the joints and muscles facilitates recovery and strength-building, all of which can lead to a less painful life with arthritis.

5. Water Workouts Burns Calories

   Swimming, water aerobics, and water walking all contribute to weight loss. Losing weight can help reduce the impact of daily living on painful joints due to arthritis and lead to less pain. Water aerobics reduces swelling due to increased circulation from the low-impact movements that exercising in water allows, leaving the painful areas free of stiffness and swelling, which in turn relieves the friction that causes pain in joints.

If you have arthritis, what are you waiting for?  Make a dash to splash in a pool and start relieving your arthritis pain!

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.

Keep those letters coming!

by Suzanne Andrews

I'm filming my 4th series for PBS TV this week and just wanted to share why I do it. With 12 hour days and doing the exercises over and over, filming can be exhausting. But I get a letter and - instant energy! Here's a letter that motivates me. Keep those letters coming!

"I saw your show yesterday for the first time on PBS in Daytona Beach, Florida. WOW!  You are like an vision of hope and EXCITEMENT for me! Thank you! I used to be trim and thin and something happened called stress and life! (giggle) and I hit 52 very lethargic, very over weight, out of shape and yet I have goals of riding mountain bikes and have such a worry about being able to "lift my leg up and over!"...so obviously I need to get into shape to ease my mind and ease my body. I tried Jazzercise and killed my knees and felt VERY OLD with the newer music - I loved it when I was 30 and 40 years old but something happened to the music since! (another giggle)...so thank you. You brought LIFE back into me, I feel wonderful today.  What great results!  You EVEN got me and my husband off the couch on a SUNDAY AFTERNOON!  I was so proud of myself. Can't wait for my Yoga Chi for Energy DVD to arrive.  You are like Sunshine in our lives!!!  Thank you!  Mrs. TJ G, Palm Coast, Florida."

Suzanne Andrews Response:

Thank you much TJ!  You are exactly the kind of person who I developed Functional Fitness for.  I was once overweight and can relate. Plus I'm not in my 30's or 40's so I REALLY relate. People actually google, "Suzanne Andrews age."  Functional Fitness keeps you ageless!  Now I just strive to be a healthy weight and leave the unattainable size teeny to the younger crowd. Be proud of your curves! Glad you like the music. We spend hours combing through music to find beats that motivate.  

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.

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

by Suzanne Andrews

Why Slow and Steady Wins the Race: The Secret to Getting Fit Faster

In my travels, I often run into women who think that to be really fit, they have to jump up and down, and do the moves real fast. While this train of thought is common, it is also a guaranteed way to injure yourself and not get the results you seek.  You ever see the same person at the gym who never looks any fitter?  Watch how they work-out, I’ll bet they lift the weights really fast. In order to achieve extraordinary health, you've got to get outside of what everyone else is doing and find successful methods that work without making you feel like you have do insane extreme workouts.

One of my favorite examples is from a Functional Fitness fan who wrote me. “A few months ago while flipping through the TV stations, I came across “Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews.” I had just finished eight weeks of an exercise program to try to help me walk without hip pain and all that hard work didn’t help at all.  My doctor told me I needed a hip replacement. But I wasn’t ready to try surgery and so I pulled up a chair and did your workout.  At first I thought, this is too easy, it’s not going to do anything! But I trudged along and by the time I was able to do the standing level my hip pain was gone, I am more flexible and best of all I no longer need a hip replacement.”  Elizabeth from Maine.

For the uninitiated, working out at a slower pace looks easy but since you are contracting your muscles longer, you get FASTER results. As a rehabilitation clinician, I (and my colleagues) spend much of our day instructing our patients to slow down. Not only will you build strength quicker, you’ll burn more calories–even after you’ve stopped working out. If you’re a mid-life or older person like myself, it sure beats the “beat yourself up workouts” where you feel like you’re going to die!  Which, by the way, is the fastest way to not wanting to workout anymore.

Which brings me back to Elizabeth. If she hadn't taken the time to try a different method and really give it the time it deserves, she never would have experienced the amazing results she got.  No it wasn’t instant, but it was worth the results.

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.

Ever wonder how I get my inspiration?

by Suzanne Andrews

Ever wonder how I get my inspiration? From my wonderful fans! This letter is what inspired me to write last week's blog and it really touched me so I'm sharing it with you.  (She said it was OK to share). 

Do you have something to share?  Email me (contact info below) and don't worry, I won't divulge your email address.

Love and healthiest blessings, Suzanne Andrews

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.