Phitness Advice from High School Musical

What? Yes, I can hear all your incredulous responses! What am I talking about. The answer is this...

"Bop, bop, bop, bop till you top. Slip and slide and ride that rhythm"

Yes, there you have it. How to look PHAB and PHIT from High School Musical!

Get out! Dance! Move those legs and arms and bootie! Shake it, but don't break it! And soon - you'll be amazed at how much exercise you've gotten and how great you'll feel!

Now get out there and bop to the top!

To your phitness and well being,
Phillip

PS A post doesn't have to be LONG to be valuable!

"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!

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.

What to do when what you're doing doesn't work.

Hey Phitties!

I just checked in on my progress. I've actually expanded a bit (1/4 inch I think) rather than reducing. But why? I'm exercising (both aerobic and anaerobic) I'm eating well. What's the story? Why haven't I reduced my inches or my weight?

Has this ever happened to you? I bet it has. But what do you do? You swear you're doing everything right, but alas, nothing is working as you anticipated! Well, we've got the answers.

1. DON'T quit! Whatever you do, don't give in to despair or discouragement. Keep at it!

2. Re-evaluate what you're doing.

• Are you lifting? Maybe you're putting on muscle, think if going for reps and tone rather than bulk.
  
• Are you walking, running, hitting the bike or stair-master? Maybe you should amp up your workout by going faster or further or using some type of interval training.
  
• Are you watching your diet? Some types of diets are better than others for different people. For example, I couldn't loose an * ounce * on The Zone. Try South Beach, avoid Atkins. Personally (as long as you can get the right foods) I really liked the diet in Ultra-Metabolism by Dr. Hyman. At the moment, I'm working on something that's a bit of a blend that eliminates processed carbs (so I can still eat something whole wheat - the real kind that you have to cut with a saw, not just a knife), gives me LOTS of veggies and fruits and still allows me protein (must have for me).
  
• Are you taking supplements? Maybe drinking lots of protein powder or using creatine isn't the best idea for you while you're trying to loose weight.
  

3. Make the changes. Maybe you just need to not have that bagel in the morning. Maybe coffee causes inflammation for you and makes it harder for you to loose. Oh - here's a tip. If it's warm where you are and you've switched your coffee intake from hot to cold - did you add cream to your coffee too? More sugar? Look for the hidden cost of the food and beverages you're consuming.

Ok, that's a lot for one post - but you should have the idea now! (1) Keep at it. (2) Re-valuate. (3) Make changes. Remember, you CAN do it. Stay the course and you'll be phit and phab in no time!