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I’m huge on fitness, and by now you probably know that my mantra is: Move for at least an hour every day. As a result, you may think that I’m super-excited every single day about lifting weights or doing a barre workout. However, I have a confession to make. If you picture me kicking off my high heels each day, lacing up my tennis shoes, and RACING for that gym with a smile on my face and a song in my heart… think again! Often, when I’m tired and my feet hurt and my brain is toast, all I want to do is sit on the couch and binge-watch Netflix.  Other days, I look at my to-do list and can’t help thinking about the chunk of time that exercising will take up. And sometimes, I admit… I just feel lazy and don’t want to get off my butt. That’s when I start thinking of excuses: “I’m too tired.” “I had a tough day.” “I have too many other things to do.” However, I know better than to fall for these excuses. That’s because I did it once, and I paid a big price. At the time, I was busy writing books, raising kids, and running my full-time practice. My days were packed with obligations from sun-up until sundown, and because I was young and in good shape, I persuaded myself that workouts could move way down on my agenda. So over time, I slacked off more and more on my exercise. (And I’m not proud of how often I cheated on my diet, either.) I got away with it for a while… but gradually, my slim and toned body started to turn to porridge. My butt got flat. My arms got flabby. I was tired, I was moody, I didn’t sleep well, and I didn’t look good. The lesson I learned from this period in my life is that EXERCISE NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY. When I stopped making excuses and started working out regularly again, I quickly became younger, heathier, and slimmer. I had energy again. I was happier. So now, if I hear those excuses rattling around in my brain, I nip them in the bud—and instead, I think of all of the reasons to put my body in motion. Here are five of the biggest ones: I KNOW IT’LL MAKE ME FEEL BETTER—NOW AND LATER. When I’m tired or moody, I really don’t want to move. However, I know from experience that within minutes, a workout will lift my mood and give me a big shot of energy. And that’s not all; research shows that in the long run, it can protect against depression and anxiety. I KNOW IT’LL PROTECT ME FROM THE DANGERS OF DECONDITIONING. As I learned the hard way, “use it or lose it” isn’t just a cliché—it’s a fact. And unfortunately, you can start “losing it” pretty fast. When you stop exercising, your body quickly starts to devolve into a state that doctors call deconditioning. Within as little as two weeks, your blood sugar levels begin to rise, your heart starts pumping blood less efficiently, your muscles get weaker, and your joints get stiffer.  This is serious stuff—and just thinking about it gets me off that couch. I KNOW IT’LL MAKE MY SKIN LOOK YOUNGER. A good workout always gives me a “glow”—and better yet, exercise takes years off my skin. Think I’m exaggerating? Then consider this:  One recent study comparing exercisers to sedentary people found that the skin of the exercisers who were over 40 “was much closer in composition to that of the 20- and 30-year-olds than to that of others of their age, even if they were past age 65.” The researchers next asked a group of sedentary seniors to start exercising, and voila!—in just three months, their skin looked younger. One researcher participating in the study said, “I don’t want to over-hype the results, but, really, it was pretty remarkable to see.” I KNOW IT’LL MAKE ME SLEEP BETTER. There’s nothing I hate more than tossing and turning all night when I need my rest—and luckily, exercise is one of the best cures for insomnia. As research shows, it can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and have more refreshing sleep. I KNOW IT’LL HELP TO PROTECT MY BRAIN I’m over fifty now—and while I want to look fabulous as I age, I’m even more concerned about staying young mentally. Here again, exercise can make a big difference. In fact, researchers now know that exercise is one of the best defenses against Alzheimer’s disease.  A recent study in Sweden followed more than 1,200 people at risk for developing Alzheimer’s, assigning half of them to a program involving regular exercise and good nutrition. One of the researchers in the study said, “We were surprised that we were able to see a clear difference already after two years.” The people who exercised and ate right improved their memory, their executive function (which includes skills like decision-making and planning), and their cognitive speed. — Even when I’m tuckered out, super-busy, or just plain lazy, thinking about these five benefits gets me off the couch and back to the weights or the ballet barre. So the next time you don’t feel like budging, keep these powerful motivators in mind—and let them inspire you to put your own body in motion! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!  

People tend to think that “health experts” don’t get how real people live. But you know what? I do. That’s because I’m a mom, I have a career, and I have a to-do list that’s a mile long. So one thing I know first-hand is that it’s tough to fit in a workout when life is hectic. But here’s the thing: the benefits of exercise are so powerful that working out isn’t an option—it’s a must. And here’s good news: your exercise routine doesn’t need to take as long as you think. Today, I’m sharing my top five reasons to work out and my three favorite forms of exercise—plus my easiest “cheat” when you don’t have time for a 20-minute workout. Why is exercise so important? You already know that exercise is good for you, but you might not know ALL of the benefits you get from it. Here are five big reasons why movement is medicine: 1. Exercise helps you turn back the clock on the cellular level. If you heard about a powerful anti-aging drug on TV, would you beg your doctor for it? Well, you don’t need to… because it’s exercise, and it’s free! In one study, for instance, researchers analyzed the telomeres of nearly 6,000 people. Telomeres are the caps on the ends of your chromosomes—kind of like the tips on the ends of your shoelaces—and as you age, they get shorter and shorter, leading to DNA damage. Remarkably, the researchers found that people who exercised the most had much longer telomeres than sedentary people. In fact, the difference amounted to about nine years of cellular aging! That’s a big payoff for simply working out. 2. Exercise lowers your risk of disease. Exercise is one of your most powerful defenses against disease. For instance, women have a 12% to 21% lower risk of breast cancer when they exercise, and physical activity lowers the risk of colon cancer by 19%. Exercise also lowers your risk of everything from obesity to diabetes to Alzheimer’s disease to stroke. 3. Exercise makes you beautiful. Exercise pumps blood to your skin, bringing it the nutrients it needs to cleanse, nourish, and rejuvenate itself. Think of it as “spring cleaning” for your cells and the fluid surrounding them. And exercises that rush blood to your face, like a yoga downward-facing dog, can make you look more radiant for hours afterward. 4. Exercise helps you sleep better. Do you lie awake tossing and turning? Then try an early-morning or early-evening workout, and I think you’ll be surprised at how much your sleep improves—especially if you’re near or at menopause, when getting a good night’s sleep can be particularly tricky. One recent study, for instance, found that both aerobic and resistance exercises helped post-menopausal women with insomnia find relief. 5. Exercise makes you happier. Think of exercise as a “happiness pill.” In one recent large-scale study, researchers found that all types of exercise—from team sports to cycling to gym workouts—can reduce mental health problems. In particular, exercise can help to reduce anger, depression, or anxiety, which is why growing numbers of psychologists and psychiatrists now “prescribe” workouts. So here are the three ways I like to exercise… plus my favorite seven-minute “cheat”. I’m a big fan of all forms of exercise, but there are three types I love the best: slow-movement exercises (like dance, yoga and Tai Chi), resistance training, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Here’s why I hope you’ll do all three… and why HIIT in particular is your solution when time is tight. 1. Try slow movement exercises. Exercises like yoga and Tai Chi are potent stress relievers and mood enhancers—and they’re also powerful pain relievers. For instance, one study found that just 12 weeks of Tai Chi helped sufferers from chronic fibromyalgia to reduce their symptoms. A researcher involved in the study commented, “We definitely saw better results than reported in trials of drug treatments for fibromyalgia.’” Other studies show that yoga can help to relieve neck pain, back pain, and pain caused by arthritis. 2. Work-in resistance training. In resistance training, you use weights, stretch bands, or the weight of your own body to work your muscles against resistance. Resistance training actually creates microscopic tears in your muscles, and when your body repairs these tears, your muscles become stronger. Research shows that resistance training is one of the best strategies you can use to fight aging. In one study, for instance, researchers took muscle biopsies from young and old participants, had them do resistance training for twenty-six weeks, and then took new muscle biopsies. Amazingly, a whole host of genes associated with aging had reversed their expression in both young and old participants—meaning that these people didn’t just slow but actually started to reverse the aging process! 3. Don’t forget HIIT In HIIT workouts, you alternate between intervals of high-intensity and low-intensity exercise. For instance, you may sprint as hard as you can on your bike for twenty seconds and then pedal slowly for one minute, repeating these intervals multiple times. HIIT dramatically raises your levels of human growth hormone, an anti-aging hormone In addition, it causes your cells to make more proteins for your mitochondria (the “power plants” of your cells), slowing the aging process. Researchers report that younger participants doing HIIT have a 49% increase in mitochondrial capacity compared to non-exercising peers, while older participants have an astonishing 69% increase. What’s more, HIIT burns fat—especially that stubborn belly fat—like crazy. Scientists looking at the effects of HIIT involving bicycle sprints found that it causes the body to release extra amounts of hormones called catecholamines, which drive the release of abdominal fat. And here’s that amazing “cheat” I told you about—you can get results from just seven minutes of HIIT per day! Here’s how to do it. Yes, it’s intense, just like the name says. But seriously—only seven minutes! Better yet, this workout combines HIIT and resistance training, so you get the benefits of both in one package. And it’s flexible, so feel free to switch out activities you don’t like (for instance, I’m not a fan of crunches) for other high-intensity activities. Also, be sure to start gradually and increase your intensity with practice. Make me a promise… All three of my favorite forms of exercise are dynamite when it comes to helping you look better, feel better, and live longer. And no matter how busy your life is, I’m betting you can fit in a workout three or four times a week—even if it’s just a seven-minute HIIT routine. So promise me you’ll give it a shot… because every move you make is a move in the right direction!

Are you thinking of making a few lifestyle changes to benefit your health? One quick way to jumpstart your decision is to commit to an exercise routine; this can be as easy as exercising at home. There are many reasons people choose to exercise at home today; busy schedules that make it tough to get to the gym, health concerns, or merely wanting privacy during workouts. But is it as effective as working out at a gym, taking dance classes, or joining a community sports team? How do you keep up your motivation when your couch and tv are right there calling to you after a rough day? These are all legitimate questions and scenarios when considering the practicality of staying active at home. Let’s look at home workout options and how you can make it work for you. The Importance of Staying Active No matter where you choose to be active, it’s essential that you do. Even a light workout has a tremendous impact on your health, making it vital to incorporate some form of physical activity into your schedule. Staying active offers: Heart health benefits, including lower risk of heart disease Improves mood while decreasing stress, anxiety, and depression Stabilizes insulin and blood sugar levels Supports bone, joint, and muscle health Supports cognitive health Staying Active at Home Through the Distractions Working out in the comfort of your home certainly comes with its advantages. But there can be obvious challenges too. So, how do you maintain focus through the distractions you may face when you exercise at home? Distractions can range from the pets, the kids, that stack of mail you keep trying to ignore, and the refrigerator calling your name. But don’t let these hold you back. There are plenty of ways to work around them so you can direct your focus to stay active at home.  Trust me; I know how easy it can be to find something around that house that needs your attention, or an excuse to sit down for a moment. So, what can you do to make your exercise at home goals a reality? To stay active at home with your at-home workouts: Exercise early in the morning. Morning exercise starts your day off on the right foot, and many tend to stick to their routine longer. You may benefit by avoiding many distractions at an early hour. It also helps keep your motivation flowing throughout your day. Choose a room or space with the least amount of distractions. Loose the distractions that may derail at home workout efforts. If you select a place where clutter or chores beg for your attention, you’re less likely to stick to your workout goals. Designating an at-home workout space can help you feel a sense of organization, motivation, and responsibility for your commitment to stay active at home. Consider keeping a chest or basket of workout equipment that will be easy to get to, allowing you to transition between exercises. Doing so limits your need to always hunt down your resistance bands, making a much more efficient way to exercise at home. Consider at-home workouts with the kids. This practice is especially helpful if you’re home-schooling right now. Rolling it into your home school physical activity sessions means you all benefit from staying active at home. Let’s be real; sometimes, the luxury of a gym doesn’t fit into a mom’s busy schedule. But that just makes exercise at home much more appealing! No matter what age your children may be, have them join in. From mommy and me yoga to online barre class, you can make it a special time to share. And if your schedule doesn't seem to allow much time for an entire workout, have a little fun dancing for the day's cardio. No equipment necessary, and the laughs are free! Unplug! The peace this will bring you is another excellent reason to start early in the morning when you exercise at home. Leave the phone on the charger. Don’t open that laptop and browse through your emails. Make it a habit of enjoying the silence and lack of demands that await you by unplugging at bedtime until your morning workout is done. Trust me; it will bring a refreshing calm to your mornings, or any time of day you choose to fit in your at-home workout routines. So, what makes a successful exercise at home routine? The Five Essentials of Working Out at Home While a gym may seem like the place to be for all your workout needs, you don’t need fancy machines and a personal workout coach to keep you fit and healthy. You can undoubtedly exercise at home and develop a custom at-home workout that provides the same benefits to your health and wellness. By crafting an at-home workout that incorporates five essential parts, you can be successful at staying active at home. Begin by making a list of your goals, needs, and concerns. Then, create a workout plan that includes: A warmup Cardio Resistance or strength-building exercises Exercises that improve your flexibility A cool-down The Warmup Staying active at home includes staying safe. Your warmup doesn’t have to be extravagant, but it is absolutely necessary to help prevent injuries. And I’m not just talking about a few quick stretches before your at-home workout. I mean a real, full-body warmup. Exercising at home gives you the advantage of taking refreshing walks outside. Or jump on and start with a light pace on your treadmill or stationary bike if you happen to have one. But you may be wondering why stretching isn’t enough. Think about your average day. You may be stuck behind a desk for hours with little chance to get up and stretch your legs, let alone all your muscles. While a quick pre-workout stretch may sound like enough, you’re putting an awful lot of stress on those stiff muscles you were unable to loosen all day. Studies have also shown that merely stretching does not adequately protect against injury. Instead, try a full-body warmup that helps raise your heart rate while warming up your joints and muscles. Your at-home workout warmups can include: Jumping jacks Squats Lunges Mountain climbers Jump rope Cardiovascular After a nice warmup, step up your pace as you walk or pedal. Make sure you kick your heart rate up. There are plenty of cardio activities to help you stay active at home. Step aerobics is always a fun way to exercise at home, and you can easily find a variety of videos to stream online, guiding you through the process. It takes up little space and is an upbeat, engaging way to stay active. And speaking of fun videos, you can stay active at home with cardio routines ranging from barre to Zumba! Many subscription workouts and apps offer trials, so don’t be afraid to try something new. And you can always work in a simple cardio routine during your favorite television show. It sure beats sitting on the couch and offers an effective use of that time. So, no excuses! Resistance Training Incorporating strength or resistance training is a simple way to stay active at home.  You can keep it simple or push yourself with your choice of resistance at-home workouts. It requires little space, and workout equipment isn’t necessary. Get tone with squats, push-ups, and crunches to define those abs you’ve been wanting. As you build up your endurance, grab some lightweight dumbbells and resistance bands, increasing as necessary.   Flexibility Don’t forget the importance of improving your body’s flexibility. Yoga is perfect for an at-home workout option. Not only will it help increase your flexibility, but it also supports: Metabolism Weight loss Muscle strength Muscle tone Improvements in respiration and vitality A boost in energy levels Heart health Athletic performance and endurance Mindfulness The Cool Down You don't need to overthink your cool-down routine, but you do need to have one. A proper cool-down can be similar to your warmup routine. Just be sure to incorporate light cardio and gradually bring your heart rate down. This step is just as vital as the rest of your workout, for many health reasons, including: Reducing the strain on your heart muscle as it transitions from exerting itself, back to a resting heart rate Preventing lightheadedness or dizziness after exercising. These symptoms may occur when blood collects in the lower extremities, causing veins to increase in size to accommodate blood flow Try walking, stretching your core, or continue to repeat your last round of flexibility exercises, minimizing your intensity. Doing so helps target and relax the same muscles after exertion. Another bonus of exercising at home is your ability to multitask during your cool down! You can cool down by tidying up around the house. Yep, it counts! Just keep moving and stretching as your heart rate calms. More Tips for Successful Exercise at Home Many health and fitness experts agree that staying active at home works best if you mentally and physically commit to your at-home workouts with preparation and follow-through. Specific tips they offer for the best exercise at home outcomes: Find an exercise buddy. If you need motivation, accountability, or simply want a virtual workout partner, find a friend who shares your goals. Create versatility to avoid boredom. Exercising at home vs. a gym will limit your variety of equipment, classes, and coaches you have access to. However, it allows you to create at home workouts that appeal to you most and target your specific goals. You have the flexibility to develop routines that challenge you and help you stay active at home. Take advantage of apps, videos, and online classes that promote exercising from home. Try an array of options and attempt something new to avoid boredom and a loss of motivation. You never know which at-home workouts will spark your interest! Schedule your at-home workouts in advance. When you plan ahead, you strengthen the commitment you have to stay active at home. You will begin to physically and mentally anticipate your upcoming workouts when you stick to a routine. But don’t take this lightly. Block off dates and times in your calendar to help keep you and any workout partners accountable. And believe me, this will help you avoid the “I don’t have time” excuse.   Journal Keeping a workout journal is an excellent way to track the success of your at-home workouts and the progress you’re seeing from staying active at home. Begin with your goals and note your starting points. List workouts or apps you'd like to try, have trials for or know you will incorporate. Keep track of your successes and concerns. Writing about your tough days are just as crucial to your at-home workouts as noting your good days. Don’t weigh yourself daily. Don’t do it! If weight loss is one of your goals, don’t consume yourself with the numbers on that scale! Exercising at home should relieve your stress, not spark more. Newbies to Exercising at Home For those of you who may just be starting, thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise per session is an ideal goal. Plan to get in at least three sessions a week. Diversify your at-home workouts, covering all the major muscle groups: Upper body Lower body Abdominals Back Strength training as a beginner can start at three sets of ten to fifteen reps per each exercise. Just remember to start slow, build up your routines, and intensify workouts gradually. And always listen to your body to avoid injury. At-Home Workout Equipment The best thing about exercising at home is making use of the items around you, so you don’t need to buy them! Get creative and utilize what you already have in your space or try a few DIY projects. Create a step for your step aerobics or grab a couple of cans from the pantry to start your lightweight arm resistance workouts. Now, if you're handy with tools, you can build your own workout equipment, such as: Pull up bars Punching bags Weight racks Squat bars Pairing Your Home Workouts with the Proper Diet Let’s not forget the importance of a proper diet. Staying active at home doesn’t mean neglecting your overall health goals. Keep yourself full of energy for your workouts by sticking to a nutritious diet. And if you know me, you already know my favorite go-to for all the essential nutrients is bone broth. When you pair your home workouts with the benefits of bone broth, you fill your body with: Vitamins Minerals Essential amino acids Clean protein Fiber Collagen Together, you’ll support your overall health and wellbeing, while adding a few anti-aging benefits along the way. Pretty impressive, right? Choosing to exercise at home takes a bit of adjusting to, but trust me, you’ll love the results you can achieve. So, make that commitment to yourself to stay active at home, helping to ensure your physical and mental wellbeing. When you continue your journey to a healthier you by working out and staying active at home, you’ll wonder why you didn’t adopt this transforming lifestyle sooner. Jumpstart your at-home workout routines now! Keep positive and stay healthy!

When you hear the word electrolyte, what comes to mind? It seems most people know that they need electrolytes, especially after a good sweat. But do you know electrolytes are also crucial after (and before!) a night of drinking? And that you also need electrolyte balance every day?  If not, you’re not alone. So let me explain... What are electrolytes? Electrolytes are minerals that dissolve in water in your body and produce charged ions. Many vital processes rely on the electrical current that’s created.  The mineral electrolytes I’m referring to include: Sodium Potassium Chloride Magnesium Bicarbonate Phosphorous Now, before I go any further, I want to point out that — although the media would love you to think otherwise — sports drinks are NOT the only source of these minerals. In fact, the electrolytes in many sports drinks come from refined salt and synthetic sodium citrate and monopotassium phosphate. Plus, they contain a bunch of other junk, such as artificial colors, modified corn starch, and sugar. Why does your body need electrolytes? Maintaining a good balance of electrolytes is essential to your health, because electrolytes mingle with each other and various other internal structures to assist with a variety of vital functions. Key Functions of Electrolytes Maintaining optimal fluid balance, so your cells don’t explode or shrivel up Regulating nerve function, which allow your nerves (and other tissues) to send and receive critical signals throughout the body Contracting and relaxing muscle tissue, including your biceps and your heart Regulating the pH level within your blood It’s also worth noting that these minerals play many other important roles in the body in addition to acting as electrolytes. For instance, calcium and magnesium are both necessary for strong bones and teeth. Calcium is also involved in blood clotting. And magnesium is involved in over 300 biological processes, including energy production and DNA synthesis. Electrolyte Balance Disruptors You probably already know that your body loses electrolytes through your sweat, which could lead to an imbalance, especially after intense or prolonged activity. It makes sense, then, that you’d want to replenish your electrolytes after a workout. You may also experience electrolyte imbalance when the weather is warmer, and, as I mentioned above, after a night of enjoying one too many cocktails, since your body uses electrolytes to convert the toxins in alcohol and expel them through the urine. What else causes electrolyte imbalance? Not drinking enough water. However, drinking too much water, especially in the absence of electrolytes, can also be a problem. Rapid fluid loss from frequent bouts of diarrhea or vomiting. Kidney disease, as your kidneys are responsible for regulating the concentration of electrolytes. Poor nutrition. Processed junk food contains very few to no electrolytes. On the other hand, whole foods from nature are loaded with them. Rapid weight loss can also lead to an electrolyte imbalance, so paying close attention to your fluid and electrolyte intake during weight loss is very important. What are the signs of an electrolyte imbalance? There are a wide range of symptoms you could experience from an electrolyte imbalance. It really depends on which electrolytes are out of whack, and whether your levels are too high or too low. But in general, here are some common signs: Twitching Weakness Fatigue Muscle spasms Erratic heartbeat Raise or dip in blood pressure Disorientation Numbness Dizziness Vomiting Loss of consciousness What are the healthiest ways to balance your electrolytes? DON’T DRINK GATORADE! (or any sports drink really) Instead, drink a low-to-zero-sugar electrolyte drink, or, my personal favorite, bone broth, which is a solid source of hydration, protein, and minerals like potassium. Eat a nutrient-rich diet full of colorful fruits and veggies, wild fish, nuts, seeds, and meats from healthy, pasture-raised animals  Stay hydrated, especially when temperatures are high Replenish after prolonged and/or intense exercise as well as after rapid fluid losses What are the best sources of electrolytes for replenishment?  While all electrolytes are important and must be consumed daily, the two primary electrolytes that are lost through sweat include sodium and potassium. However, for light exercise, filtered water is often all you need as long as you’re also eating a mineral rich diet.  When water isn’t enough, adding ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to your water and eating half of an avocado or a full banana will do the trick. However, if you add ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and a cup of spinach to your post-exercise shake, you’ll get a healthy dose of sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus along with many other nutrients. Now that’s impressive!  Many people rely on coconut water, which is another option. It is a good source of potassium. And one cup provides approximately 250 mg of sodium. But after intense or prolonged exercise, especially in warm weather, this might not be enough for fitness buffs. And two cups deliver quite a bit of sugar. Bone Broth for “Pre-Gaming” If you’re heading out for the evening and you expect to enjoy some good food and cocktails, drinking bone broth before you go will help fuel your body with a good balance of nutrition… and it fills you up so you may actually end up eating and drinking less. Now, I’m not saying it’ll cure or prevent hangovers, but by supplying your body with essential nutrients and electrolytes — which also support optimal gut health — you’re helping your body’s functions perform at their best.  Keeping your electrolytes balanced starts with being mindful of your activities, the weather, your fluid intake and output, and more. Take care to take care. It’s all about balance.  

New habits take anywhere from 18 to 254 days to put into place (with an average of 66 days).  Yes, really. A quick check of the calendar tells us that this post is being written with just three months left in the year.  So let’s do some math… If it takes about two months to set a habit, could we assume that by the end of the year you could have a new, sustainable exercise habit in place and be feeling AMAZING by the time the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve?  Yes! I think that’s a pretty solid assumption! Boom-shaka-laka, right?  So now that we know what’s possible, how do we actually go about setting a habit? And how do we give it the staying power it needs to get us where we want to go with our health? It’s simpler than you think. The Haps on Habits Simply put, a habit is a behavior or set of behaviors you do over and over again until they mostly become automatic. If you’re just dabbling with something, it’s not yet a habit. Brushing your teeth every day and filling up the water vessel of your coffee machine before you go to bed? Those are habits. You probably don’t remember how many days it took you to solidify most of your habits, but science says the 21-day habit-forming time frame most of us have bought into is actually more like 66 days. (Possibly less, possibly much more.) So it stands to reason that if you’d like to finish the year with a new exercise habit in place, we should probably get a move on. (Pun intended!) Get Into Gear There’s no question exercise can lead to a healthy body, better sleep, and a calmer, more focused mind. But if it’s been a while since you’ve exercised, getting started may seem daunting. Here’s my thought on this: You can’t get it wrong. As long as you’re doing something that increases your heart rate and gets your blood flowing, you’re heading in the right direction. Bonus points if you enjoy it, since if you like what you’re doing, you’ll naturally want to do more of it. I know how tempting it is to want to go all-in right off that bat, but remember, we’re going for a sustainable habit here. Give yourself the grace to start where you are and then build on that. Maybe it’s walking around your neighborhood for twenty minutes at a time, three days a week. After a couple weeks, you increase your walking time to thirty or even forty-five minutes, and you do it four or five days a week. Maybe one of those days you even jog. You get the idea. You’re starting “small” (though no amount of effort is actually “small”) and working your way up. The key is to keep your baseline consistent (in this example, it would be the twenty minutes of walking, three times per week) and let that become your habit. If you choose to add on extra time, engage in more sessions, or increase your effort, those are all bonuses. (And could easily morph into new habits.) RELATED: 5 Reasons Why Exercise Is So Important Stick and Stay So now that you have an exercise plan in place, it’s time to make it stick. Remember, this could take over two months, so until it becomes automatic, you’re going to need some good old fashioned grit and commitment. (No one said forming a new habit would be easy.) Here are some of my top tips for sticking with a new habit… Keep Your Goal In Front of You Always keep top of mind what you’re hoping to get out of your new exercise habit — a body you love, a happier disposition, natural stress relief, increased stamina, etc. — and focus on that, even when (especially when) when the going gets tough.  Write your goal down on sticky notes and put them all over your house. Create an inspirational wallpaper for your phone or computer. (Because I know you look at those often. We all do!) Hang your goal dress/outfit/swimsuit somewhere you can see it. Having visuals all around you will keep you focused and inspired to keep going, even when it’s hard. Focus On the End Result  Your subconscious mind doesn’t know what’s real and what’s not; it only knows what you tell it. So visualizing yourself as your fittest, healthiest, most energetic self tells your mind that you’re — you guessed it! — fit, healthy, and energetic. Your mind will naturally support you by engaging in habits (like sticking with an exercise routine) that support this fit, healthy version of you. So set aside a little time each day to see yourself looking amazing in a new dress. Feel the joy you get from the lighthearted laughter that comes so easily for you now that you stress less. Envision yourself easily keeping up with your kids, grandkids, pets, or friends. Soon this will be more than a vision… it’ll be your reality. Hold Yourself Accountable When starting a new habit, having someone on your side, cheering you on, can make all the difference in whether or not you stick with it.  For some people, their partner or best friend are obvious Accountability Partner choices. Others may gain the most momentum by hanging out in groups of like-minded people who have similar goals. (Our DKA Every Day Facebook group is a prime example of this. If you’re not a member already, we’d love to welcome you!) Some folks even like to blog about their journey or post it on social media.  And some just like to keep their goal all to themselves. None of these practices are “right” and none of these are “wrong.” Whatever will keep you locked in on your habit until it becomes automatic is perfect. Just be sure that if you don’t have someone you’re regularly checking in with regarding your new exercise practice, you keep a journal, planner, or checklist around so you can log your workouts and you’re not tempted to miss because “nobody’s watching.”  The End Result The bottom line here is that in just a couple months, you could view exercise as a can’t-miss part of your day that you don’t even have to think about. You’ll be looking and feeling great, falling in love with the new you, and, most likely, making even more positive changes in other areas of your life. The positivity snowball will be rolling, all because you said YES to starting and sticking with an exercise routine! Great job! P.S. Have a soda habit? That’s one habit you should definitely break!  Try swapping soda for my sugar-free, fat-free, cravings-busting Lemon Sips. It’s a citrusy-delicious drink that’s packed with nutrients to support healthy skin, detoxification, and next-level hydration. Check it out right here.

If you’re over thirty, it takes hard work to keep looking and feeling young. That’s because Mother Nature plays some dirty tricks on you as you leave your twenties behind—and one of them, which I want to talk about today, is about age-related muscle loss known as aging sarcopenia. Aging sarcopenia refers to muscle loss that starts to occur in your 30s or early 40s. If you don’t take action, you can lose three to five percent of your muscle tissue each decade. Translation: weaker muscles, saggy skin, and eventually frailty and an increased risk for dangerous falls. Sarcopenia also packs extra pounds on you, because muscle burns fat—so the less muscle you have, the more fat you store. How can you fight age-related muscle loss? With the right exercise and the right diet. Here’s a look at what you need to do—starting now. Step 1: Do resistance training and HIIT training. All exercise is good. But to fight sarcopenia, you need the right kind of exercise—and the best type is resistance training, also called strength training. (This means lifting weights, using exercise bands, or doing exercises like planks and pushups that use your body weight as resistance.) Resistance training strengthens your muscles and optimizes the hormones you need to maintain lean muscle mass. For the maximum muscle-building benefits, I recommend doing resistance workouts at least twice a week (and preferably three times). Make sure you do a good overall workout that includes arm, leg, and core exercises. Allow one day in between each workout to give your muscles time to recover. Also, if you’re new to resistance exercises, take it slowly at first. Start with light weights and do only as many repetitions as you can complete with good form. When your exercises start getting easy, switch to heavier weights and increase your reps. By the way, one complaint I sometimes hear is that resistance training makes people too sore. If this is a problem for you, here are some tips for minimizing those aches and pains: Indulge in an Epsom salt bath at nighttime if you did an intense workout during the day. The magnesium in the Epsom salt will relax your muscles.  Eat plenty of protein (more on this below).  Stay hydrated. Your muscles need plenty of water to recover after a workout.  Try beetroot. One study found that drinking beetroot juice after a workout significantly reduced post-exercise pain.  Drink coffee before your workouts. As I mentioned in an earlier post, a pre-workout cup of coffee will enhance your performance and reduce post-exercise pain.  Don’t waste time doing “static stretches” like toe touches before or after a workout, because research shows that these won’t lower your risk of muscle pain the next day. Instead, do some dynamic stretches that activate the muscles you’ll be using in your routine—for instance, easy squats and kicks.   Roll away post-workout aches and pains with a tennis ball or a foam roller. Along with doing resistance workouts, consider adding high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to your regimen. New research indicates that HIIT also is a powerful weapon against sarcopenia. Step 2: Eat right. In addition to building lean muscle mass through resistance training and HIIT training, you can fight sarcopenia by giving your muscles the nutrients they need. Here are the biggest keys: Get plenty of protein in your diet from grass-fed meat, free-range chicken and eggs, and wild-caught fish. This is especially important after you work out. When you exercise, you actually create tiny tears in your muscles—and it’s the repair of those tears that makes your muscles stronger. Your body needs the amino acids from proteins to make those repairs and to ease exercise-linked aches and pains.  Load up on anti-inflammatory foods such as leafy greens and berries. There’s a strong link between inflammation and sarcopenia.  Get plenty of Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Research shows that a deficiency of vitamin D, or a deficiency of omega-3s in comparison to omega-6s, can up your risk for sarcopenia. So get some sunlight every day, take a vitamin D supplement, and eat plenty of fatty fish (or take an omega-3 supplement). Step 3 Mini-Fast Exercising in a fasted state can help you build and tone your muscles while burning more fat than in a non-fasted state. Studies show mini-fasting and interval training workouts increase Hormone Growth Hormone (HGH) by 1300% in women! This is important because HGH is essential to sculpting lean muscle. And the more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn. Bottom Line: Mini-fasting is great for your waistline. But exercising while fasting will speed up your fat loss as well as boost your body's muscle building power. — No matter how old you are, it’s never too early—or too late—to prevent or even reverse muscle loss due to aging. Remember: You can choose to age… or you can refuse to age. If you need inspiration, watch this video of 91-year-old Sy Perlis lifting 187 pounds to break a world record in his age group—or this video I’ve shared before of 80-year-old Ernestine Shepherd, who started weight training at 71 and has a body most twenty-year-olds would envy. If they can say NO to sarcopenia, so can you! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Want to get more fat-burning payoff from your spin cycling, HIIT training, or Crossfit workouts? Then I have one word for you: COFFEE! Yep, that’s right. That glorious drink that transforms you from a zombie into a human being in the morning can also ramp up the benefits you get from exercise. In fact, there’s a ton of research showing that caffeinated coffee is ergogenic—that is, it enhances your performance when you work out—and that it keeps you burning more calories long afterward. Here’s a sampling of the findings: Athletes burned 15% more calories after a cycling workout when they took a dose of caffeine before their workouts instead of a placebo. Stationary bike riders burned more calories and found working out easier and more fun  when they consumed caffeine before exercising, compared to when they took a placebo. Men cycled harder after consuming caffeine than they did when they didn’t consume it—yet in both conditions, the men felt like they exerted the same amount of effort. Weightlifters did more repetitions after getting a dose of caffeine, and the caffeine reduced their feelings of exertion and pain. So caffeine helps you burn more fat, energizes you so you work out harder, makes exercise more fun, and eases those workout-related aches and pains. How’s that for awesome? And here’s more news that will make you happy. Experts used to think that regularly drinking coffee diminished its exercise-related benefits over time. But new research shows that both coffee newbies and java junkies get the same boost from a pre-workout dose of caffeine. Want still more good news? The belief that coffee dehydrates you turns out to be a myth. In fact, it hydrates you as well as water. Why is caffeine an exercise booster? There are lots of reasons why caffeine adds power to your workouts. Among them: It binds to the same receptors as a chemical called adenosine. Because adenosine makes you drowsy and plays a role in pain perception, blocking its receptors can make you more alert and reduce sensations of pain. It enables your body to switch from burning sugar to burning fat, so your muscles can work longer before they get tired. It causes your body to release the “fight or flight” hormones that ready you for action. It’s thermogenic, meaning that it increases heat production, helping you burn more calories. In addition, caffeine is a mood booster, hiking your levels of “feel good” dopamine—and when you’re happy, it’s easier to attack your workouts with gusto. Tips for your pre-workout caffeine fix Whether you’re a serious athlete or you work out just to stay in shape, a pre-exercise shot of caffeine is definitely worth a try. Here are some tips for getting the most reward from your dose of coffee: If you want the maximum caffeine boost, drink a light-roast coffee. (It has a higher caffeine content.) If you’re more interested in other health benefits, choose a dark roast, which contains more antioxidants. Drink your coffee about an hour before exercising. This will allow time for the effects to kick in. Skip the cream and sugar. (Coconut milk is fine, and so is monk fruit sweetener.) Don’t overdo it. One to two cups of coffee will give you the boost you want. If you don’t already drink caffeinated drinks, start with a single six-ounce cup. Do your coffee-enhanced workouts early in the day. That way, the caffeine won’t keep you from falling asleep at night. Also, buy a good-quality coffee—not the cheap stuff, which may contain mold and other contaminants. After all, you go for the best when you’re buying a sports bra, a yoga mat, or a pair of running shoes… so go first-class when it comes to this important new piece of exercise “equipment”! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

Every time I walk into a gym, I’m always shocked to see just how crowded the treadmills and ellipticals are. You know exactly what I’m talking about: the people who spend hours of their day running! Okay, I’m not entirely shocked...for years, many health experts have been telling us the wrong information about working out as it relates to weight loss. That’s a common misconception my patients fall prey to all the time. So listen up if you’re looking to go down a jeans size and slim that waistline...but you can’t stand the idea of doing 2 hours of cardio a day… Because I’ve got GREAT news for you: Long bouts of cardio is a waste of your time. So if you’re wondering why you’re not losing weight--even after an hour on the treadmill a couple times a week...it has nothing to do with your genetics. And you can take a big sigh of relief, because adding an extra hour on that treadmill will NOT get you better results. Instead, let me introduce you to HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It’s a fat-blasting method of cardio that turns your body into fat-burning machine. What is HIIT? Just as the name implies, HIIT involves short bursts of intense workouts--like sprints or weight training for thirty minutes. They key here is you’re doing 30 seconds of intense workouts (like sprints--my FAVORITE workout while I’m traveling), and 30 seconds of rest, for example...rather than 30 minutes of steady jogging. And guess what? Extra fat HATES this! That’s good news for you, because after you’re done with your HIIT workouts...your body continues to burn fat. Now that’s bang for your buck, baby! But that’s not all... Did You Know HIIT Has Anti-Aging Benefits, Too? There was a study recently published in the Cell Metabolism journal. Here’s what happened. They took 72 sedentary adults. Each participant was given a 12-week workout routine: 1) HIIT cycling, 2) strength training, or 3) a combination. At the end of the 12 weeks, the researchers biopsied tissue samples and analyzed cells from before and after the experiment. Turns out, the group with the HIIT cycling routine reversed many age-related differences. The group who did the HIIT got the biggest benefit at the cellular level. They had a 49%-69% boost in mitochondrial capacity--the ability to produce energy. Which means, they had that youthful energy from their 30s!   Plus, the group of older adults (ages 65-80) had cells that LOOKED much younger under a microscope. It's like they turned back time with this simple exercise routine! Different Types of HIIT I used running as an example earlier, but HIIT applies to ALL kinds of cardio. As long as you’re varying your levels of intensity in intervals, you can use HIIT with: Biking Hiking Sprinting Weight training Air squats Burpees Jumping lunges High knees Stepping Machines ...and so much more! You can get creative, as long as what you’re doing is intense and makes you sweat. The Best Part About HIIT: You only need 10 minutes Instead of going for a morning run for 1-2 hours, all you need is 10 minutes a day to reap some amazing results on your waistline. I typically recommend 2-3 times a week. Whenever I’m traveling, I make it a point to get my HIIT workout in--whether it’s sprints on the beach or squats in my hotel room. Keep thinking and living BOLD!   P.S. I can’t say enough about the amazing benefits of HIIT workouts and I love the Xiser for HIIT workouts. Xiser is a compact, portable stepping machine and the only stepper geared toward high intensity training. Learn more about this fat-burning, HIIT machine.

My life is crazy, and most days I’m running like my hair’s on fire. (You know the feeling, right?) But no matter how busy things get, I take time to work out every day. What’s more, I’m always looking for ways to improve the quality of my exercise routine. And lately, I’ve found a way to get far more mileage from each workout: by working out during a fast. If you haven’t tried it yourself, I highly recommend it. Why workout during a fast? Working out during a fast burns more fat. About six hours after a meal, your body enters a fasting state. When this happens, it burns off its stored sugar and then starts breaking down fat and converting it into ketone bodies for fuel. In other words, you start burning fat instead of sugar for energy. When you exercise in this fasted state, it blasts the fat off you. In fact, research shows that if you work out before eating breakfast in the morning rather than afterward, you can burn nearly 20 percent more fat. Fasted exercise is also a great way to undo the damage if you’ve over-indulged in pizza or scarfed down too much Chunky Monkey. Research shows that even when you’ve sinned, it can keep those extra pounds from piling on. In one six-week study, researchers asked male volunteers to stuff themselves with junk food every day. Some participants didn’t exercise at all while gorging themselves, while others either fasted before exercising in the morning or ate a big breakfast before working out. What happened? The men who didn’t exercise got way chubbier (no surprise). The men who ate breakfast before exercising also gained weight, although only about half as much as the controls. Those who workout during a fast, however, gained virtually no weight, even though they ate the same bad diet. Working out during a fast lowers your insulin levels. Excess insulin packs fat on your body and puts you at risk for diabetes, so one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is to drive that insulin down. Either fasting or exercise will help you do this—and when you pair them up, the result is metabolic magic. In the study I cited above, for instance, the controls and the non-fasting exercisers exhibited insulin resistance (which leads to higher insulin levels) after their junk food overload. The fasted exercisers, however, showed no signs of insulin resistance, in spite of their terrible diet. In another study, participants exercised in a fasted state at least three times weekly for 12 weeks. By the end of the study, they lost an average of one-quarter of their baseline fat mass, and their fasting insulin levels fell by 25%. That’s HUGE. Working out during a fast improves your athletic performance. Right now, you’re carrying around a big supply of energy in the form of fat. The problem is that you can’t access that energy easily, because your body is trained to burn sugar—not fat. That’s why you’ll “hit the wall” if you run out of blood sugar in the middle of a race or a game. When you work out during a fast, however, you teach your body how to tap readily into your fat stores for energy. When you do this, you become metabolically flexible. On the day of a big race or game, you’ll still want to eat beforehand (that’s not the time for fasting). But if you’re metabolically flexible, your body will easily switch to burning stored fat once it uses up the sugar from your meal. As a result, you’ll have a virtually unlimited supply of energy… and that means you can leave your competition in the dust.  What rules do I need to follow when working out during a fast? Schedule your workouts at least six hours after a meal Start with easy exercise such as walking or slow cycling, and build up to more intense workouts. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after each workout. Eat soon after doing an intense workout. I recommend refueling with an easy-to-digest protein like a bone broth protein shake or some chicken or salmon and a starchy carb such as sweet potato. When you start working out during a fast, it’ll take about two weeks for your body to master the art of burning fat for fuel. Hang in there, even if your workouts are a little tough at first. I promise that your investment will pay off big-time when the pounds melt off, your insulin level drops, and you crush your rivals on the court, the track, or the field! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

It’s one thing to resolve to get fit, but it’s another thing to actually do it—especially if you’re getting bored with the same old exercise routines. As that enthusiasm you felt on New Year’s Day starts to fade, your workouts may start falling by the wayside. If so, here’s my advice: Get back in the exercise groove by trying something new and different! Here are ten fun ways to make fitness fun again and shake up that workout routine. Try aerial silk workouts. Love to watch Cirque du Soleil? Then try some of those moves yourself in this new form of “sky dancing” that’s sweeping the country.  Don’t worry, it’s safe… and you’ll get a fabulous core workout. Do commercial-break “mini-workouts.” Want to watch TV instead of working out? Then try this: Do both! Each night, designate one member of your family as the “coach.” During each commercial break, have that person call out exercises—for instance, squats, jumping jacks, and lunges—for everyone to do during the break. Watch TV for two hours, and you’ll get around half an hour of exercise. Try geocaching. Love a treasure hunt? If you have a smartphone, go to Geocaching.com, create a free account, and start hunting for hidden surprises in your area. It’s a great way to turn walking into a game. Download fitness apps. These allow you to work out anywhere, and you can customize your routines to meet your needs. Sworkit, PEAR, CycleCast, and PocketYoga are popular, and a friend of mine also recommends AllTrails and 7 Minute Workout. Apps allow you to continually vary your workouts, so there’s something new each day. Dance, dance, dance! These days, there are loads of videos (many of them free) that can teach you everything from belly dancing to Bollywood moves. It’s great fun, and you’ll work up a real sweat. “Deal out” your routines with Fitdeck cards. No matter what you’re into—yoga, weightlifting, Pilates, you name it—there’s probably a Fitdeck product to suit your needs. Just put on your favorite music, shuffle the cards, and create a new workout every time. Don’t want to spend money? You can make your own exercise deck using regular playing cards; here’s how singer Carrie Underwood does it. Opt for the “ten thousand steps a day” plan. Use a tracker or your smartphone to make sure you get in this many steps each day. But here’s a caution: Some studies show that trackers actually cause people to exercise less, because when they hit that 10,000 mark, they stop. Instead, make that your MINIMUM target, and try to exceed it. Try ballet. People of all ages are taking up ballet or ballet-based barre workouts these days. These are fantastic for your balance and posture, and barre is a great form of exercise if you’re looking for something that’s low impact. Get adventurous when you walk the dog. Sure, you probably give Fido a walk every day already. But if your pup is up for it, start going on longer and longer walks, exploring parts of the neighborhood you’ve never seen before. Get back to basics. Hula hoops, jump ropes, beach balls, badminton sets, Twister, horseshoes, and Frisbees aren’t just for kids—they’re fun for grownups, too! Load your family room and back yard with toys like these, and you’ll be amazed at how much exercise you get just having fun. — Boredom can be the death of a fitness routine, so don’t fall into a rut. Instead, each time you find your interest flagging, pick one of these activities or think up other creative ways to move. You’ll have lots of fun as you try each new thing—and it’ll be easy to stick to that New Year’s Day fitness resolution all year long! Keep living Big and living BOLD!

If you do challenging workouts like Tabata or Crossfit—the kinds of exercise that make every muscle in your body scream for mercy—good for you! That means you’re in great shape, and you’re working hard to stay that way. However, here’s a question for you: While you’re crushing your workouts, are you getting the maximum benefit from them by fueling up correctly? Like an Indy 500 race car, your body needs to have the best fuel in order to perform to a high standard. When you eat the right foods before a workout, you’ll have plenty of energy to finish it instead of running out of steam halfway through. And it’s even more important to eat the right foods afterward, so your body can build new muscle. Here’s the story. When you do an intense workout, you actually create microscopic tears in your muscles. While this sounds bad, it’s actually a very good thing. That’s because your body quickly repairs those muscles, making them stronger in the process.  In effect, your body says, “Oops—looks like I didn’t make this muscle strong enough for what it needs to do, so I’m going to do better this time.” So fueling up before an intense workout is important, and fueling up afterward is absolutely crucial. Here’s how to do both. Before your workout… To signal your body that a workout is coming, eat a light snack of protein and fat about 15 minutes to an hour before you exercise. (That fat is important, so don’t skimp on it!) This will give you a quick shot of energy. Don’t overdo this snack, because you don’t want it to weigh you down. Before I hit the gym, I typically reach for hardboiled eggs, nuts, a little coconut, or a high-quality jerky that contains no artificial additives or sugar. After your workout… I’m sure you breathe a sigh of relief when you finish an intense workout—but in reality, your body is just starting its hard work. At this point, it needs to rebuild those micro-tears in your muscles so they’re stronger than ever. To speed this process, you should refuel within half an hour. At this stage, I recommend eating a meal-sized serving of easy-to-digest protein such as chicken, salmon, or egg whites, along with a starchy carb like jicama, sweet potato, or winter squash. (This is one time when you don’t need to add fat.)  A protein shake is another great option. Use a high-quality protein powder, add a handful of fruit, and you have the perfect post-workout refuel. This is a “bonus” meal, so you can go ahead and eat your regular meal at the usual time. A reality check… While we’re talking about fueling your body for a workout, here’s one more tip: Before you reach for a pre- or post-exercise snack, be sure you really need it. If you’re simply doing twenty or thirty minutes of moderate exercise, your body will do just fine without a boost. In fact, snacking before and after an easy exercise session will do more harm than good, by adding carbs and calories you don’t need. In this case, simply rehydrate yourself with a glass of water after your workout, and you’ll be good to go. However, if you’re doing a muscle-burning, heart-pounding, holy-mackerel-will-this-ever-end workout, those before-and-after snacks are critical—so promise me that you won’t skip them, even if you’re trying to slim down. Those few extra calories will boost the power of your workout, helping you to lose weight and sculpt your body faster… so don’t let that fuel tank run dry! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

When you look in the mirror, do you see sculpted arms, a slim waist, slender thighs, and a firm butt? Or are things starting to slide, wobble, jiggle, and droop? If you aren’t thrilled with what you see, then I have a suggestion for you: rearrange the furniture! With smart, targeted exercise, you can slim, sculpt, and strengthen your body, making you look years younger even without losing weight. And here’s more good news: You don’t need to spend all day doing it. In fact, fifteen or twenty minutes per workout will be plenty. The trick is to make the most of those minutes—and to do that, you need to do resistance training. In this type of exercise, you use dumbbells or the weight of your own body to work your muscles hard, trimming and toning them. Here are some keys: Start with weights heavy enough to challenge you, but not so heavy that you can’t keep good form. If possible, use a variety of weights. Do resistance training every other day, allowing your body to repair and strengthen your muscles in between. Now, here are some of my favorite exercises for taking years off your arms, waist, hips, and butt: SQUATS. These are awesome if you want a gorgeous butt and you’d like to get rid of saddlebags. In addition to basic squats, try these variations: Squat-and-Side Kick. Each time you rise after a squat, do a martial-arts-style side kick, alternating from left to right. Here's a demonstration. Curtsey Squat. This is just what it sounds like. Alternate your “curtseys” to the left and right, doing a regular squat in between. Here's a demonstration. Squat-and-Lunge. Alternate squats with backward lunges. Be sure not to let your knees extend beyond your toes when you do the lunges. ARM AND SHOULDER SHAPERS. Lifting weights won’t make you look like Popeye; instead, it will give you the beautiful posture and shapely arms you had years ago. The trick here is to do a variety of exercises, and here are some of the best: Bicep curls. When you do this basic exercise, keep your elbows close to your body and lower the weights slowly to get the most “burn.” Tricep dips. To do this exercise, sit at the edge of a sturdy work bench or coffee table with your arms beside you, your fingers facing forward, your knees bent, and your feet on the floor. Grasp the edge of the bench or table with your hands. Now lower your butt close to the floor, supporting yourself on your hands. (Be careful not to lock your elbows at any point.) Your back should just graze the bench or table as you lower yourself. Once you’re as low as you can comfortably go, return to your starting position. Here's a demonstration. Military presses. To do this exercise, raise your weights above your head as if you’re lifting a barbell. Pushups. Yeah, I know—these are tough. But they’re fabulous for building beautiful arms and shoulders, and they get easier over time. Want a bonus? They also strengthen your core. If doing pushups from your toes is too difficult, do them from your knees—or do pushups against a wall. TUMMY TUCKERS. If you’re tired of doing sit-ups that don’t work, try exercises that really will trim your waist. Here are some of the best ones: Planks and Side Planks. These work your waist as well as trimming your arms and toning your butt. There are a zillion variations; here are some great ones. Bicycles. To do this exercise, lie face-up on a carpeted floor or mat and put your hands behind your head, gently supporting your head with your fingers. Lift your legs at about a 45-degree angle and make a bicycling motion with your legs, straightening one leg as you bend the other. As you bend each knee, rotate your body to bring the opposite elbow close to it. Here's a demonstration. Mountain Climbers. This is another tough one, but it pays off. To do it, start in a front plank position. Now, pull your right knee in to your chest as far as you can. Then switch and bring the other knee in. Avoid sticking your butt up in the air as you do this exercise. Here's a demonstration. Do these exercises every other day for a few months, and I’m betting that you’ll see a big difference. Those pesky areas that were surrendering to gravity will start getting higher, firmer, and sexier. Your clothes will look better on you. You’ll even stand and walk like a younger you. And when you look in the mirror, you’re going to love that rearranged furniture! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

I travel a lot, and so do many of my patients. And one question I frequently hear is: “How can I get a good workout when I’m on the road?” It’s a good question, because many people don’t like using a hotel’s public gym facility—and obviously, lugging dumbbells in your suitcase isn’t a good option! While you can keep your core and lower body toned with squats, lunges, and planks, keeping your upper body in shape is trickier when you don’t have weights. Luckily, I have the solution: Pack some exercise bands. These light-weight bands take up almost no room in your suitcase, and you can use them anywhere to get a quick resistance workout. The least expensive bands are simply long, flat strips of latex (you can also get latex-free versions), often called therapy bands. I like these because it’s easy to adjust the length of the band by wrapping it around your hands. You can also get tube bands with handles, or “loop” bands that look like giant rubber bands. Bands come in different levels of resistance—light, medium, or strong—and they’re cheap and durable. In addition, exercise bands are simple to use. Here are some of my favorite ways to incorporate them into an upper-body exercise routine: BICEPS CURLS. Stand with your feet on the bands and the ends of the bands in your hands. Curl your forearms up, just as you would with weights, keeping your elbows by your sides. Hold at the top, then slowly lower your forearms to the starting position. Repeat. Here's a video on biceps curls with an exercise band. FRENCH PRESS. Sit on a chair with the center of the band under your butt and the ends in your hands. Start with your arms overhead, bent at the elbows so your hands are behind your head. With your palms facing toward the ceiling, press your arms straight up, then bend your elbows so your hands are behind your head again. Repeat. Here's a video on doing a French press with an exercise band (just remember my instructions have you sitting on the band as you perform the press). ROWS. Place the band under one foot, with the other foot slightly behind it. Bend at your waist at a 45-degree angle. Start with your arms hanging down and slightly forward and your palms facing in; then raise your elbows to the sides of your chest, squeezing your back muscles and making a “rowing” motion. Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat. Here's a video on doing bent rows with an exercise band. LAT PULLDOWN. Stand with the band held in front of you. Raise both arms over your head, with your hands wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your right arm in place, bend your left elbow and pull your left arm down and in toward your side, repeating the movement until your arm is fatigued and then switching to the opposite side. Here's a video on the lat pulldown with an exercise band. OVERHEAD PRESS. With the band under your feet and the ends of the band in your hands, raise your arms as if you’re lifting a barbell. Lower your hands, and repeat the movement. Here's a video on doing an overhead press with an exercise band. BOW AND ARROW. Holding the band out to your sides, mimic drawing back a bow. Repeat several times, and then switch sides. Here's a video on the bow and arrow exercise with an exercise band. The next time you’re traveling, toss a band or two in your suitcase and try these exercises. They’re safe no matter what your fitness level is, and they’re a hassle-free way to keep your upper body toned. What’s more, they’re great tension relievers after a long day of plane rides, TSA lines, and mad dashes through airports! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

There’s no question about it: To be your best, you need to exercise. But while that’s easy to say, it’s not always easy to do. If you’ve been sedentary for years, or you’re battling serious health problems, simply getting up and moving can be a challenge. But you know what?   Once you do get up and start moving, it’ll get easier every week. And before you know it, I bet you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. The trick, if you haven’t exercised for a long time, is to ease into it gradually. In addition, choose exercises that promote strength, balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular health. Here are five of the best ones.   Walking This is the easiest form of exercise, and it’s a great first step (no pun intended!) if you want to transform yourself from a couch potato to an active exerciser. When you start walking, determine how much distance you can comfortably cover in your walk. Then, every few days, challenge yourself to walk a little bit farther. As you get stronger, try routes that have an uphill and downhill grade. Vary your walks so you stay interested, and consider joining a walking group to give you motivation. Water Exercise Exercising in a pool is a wonderful way to get weak muscles back in shape, because you’re working against the resistance of water. It has other powerful benefits too, especially if you’re a senior. For instance, one study involving older women found that exercising in water improved not just their strength but also their cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, blood lipids, agility, and flexibility. What’s more, you don’t need to know how to swim in order to get in shape. You can tone and strengthen your muscles by doing standing leg lifts, breast strokes, and back strokes. Start with small movements, and work up to bigger ones. Tai Chi Remember when you were a kid, and you could touch your toes and do the splits? Then, over time, you got less and less flexible—and now you may even struggle to put on your shoes and socks. You’re especially likely to have problems with flexibility if you have diabetes. One of the best ways to increase your range of motion is by practicing Tai Chi. The gentle, fluid movements of Tai Chi will boost your flexibility gradually without straining your joints, and they’re also excellent for your balance. Resistance Training I know that weightlifting may seem like the last thing you should try if you’re really out of shape! However, the results may surprise you! If you need inspiration, check out 91-year-old “Gus” in this video. In my opinion, resistance training is the #1 way to get yourself back in good condition. The key here is to start very gradually—with one- or two-pound weights, if necessary—and have an expert help you so you avoid injuries. (Be sure to get your doctor’s okay, too.) A professional can also design a program that works for you if you’ve had breast cancer surgery, you have arthritis, or you need other modifications. Core Exercises Your core muscles are among the first to go when you don’t exercise. Tone them even a little, and you’ll see a big difference in your posture, your balance, and your health. To start whipping them into shape, try these exercises every day: Do a “tummy tuck” by pulling in your abdominal muscles, holding them in for three breaths, and then releasing them, repeating the exercise 12 times. Lying on your back, move your legs in a “bicycling” motion. You can do this on a bed if lying on the floor is too difficult. Lying on your back with your knees bent, lift and lower your pelvis several times, holding for a few seconds at the top of the exercise. Again, you can do this on a bed if lying on the floor is too hard. Also, try to create a habit of tightening your abdominal muscles each time you think about it throughout the day. This simple habit can do wonders for your abs over time. — I’m not going to kid you: At first, getting your body back in motion will take grit. You’ll experience some aches and pains, and you may occasionally wish you were back on that sofa. But trust me—I’ve helped thousands of people make this journey back to fitness, and I know you’re up for the challenge. So right now, commit to reversing that downward spiral by moving in ways that make your body a little healthier every single day. You’ll never know how strong you can be until you try! Keep thinking Big and living BOLD!

What if I told you I had a magic pill that would boost your metabolism, making you burn fat faster? You’d take it in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you? Well, guess what: I do have that magic pill. And here’s more good news: It’s free! The magic pill I’m talking about is—you guessed it—exercise. Doctors often downplay the fat-burning power of exercise, because most of them believe in the old calories-in, calories-out rule. And it’s true that the immediate effects of exercise aren’t going to tip the scale very much. For instance, it takes more than an hour of strenuous exercise to burn off a 300-calorie doughnut. However, that’s just what exercise does in the short run. Here’s what it does in the long run: • Exercise keeps your metabolism high even after you finish. When you do high-intensity exercise, your muscles experience wear-and-tear (in a good way). After you’re done, your body needs to repair and replenish those muscles—and that takes work. So long after you exercise, your metabolism stays ramped up. • Exercise builds muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat—so the more lean muscle mass you create through exercise, the more fat you’ll burn all day long. The key here is to do the most effective types of exercise. I’m a huge fan of all kinds of exercise—whether it’s walking the dog, dancing a samba, or playing Twister with your kids—but from a metabolic point of view, some forms of exercise are more powerful than others. Here are two of the best when it comes to melting off that fat: • Weightlifting. When you lift the heaviest weights you can lift with good form, and do as many repetitions as you can, you’ll get a fantastic after-workout “burn” and build beautiful lean muscle. (As a bonus, lifting weights sculpts your body, so you automatically look slimmer. I call it “rearranging the furniture.”) • High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). In HIIT, you exercise very strenuously in short bursts with periods of less intense exercise in between—for instance, alternating sprinting with walking. Your body needs to work hard during the strenuous stages and the recovery phases, and this really revs up your metabolism. (If you’re very athletic, consider trying Tabata, a more strenuous form of HIIT.) In addition to incorporating these two types of exercise into your routine, here are three more tips for getting the biggest metabolic boost from your workouts: • Exercise inefficiently. No, that’s not a typo! People look at me funny when I tell them to make their exercise routine more inefficient, but there’s a good reason for this. When you do the same exercises every week, your routine gets easier, so you burn less fat. Change things up, and your body has to work harder. So surprise your body by switching from hand weights to kettlebells, or from sprinting to swimming. • Go for quality, not quantity. Stop killing yourself with long exercise routines. Twenty minutes of intensive weightlifting or HIIT training will give you more metabolic payoff than an hour of jogging. • Exercise regularly. Schedule a minimum of four 20-minute workouts a week. (Take a one-day break between weightlifting sessions, to give your muscles time to recover.) If you find that you don’t have time for that much exercise, make the time—even if it means getting rid of other commitments in your life. Make your health and weight loss a top priority. Finally, supplement your exercise routines with fun activities that you love, whether it’s bowling, swimming, hiking, yoga, or ballet. All forms of movement will boost your metabolism more than sitting on the sofa—so on the days when you don’t work out, put your body in motion in ways that make you and your metabolism happy! Keep thinking BIG and living BOLD!

Do you hate floor exercises? Then check out these seven powerful ways to get flat abs WITHOUT lying down! A while ago, I shared some killer exercises for flat abs. But several readers wrote to me and said, “I hate getting down on the floor. Do you have any tips for exercising my abs while I’m standing up?” Well, your wish is my command! Here are seven quick and powerful exercises for flat abs that slim your waistline while you stay on your feet. In addition to working your abs, these are the best exercises for flat abs that will also improve your balance, enhance your posture, and burn off more fat than floor exercises. What are the best exercises for flat abs? Standing Side Crunch for flat abs Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and the toes of your left foot pointing out to the side. Hold your left arm out to your side, with your forearm pointing up in an “L.” Bring your left knee to your left elbow in a side crunch, keeping your arms and shoulders as still as possible. (This forces your oblique muscles to work hard.) Repeat this move 20 times, and then switch to the other side Do the "side-to-side" to build flat abs. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a five-pound weight (or a soup can or book, if you don’t have a weight) vertically in front of your chest with both hands. Slowly move the weight to the left, back to the center, and to the right. Repeat for one minute. Keep your abs pulled in the entire time you’re doing this exercise, and keep your hips as still as possible. The reverse chop will help you gain flat abs. You’ll need a weight or medicine ball for this exercise. Stand with your feet slightly more than hip-width apart.  Squat slightly and lower the weight or medicine ball to the outside of your right knee with both hands, keeping your arms straight. With your arms still straight, raise the weight and rotate it across your body until the weight is above your left shoulder.  Do 10 to 15 repetitions on each side. Sculpt flat abs with the crossover crunch. Starting with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart, bring your right elbow to your left knee, and then switch sides. Repeat for one minute. Single-leg sprints for flat abs Stand in a lunge position with your left knee bent, your right leg stretched out straight behind you, and your arms extended over your head.  Lift your right knee toward your chest, pulling your arms down to your chest at the same time. Do 15 to 20 repetitions on each side. Do standing pike crunches if you want to build flat abs. Start with both arms straight overhead. Slowly bring them down until they’re straight in front of you, simultaneously raising your right leg straight in front of you, and touch your leg with your hands. Repeat 20 times on each side. Alphabet Abs help you obtain flat abs. This is a fun one! Holding a light medicine ball (or any ball you can comfortably hold) in front of you at chest level, move the ball as though you’re writing the cursive alphabet from A to Z. Keep your belly pulled in and your hips and butt as still as possible as you do this. Want still more ideas for working your abs without getting down on the floor? Then check out this fun and free YouTube video from world-famous fitness guru (and my good buddy) Kathy Smith. It only takes about ten minutes, and trust me—you’re gonna feel it the next day. A flat ab diet that will change your life. And, of course, keep tackling that belly fat from the inside out, with foods like bone broth. Bone broth heals your gut, quelling inflammation and making you a natural fat burner so extra pounds—especially around your waistline—melt away quickly. Combine a healthy bone broth habit with easy standing exercises like these, and you’ll be cinching in that belt before you know it! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

Do you dread wearing a swimsuit or a sleeveless dress because it reveals your upper-arm flab? If so, you have lots of company. Even people who are very fit and athletic often develop a jiggle in that pesky tricep area along the back of the arm. Luckily, there are ways to tighten up this trouble spot. So don’t just cover up… take action! Here are three of my favorite arm workouts for tackling tricep flab. Tricep Dips Sit at the edge of a sturdy work bench or coffee table, with your arms beside you, your fingers facing forward, your knees bent, and your feet on the floor. Grasp the edge of the bench or table with your hands. Now lower your butt close to the floor, supporting yourself on your hands. (Be careful not to lock your elbows at any point.) Your back should just graze the bench or table as you lower yourself. Once you’re as low as you can comfortably go, return to your starting position. Do 12 to 15 repetitions. Tricep Kickbacks Stand to the left side of a sturdy bench or coffee table. Place your right knee and hand on the bench or table and hold a five- to eight-pound dumbbell in your left hand, with your palm facing toward your body. Starting with your left upper arm parallel to the floor and your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle, slowly move your forearm back until your arm is straight and parallel to the floor. Do 12 reps, then repeat on the opposite side. Overhead Tricep Extension You can do this exercise seated or standing. Hold five- to eight-pound dumbbells in your hands, with your arms extended straight above your head and your palms facing in. Keeping your elbows close to your head and your abs pulled in, bend your elbows and lower the weights behind your head. Return to your starting position. Do 12 to 15 reps. Tricep Pushups Start in a traditional pushup position—but instead of placing your hands far apart, place them a little less than shoulder-width apart. Do pushups, keeping your elbows close to your body.  If doing pushups from your toes is too difficult, you can modify this exercise by keeping your knees on the floor. Do 10 to 12 reps. Triangle Pushups This harder version of the pushup is a challenge, but science says it’s the most effective way to tone your triceps. Again, get in a standard pushup position. This time, however, place your thumbs and forefingers together to form a triangle. If doing pushups from your toes is too difficult, keep your knees on the floor. Do 10 to 12 reps. Before you quit… When you work one muscle group, it’s always smart to work the opposing muscle group as well. So once you’re done with your triceps, take a few minutes to do some bicep curls. That way, you’ll keep things in balance… and you’ll be building gorgeous arms, front and back! Keep Thinking Big & Living Bold!

How many sit-ups do you think you’ve done in your life? Hundreds, or maybe even thousands? Personally, I think I did at least two million back in my teen years. And here’s what I learned: While those crunches helped a little, they didn’t help a lot in my pursuit to get toned abs. Why? While crunches exercise some core muscles, they’re worthless for others. Luckily, there are other effective ways to slim and strengthen your abs. Here are five of my favorite ways to get great abs and a flatter stomach. 1. Stomach vacuuming (for a flatter belly!) It’s the latest rage… and yes, it actually works! Here’s how to do it. Pick a time when you haven’t eaten recently. Choose one of these positions: ●       On your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. ●       On your hands and knees. ●       Sitting up straight in a chair with no arm rests. Take a few deep breaths. Then exhale as much air as you can, and pull your belly button in toward your spine. Hold this position for 15 seconds, squeezing your belly button in as far as you can and taking small breaths if needed. Try to work your way up to 60 seconds. The great thing about this stomach exercise is that in addition to giving your abs a powerful workout while you’re doing it, it trains you to keep your tummy tucked in during the day and INSTANTLY flattens your belly! 2. Bicycles (builds toned abs!) This exercise is easy to do, but it really works. Do enough repetitions, and I guarantee that you’ll feel your abs the next day!  This is a very effective technique to get toned abs fast. 1.      Lie face-up on a carpeted floor or mat and put your hands behind your head, gently supporting your head with your fingers. Lift your legs at about a 45-degree angle. 2.      Make a bicycling motion with your legs, straightening one leg as you bend the other. As you bend each knee, rotate your body to bring the opposite elbow close to it. Do three sets of 16 bicycles on each side. 3. Planks (sculpts your waistline!) Yeah, I know. These are a little tough. But as you’re tightening your abs, you’ll also be sculpting your thighs and butt—so you’ll get a lot of reward for a little pain. Here’s how to do a proper plank pose: 1.      Lie face-down on a carpeted floor or mat. Rest your upper body on your forearms, keeping your palms flat on the floor. 2.      Push off the floor, supporting your body on your toes and forearms. Your body should form a straight line from the top of your head to your heels. Don’t let your butt stick up or sag. 3.      Hold this position for 20 to 60 seconds. Repeat three to five times. 4. Side planks (trims those love handles!) This variant of the plank doesn’t just flatten your abs; it strengthens your back as well, giving you beautiful posture and helping to protect you from back injuries. To do a side plank, lie on your right side, supporting your upper body on your right forearm, with your legs straight and your left hand on your left hip. Tighten your abs and lift your hips, supporting your body weight on your right forearm and the side of your right foot. (Don’t let your hips sag.) Hold this position for 10 to 30 seconds. Switch sides and repeat. 5. Reverse Crunches (tummy tightening for your lower abs!) This belly flattening exercise really digs into those lower ab muscles. One caution, however: Skip this exercise if you have any back problems. To do a reverse crunch, lie on a carpeted floor or mat with your arms at your sides. Lift your legs straight up. Now lift your hips off the floor, raising your legs straight up toward the ceiling. Lower your hips and repeat. Are you ready to get a flatter belly & get toned abs? Keep at it! To get the best results from these exercises, do them regularly. The fastest way to get toned abs is consistency! Get in the habit of doing the stomach vacuuming exercise first thing every morning before breakfast, and do the bicycles, planks, side planks, and reverse crunches at least every other day. Here’s just one recommended stomach flattening workout routine you can implement to get quick results: Daily – Exercise 1 > 5 sets x 60 seconds each rep Mon, Wed, Friday – Exercises 2-5 > 3 sets of 12 reps each Along with a healthy eating plan, I bet that within a couple of weeks, your waistline will get slimmer and more sculpted. I also predict that you’ll see changes in your butt and thighs, because these exercises work your entire core.  Just imagine how good you’ll look in a few months from now and make all your friends envious during the holiday season! And here’s something else I predict: You’re not going to miss those crunches one bit!

if you’re experiencing a major case of butt sag, it’s time to fight back with these “buns of steel’ exercises. They look simple, but you’ll definitely feel your glutes the next day. 

Want to lose that belly fat and get back into your skinny jeans? New research from Harvard says the secret is resistance training. Here’s more about the latest findings—along with tips for getting the most out of a resistance training workout. I lift weights four times a week. The rest of the time I may do yoga, ballet barre, walk, hike or sprint. But to get the results I'm shooting for, my weight training days are non-negotiable. Here's why: Is your waistline expanding a little bit (or a lot) each year? And is it getting harder and harder to fight that belly fat even if you diet and exercise every day? If so, you’re not alone. In my medical practice, “waistline creep” is one of the most common complaints I hear.  And it’s a serious problem, because belly fat isn’t just unsightly; it also increases your risk of diabetes, heart disease and even breast cancer. But new research points to a simple solution—and it doesn’t involve cutting calories or doing hundreds of sit-ups. Instead, it involves resistance training. What the research shows In a large-scale study, researchers at Harvard followed more than 10,000 healthy men, aged 40 or older, for 12 years. The men provided information on the types of exercise they did and the amount of time they spent exercising. It turns out that men who did 20 minutes of weight training every day had a smaller increase in belly fat than men who spent the same amount of time doing moderate to vigorous aerobic activities. (And not surprisingly, the men who were sedentary had the biggest increases in belly fat.) Combining weight training and aerobic exercise led to the best results. Why weightlifting works Why does resistance training target your “muffin top” so effectively? Here are the two primary reasons: Muscle burns far more calories than fat. So when you add lean muscle to your body with resistance training, you burn more energy all day long—not just when you’re exercising. And that means burning off belly fat, which is easy for the body to mobilize when it needs fuel. Resistance training builds strong core muscles in your abdomen and back, and a toned core takes inches off your waistline. Moreover, weight lifting doesn’t just strengthen your core; it makes you stronger all over. When you get stronger, you have more energy, and that means you do more and you sit less. So again, you’re burning more calories—and that whittles off more abdominal fat. The right way to do resistance training Obviously, it’s smart to add resistance training to your regimen if you want to win the battle of the bulge. While the men in the Harvard study exercised every day, I recommend doing just three or four sessions a week. That way, your body can rest and recover in between. Here’s how to get the maximum payoff from your weightlifting: Pick a heavy enough weight. Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you can easily lift the weight for more than five repetitions, it’s too light. Do “low reps.” That means repeating each exercise five times or less. Do multiple sets. Start with two sets if you’re a beginner, and gradually work up to twelve. And remember that resistance training doesn’t just mean lifting weights; it also means using your own body weight. Try these three powerful core exercises, which will rev up your metabolism and really burn off belly fat: Planks. To do a plank, hold your body in a “pushup” position, with only your toes and your hands on the floor. Squats.  Start with the “goblet” squat, which is easy to do correctly. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest like a goblet. Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width, and point your toes slightly outward. Continuing to hold the weight in front of your chest, sit down as if you’re trying to plant your fanny on the ground. Go as low as you can while keeping good form (heels on the ground, knees in line with toes, flat back). Then stand up, keeping your back vertical. “Mountain climbers.” Start in a plank position. Pull one knee at a time to your chest and then return to the plank position. Repeat with the other leg. These exercises can be a little tough when you’re just starting out. The trick, however, is to do them for only 15 seconds in each repetition. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but believe me: You’ll feel it the next day, especially in your core. Boosting your belly-fat-fighting efforts If you take up resistance training to battle your belly fat, get more bang for your buck by combining it with a low-carb diet. Sugar and grains are the biggest dietary culprits when it comes to visceral fat, because they cause metabolic syndrome—and metabolic syndrome leads to a big belly. Also, add in a few minutes of meditation each day. Research shows that mindful meditation can actually reduce belly fat. And get enough sleep, because sleeping less than five hours a night can add pounds to your waistline. Put all of these elements together, and you have the perfect recipe for melting off that belly bulge. I’m betting that within weeks, you’ll see a difference… and within a few months, you’ll be zipping up jeans you never thought you’d fit into again. Keep thinking big and living bold! -Dr. Kellyann