I find that my thoughts get more organized and many of my concerns get sorted out or ‘answered’ you could say. I feel a wonderful calmness inside when I walk in the stillness of the early morning.

Many people shrug off walking and think that you need to do really heavy sweating for long periods of time to achieve a certain level of fitness. What I want to stress is that you CAN have intense cardio sessions as well as incorporate a brisk walk into your fitness routine. It really is all part of the package. Why exclude an activity that you may love to do?

A simple walk will: get your heart rate elevated, increase blood flow to all your vital organs, lubricate your joints, clear your mind, burn calories, and enhance your mood. Of course, there is a much lengthier list to the benefits of walking. I have only listed a mere few.

I just wanted to share this experience with you! Remember, you CAN find the time to exercise, you only need to WANT to.

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T., B.ED.

To start, you need to make a plan on when you will do your cardio component. You should aim for at least 5 days/week to get your heart rate up. You may walk, jog, skip, bike, do jumping jacks…whatever it is that you enjoy! The idea is to find something that you love to do and that you will stick with over a long period of time. I’m talking a very L-O-N-G time, like your entire life! Don’t make this just some passing phase. 30 minutes of vigorous exercise is great. Or, you may choose to do a 15 minute ‘interval’ session. For this you will alternate between jogging very fast and then slowing down, then speeding up, then slowing down. You can do this for 30 sec. intervals or 1 minute. It is really up to you.

Next, you can do some resistance exercises such as: sit ups, push ups, squats, lunges, and leg raises simply using your own body weight. However, if you want to progress to gain muscle I do suggest that you eventually invest in a couple of dumbbell weights followed by an exercise program. You can also purchase a stability ball at a reasonable cost. A stability ball, dumbbells, skipping rope, and your own body weight are all you need to achieve a lean and sexy body. I know because this is all I use! If you are interested in following the program that I do, you can view it at “strong>The Fit Chic”

This program is filled with a year of workouts that will only take you 20 minutes to complete. You can even do them in the comfort of your own home, as I do. This will save you hundreds of dollars when compared to a gym membership. Often my kids are running all around me, yet I still can get in an awesome workout. We also have 10 minute express workouts for those moms who may have a super busy week. With only 10 minutes to spare, we have created exercises for you to get the maximum benefits in little time.

Or, you may be interested in getting fit and bonding with your partner, we also have a workout program for couples. “More Love Less Fat” is filled with a year of workouts that will encourage your relationship to flourish as you both embark on a journey towards optimal health. Scott and I love working out together. It is our time to truly connect. When we are both fit and healthy we feel we can give only our best to each other!

I wish you the best in Fitness for 2009 and look forward to helping you along the way,

Cheers to health,

Angie Tousignant, ISSA – C.P.T.,B.Ed. Creator of “More Love Less Fat” – A Couples Guide To Transforming Your Body and Relationship. She is committed to helping women and couples to be the best they can through exercise and nutrition.

Friends and family vouch that he treats his workouts like a ritual. He will not miss. He is at the gym
90 minutes, 6 days/week. I mean he could have every excuse in the world to not get there! He also goes first thing in the morning. Which for many people is the best time to go because as the day unfolds, so does your pile of excuses.

What do you think is the number one reason Obama never misses a workout? Well, he says it is his number one stress reliever. I’m sure the guy has many legitimate reasons to be stressed! He also says that it clears his head.

I just think it sends an excellent message when the leader of a country takes his physical health seriously. He knows that being in excellent physical shape will help him to be the best leader he can.

We are all very fortunate to have not only a charismatic leader, but a person that is in top physical health and will therefore be capable of leading the country to the best of his abilities.

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T., B.Ed.

A more recent study decided to focus on the families of these children. Parents were educated on changing their entire behavior by eating more healthy foods and the importance of exercise on a daily level.

The results were quite astonishing.

A review of 64 studies involving 5,230 people found that “children lost up to seven pounds through changing their home diet and activities over 12 months.”

I do agree that PE needs to be stressed in the school system as well as at home, but I do see that the growing obesity problem cannot be solely based on the school system. I believe the family unit has the largest impact of the values that children embrace. When parents and/or caregivers engage in healthy behaviors such as buying groceries, cooking healthy meals, and exercising on a daily basis, children will inadvertently grow up to value these behaviors.

Try this: Sit down as a family and discuss some healthy meal options that you would all enjoy. Do the same for physical activities. What do your children suggest? Would they play tag with you? Can you go for a walk or bike ride after dinner each day? What about creating an obstacle course in the yard?

Make this the year to implement CHANGE. This will take time. You will be forming some new family habits. There may be some resistance from your kids at first, since this is something new. However, keep moving forward and you will all benefit.

Now that my children are 5 and 7, I often ask them to choose what they want for dinner. This way I know that they will eat and there are no surprises! They also know that I love to get my exercise so I often chase them around our yard for a game of ‘tag ball.’ Or, we play hide n’ seek in the dark in our basement. It’s great because we are all having a blast and getting exercise at the same time!

They also see me working out in our basement. Often, they will pick up a couple of 5 lb dumbbells and imitate me. It’s really cute. I love that I am inadvertently teaching them the value of exercise.

What can you do today to make a change in your own home?

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T., B.Ed.

I cannot stress enough though how great it felt to throw that food out. Just because my son didn’t want it, didn’t mean that I had to eat it! Who am I helping by doing that? I was always told not to waste food, but I am not the one that needs it. By eating it, this does not help people that lack in food.

Next time you have food in front of you, and you are not hungry…please don’t eat it! It’s is a great feeling to be conscious and in control of your behavior. I dare you to toss it. Then tell me how great it felt.

Have a good one,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T.

I dare you to

Here are just a few ways that exercise will directly increase your sexual satisfaction:

1. Regular physical activity, just walking for 25 minutes 3X/week will decrease impotency related problems. Physiologically every time you engage in physical activity, your heart rate will increase, thereby pumping more blood to all of your organs…especially to the organs that we want to work for us!

When a women exercises, she is priming her body for sexual arousal. All this means is that, again, she is getting more blood flow to her genital area. Therefore, she is more likely to experience peak arousal when engaged in intimate activity, resulting in her to want to initiate more sexual activity AND to feel great pleasure.

2. Research has proven exercise will lead to more frequent sexual activity and the pleasure of orgasms. When two people are exercising, losing weight, feeling great and confident…this only sets up your relationship for a wonderful sex life!

3. Exercise has been proven to: reduce stress, increase sleep quality, and increase energy levels. Think about this for a minute…do you really feel like having sex when you are stressed and fatigued? I know we don’t! I would much rather curl up with a book and get my sleep! We all know in today’s society there are many reasons for couples to be stressed, sleep deprived, and miserable. But, flip the switch, and the same can be said about feeling great satisfaction in life. Begin to exercise together and you can be walking advocates of a couple that CAN be less stressed, more energetic, and best of all … a lot more sexually satisfied!

The best thing you can both do for the security of your marriage and family is to give each other the gift of exercise. You will both be happier. The kids will benefit tremendously when they have parents that are arguing less, feeling more happiness, more joy, and just a more positive outlook on life in general.

When Scott and I workout, whether it be together or alone, I can guarantee to you that we will experience much more joy that day.

Remember this: Feel Better = Feel Sexual

Oh, and one more thing…SEX will Burn Calories!!

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T., B.Ed.

Then the children came…how can a tiny, precious, 7lb bundle of joy upturn your entire life? Too easily.

Wow, it truly is such a miracle to create a baby – yet it takes a miracle to raise one without jeopardizing that deep connection to your partner.

Children, career, and extra-curricular activities will often leave you and your partner (spouse) completely exhausted by the end of the day. The last thing you likely feel like doing is working out. Do you have anything left to really GIVE of yourself?

Scott and I have gone through this exact scenario. However, with our ‘fitness minded’ background we understood that exercise had to become a part of our day. We, too, went through the period of gaining weight, feeling like crap, and just feeling like something was missing.

I decided to try to workout at home, but it was ‘Hit N’ Miss.’ I had many excuses. Scott began to workout more consistently at the gym. He would walk in from work, grab a bite to eat, change, and then take off again. This left me feeling lonely, resentful, and misunderstood. I was at home all day with two little ones. I wanted that break to take care of myself too! I knew I could feel more energized, more focused, more joy, and more happiness because I felt these exact feelings when I was committed to working out before we had children. I wanted these feelings back! We began to argue a lot because I felt my needs were put on the ‘back burner.’ I was jealous of his lifestyle.

So what happened? We decided to challenge each other to get in amazing shape! Without realizing it, we were working out together at home because it was just easier for the both of us. We didn’t have to find care for the kids. We also did H.I.I.T. training together. We just planned a workout time and did it. No excuses. I was hooked right away because I was feeling great, I had my spouse to talk with, and I found us really connecting again! It was so much fun! I was so motivated to write out and reach my goals because I could be accountable to Scott and it was a way to challenge each other.

I’m sure many of you can relate to the chaos of raising a family. Of course, it is a lot of great chaos too. The chaos I’m referring to is the sudden lack of time for you as a parent to take care of your own needs. Unfortunately, most couples wait too long to put their needs first. This has led to a strikingly high divorce rate. Couples fall out of love for many reasons…a big one being that they have simply lost that Love Connection.

Working out together will give you that Love Connection back! You will BOTH begin to feel the ‘high’ of more energy, greater productivity, better sleep, and deeper intimacy. You will love the journey together.

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T.

Then there is your health. You know that you should be exercising. You know that it will make you feel better. You know that you’ve put on some extra pounds and with the holidays fast approaching, you don’t want to put on any more weight. You’re stress out because you feel you cannot meet all of the above demands…so how can you ever find the time to workout?

So what am I talking about – quality time and a workout at the same time? Huh?? Think about this. How much quality time do you and your partner really have in a day? Do you even make the time to sit, without interruption, and just talk about your day? Did you know that studies have revealed that married couples ON AVERAGE only talk 7 minutes a day? Wow. I was shocked. I mean, no wonder the divorce rate is so high! Some couples are only communicating an average of 10 minutes A WEEK!

Scott and I have found a wonderful way to spend some quality time together and get healthier at the same time. We work out together! I’m telling you, it’s been a huge success in our marriage. I mean we are totally bonding and getting an awesome workout in at the same time! We have discovered that this is our 30 minutes of uninterrupted time together. We are able to share the events of our day, talk about the kids, share our goals, and our passions. It’s been such a great trip.

Instead of us “tag-teaming” each other as we leave separately for our workouts…we now plan to do this together. There is no resentment, as in the past, when one of us was walking out on the other, leaving them with the dishes and two screaming kids. It’s a team approach. You are both on the same team now.

What works for us is to workout when the kids are in bed, either in the A.M. or after they are asleep at night. We workout from our home with a set of free weights, stability balls, and medicine balls. This is all you need!

So if you are like us and feel that working out will take away from your time with your children and/or spouse…there is a solution. Work out together. If your children do happen to be awake and around you, possibly they can get their exercise jumping around to a kid exercise video, or be kept busy with a craft. Remember all you need is about a half hour to get in an awesome weight training session.

I also want to stress that when I do get in my workout, I am a much more relaxed, stress-free, and patient mom. So you may feel that you are taking time away from the kids, but in reality you are giving them the gift of a parent that is happy and energized. What kind of parent will be able to offer more quality time to their kids? A tired, unenthusiastic, and depressed parent or one that is smiling, care-free, and energized?

I just feel so energized all day and I love the feeling of getting toned! Better yet, you are getting toned together and this will do wonders for your relationship!

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T.

When I think of the word holiday, I think of family, friends, and lots of yummy foods. The majority of people think, “Oh, I’ll eat my heart out over the next few weeks, and then I’ll start eating well in the New Year.” I always think, “Why wait? Why not start right now?”

Having partner support will only skyrocket your fat loss success. With your partner onboard with you, you will have the added benefit of someone that understands what you are going through. You can share your goals with each other. You can be that source of inspiration when one of you needs the extra boost to stay focused. You will share that many more like-minded activities that can only bring you closer together.

Over the holidays Scott and I plan to help each other stay focused on our fitness goals in several ways that I want to share with you:

1. Before bed, we will go over our ‘action steps’ for the following day. These are the 2 or 3 things that you want to accomplish the next day. For example, do cardio in the A.M., eat two meals with carbs, lift weights in the evening. You want to be as specific as you can with these action steps.

2. We will plan to do our cardio component in the A.M. before the kids wake up.

3. The day of our holiday meal, we will ask each other what we will choose to eat and not eat.

4. We will remind each other NOT to go up for seconds.

5. Remind each other to choose 1 – 2 of our favorite desserts.

6. We will go for a walk after our meal.

7. Have a contest. The person who loses a pound or maintains their weight over the holidays is the winner and is rewarded by the other partner.

There is absolutely no rhyme or reason why you should have the attitude of eating your heart out over the holidays and then going all hard core in January. People that do this usually only last for MAYBE two weeks and their enthusiasm drops right off. It’s like they get so revved up because of all the hype of it being a ‘New Year’ yet they really have no plan to keep their enthusiasm sustained.

Why not choose the attitude to take the small steps that you can RIGHT NOW to live a healthy lifestyle and keep on taking those steps each and every day. Just because it’s almost 2009 and the beginning of a New Year, does not mean that you will suddenly have more motivation, or that sticking to an exercise program will be any easier. Your motivation is based on YOU, and your beliefs regarding your role in your fat loss journey. What can you do to keep your motivation and enthusiasm strong? Start that journey today and keep jabbing at it each and every day.

Will you choose to be UNSTOPPABLE TODAY?

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T., B.Ed.

Stuart McGill is a researcher and expert in spine biomechanics from the University of Waterloo. He states that, “Back pain is usually caused by the things you’ve done and not done. Unless your back pain is related to a specific injury, chances are your back health has been deteriorating slowly and steadily over time.”

The problem is that most people between the ages of 20-55 sit too much, which will put you at risk for disc problems. Think about it…if you sit at a desk job all day and then go home to sit on your computer as a past time, wow, this should be no surprise that you are putting way too much pressure on the discs in your spine.

Also added to the problem of sitting too much is the fact that people have poor posture, overuse their back, and may have poor movement patterns. All of this added together will truly aggravate your back.

What can you do now that you are at the ‘pain stage?’

For most people the combination of manual therapy and exercise works best. However, everyone’s situation is unique and should be treated that way. Your treatment MUST be tailored to your specific problem.

Get a notepad and begin to jot down what postures hurt and don’t hurt. What kinds of movements cause you pain? How much weight can you lift before you begin to experience agony?

Always consult a back care specialist before you do anything that can make your problem worse. In the meantime, ice it and rest.

Once you are on the mends…remember to always include exercise on a daily basis as a preventative treatment. Even a simple walk will do the trick. Only walk until the pain kicks in and then stop. The next day you may be able to walk a little further before the pain kicks in. Keep trying the walking each day until you are able to travel with more ease. Once your physical body is stronger and pain free you will have more FREEDOM in your life. When you live in daily pain, your entire existence is likely based upon the pain that you feel. This is understandable. Back pain can truly limit what you can do both physically and mentally. Make it a priority to work towards living in a pain free body and begin to experience your life to the fullest!

When you begin a weight lifting program you do not want to overdo it. Aim for light weights at a high rep, so that you are not too taxing on your back. Once you are able to lift the weights more easily, you may begin to increase the intensity. This could be in the form of slightly higher weights, or less rest between sets.

Cheers to health,

Angie
ISSA – C.P.T., B.Ed.