Check out my latest article at HealthYourWay!

Finding an activity that you think is FUN will help you stay motivated with your workout.
Here are a few suggestions…

• Put the Fun Back In Your Fitness by Tanja Djelevic

Among the benefits of the Loud Fitness Membership Program is access to downloadable On-the-Go Workouts that you can put on your smart phone and take to the gym, to work, to the park … wherever and whenever you go!

Click to download a preview: Quick Yoga
Quickies are short, 20-minute workouts for when you have very little time but still want to do an effective workout. You can also string them together and make one long workout with different components. (Levels I, II, III)

Want to get the whole Quick Yoga workout and a brand new one each week? Click to join:

In this episode of Reluctantly Healthy, actress Judy Greer and I show you An Easy Workout With A Hard Name. This is a simple workout anyone can do anywhere without any equipment.

There is a delicate balance between being able to tickle your senses in all ways and living neither a restricted nor a decadent life. I believe I walk that fine line every day. I know you are probably laughing at the fact that I’m psychoanalyzing my Sunday joy, but wait, there is a point…

For my personal growth and exploration, I like to feel that I can enjoy things and say “yes” or “no” without feeling guilty or regretful. But only theorizing about this concept is not enough – it must be a well-known mind map. Put into action, it can involve a “no” to the request of a dear family member when I have overextended myself, or perhaps a humble stepping back when the ego has taken over.

When it comes to nutrition and fitness, I like to eat healthy and feed my body with the gifts of the earth. I also like the small instant gratification of eating the sugar and then being able to say “no more” and stop – without guilt. I enjoy moving and exercising. But I also need the balance of not keeping a rigid 7-day fitness schedule.

I believe creating a healthy balance keeps us in a place of learning to choose and make decisions based upon listening to ourselves, and not reacting with compulsive behaviors. Restricted, compulsive behaviors are imprisoning, taking away the freedom we are born with.

My cupcake might be your [fill in the blank] indulgence that you can learn to enjoy and then keep at bay. You can learn to do anything. It is your choice to begin, to change direction, to stop, and, most of all, to feel, smell, taste the journey you are taking.

So there – a whole philosophy in a cupcake. The looking forward to it. The allowing it to happen. The utter enjoyment of sharing it with friends. The giggles when going on and on about the fetish. And then yet another reason to do that fun fun workout class one more time…

Live Life Loud!

Image: clevercupcakes

Lie face down on the floor, and extend your arms over your head. Now lift your arms and legs into a back extension and contract all muscles in the back of your body. Make sure your head is facing down. Hold for 5-10 seconds.

Now bring your hands to chest height on the floor and raise your body up slowly in a triceps push-up, also known as a Chaturanga in yoga. When your arms are extended, add an abdominal crunch. Hold for 5-10 seconds.

Mind your breath and stay aligned with your tailbone tucked under and belly button pulled in towards your spine.

Repeat 10-15 times, and you will have a full-body, core-based exercise, strengthening and stabilizing your entire body.

Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.

Cardio and strength training often take center stage, but did you know flexibility exercises are just as important in your fitness routine? Regular stretching can increase your range of motion, improve balance and posture, and reduce the risk of injury. It can even improve circulation and relieve stress. And if that’s not enough, it actually feels good!

Flexibility training may include yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, or stretching exercises done after your workout (to prevent injury, it’s important to stretch muscles when they’re warm). If you haven’t given much thought to stretching before, check out these links and leave any questions you might have in the comments below. I’ll delve into some specific flexibility exercises in future posts.

• ACE’s Top Ten Reasons to Stretch
• Stretching: Focus on flexibility
• The dos and don’ts of stretching

So, don’t forget to stretch and Live Life Loud!

Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.

Image: dotbenjamin

One morning, I was a first-time substitute at a very fancy treadmill studio in one of the pretty affluent neighborhoods in LA. The studio has top-of-the-line equipment and a high reputation, and the clientele is demanding and specific.

Needless to say, guys, I was a tad bit nervous! Although I had my almost 20-year-long resume in my back pocket (did I really just divulge that?! haha), I was apprehensive about the newness of the crowd and style. As a trainer, the thing that inspires me the most is the connection with the participants and our attitude together. Would it work this time? Would we click? Could I help them and vice versa?

So, I proceeded into a full class. As I did the meet and greet, I sensed a bit of shyness on their end, too. “Who is this sub?” they were wondering. A woman in her thirties approached me and said, “I’m not so good at this running thing, so don’t be offended if I walk.” I replied, as always, “Listen to your body and it will tell you what to do. If you feel like it’s the right time to push yourself, that’s what you do!”

I started up the class, and we ran metabolic sprints. (I totally made the term up – it’s just wind sprints on the treadmill in very short intervals.) The music was pumping in the background and soon enough, the familiar sounds of Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” lifted the legs of the class! I cracked a joke, started feeling more comfortable, and made eye contact with all the runners.

Just as I was saying that it would be the right time to take the body where it hadn’t been before, I caught the eye of the “walker woman.” She was not only running, but sprinting at my suggested pace! She even smiled with her eyes. That was it. The dance had begun. Inspiration had bubbled up inside me, and seemingly in them. I had a full studio of tread sprinters on fire, and they looked for my eyes every time they finished the sprint.

I left the studio that morning with a warm heart and a truly inspired spirit. The women in the room reminded me that where there is a will, there is a sprint! Thank you!

The sprint schedule looked like this:

• 5-minute warm-up at 4.0 speed, 1% incline
• 1-minute sprint starting at 7.5
• 1-minute recovery walk at 3.5
• 1-minute sprint at 8.0
• Recovery walk
• Second sprint at 8.0
• Raise the sprint in 0.5 intervals until you reach your own ceiling.
• Start doing 7-8 sprints and increase the amount of sprints when you are ready.

Do this workout to boost your metabolism and your confidence. It will also, of course, have all the physical benefits that you already know about: increased and more effective oxygen intake, more calories burned, strengthened heart and other muscles, etc. Doesn’t get any better than this!

What inspires YOU to Live Life Loud?

Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.

Image: SashaW

With Thanksgiving and other eating-centric events this time of year, it’s inevitable that some of us will find ourselves in a food coma. Here are some activities you can do to balance it out!

• Hiking: Take the kids, dog, and other family and friends out for a leisurely hike after the big meal. You’ll not only burn calories but spend more quality time together.
• Charades: Play active charades. Choose a person, a vigorous activity, and a place (for example: Superman does high jumps in China).
• Scavenger hunt: Arrange a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood or throughout the house.
• Dancing: Put on some fun music and have a dance-off in the living room!

Want the tools to develop life-long health habits?
Check out my e-book, Your Life Force: Training for Strength & Harmony.

Image: D Sharon Pruitt