Real love is…willing to share a seat on the bus

Oprah Winfrey once said, “The roses, the lovely notes, the dining and dancing are all welcome and splendid. But when the Godiva is gone, the gift of real love is having someone who’ll go the distance with you. Someone who, when the wedding day limo breaks down, is willing to share a seat on the bus.”  Although I’ve never been married I have been in love.  Thus, I would agree with Oprah, because real love is about courage and selflessness…and the ability to get on that bus and ultimately make it to the altar. Congratulations and my best to The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!  – R

Enjoy your 65th consecutive 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout – Stronger Chest & Arms II

25 pounds more than a generation ago

This morning I read that for the first time since the 1960s, the United States Coast Guard has increased its estimate of average passenger weight by 25 pounds (used by ferries and charter boats to help determine how many people they can carry).  With clothing and all, the typical passenger now weighs in at 185 pounds – that’s 25 pounds more than a generation ago.  And this extra 25 pounds may likely be added to the Federal Transit Administration’s standard for buses, subways, light rails, etc., which is currently set at 150 pounds.  I guess there’s no need to explain our nation’s weight increase, right? Because everything from poor eating habits, more expensive healthy foods, too much time watching TV and surfing the Internet, and too little physical exercise will certainly do the trick.  So why not help reverse our nation’s heavier trend with a daily fitness program. Even if you won’t be traveling anytime soon!  So respect yourself and have fun strengthening your chest & arm with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #63.  – R

PS – Today marks my 100th blog since debuting 20 weeks ago – thanks for reading!

It’s only a temporary limitation

What happens if you get injured?  Well, that depends on the injury, but continue working out.  Of course, check with your doctor before beginning any fitness program, and if you can, exercise your other body parts that aren’t affected.  Case in point:  this morning I met this twenty-something year old gal in the gym who said she just started back after a year off due to a knee injury.  She also said she exercised all time before getting hurt.  So I asked her, “What about the rest of your body, like your abs, chest and arms?”  She just shrugged her shoulders and gave me a look.  But the reality is, what about the rest of her body? She thought she had a reason not to go to the gym because she had a knee injury, right?  I disagree. Because if you’re able to workout around your injury, i.e., to safely avoid additional injury, then why not?  Because your injury, it’s only a temporary limitation. Plus, exercising may help speed the recovery process, not to mention the mental benefits of knowing your body’s not losing a step because of a temporary limitation.  Enjoy today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #62 – Triangle Pose.  – R

Soul Surfer delivers

If you could use some inspiration today, or any given day, watch the movie, Soul Surfer. Based on the true story of professional surfer, Bethany Hamilton, the film poignantly delivers a message of belief and inspiration. On Halloween morning 2003, Bethany was attacked by a 14-foot tiger shark, which bit off her left arm and seemed to end her career as a rising surf star. One month later Bethany returned to the water; two months later she placed 5th in the Open Women’s division surf competition; one year later she won her first National Title; and in 2007, Bethany Hamilton turned pro.  A dream come true for a young woman who never stopped believing.  And when you watch the movie, pay close attention to the final credits as the real Bethany is interviewed soon after her attack. When asked if she thinks she’ll ever surf again, she responds, “Think?  I know I’ll surf again.”  Because this “knowing” is the true inspiration.   Bethany didn’t just hope or think she’ll surf again – she knew it.  So if there’s adversity in your life that needs some overcoming, take heed and know that you will succeed.  Like Bethany Hamilton did.  And enjoy knowing you embrace a daily fitness program with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #61 – Tight Buttocks II.  – R

Empty your mind

At the beginning of yoga class this morning, our teacher uttered this phrase during our first forward bend (that’s Uttanasana in Sanskrit).  The start of any practice is an excellent time to let everything go and empty your mind of any excess baggage you might be carrying with you.  That is to say, baggage in the form of mental chatter that prevents you from staying focused and just being present in the moment.  Because whether you’re practicing yoga or doing my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts, there’s no place for excess baggage.  So empty your mind today – and everyday – at the start of your fitness program. And have fun sculpting your abs with today’s 57th consecutive workout!  – R

Re-think and dispel

The other day in the gym I read this as it flashed across the TV screen and quietly disagreed:  Never judge those who tried and failed;  judge those who failed to try.  I get the first part, because how can you judge someone for trying, right?  But what’s this about judging those for failing to try?  Because if you fail to try, that’s your personal decision. Not one that should be judged.  On the other hand, if you fail to try, maybe there’s a specific reason for it – a reason that can be re-thought and dispelled.  Whatever it is. Especially if it involves fitness.  Because if your reason for not exercising on a daily basis is not very compelling, i.e., not enough time or money, consider getting started today with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #56 – Blast Your Abs II.  Because who doesn’t want to improve their posture and breathing in only 5 minutes a day!  Enjoy – R

Kanye West leads the way

I read an article in the LA Times this morning about rap star Kanye West’s closing Sunday night set at Coachella (the 3-day annual Music & Arts Festival in Indio, CA). Kanye ended his “epic and unforgettable” set standing alone. Much like the way he started.  Which got me thinking about how working out everyday is just like Kanye standing there alone.  Yes, you can workout with your friends or take a group class, but you’re still doing it alone.  Which, at times, feels like a very lonely journey.  That’s why incorporating bite-size workouts is the key to success. Workouts that are simple and effective.  Just like Kanye flying solo without all the bells and whistles of a spectacle behind him, you can fly solo with my anytime-anywhere 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts.  So enjoy tightening your abdominals & core with today’s Workout #55! – R

Persevere like Jackie Robinson

Today, Major League Baseball commemorates the 64th anniversary of Hall of Famer, Jackie Robinson, for breaking the color barrier as the first black player to play in MLB since the 1880’s.  He was also the first black television analyst in Major League Baseball, and the first black vice-president of a major American corporation (Chock Full O’Nuts in 1957).  In the 1960s, Jackie helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York.  This, from a man born into a family of sharecroppers.  Jackie Robinson is definitely someone who overcame substantial obstacles, including death threats and horrific slurs from racially charged fans.  But he persevered and won a World Championship ring when the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 1955 World Series.  So if there’s anything in your life that needs more perseverance to get you through, think of Jackie Robinson and stay the course.  And do so with beautiful thighs & biceps with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #51.  Enjoy – R

It’s all relative with Einstein’s Relativity

Exactly 105 years ago today Nobel Laureate Albert Einstein introduced his “Theory of Relativity”.  Although his ‘curved space-time continuum‘ doesn’t really affect our lives because we travel at speeds much less than the speed of light, it was one of the most significant scientific advances of our time.  When you think of relativity, it’s applicable to everything in your life.  Just ask yourself a yes or no question, like whether or not you work too much.  Before you answer, think: relative to whom?  Because it’s all relative. Like fitness.  If you exercise all the time, then working out 5 minutes a day seems like nothing.  But if you don’t workout at all – and you know if you don’t – then 5 minutes a day is significant.  But rest assured, 5 minutes a day becomes 15 minutes. Then 15 minutes becomes whatever your heart desires. Enjoy sculpting your body with today’s fat burning workout #47 – Crane Legs (remember the movie, Karate Kid).  See you next time – R

Is luck finding you?

Thomas Jefferson, author of The Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, once said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” Similar to General George Washington’s belief ‘if we’re always doing’ (see blog from April 6th), luck has a way of finding us if we’re working hard at something. Like fitness.  If you workout everyday and begin to experience A) more energy, B) increased self-esteem, C) a more positive attitude toward yourself and others, or D) a healthy glow in your face, are you just lucky or is luck finding you?  Of course luck is finding you because you’re “doing”, and in the “doing” comes results.  It’s not luck.  It’s your hard work getting rewarded with the benefits of a daily fitness routine.  So keep it going with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #46 – Killer Squats – and let luck find you!