"Sleep, Data" Fitness advice from the Borg

The famous not so famous words of Jean-Luc Picard - as Locutous of Borg happen to be some of the best words for those of us desiring to look phit and phab!

But why?

Well, sleep helps you keep looking good for all kinds of reasons. It keeps you functioning well because your body really does need the sleep the doctors have been telling you about. But for weight loss (or looking phab) it's just straight out because you NEED the ENERGY.

Any normal person when they've had enough rest has a bit of jitter in them (normal jittering - not caffeine induced). However, when you don't have enough sleep, you don't move. You spend all day essentially conserving energy because you're tired. When you have enough sleep THEN your body uses up your energy. Very cool, isn't it? (yes, scientific study showed this).

Another reason for sleep is the energy you have to work out with. You know it - if you don't have the right rest - you don't hit your workout full force. And you also know that there's a BIG difference between hitting that workout with enthusiasm and vigor rather than just dragging your butt into whatever workout you're going to do.

So, even if you take no other advice from a Borg, take this advice. SLEEP.

Your Mind Can Make You Stronger!

Think Yourself Stronger! "Just thinking about exercise can help maintain muscle strength," says Dr. Vinoth Ranganathan.

So, THINK about it! Then follow up with some of the real deal. Watch what happens!

The End of the Day

You've been up early. Rode the train. Got stuck next to the lady that took a perfume bath and the whole car stank of her ode' du toilet. You've slaved on the job all day, stressed to get everything you needed done, then you dragged your butt home on the train next to the guy that had a critical deodorant failure about two hours before you got on the train. You fought your way out of the parking lot and you're finally home almost 12 hours later.

Good grief. You just want to lie down and sleep! But don't!

NOW is the time to take control. Make this part of the day the part that pays for you. Sure you're tired, sure you may even be mentally exhausted, and that makes it an even BETTER opportunity to exercise, pump up the endorphins and re-energize!

Sure, I know it's not easy. And yes, I know that the kids may be waiting at home, your spouse may be waiting for you, maybe a long drive may have wiped you out. I also know that when you come home tired, look for the snack, have some carbs, munch until you make dinner - that by the time you get to dinner, you've probably already consumed the amount of calories you should have had for dinner! Because you're tired, you'll eat worse and eat more. BUT

When you come home and exercise, even if it's just a little walk, you'll feel better, your mind will be clearer. You'll rev up your metabolism. Essentially, you'll turn the most potentially damaging part of the day into your HOUR OF POWER!

So, it's the end of the day. PWN it! Rock it now and you'll be even more phabulous tomorrow.

See you soon my phab phitties! And hey! I want some success stories! Tell me how you're doing in the comments!

Never be the same!

It's one thing we can learn from a computer company! OK, well electronics company now - but it is one thing that Apple, Inc. has straight. What is it? Never be the same.

Sure, Apple is known for it's style, simplicity and ease of use. But it is constantly updating it's systems. Making changes. And we should too. Especially when it comes to our exercise routine. And I know that many of you don't like to think about change, but you should! Why? Here's why.

Our bodies are created to be incredibly adaptive. Heat, cold, rain, food or lack of food, exercise or not our bodies adapt. They adapt to our calorie requirements to meet our conditions, they adapt our muscle mass until it is sufficient to meet the need. So, when we exercise, if we just keep doing the exact same thing there comes a day when our body goes - "hey! I'm good at this." and it stops changing. It stops burning more calories, it stops building more muscle (though you'll maintain your muscle). So, if we're going to continue to make progress, then we can't keep doing the same thing! We must change. We've gotta shake things up.

So dudes and dudettes, start shaking. Do you walk? Walk further. Better yet, instead of walking, grab a jump rope. Knees can't handle that? Find a pool. Find a trampoline. That no good for you? Shadow box for 3 minutes - no stopping - constant movement. Do that for three rounds and tell me you haven't worked out! The idea is, NEVER BE THE SAME. Constantly vary your workout to maximize the effect on your body.

Change: it does a body good.