Instructional – Page 6

October 26, 2013

How to Live Strong and Stay Sexy

Everyone knows the expression “easier said than done” right? Well, that’s certainly not the case when it comes to Living Strong and Staying Sexy. At least it’s not if you’re always feeling good about yourself and radiating your Inner Beauty out into the Universe. Not to mention sticking to an energizing Daily Fitness Program that keeps your body (and your mind) strong and clear.

Believe in and commit to a Strong Body – Clear Mind. That’s my mantra, and it works! Just like the folks at Livestrong.com who are dedicated to building stronger, healthier and happier lives by offering authoritative expert content about diet, nutrition, fitness, wellness and lifestyle.

So if you’ve lost that strong and sexy feeling and could use a little fitness inspiration today, check out my “How To” videos on the healthy living website (click each title to watch the video):

#1 How to Burn Belly Fat & Lose Weight with a 7-Minute Interval Workout
#2 How to Do a Handstand & Touch Your Feet to Your Head
#3 How to Stay Active All Day
#4 How to Do a Back Stand
#5 How to Know Your Weight-to-Waist Ratio
#6 How to Warm-up for Squats
#7 How to Roll After a Jump
#8 How to Roll on the Ground
#9 How to Look for Yoga Teacher Trainings in Macomb County, Michigan
#10 Yoga Shoulder Shrugs

Enjoy – R

"LA's Sexiest" by Los Angeles Magazine (photo taken at the 'Sexy LA' premiere at Hakkasan Beverly Hills, October 2013) — “LA’s Sexiest” by Los Angeles Magazine (photo taken at the ‘Sexy LA’ premiere at Hakkasan Beverly Hills, October 2013)

August 5, 2013

Forgettabout “I used to”

I can’t tell you how many times I hear this phrase every week about how this guy or that gal used to be in great shape, or used to walk 5 miles with their dogs every morning, or used to bike to work every day, or used to eat healthy with their fruits and vegetables, or blah-blah-blah.

Forgettabout it!

Like the forty-something year-old guy I met at the gym this morning who said, “I used to workout all the time and just last month I weighed 190, and now I weight 204.” That’s when I said, “The only thing that matters is your workout this morning and what you put in your mouth today – not what you used to do or even what you did yesterday. It just doesn’t matter.” Then I told him if he was really serious about taking care of himself, like he was – and did – in the past, he could easily get his weight below 200 pounds by Labor Day, and the rest by Halloween…or worst case Thanksgiving.

That’s right, because when it comes to health and fitness, whatever follows that infamous phrase, “I used to”, just doesn’t matter. You’ve got to be vigilant with yourself every day and not rest on your laurels of yester-year! Which is also par for the course when it comes to dating and even your net-worth (believe me, I know). What matters most is your positive attitude and self-respect and discipline today, i.e., live in the present and not the past.

So forgettabout the I used to’s and keep rockin’ it every day!

Enjoy – R

PS – hear all about all what “I used to” do in my heartfelt memoir, Simply Between Millions

August 1, 2013

Beach Yoga & Book Talk with Rich Tola (and Leah Murray)

Energize – Burn Fat – Learn Yoga on the Beach!

Watch me and Leah teach a 10-part Yoga sequence Anyone can do Anytime – Anywhere

And come join us August 1st from 7-8:30p for some energizing Book Talk & Yoga at the enchanted Mystic Journey Bookstore in Venice, CA, located at 1624 Abbot Kinney Blvd. I’ll be signing copies of my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, followed by a short Yoga class – no mats or Yoga clothes required – just bring your friends!

Hope to see you there – R

April 15, 2013

Do it with The Ellen Show

Are you one of those individuals who never has time to workout? Or to put it bluntly – since I’m definitely not one for beating around the bush – are you one of those non-fitness types who thinks they have a legitimate “I have no time” reason for never working out?

If you are (with no judgment whatsoever folks), then here’s a little something for you:

My 5-minute, full-body, Yoga-based workout from Rich Tola’s Yoga Survival Guide that you can do while watching The Ellen Show. That’s right, a 5-minute workout you can easily muster during commercial breaks with Ellen DeGeneres. With a little dance warm-up to boot!

From beginners to seasoned yoginis who want to enhance their practice by learning the proper fundamentals of Yoga, my 2 1/2 hour video encyclopedia of 100 Yoga poses will do just that. Learn Yoga anywhere…with my 5-minute fun & effective lessons that were filmed throughout the streets of Hollywood in 2010 to benefit my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching Yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.

Because who doesn’t have 5 minutes a day to respect themselves? Enjoy – R

April 8, 2013

Mindful Meditation in Everything You Do

Have you read the recent articles about how mindful meditation can improve test scores?

Mindfulness studies were done at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where “researchers found that after a group of undergraduates went through a two-week intensive mindfulness training program, their mind-wandering decreased and their working memory capacity improved. They also performed better on a reading comprehension test — a section from the Graduate Record Examination, or G.R.E.”

And if you know a thing or two about meditation – it can be done anywhere. Although the best results may be achieved by following the secular pillars of the practice, including sitting in an upright posture with legs crossed and gaze lowered, you can incorporate mindful meditation into all aspects of your life…including your workout regime.

Because when it comes to clearing your mind and strengthening your body with a Daily Fitness Program, it’s always best to keep your thoughts – and feelings – focused on the exercise at hand. Don’t obsess about the past or futurize about what you have to do later that day.

Make it a moving meditation. Stay purposeful, focused and relaxed (breathe), and BE PRESENT in everything you do.

Enjoy – R

RIP Margaret Thatcher

March 29, 2013

Sit Tall in the Saddle

The past few days I’ve been in the studio recording the Audio Book (coming soon) for my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood, and had a chance to reflect on one of my favorite lessons learned on Wall Street.

Chapter 21 – Sit Tall in the Saddle, tells about when I interned with a top broker at Prudential Securities:

“The day I arrived, the first thing he did was hand me a framed picture of a cowboy sitting on a horse looking sternly off into the distance. Beneath the picture the caption read, ‘When you ride alone, you must sit tall in the saddle’. I just looked at him and smiled, while he looked at me with a serious face and said, ‘Always remember that and you’ll be fine.’ To this day, I can’t help but think how the little things I learned from some of Wall Street’s million dollar men continue to inspire me.”

So Sit Tall in the Saddle in whatever you do today…and don’t forget your Daily Fitness Program!

Enjoy – R

March 18, 2013

Boost your Self-Confidence with Good Posture and Balance

This weekend I spent time with a bunch of twenty-something year-olds talking about exercise and the importance of a Daily Fitness Program – a concept as foreign to them as The Jack LaLanne Show.

When I said “good posture and balance will boost your self-confidence”, they looked at me like I had three heads!

Because good posture and balance (and NOT slouching) exudes self-confidence to everyone around you as well as: 1) properly aligns your spine and puts less stress on your joints, 2) helps the bones, muscles and ligaments in the spine to move smoothly and pain-free in everything you do, 3) improves your breathing by making it easier for your lungs and diaphragm to expand, and 4) engages your abdominals at all times enabling a strong core and flatter midsection – and better looking Abs!

So get your Yoga groove on today and improve your posture and balance like I did with Ardha Chandrasana (Half-Moon pose) in the beautiful sculpture gardens at The Huntington Library.

Enjoy – R

January 1, 2012

Set your sights…and weigh in!

Set your sights on new goals and opportunities, and weigh in. That’s right, it’s New Year’s Day so get on the scale and check your body weight. Because your weight matters, and having a known starting point for the new year is important. And the next thing you should do is workout. That’s right: weigh in and workout. Because preserving your body starts with a daily fitness program. So set your sights for 2012, and know that exercising every single day helps push back the hands of time – and unnecessary pounds of time.

Today I weighed in at 151, then did 30 minutes of abs and yoga stretches, then 30 minutes of weight lifting (mostly machines). Afterward I drove the amazing 5 mile stretch from Hawaii Kai to the Makapuu Lighthouse, hugging the shoreline around the southeast corner of the Island as the waves crash into the rocks below. The certainly challenging but very do-able uphill run starting from the Kalanianaole Highway up to the Lighthouse, well, it ranks second only to my favorite – Runyon Canyon in Hollywood. Not that the 1.5 mile loop around the Reservoir in NY’s Central Park, or the beautiful West River Drive and the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps aren’t great runs too! But the breathtaking ocean views along the narrow blacktop road leading to the Lighthouse are incredible. Not to mention the energy you feel as you pass the lookout for the Humpback whale sanctuary. Totally awesome. And worth running or walking – at least once in a lifetime!

I never imagined I would be traveling this lovely Hawaiian path when I first set my sights on publishing my memoirs less than six months ago. So believe in yourself and believe that you can. Then get on the scale and get started with your daily fitness program. Wherever you are! And if you don’t know where to start, how about strengthening your core with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #81 – Plank Crunches. Happy New Year – R

December 23, 2011

‘We Bought a Zoo’ Delivers

If you want to feel the love this holiday season, go see We Bought a Zoo starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson. The performances are wonderful – including the incredibly adorable Rosie, played by Maggie Elizabeth Jones – and there’s plenty of animal magnetism, feel good energy and tear swelling compassion at every turn. So no matter if you’re 6,000 miles away from your loved ones (like I am here in Hawaii while my family’s in New Jersey) or 6 miles away, share some good times together and bask in the film’s sunshine of love – because it truly delivers!

And while you’re at it, don’t forget to get your workout in with some Zoo Yoga from my Yoga Survival Guide. Because what’s a holiday season without fun, friends and fat burning yoga to melt away those extra pounds of joy! Merry Christmas everyone 🙂 Enjoy – R

November 1, 2011

Simply Between Millions: Chapters 6 – 10

It’s November 1st and New Year’s Day is fast approaching. You may ask yourself, where did 2011 go? It’s interesting how time seems to pass more quickly as the years pile on. Just the other day I was this six year-old boy learning Sicilian cultures and meeting all sorts of storybook characters you’ll find in my colorful memoirs, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood. Like Goobata Sal and the myriad of essentials that “fell off his truck”. There’s also my love of learning and fitness with Baseball, Push-Ups & Math Games, and my understanding of the Sicilian concept and tradition of “Representing the Family”. In Chapter 9, I explain Acceptable Behaviors and why we make the choices we make, then recount some exciting times at the YMCA.

So take a moment to remember your childhood today, and don’t forget your daily workout. Because before you know it, you’ll be making that resolution to lose that 10 pounds you’ll gain in the next two months. And if you’re new to a daily fitness program, then start with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #85 – Chair Twists. Enjoy – R