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!
Thwart the boredom
Last night I met a 22 year old gal who said she starting working out again after taking the last six months off. When I asked why the long sabbatical, she simply responded she was bored with her workouts. I know the feeling. After 32 years of daily workouts, who wouldn’t, right? The key to thwarting boredom is to have your mind supremely focused on the task at hand. Not that easy, you say? It is when you treat your workouts as a moving meditation with exercises attached. If you’re doing the right exercises – and exercising right – you don’t have to workout for hours on end. Keep them short and sweet (as in yesterday’s blog) and stay focused on every movement you make. Or better yet, spice it up my 5 minute fat burning workouts and you’ll have many more exercises for your repertoire. So keep it going and don’t let your mind get the best of you. Enjoy opening your hips and low back with today’s Workout #44 – Frog Legs. My best – Rich
Can’t see the forest through the trees
You probably heard the expression, can’t see the forest through the trees, about losing oneself in the details (trees) so much that it’s tough to grasp – and easy to forget – the bigger picture (the forest). Imagine that 5 minute workouts are like trees. And each tree represents a daily fitness slice of the bigger picture – a healthy lifestyle. So if you’re desiring a healthier lifestyle and don’t know where to start, here you go. Whet your appetite with Workout #39 of my 5 minute fat burning fitness series. Enjoy – R
Gotta love ‘Opening Day’
As a child, my brother and I used to play baseball for hours on end with my tireless father hitting us popups and grounders until the sun went down. To this day my father and brother coach kids of all ages from childhood through high school. My two nephews are also following in our footsteps, becoming quite the ballplayers we knew they would. So of course I’m a huge fan of ‘Opening Day‘. The smell of freshly cut grass, the sounds of the crack of the bat, the pop you hear when the pitcher fires one past the batter right into the catcher’s mitt. Hmmm, hmmm, good! There’s also that feeling of a new beginning. Because once the season starts, nobody cares about last year, let alone what happened yesterday. Everybody gets a fresh start – something we all can use from time to time. So if you’re a baseball fan like me, take this time to start something new. Like a daily fitness program. Because just like ballplayers forgetting their past seasons, you can forget about the workout you didn’t do yesterday and start anew. Why not? It’s Opening Day! Have fun getting terrific triceps with my 5 minute fat burning workout #36. Let’s play ball – R
48 and Feeling Great
By the time you reach 48 there’s not much hoopla about your birthday, right? The true celebration is in the continued evolution of your soul. Which also applies to your body. And with that evolution of your body brings new challenges each year. Challenges that include dealing with a slower metabolism rate, a weakening of muscles and bones, and an increasing waistline. Go figure, right? So what can be done to counter these challenges? This: what I’ve been doing everyday for the past 32 years – working out. I hate to blow my own horn here, but maintaining a daily fitness program really works. Yesterday I met a 20 year old gal who thought I was 33. That’s 15 years younger folks. Plus, I’m not a fanatic about what I eat – just smart – so I must attribute my success to working out. Everyday. Trust me, it works. Here’s a few of my favorite abdominal exercises in today’s 5 minute fat burning workout #34 – Birthday Abs. Enjoy – Rich
Healthy Diet + Daily Exercise = Success
We all know the meaning of a healthy diet, right? And we all know what it means to exercise daily – or at least if you’ve been following along the past 33 days you know you can exercise for as little as 5 minutes a day. So why is it so hard to combine the two to achieve a successful result? Well, although the definition of success may be different for each of us, the certainty in the above referenced equation is the plus and the equals part. If you eat healthy and workout everyday you will certainly achieve success as it relates to preserving your body for the long term. And hopefully you’re not fooling yourself when it comes to a healthy diet and daily exercise – because there is no substitute. So watch your diet, do something physical fitness everyday, and keep with your positive thoughts and feelings! Enjoy shaping your legs and biceps with today’s 5 minute fat burning workout #33. And I’ll see you next time – R
Why procrastinate?
Did you know that today is National Procrastination Day? Well, it was actually yesterday but it was pushed off until today. Easy to do with just about anything that’s not a life or death situation. Especially physical fitness. Because exercising usually involves time and money, and of course, the rather undesirable fatigue and discomfort you experience from doing it. Everyone knows the benefits of fitness, so why procrastinate and push if off until tomorrow, or Monday, or the first of the month? Don’t do it. Don’t procrastinate. Especially with your daily fitness program. Here’s another great abdominal workout using tabletop crunches anyone can do. My 5 minute fat burning workout #31 completes a month’s worth of workouts you can do anywhere. No people. No props. No special clothing. No money. Just 5 minutes and your non-procrastinating self. Enjoy – R
30 workouts in 30 days
Today marks day 30 and workout #30 of my 5 minute fat burning web series. For those following along, you now have 30 different short workouts to choose from – covering all body parts and muscles from your fingers to your toes (check out Workout #19 for women who wear high heels a lot). No worries if you have not – so long as you’ve been keeping up with a daily fitness routine that includes anything cardiovascular and/or fat burning. For the newcomers out there, the main objective of this web series is to provide you will a super quick and painless alternative to the gym or yoga studio. However brief my 5 minute workouts may be, don’t let that fool you. They’re certainly challenging, effective and attainable for anyone of any size, weight, age or gender. Just like my 5 minutes of yoga anywhere in my Yoga Survival Guide, and my 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy sculpting your butt & legs with moving squats in Workout #30. As always, keep it going and I’ll see you next time! – R
Years teach us patience
Elizabeth Taylor, one of the greatest and most beautiful actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Years once said, “It is very strange that the years teach us patience – that the shorter our time, the greater our capacity for waiting.” As I myself get ready to turn the page on another year, I certainly agree with Liz’s assessment of our capacity for waiting. Especially in Tinseltown, where patience is truly a virtue. And especially when it comes to seeing results with a new fitness program. As you grow older, the need to strengthen your body as well as accept the fact that everything worth doing takes time becomes more apparent. So be patient with your workouts and your fat burning…and enjoy sculpting your shoulders & abs with my 5 minute Workout #28. And to the lovely and exquisite Ms. Taylor, thanks for the wonderful memories! Rest in Peace – Rich
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