What if you couldn’t tie your shoelaces or put your daughter’s hair in a braid? This past weekend a 26 year old woman was given a hand transplant during a successful 14 hour operation at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center – the first such transplant in the state of California. To be whole again. And to enjoy the simple things like braiding her daughter’s hair were the young woman’s wishes. Good news followed the operation – she’s already moving her fingers as the donor’s hand “matched beyond expectation”. Although a hand transplant comes with lifelong risks, lead surgeon Dr. Azari said, “The reasonable expectation is she will get sensation back and she will use her hand. So far it looks spot on”. Let’s radiate positive energy for our young woman, and let’s all enjoy the simple things in life. Including our daily 5 minute fat burning workout. Here’s #13. R
Life’s a boulevard and sometimes you get stuck
‘Life’s a boulevard and sometimes you get stuck’ is the overarching theme to my film, Boulevard Zen. Each of the characters uses yoga to overcome adversity in their lives. The kind of adversity that is like getting seriously stuck on a Boulevard, such as death of a spouse, a broken heart, depression, anorexia, hypertension, infertility, peer pressure and a party lifestyle. All this with a PG-rated script that’s appropriate for the entire family. The chorus from the theme song, “Life’s Boulevard”, is especially inspirational:
Driving down Life’s Boulevard is no paradise
Open up your heart let it lead you day and night
Just do not dwell on things that can’t be undone
Keep pushing forward til the battle is won
Written by me and award winning singer-songwriter Erick Macek, and performed by Erick & Bill Jones, get your free download & watch trailers @ RichTola.com. Enjoy – R
One home run doesn’t make a home run hitter
That pretty much says it all for any sport, business or hobby where doing it once or twice doesn’t earn you the title. Just ask Babe Ruth. But a dozen times, now we’re getting somewhere. Hopefully you’ve been following along with my 5 minute fat burning workouts – today is day 12. If not, no worries. You can combine any 2 or 3 workouts and get caught up pretty quick. But hurry, because the days sneak up on you just like the passage of time. So get your fitness groove-on today…and enjoy your workout! R
Ignorance corrodes
This morning I was speaking with a friend and practitioner of my new workout series. We were discussing how ignorance corrodes the inside of an individual’s soul. Ignorance being defined here as the willful lack of knowledge or awareness. And it’s the willfulness part that speeds the corrosion. Heavy stuff, I know, but think about it. That’s why my 5 minute fat burning workouts are good for you. Especially if you’re not a fitness person. Because they teach you a plethora of super effective and easy-to-follow exercises you can do in only 5 minutes – anywhere. There’s no need for special clothing, or a mat, or a specific area or room to practice in. They’re designed to prime the pump, to get you going, to put a spark in your day. Plus, they’re really simple and they’re really attainable. Check out Workout #11 – and let’s tighten that buttocks and stop corrosion today! Rich
Fitness in a bottle
When asked about fitness, the Goddess of Pop Cher once said, “If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body”. No doubt. Except the universe – or anyone else for that matter – has yet to provide us with fitness in a bottle. So, the next best thing is to do something fitness–related everyday. Even for just 5 minutes. Because once you’re set with a daily fitness program, your body will crave it and your mind will become conditioned to do it, thus, it becomes easy. Well, maybe not easy, but for sure it becomes easier to workout every day since you’ve now created a new and rewarding routine. But don’t take my word for it – try it out for yourself. And I’ll see you next time – R
Butt Beautiful
From the Wikipedia website we learn that one’s butt is eloquently described as follows: “The buttocks (singular: buttock) are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles.” The key phrase here being a layer of fat superimposed over muscle. And who doesn’t want to reduce that layer of fat while building muscle, right? Let’s give it a try with Workout #9 from my 5 minute fat burning web series aptly named, Butt Beautiful. And when you’re done, consider climbing stairs for another 15 minutes or go for that 1 mile walk. You’ll be happy you did! Enjoy your workout – R
Get Killer Abs
From the streets of New York City you may have heard the age old question, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall”? The answer: practice, practice, practice. The same holds true for your core and abdominal muscles. How do you get killer abs? Practice, practice and more practice. At the very least you’ll feel good about doing something every day to stay trim, keep your waistline from expanding, and preventing your posture and low back from suffering. Plus, the good news about strengthening your core & abs is that a short and simple workout is all it takes to feel fatigued. So here you go – Workout #8 in my 5 minute fat burning video series that also complements workouts 5, 6, and 7. That’s 20 minutes of core & abs exercises to chose from. Have fun and don’t forget to breathe! R
Combine your efforts
What’s the best way to burn fat and trim your waistline? If you said doing 1,000 abdominal crunches, well, you’re wrong. The answer is a bit more complex: it takes a combination of efforts that include a positive mindset, a healthy diet and a plethora of fitness activities including anything cardiovascular, weightlifting, yoga, and of course abdominal workouts. It certainly helps to do something core & ab related everyday – as you’re well aware of my zealous approach to a daily fitness program. So if you haven’t already tried one of my 5 minute fat burning workouts, check out Workout #7 – Sculpt those Abs – then keep it going with a vigorous walk, swim, bike, jog or run. Be well – R
Blast your Abs
What does it mean to Blast your Abs? Simply put, it means to exercise and fatigue your abdominal muscles until you’re too tired to do another set. And why Blast your Abs? Because when properly exercised strong abdominal muscles improves your breathing, posture, balance and flexibility, as well as reduces the likelihood and severity of back pain and protects against injury. Not to mention a leaner waistline and much tighter belly. A mere 5 minutes a day is well worth the effort – for anyone. And with my fat burning video series workout #6, you don’t even have to get out of bed! Enjoy your workout – R
Burn those Abs
One of the most simple exercises you can do for your core and abdominal muscles is the standing side body crunch, or as I like to call them, side-to-sides. Workout #5 of my 5 minute fat burning video series does just that – burns your abs with several instructional and easy-to-follow sets of side-to-sides. So if you’re looking to firm your mid-section and reduce your waistline, whether or not you already have a good core & abdominal program, consider adding these 5 minutes of core & abs to your day. Everyday!