"Proven Ways Fitness Improves Our Lives".

Here is another nugget in a series of short shares. "Proven Ways Fitness Improves Our Lives". 

ENERGY

Exercise delivers oxygen throughout the body. End result? More energy!

Proven Ways Fitness Improves Our Lives.

Proven Ways Fitness Improves Our Lives

Healthy Weight:

Exercise helps people shed extra pounds, and it boosts metabolism so that calories are burned more quickly.

Here is a quick 30 min workout you can do at home.

30 squats
20 Jumping Jacks
20 Alternating Lunges
30 Second Plank
10 Push ups
30 Crunches

Do this series 3 times with exercises back to back and a short break in between sets and start burning some calories!

Proven Ways Fitness Improves Our Lives.

Here is the first in a series of short shares. Proven Ways Fitness Improves Our Lives.

Happiness:
Exercise stimulates brain chemicals that are linked to less depression and anxiety, leaving exercisers feeling happier.
Exercise.....nature's anti-depressent. 

Keep on the look out for the next short share.

Want to burn fat quicker and more efficiently?

Want to burn fat quicker and more efficiently? One available option is from a plant that’s native to Indonesia: garcinia cambogia.

See why Dr. Oz is a raving fan of this fat buster. http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/garcinia-cambogia-newest-fastest-fat-buster-pt-1

What Is Garcina Cambogia?  Garcinia cambogia is a small, pumpkin-shaped fruit, sometimes called tamarind. This plant offers one of the least expensive herbal supplements on the market. The ingredient from the rind of the fruit could hasten your weight-loss efforts. The natural extract is called hydroxycitric acid (HCA), and researchers claim that HCA can double or triple one’s weight loss.

With proper weight-loss efforts (dieting and exercising), the average person taking HCA lost an average of 4 pounds a month!

Garcinia may also be great for emotional eaters. Those who participated in the study showed an increase in their serotonin levels; hence, it may also improve mood and sleeping patterns.

For a quick grab and go fat buster. Check out Skinne by Nutrie. Skinne offers 500mg of Garcinia Cambogia in a convenient 2oz drink with zero calories, nutrients, herbs and Omega fatty acids.

The Secret To Great Abs

A toned, lean stomach is the ultimate sign of a fitness plan that's working.

It's also one of the hardest things to achieve.

Maybe you've given up on your abs after doing thousands of crunches only to see zero results.

It's time that you forget everything you've heard about how to sculpt your abs. The truth is that crunches simply won't give you a six-pack. Ever.

Doing crunches with the hope that it will turn your midsection into a washboard is to operate under the most widely held fitness myth. You know, that spot reducing myth. Here's the truth: training one area of your body will not specifically burn fat from that area.

Even those who have heard that spot reducing is a myth often still train as if it is true. So here's the hard truth that you need to face: Doing crunches will not magically make your tummy shrink, it will not cause your muffin top to melt away, and it will not give you washboard abs.

Only a reduction in body fat will do that for you.

So want the secret to great abs? The secret to great abs is a combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training, and clean eating.

Weight loss is not reserved only for the people you see on the Biggest Loser or on exercise equipment infomercials. You can do it too.

So is your current routine getting you closer to that six-pack, or have you simply been burning time? Answer the following two questions to find out...

How many times per week do you exercise? If you answered with anything less than 4 times a week then that's the first thing getting between you and streamline abs. What is a fat burning workout? A routine that incorporates intense cardiovascular training with challenging resistance training. Does this describe what you do?

Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a comfortable pace isn't a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely, not-a-drop-of-sweat 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that exercising smart allows you to dramatically increase your results while spending less time in the gym.

Cardio exercise is most beneficial when done at an effective level of intensity. This doesn't mean that you should be out gasping for air. It does mean that you need to dig down and push yourself. Every time.

Resistance training is the second vital part to a workout that burns fat. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that challenges you and stimulates your metabolism. The key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.

Do you eat clean? Diet is the number one reason that most people don't have great abs. If your diet is out of control then your abs will be too. To trim your waist, start by trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how hard you exercise.

• Don't eat too much. Do you know approximately how many calories you eat each day? The best way to find out is to record every single thing that you eat for a few days. Take those numbers and do an evaluation.
• Cut out the junk. While this may seem obvious, your definition of "junk food" may need to be updated. Start with anything that contains sugar. Refined sugar is one of the biggest ingredients in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster to avoid. As a rule of thumb, view all processed or refined items as junk food, and kick them to the curb.
• Eat when hungry. You've been told to never let your metabolism "crash" by going hours without eating, but it turns out that all-day snacking may be counter-productive. Instead of trying to schedule meals and snacks for certain times throughout your day go with how your body feels. If you are hungry then have a small, protein-based snack. If you aren't hungry then don't force a snack on yourself in the name of fueling your metabolism.

Now you know why simply doing crunches will not get you the abs of your dreams. While it is important to exercise your abs a couple of times a week, don't expect fat to fall of that area after thousands of crunches.

If you seriously want to flatten and sculpt your waist in time for the holidays then all you have to do is decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself. You deserve it.

The truth is that lifestyle changes aren't easy to make and that change won't happen overnight. There's a good chance that you'll have occasional setbacks. But don't even think of giving up!

If you never give up then you won't fail.

Each day is a new chance to start over. Begin each day with the resolve to make your new healthy lifestyle a priority. Results will soon follow.

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

What’s the best time to workout?

An early morning workout may help you to kick-start your day, but what about a mid-day or late-evening workout? Are they all workout times equally effective? What time should you choose for to achieve your best results?

Here are some tips for finding your own perfect time to work out:

Find your ‘optimal performance window’ 

We’re all individuals, and our bodies have a natural rhythm formed through a combination of habits and routines. Some people are morning people and others are slow to get going regardless of what time they went to bed the night before. When it comes to physical fitness, your body has an optimal window when it performs at it’s best. To find your own perfect workout time, listen to your body and make notes after your workouts.

Having energy and feeling good is essential if you want to have a successful workout. To find your optimal performance window, do an evaluation over a few weeks and ask yourself one key question: when do feel you have the most energy? Early morning, before lunch, mid afternoon or later…

Are you a morning person?

Morning workouts are great because this is a time when your body is fully rested, your nervous system is firing on all cylinders and your mind is fresh. It makes sense that if your muscles are well rested then you will be able to push a little bit harder in the gym.

Morning workouts are perfect if…

-  you’re a morning person, try to schedule your workout in the early hours before you become tired from your daily activities. If you have a demanding schedule, fitting a fitness blast early into your day will prevent other tasks from getting in the way of your activity plans.

Morning workouts are wrong if…

-  you fall into the morning-grouch category, are slow to get moving, and feel groggy or clumsy in the early hours. Avoid putting yourself through the additional stress of a morning workout and choose a different time of the day, when you are more awake, to get active.

Top tip: Even if you aren’t a morning person, try taking a few deep breaths while you’re getting ready for your day. Adding a few light stretches to boost your circulation might help you feel more awake too.

Are you ready for an afternoon gym session?

Afternoon workouts are perfect if…

-  you get a second wind or an energy boost in the afternoon. Taking advantage of this window by getting active is a great idea! Afternoon workouts are especially effective if you tend to feel energized after performing activity – it could boost your productivity and brainpower for the remainder of the day (and it’s a great excuse to ask you boss to add an extra 10 minutes on lunch break).

Consider adding a healthy late-morning snack if you want to workout at lunchtime or  in the early afternoon.  You need to fuel yourself properly to be able to keep going all day long.

Afternoon workouts are wrong if…

-   you lose most of your energy by early evening. For example, many working parents like myself use their lunch break for workouts because other times of day impact family time. However, people who fall into this group also find that they hit a tired time at around 5-7 pm. If this sounds like you, then try an early morning or late night workout instead.

Use your lunch break to enjoy a magazine or spend some quality down time with a friend. The feeling of being constantly on-the-go can cause stress which in turn could lead to late night snacking and weight gain.

Do you feel most awake in the evening?

Late night workouts are perfect if…

-  you’re a night owl who feels most alert in the evening or while the rest of the world is sleeping. If this is the case, save your exercise time for the evening hours. Remember that working towards creating a habit is essential for long-term fitness success. So, just because late-night fitness may not be overly social doesn’t mean it’s not good for you. Late evening can be a great time to exercise because it can help you to get rid of the stress from the day and unwind while taking care of your body. Ending the day with a blast of physical activity may also help you to sleep more soundly.

Late night workouts are wrong if…

-  you feel exhausted at the end of the day. In this case, rest is better than a hard training session. Performing strenuous physical activity when you are tired increases your risk of injury and you need to be alert during workouts, especially if you intend to use weights. If this is the only time you can find for exercise during the day, opt for a more gentle form of exercise such as walking or a relaxing yoga class and save your intense workouts for the weekends or times when you are more alert.

***

The perfect time to workout is different for everyone. Select the time that best suits your body and your lifestyle. Make sure to be mentally present in the moment: worrying about your next business appointment or planning your grocery list while exercising is not the best use of your time or energy. If you are pushed for time, train in shorter durations with extra focus and concentration because one consciously performed movement is better than two mindless ones.

Finally, always ensure you are adequately fueled for your chosen activity. Replenish well and rest your body after each work out for optimal results.

The Effects of Exercise on Self-Esteem

How often do we hear, “Get a workout, it will make you feel better.”?

Exercise is a very broad spectrum of activities; it can be walking, hiking, bicycling, running or any one of a number of sports.  It can also be moving along to a video that has choreographed moves geared toward a traditional exercise routine, or dancing, or Yoga and Pilates.  It could also be going to a gym and lifting weights or using the cardio equipment.

People often say you always feel better after a workout, or, if you can get some exercise in, you would feel so much better.  Is this truly the case?  How can causing your muscles to work and be sore actually help you emotionally?  Some studies that support a connection between exercise and positive self-esteem are: Physical Fitness and Enhanced Psychological Health; Associations Between Physical Activity and Reduced Rates of Hopelessness, Depression and Suicidal Behavior Among College Students; and The Relationships Among Self-Esteem, Exercise and Self-Rated Health in Older Women.

Each study shows slightly different statistics, but come to a similar conclusion.  This would be that physical activity does help a person have an increase in self-esteem, be it through the lessening of depression symptoms, or having the ability to perceive one’s self as healthy and high functioning in older age or simply by an elevation in a person’s mood, which gives that person the chance to understand that things are better than they seemed an hour ago.  All of these things apply to a person’s self-esteem in one way or another and these studies show that exercise helps to put a positive spin on each of them.

http://ianbowen.automaticbody.com/

When the number on your scale won’t budge.

If losing fat were easy then we'd all look like fitness models, right?

Unfortunately, the fat loss game is more frustrating than most care to admit. The scale quickly becomes a dreaded enemy—a constant bearer of bad news.

If the number on your scale won't budge then read on for an explanation:

Possibility #1: You're Not Eating Enough Calories
This only happens in cases of severe calorie restriction, so don't take it as a license to eat whatever you'd like. When you're trying to drop a few pounds by eating next to nothing, it actually counteracts your efforts.

There's a base number of calories that you should be eating in order to maintain your proper bodily functions, including fat loss, so check with a doctor or nutritionist to make sure that you're eating enough.

Possibility #2: You're Eating Too Many Carbs
Processed carbs will promote fat storage quicker than you can say the alphabet backwards. Blood sugar and insulin levels always respond the same to processed carbs – whether those carbs are in the form of a FiberOne bar or a Twinkie.

You're fooling yourself, but not your scale, if you think processed carbs should be included in your fat loss diet.

Possibility #3: You're Doing Too Much Cardio If you're doing hours of steady-state cardio, it's gonna end up working against your fat loss efforts. All that cardio promotes the release of stress hormones in your body, which counteracts your ability to lose fat.


Possibility #4: You're Not Getting Enough Sleep
You may not see the connection between your sleep patterns and the number on your scale, but it's there. Sleep patterns have an impact on your hormone levels, and hormones are a huge factor when it comes to losing fat.

Be sure to get a full eight hours of sleep each night to boost your fitness results.

Possibility #5: Your Snacks Have No Protein
Small, whole foods snacks throughout the day can help maintain your metabolism and encourage fat loss, but it all depends on what you're snacking on. Fruit-only snacks quickly break down to sugar, which causes insulin to be released and potential fat storage to occur, much like when you eat processed carbs. Sure, the fruit will make less of an impact than a candy bar, but you could be snacking smarter.

Only eat snacks that contain more protein than carbs, and also some fat. This will help to stabilize your blood sugar levels while also keeping hunger at bay longer.

Possibility #6: You Eat Diet Foods
I get it, you have a fat loss goal so it's tempting to fall into the trap of purchasing foods that claim to help dieters. The problem lies in the fact that these ‘diet' products have been highly processed and contain potentially harmful chemicals and artificial sweeteners that will confuse your hormones and promote fat storage.

The best diet strategy, when working towards a fitness goal, is to stick with real, fresh, whole foods. Steer clear of anything fake or processed.

The Stress Factor

I didn't forget about the elephant in the room...your stress levels.

Sure, life can be overwhelming and stressful, but understand that mismanaged stress will have a negative impact on your hormones, which can promote fat storage.

Find ways to relax every day, in order to give your body a break from 'fight of flight' mode. Your scale will thank you!

From the Desk of John Hall Studios

19 Awesome Reasons to Exercise Today

I know it's summer and you have exciting places to go and things to do. But wait! Did you forget about your workout? Again?

Lots of people fall off the exercise wagon during summer months due to vacations, taking care of kids home for the summer months, and other warm weather distractions. I get it, I really do, but what about all the amazing perks that you're missing out on?

Just in case you needed a little reminder that will motivate you to lace those shoes back up and get your workout back on, here are 19 Awesome Reasons to Exercise Today!

1. Exercise makes your clothes fit better: Consistent exercise will tone and tighten your body, and this means that your clothes will not only fit better they will also look nicer. But don't get too attached to your current clothes. Exercise ensures that soon you'll be trading those current clothes in for smaller sizes.
2. Exercise reduces your stress: Let's face it, you have enough stress in your life—so take a break. A challenging workout invigorates your muscles and leaves you relaxed and less stressed.
3. Exercise boosts your energy: Research routinely concludes that exercise increases energy levels in sedentary people. So when you're feeling fatigued, fight it with the most powerful tool available: exercise.
4. Exercise makes you stronger: Who doesn't want to be stronger? You rely on your body's muscle strength and endurance throughout each day. With consistent, challenging exercise, your body will naturally become stronger.
5. Exercise burns calories: Extra calories end up stored on your body as fat. Fight back by eliminating loads of calories with fat-blasting workouts.
6. Exercise gives you confidence: Healthy confidence is a wonderful thing to have. By exercising consistently you're able to increase your natural confidence.
7. Exercise can be fun: Don't laugh, I'm serious on this one. Whether you believe it or not, exercise can be really enjoyable. Remember how fun it was to run and jump as a child? Tap into your inner child as you find enjoyment in moving your body through exercise.

8. Exercise reduces your blood pressure: Exercise is so powerful that it has been proven more effective than medication in reducing high blood pressure. A single workout has even been shown to reduce blood pressure for the day, and consistent exercise reduces overall blood pressure.
9. Exercise tightens your problem areas: With exercise you can reduce flab on your arms, legs and waistline. So wave goodbye to the jiggles with a consistent, challenging exercise program.
10. Exercise increases your insulin sensitivity: Research continues to prove that exercise dramatically improves insulin sensitivity. Peak after-meal insulin levels have been shown to drop by more than 20 percent after as little as 3 weeks of consistent exercise.
11. Exercise improves your sleep: Exercise is your most powerful sleep aid. Tired muscles encourage your body to quickly fall asleep in order to get overnight repair work done.
12. Exercise lowers your risk of heart disease: Exercise strengthens your heart and protects it against disease. A non-active lifestyle is a huge risk factor for heart disease, so use consistent exercise as your ally against disease.
13. Exercise makes you feel amazing: Challenging exercise releases natural endorphins (happy hormones) into your bloodstream that dissolve pain and anxiety. You've probably heard of the ‘runner's high', this can be achieved by any great workout.
14. Exercise lowers your risk of diabetes: Research has shown that exercising as little as half an hour each day can dramatically reduce your risk of diabetes. If you are at risk of diabetes, or already have diabetes, use regular exercise as treatment for reversing the disease.
15. Exercise is an opportunity to meet new people: Gyms, bootcamps, workout centers and even jogging trails are all great places to connect with fun new friends. So lace up and put your self out there!
16. Exercise improves your BMI: Maintaining a healthy BMI is key in disease prevention, and exercise is the best way to keep your BMI under control.
17. Exercise increases your endurance: Don't ever get out of breath from walking up stairs or through the mall again. Your regular exercise builds up endurance for everyday activities.
18. Exercise improves your overall health: Does your doctor give you the lecture about losing weight and exercising more? Once you start exercising regularly you and your MD will see an overall improvement in your health.
19. Exercise makes you look amazing: Are you excited about the current shape and size of your body? If not, no worries. Regular, challenging exercise will work wonders on your physique. Within just a few weeks you'll start to see shape and tone in all the right places.

No more excuses this summer. You have 19 great reasons for getting back to your workouts. I'd like nothing more than to see you attain all of the above 19 benefits of exercise!

Provided by John Hall Studios

10 Minute Workout- Cardio Workout You Can Do at Home

By Samantha Clayton, November 20, 2012
I am always talking about squeezing in a quick workout because it’s amazing how effective a short bout of strength or cardiovascular exercise can be.
My top three reasons for making time for a 10 minute workout:
1.  When I feel stressed, a 10 minute workout gives me an instant boost of energy and helps me refocus.
2.  Like everyone, I’m often rushing and I find a 10 minute workout is enough exercise to help me not feel guilty about missing my regular routine.
3.  10 minute workouts can deliver surprisingly effective results, quickly.
It’s always better to do some exercise instead of no exercise.   When you’re feeling busy and stressed, promise yourself that you’ll manage at least 10 minutes even if you can’t find time for a longer workout session.
A great way to truly benefit from a short session is to focus on one specific area of the body or one element of fitness such as strength, cardio or flexibility.  Today, I’m going to share my favorite 10 minute cardiovascular routine with you. 
My pre-cardio 2 minute warm up
Your warm up should always be dynamic: gently loosening off your body and slowly increasing your heart rate.
A 120 second warm up to ease into the core of your workout should be good enough but spend a little extra time on days that you feel especially tight. 

• Circle your arms while marching on the spot for 30 seconds.
• 
  March with high knees while swinging your arms for 30 seconds.
• 
  Do 10 calf raises by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and rising up onto your toes, holding for a second, then lowering back down.
• 
  Do 10 squats by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward.  Sit back as if you are going to sit in a chair, hold for a second, then – leading with your hips – come back to standing.
• 
  Do 10 shallow lunges. A lunge is simply a step forward and then a step back with one leg. Put your hands on your hips, keep a nice straight back and take an exaggerated step forward, lowering your back knee toward the ground. Hold the lunge for 2 seconds and repeat on the other leg.
• Jog in place for 30 seconds.

My 8 minute fat-blasting moves 
One of the great things about cardio exercise is that there are so many effective, fun and simple exercises to choose from to give you a good full-body workout.  You can also work to make sure your heart rate is within its optimal fat burning zone during the cardio portion of this 10 minute workout.
Below is a list of eight simple exercises that require no equipment.  Try to repeat each exercise for 30 seconds and then circle through all the exercises again.  I’ve alternated higher and lower impact exercises and you should aim for a work out intensity of around seven or eight out of ten to reap maximum benefits.
Alternatively, if you are new to exercise, try only doing the odd numbered exercises and going at a slightly slower pace.  Don’t ever push yourself so hard that you feel uncomfortable.
1. Modified jumping jacks
Stand with both feet together and let your arms hang at your sides. Step one leg to the side, then return to the starting position. Repeat this movement on the other side. Continue alternating back and forth until you’re comfortable doing the leg movements at a steady, challenging pace. Then add the arm movements: swing your arms overhead when you step to the side, then swing your arms back to your sides when you bring your feet together.
2. Power jumping jacks
Stand with both feet together with your arms at your sides, then jump both feet out to the sides as you bring both arms up overhead to make a star shape.  Land with bent knees in a squat position, hold this position for two seconds, and then jump back to the starting position.
3. Running in place
Run on the spot, bringing your knees up in front of you and pumping your arms back and forth in rhythm with your legs.
4. All out sprint in place
Sprint in place as fast as you can. Keep your leg and arm movements fast and powerful.
5. Squats   
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward, then make a sitting back motion – as if you are going to sit in an imaginary chair.  Hold for a second, then leading with your hips, come back to standing. Be sure to keep a flat back, keep your chest high and really focus on sitting back to keep the pressure off your knees.
6. Burpees
A burpee is a powerful combination of a squat, push up and vertical jump.
Squat down on your haunches and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet out behind you to put yourself into a push-up position. In a controlled manner, lower your chest to the ground using your arms. Press back up to complete the push up and then pull your feet back in to return to the squat position. Finish the move by jumping up in the air while clapping overhead.
7. Side step  
This is like a dance step: start with both feet together and your arms loosely by your sides.  Step sideways to the left while leaning forward slightly, reaching your right hand across your body on a diagonal towards your left knee. Then tap your right foot behind your left.  Step back to the central starting position and repeat on the other side.
8. Speed skaters
Use the same movement you perfected during your side step repetitions but, instead of stepping, jump to each side and jump back. You should look like a speed skater alternating your arms and tying to get further sideways with each jump.

***

Don’t forget to repeat all the exercises twice.  Have fun and be creative – once you’ve got the hang of this routine you can swap in extra exercises you love and keep your 10 minute cardio workout fresh.

If you can do three 10 minute blasts throughout your day, you will have achieved the recommended amount of activity each day. The ACSM, American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people try to engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The great news is that studies have shown that accumulating that time throughout the day is as good as doing 30 minutes at a time.

For all natural supplements that support healthy nutrition go to http://valparaiso.herbalhub.com/

Herbal Tea Concentrate

At this past training in Chicago endulged in some Herbal Tea Concentrate each morning before the training. I was really surprised at the energy I felt after drinking the tea. I have been a coffee drinker for years and have used it as my wake me up crutch, but by the time I got to work I felt like I needed another cup to keep me going. With the Herbal Tea I felt like my energy level increased after drinking it and staid consistent longer into the day. As an added bonus the tea helps you loose fat, boosts your metabolism and burns 80 calories per cup. For more info check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj6NJc8jHrA