Be reverent

I was speaking with a friend today about the concept of being reverent vs. irreverent. Sometimes, the only way to succeed in a particular situation is to be irreverent.  To be disrespectful of your opponent, confident in your abilities to get the job done. Like a baseball hitter who’s irreverent toward the Cy Young winning pitcher staring him down, all the while knowing he’ll get a hit.  On the other hand, when it comes to working out every day, one should be reverent.  That is to say, it would be wise to respect the power of a daily fitness program because of its proven, healthy, long term affects.  So be reverent with your workouts and enjoy soft leg squats in my 5 minute Workout #29 – R

 

21 feet of space

I just read an article in the LA Times about TV and film composer, Glenn Morrissette, who travels the country in his RV after having simplified his world to embrace a mobile lifestyle.  When Glenn composes the score for Fox’s “Family Guy”, he does so from his recording studio on wheels then beams it back to Hollywood.  And when his friends extend invitations for him to park at their homes, he says all he needs is ’21 feet of space’. How cool would that be to reduce all your worldly possessions – and not so worldly obligations – to 21 feet of space?  That can go anywhere (that’s drivable, that is).  I guess you can say Glenn’s on-the-move lifestyle is similar to having a daily fitness program that works anytime, anywhere – without the obligations of a gym or yoga studio membership. Or the significant time commitment.  5 Minutes.  Anytime.  Anywhere.   So let’s all take note of our friend Glenn and his desire to simplify.  And enjoy restoring your legs, core and abs with my 5 minute fat burning workout #27 – R

Biggest and Brightest

As the sun sets in the west today, it will be the biggest and brightest it’s been in the past 20 years.  According to NASA, this so-called ‘super-moon’ will appear about 14% bigger and 30% brighter.  Why such grandness?  Because the moon’s perigee – that point in the moon’s oval orbital path where it’s closest to the Earth – will occur within one hour of the monthly astronomical phase of the full moon.  “A rarely seen spectacle of illumination and size”, says astronomer Geoff Chester at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. So if you have 5 minutes tonight, go outside and enjoy this rare spectacle. Better yet, take your phone along and try Workout #24 under a beautiful moonlit sky!

 

Look at the results

Sir Winston Churchill once said, “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results”.  I would certainly agree, and when it comes to fitness and body sculpting, it’s always best to look at the results more than occasionally – like every day. Most likely you won’t see any noticeable results on a day-to-day basis, but this more than occasional acknowledgment of your daily workouts will help fuel you to do that little extra.  Like going for a walk or jog after your 5 minute abs, bicep and thigh blasting you’ll get from today’s workout #22.  So keep looking for results, and I’ll see you next time – R

It’s how you look at it

Sometimes words can be confusing, like in the today’s title for my 5 minute fat burning workout #21 – Thunder Thighs.  Thunder thighs can be construed as a bad thing if you imagine thighs the size of thunderbolts.  Or thunder thighs can be construed as a good thing if you imagine having thighs that are rock-hard like thunderbolts.  So it’s how you look at it – positive or negative – that makes the difference.  So always choose the positive, and enjoy your workout – R

Pain relief

What do you do when there’s pain in the body that affects your daily activities?  You can address the pain with rest and/or with controlled stretching exercises. Depending on the specific injury and severity of your pain and injury – it’s best to consult your Doctor on that – I would recommend both.  As for sciatica relief (from leg pain due to compression of the sciatic nerve) here are some simple stretching exercises that can help.  Always remember to breathe slowly and deeply and send your positive energy to the area of discomfort.  And smile!  Enjoy your 5 minute fat burning workout #20 – R

TGIF

I was just thinking about TGIF.  That is to say, how Time Goes Incredibly Fast.  We’re 10 weeks into the New Year – which feels like yesterday – yet it seems like everything we strive for takes so much time.  Like fat burning.  On a day-to-day basis it seems like not much is happening.  But in reality, something good is happening.  That is, if you apply yourself.  Apply yourself to a lifestyle that includes thinking and feeling positive, making the right food choices, and sticking with a fat burning mindset and daily fitness routine. Because time goes incredibly fast.  So TGIF & enjoy your 5 minutes of fat burning #16 – R

Tip of the Iceberg

For anyone just getting started with a daily fitness or weight loss program, consider my 5 minute fat burning workouts as the tip of the iceberg.  Designed to be simple, quick and effective, each workout is like the spark that ignites a more complete fitness regimen that includes anything cardiovascular, weight lifting or yoga.  Better yet, combine several 5 minute workouts and create your own customized program that fits your busy schedule and targets your body parts that require the most fat burning.  And always remember to include at least one workout to strengthen your core & abs!  Enjoy – R

 

Enjoy the simple things

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