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If you have ever suffered from sciatica, or lower lumbar problems, you understand the excruciating, sometimes immobilizing pain associated with flare-ups. Often recognizable by an acute pain in your derrière that also radiates down into the lower leg, sciatica can cause muscle weakness, tingling, numbness, and of course, wicked pain. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, more than 65 million Americans that suffer from lower-back pain, such as sciatica, will have a recurrence of the pain within one year. (American Assoc. of Neurological Surgeons, 2000.) Therefore, see......
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Kind of reads like a magazine cover, doesn't it? In all seriousness though, there really are some simple steps that will help you achieve a weight loss goal...but you can't do just one and kinda do the other two, or only kinda do all three. Do all three, keep you eye on the ball, and you'll hit a home run. Ready? Here we go... Your Plan 1. Record your food intake daily. Include in your diet a variety of fruits and vegetables at 6-9 servings daily; 2-3 servings of lean protein; 3 servings of dairy; and quality oils. Why? Keeping track of what you eat for a few weeks (I'm not talking forever peo......
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[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="179" caption="these are "soft" weighted fitness balls"] [/caption] Some recent research shows that crunches, the old standby for ab exercises, only targets 3 of the abdominal muscles. Yet there are muscles that surround the entire core, acting as a girdle to support your spine, increase power and speed, improve stability, and oh yes, give you that six-pack look. Six-pack abs aside, you need a strong core… A strong core is your center of power. Powerhouse. Like a rocket ready to take off on a moments notice. Okay, you get the idea. When your c......
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Actually, the question went more like this: "I hate to run. It is hard. Did I already say that I hate it? Yet, you talk about running so much. Why?" There was more, but for the sake of this post, let's just say that this reader's negative feelings about running ran deep (no pun intended). Why am I so hip on running? Well, for one thing, it is hard. I like things that are hard to do. Second, it is "me" time, and often the only time I have for finishing a thought. Four kids...enough said. And finally, (and let's face it, this is important stuff) few physical activities burn as many calories per ......
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Maybe you've been on a workout train for some time, diligently going to the gym and happily taking your dose of cardio and weight training, maybe even a few classes too just to challenge yourself. Perhaps you've been on this train, per se, for years, then all of a sudden, you're okay with missing a workout, then two. The idea of going to the gym or out the door for a jog becomes a chore, when it was once something you enjoyed. Have you been there? Are you there now? If so, read on... I think I can help. True, I am a trainer, but at heart, I'm really a fitness buff and have been since college. ......
Feb

07

It is the little things you do every day, like taking the stairs rather than the elevator at work, hoisting up your toddler and doing 10 squats, walking lunges while you talk on the phone. I know, it seems kind of hokey, but seriously, every little effort, done consistently, will bring results. Think about the caterpillar, which undergoes lots of little changes before finally turning into a beautiful butterfly.

I think the reason a lot of us have a hard time tackling a big goal, like losing a large amount of weight, or training for an intense event, such as a 10K, is that the end result looks like Mt Everest. How ever do you scale that thing? But broken down into manageable chunks, the process is much less daunting – down right achievable! (Pssst …I attack fitness this way a lot. It really does work.)

I know, you’ve heard this or read it in self-help books a gazillion times. So have I, but having tackled several big goals by breaking down the tasks into little, bite-size morsels, I was able to achieve them. It wasn’t so bad, honest (or I wouldn’t be suggesting it here.)

Try this…

When you’re faced with 4 cardio workouts and 2 strength training sessions in one week, break them down like this: 8-10 “mini” cardio sessions of 10-15 minutes each. Spread across 7 days, that doesn’t seem so bad. Likewise with strength training: 8-12 exercises per session can be broken down into 2-3 exercises, again, spread across 7 days per week. This approach is FAR better in the long run than doing 4 cardio sessions and 2 ST sessions, as planned, only once per month. Better to break it down into manageable chunks and get credit consistently, than to get credit only occasionally.

Plus, “occasional” effort isn’t really effort at all – it just a random act of activity. ;-)



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  1. [...] out loud, sets you up for certain disappointment. You are what you think about most of the time, so think positive thoughts. Tell yourself you can do it, even if you don’t yet believe it. This is the one time it is okay to [...]

  2. [...] Consistency is the key. A popular quote goes something like this: “Being good some of the time is not hard. Being [...]

  3. Great Post!…

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