Unemployment isn't the only thing that's happening. Just as there's a cowering multitude dusting off their tin cans and waiting for the soup lines, there's also a silent but courageous minority that refuses to wait in any line. They're forging their own way, creating destiny where destruction looms. They see the economic forecasts and refuse to live in the kind of financial climate that brings recession. In the mud and muck of this crisis, health and fitness often goes out the window pretty fast.
But that's like being in a sinking ship and throwing away the life preserver. I hear many repsonses to this, and they amount to this: Too many costs, not enough time. How, I ask? Are we too afraid to get fit? Is a high stakes economy rife with the stresses of a daily grind the worse time to invest in a program that helps us exercise and eat right? Or is it PRECISELY THE TIME and the opportunity to work off stress, slim down and stay sane?
I can't imagine anything worse than being poor, depressed, AND fat. Next comes illness, more depression and greater financial straits as bills and bulges continue to pile on. The solution is to begin taking care of your body because after all, without your health, you got nothing. As a Beachbody coach, I'm also linking my physical health to my financial well-being via Beachbody's financial opportunity.
Carl Daikler, Beachbody CEO outlines exactly why this makes sense:
"There is another story, one of hope, achievment, and enthusiasm. That story is being written by thousands of Beachbody coaches growing in number and momentum. They are the cavalry. They refuse to sit back and "take it". Instead, while the global economy has been unraveling, Beachbody...
> Recruited over 10,000 Coaches, as independent business owners
> Paid over $15 million in Coach commissions
> Increased staff by 66%, hiring over 100 people in 2008 to support the growth of the network business.
> Co-published Kathy Smith's Project: You For Type 2 with the American Diabetes Association in a combined mission to improve ADA fundraising to find a cure for the disease, help prevent diabetes and to improve the lives of people affected by diabetes.
> Donated thousands of dollars for the care and feeding of orphans in Africa and the US.
> Developed multiple ground-breaking new products for release in 2009, including the "healthiest meal of the day", Shakeology.
> Celebrated the physical transformation of literally thousands of customers and coaches who sent in their photos and videos to show that our programs really work, and a healthy approach to diet and fitness is the best approach.
And we're just getting started."
1.Eat all the time. Have you ever seen a fat hummingbird? Chances are, the answer is “no” unless it has some kind of metabolic disorder. The vast majority of hummingbirds are three things: slim, constantly moving, and constantly eating. We can certainly learn from these tiny, frenetic animals. Eating (small snacks) 5-6 times a day instead of gorging on three big meals actually puts the body into hyper-drive. Metabolism revs up and calories get burned. The opposite: long periods of fasting (as in "3 square meals") makes the body into an energy miser. It goes into starvation/conservation mode and begins to store fat. That’s the body’s natural answer to the question “hmm, I wonder when my next meal will be?”
TIP: Eat small meals (e.g. an apple and some string cheese) every 3 hours until about 7PM.
2.Turn on and tune up your mitochondria. At the cellular level, energy comes from power-packed mitochondria. They’re mostly located in muscle tissue and their main role is providing energy for lifting a dumbbell and/or that triple decker whopper you’re eating. As we get older, we begin to lose mitochondria and, thus, the ability to make food into energy. The unfortunate result is that the body stores up that unused food as fat. TIP: Exercise to increase mitochondria. You’ll have more energy and less fat.
3.Don’t stress out, workout. There are about 100 ways to gain weight and stressing out is one of the top ten. Don't stress out about it, though, because turning this around is simple. Instead of stressing out do some physical activity. You'll gain muscle which helps you to burn calories. This is especially important because as we age, muscle begins to shrink (a condition known as sarcopenia). So if you’re over 40 exercise is doubly important. While you're combatting the muscle wasting, the exercise also helps you to feel better and decrease stress hormones that can lead to weight gain. TIP: Workout to look and feel better
In summary, follow the way of the hummingbird, nature’s marvelous athlete. Eat (nutritious food) constantly and don’t stop moving.
1. Because 2008 was soooo 1999. All those things that weren’t good for you in the previous year should go out of fashion like Aqua-net plastered bangs. Just apply the rule for handling clutter: if you don’t need it, don’t want it and can’t use it, throw it away! That goes for bad habits too.
2. Because Jack Lalanne (the Juiceman) said: “if a man made it don’t eat it” and “if it tastes good, spit it out.” Now I wouldn’t be so extreme. Even Jack Lalanne can’t put down a good hummus dip, a slice of watermelon, or a nice juicy buffalo burger. Point is, though, most people can change their eating habits and the new year is a natural time to do it.
3. Because you are what you eat. Okay, this is very much like point number two but it’s THAT important. The new year is time to feel clean and lean. You’re going for the trim polished look of a celery stick. You don’t want to look deep fried and oily and you wouldn’t want Jack Lalanne to spit you out.
4. Because when the boogie man goes to sleep he checks the closet for Chuck Norris. And Chuck Norris WILL get on your case if you don’t start some kind of exercise program.
5. Because, at the age of 70, while shackled and restrained, Jack Lalanne propelled himself using his own two hands and two feet for 1.5 miles through the ocean while pulling 70 boats with 70 people in them. Alright, if you’re under 70 you just can’t let Jack show you up like that.
By the way, the pic at top right isn't me, it's Jack Lalanne. I'm personally not too fond of one piece jumpsuits, even the glorified yellow jammies Bruce Lee used to wear.
I'm nearing the end of p90x phase III and it's been a lesson in pain. The pay-off is that after a few months of dedicated butt-kicking, I ALMOST crave the lactic build-up at the end of the plyometrics routine.
It definitely hasn't been easy. But hey, deep fried Thanksgiving turkey is served on a silver platter, not p90x. I admit though that sometimes I wish I could join that turkey for a dip in 220 degree peanut oil. Some nights my fingers were so cold I could hardly push the play button. But 15 minutes later my jacket and shirt would be on the floor and the 50 degree room would feel like a sauna.
Then there was the mini-trip to Hawaii. My freeze-conditioned body wasn't ready for 80 degree nights that were humid enough to cut with the Kenpo routine's "high sword, low hammer" move. Still, sweating, jumping, and panting in "paradise" within view and ear-shot of the ocean isn't something to complain about.
Those of you "just thinking" about getting fit, stop thinking. Intentions don't make you fit. My advice for the New Year: Stop circling the pool. Just jump right in, the oil, I mean...the water's fine. Just be ready to say "Thank you sir may I have another?" In the end, your body will be doing the thanking.
If you're female, postmenopausal and sedentary, you have three reasons to keep reading.Here's why: you're at increased risk for osteoporosis. Luckily, there's a few things you can do about it.
1. Gain weight: Yes, it's true. Tipping the scales will increase the load that your bones have to bear. In the world of bone making, load = growth. That said, I'm not advocating a bacchanal and binge fest. Being underweight, small-framed and light footed increases your risk for developing brittle bones. However, getting fat is not the best solution, considering the side effects (heart attack, stroke, diabetes...)So I repeat, although gaining weight will help with bone density, I do NOT recommend it. For the love of your body, don't pull out the kettle corn and start watching a Twilight Zone marathon.
2. Exercise: This, is by far, a better choice than trying to gain so much weight you can file for disability (a la Homer Simpson). Unlike obesity, exercise can stimulate bone growth without causing 50 adverse side effects. All exercise is not created equal, though. You need to make sure it's "weight-bearing." Examples include running, walking and weight-lifting, all of which put stress on your bones and lead to increased growth.
3. Eat right: Milk, cheese, yogurt, green leafy vegetables (marijuana is not a green leafy vegetable), nuts and various beans contain calcium, essential for bone formation and maintenance. If you're part cow and like to graze, you're already set up to succeed. Just go for the kale, collards and spinach. If you're not into the greens try dairy but make sure you stay away from the frozen, creamy stuff (putting it on top of a split banana doesn't make it less fattening). If your diet doesn't take you far enough, make sure to add a calcium supplement, especially if you're pregnant or over 50.
Check out these resources for more information on osteoporosis and bone health:
NIH Site
Osteoporosis in Men
