I come up with exercises that I can’t do properly but I keep working on them until I master the movements and can teach them. Get started!

Are you interested in changing a behavior? Do you have 21 days available to be a better person? I have these cool wristbands to help. These say EAT CLEAN TRAIN HARD because this is about fitness. But you can correct any type of problem and you can use a simple rubber band if you like.

Here is the deal, put the wristband on. Choose a behavior to change such as stop eating processed foods or chips or stop cursing. Only choose one behavior to change at a time or it won’t work. Let’s say you are a diet pop fiend so every time you drink a diet soda you must move the wristband to the other arm. The object is to keep the wristband on the same arm for 21 days. Presto! Behavior changed. Of course it isn’t easy and at first expect to change arms a lot. But after you get the hang of it and in this case drop weight from dropping the soda. You will feel great.

That innocent-looking can of soda pop-no matter what it’s sweetened with-may be taking a toll on your immunity. Here’s why:
1. People who drink sodas instead of healthy beverages (think low-fat milk and pure fruit juice) are less likely to get adequate vitamin A, calcium, and magnesium. What’s more, soda contains phosphoric acid that depletes calcium and magnesium. These two nutrients help keep your immunity operating at peak efficiency.
2. Sodas containing high-fructose corn syrup (check this out here, they want to rename high-fructose corn syrup. First they tried to hide the product in every processed food and now that people are wise to the term they are trying to change the name to corn sugar.) also contain high levels of free radicals linked to tissue damage, the development of diabetes, and diabetic complications.
3. Plastic soda (and water) bottles contain a toxic chemical called bisphenol A (BPA) that can leach from bottles into soda…into you. Emerging evidence links BPA to a myriad of maladies, including immune system depression. Public health experts recommend that we protect children from exposure to products containing BPA-especially those they consume or use every day.
4. Diet soda actually contributes to weight gain. A study of 1,550 people concluded that people who drink diet soda have a 41 percent increased risk of being overweight or obese-for every can or bottle they drink per day! Turns out, any sweet taste signals body cells to store fat and carbohydrates, which makes you hungrier. Sweet tastes also promote insulin release, which blocks your body’s ability to burn fat. The hard truth: No published study has ever proven that drinking diet soda will help you lose weight.

Don’t make me get up on my soapbox! For box jumps..

Here are a couple cool exercises for the next time you’re in a park. Pushups on the swings, put one hand on each of two swings, one foot on the ground. Pushups. If that is too much, try both feet on the ground and use a wide stance.

Number two is an inverted row. Stand between two swings, grab a chain with each hand and lean back and do a chinup or rowing movement.

See you outside.

The results were that I lost 2 lbs. during this time.  I normally eat pretty well anyway so I was mostly cutting desserts and eating more veggie and fruit than usual. The TV probably had more impact than anything. I finished a couple of drawings, wrote some new music and read a great deal. My workouts have been going great. The weather has improved here so I’ve been out for sprints on the track and at the hill. On the last week of a 12 week bench press cycle that has my upper body strength back where I want it. And I continue to work the kettlebells and total body training.

All in all I look at it as successful. I don’t need to lose weight. If you do, I would recommend going off the sugar and processed foods. You will be surprised.

You are welcome to join me! I hit 55 years old last month, so I am interested in seeing what kind of shape I can get to. I also plan on getting more done without TV. Doing this during March Madness seems crazy but challenging myself is the whole point. I’ll keep you posted on my progress.

Here we see Karen working legs. First up is one of the great leg exercises you can do. LADIES! This exercise works the quads and glutes in a functional running position. So balance, stabilization and core strength are all challenged during this exercise. When you do a machine leg press, most do not require balance, just a little stabilization and not much core.

This particular lunge is using one of my home-made balance tools, the water pipe. It is partially filled with water and Karen is showing an advanced version of the exercise with the tool held overhead. This requires a great deal of core strength in addition to the great leg benefits it provides.

Stanimal is training clients in Glen Ellyn. If you have fitness or training questions email or leave a comment. Thanks.

During exercise there are two types of immune cells released into the body. The effects last only about three hours but there is a cumulative effect also which reduces illness rates. People who exercised 45 minutes 5 days per week reduced their sick days by 25% to 50%. That is just moderate exercise.

Lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lessen cancer risk, you can even lose weight, just exercise.

Saw this article which I suppose isn’t that big of a surprise but surely points out that we aren’t making much fitness progress. Ah the young people are our future. So what’s up young people?

See the article here.

1) Train with Stanimal. If you did train with stanimal you would have increased strength and vitality, improved joint stability, reduced body fat and better cardiovascular performance. Unfortunately I can only train a few folks.
But you need to exercise. We all know this. 30 minutes every day break a sweat from exercising. The end.
No gym membership required, no equipment needed, just 30 minutes and a new attitude. Stop back soon I will give you a killer body weight circuit to do.

2) Eat better! Does this seem to make sense to anyone? If you are eating Twinkies or donuts or worse yet skipping breakfast totally. You’re not trying very hard. Eat smaller portions more often. Five or six “meals” per day, control the portion size. Eat veggies and fruits. Done.

3) Think. Think about the consequences of your actions. A six pack and a pizza once in a while won’t kill you. It will kill brain cells and make you feel bad physically. Watching TV and never exercising will make you depressed, uninteresting and unattractive to the opposite sex. Cool.

4) Challenge yourself. Get out of you comfort zone and try something new. Stop looking for the closest parking spot. Jog it in. Take the stairs. Run the stairs on lunch or go to the high school and run the stairs at the football field. Ride a bike, skateboard, sprint. Take a walk in the fresh air. Increase your activity level with something fun.