Jumping Rope With Jordin Sparks

I had the opportunity to work with, and develop a great workout for Jordin Sparks.  It was a pleasure to work with an artist who is truly passionate about health and fitness.  On the day of our shoot, Jordin introduced her mother to me - we talked about health, fitness and diet, as well as what it takes to lose weight and keep it off. I showed Jordin and her mother the  Jade of  Spades fitness app,  Jordin loved it and said that she and her mother would do the workouts together.  This reminds me of my mother.  Although my mother and I don't workout/play Jade of Spades together, I get daily emails from her stating that she's played Jade of Spades (usually the beginner series which involves jumping jacks and sit-stands). Jordin's level of fitness impressed me; her recent weight loss is evidence of her commitment and dedication to her health.  Most people struggle the first time I ask them to jump rope and do push-ups, but not Jordin Sparks. Jordin jumped the yarn out of the rope and then  rocked the push-ups on her toes!  Pick up the August issue of Shape Magazine  or  view it online;  "Up Close With Jordin Sparks", please do try the workout - I hope you enjoy it!

Keep Things Hot & Spicy With Ginger

I love ginger!  Ginger is a typical ingredient in many of my juices, it holds nutritional value and adds great flavor with a kick of spice.  Ginger's nutritional benefits include;  aiding digestion, decreasing inflammation, and heartburn relief.  To learn more about the benefits of ginger, check out this link for 10 health benefits of ginger.  I know it is summer, but with the air conditioning blasting everywhere,  I drink a cup of hot ginger tea to keep me warm indoors.  My favorite way to make fresh ginger tea, is to juice the ginger, add hot water, a splash of fresh squeezed lemon and a little honey to sweeten it. Delicious!

Perfect Health

"When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target."  Perfect health, fitness and physical appearance require a lifetime of commitment and continuous effort.

Shopping For Calorie Burn

I don't shop often,  but I did go to the mall last week with my sister. I'm sure we walked at least three miles!  We didn't buy much, but carrying around my relatively heavy purse and shopping bags while walking did burn some calories.  While walking in the mall, you should make a point of using the stairs instead of elevators or escalators, if you are on an escalator then don't stand, walk!  I was raised in the suburbs and spent plenty of time at the mall with my friends and family,  I remember seeing a walking club -  it was a group of middle aged men and women dressed in workout clothes power walking around the mall.  The group typically walked early in the morning or late in the evening.  At the time I though this was ridiculous.   Now I think this is a great idea, especially when it is too hot, cold or wet to do much outside. An active lifestyle is a choice, try not to sit at home and shop online, avoid deliveries, get out and about, walk, shop and carry your goods, this way you will burn some calories along with your dollars!

Weight Loss Advice

Losing weight requires proper rest, nutrition and exercise.  Please visit Eat Fit for guidelines on eating right.  In order to lose weight it is necessary to do both cardio and strength training.  High intensity movements that elevate the heart rate mixed with strength training is a great way  to help you achieve weight loss quickly.  Be sure to exercise two to five days a week.  Try to incorporate something fun with a friend and get outdoors; jogging, running, and walking or play a sport like basketball or tennis.   Also, do some strength training - check out my exercise library for some helpful ideas.  Jade of Spades is another great way to help you lose weight in a fun, fast and easy fashion!  Don't expect results overnight, practice patience and maintain a regular routine.

Juice Combo - "Daily Detox"

I enjoyed a wonderful juice today; "Daily Detox" from Juice Generation, it is made with; carrot, cucumber, green apple and ginger, this juice combination  is absolutely delicious! Although Juice Generation is a bit pricey, I think it is a great investment in my health and yours.   Juice generation is great because they are fast, friendly and consistent; they mix the right amount of each ingredient and have appropriate serving sizes.   Try this juice combo at home (only use  1/2 an apple) or stop by your local juice bar.

Daily Ab's For A Sexy Stomach

I'm embarrased to say that I was reading a gossip magazine!  The cover story was "Hot Bodies 2012", and the magazine revealed several celebrity "get-sexy" secrets.  Kelly Rowland, former Destiny's child singer and four time grammy winner has one of the best bodies in the industry.  Us Weekly's interview with Kelly revealed that she exercises on a regular basis and eats a healthy diet. Kelly's routine includes weights, pilates, cardio, boxing and abs every night!  The question I get asked most often, is "shall I do abs everyday?" The answer is, it depends!

If your goal is to get a flat stomach, abdominal exercises alone are not the most effective way to get rid of belly fat.  The best way to lose stomach fat is to workout regularly with cardio, weights and healthy diet.  If you are already in pretty good and want to develop better tone in the abdominals, doing ab exercises every day is okay.  Some may argue that abdominal muscles are like other muscles and need 24 hours to recover between intense workouts, this is true.   If you do an intense abdominal workout then, it is best to rest between workouts.   But, if you are doing light abdominal routines daily, for example 100 crunches at night, then this is okay because it is "light", we walk daily, lift and carry things daily, our bodies are designed to move and be active. Light daily movement is ok.

Daily ab exercises will not help you lose fat around the stomach.  Rather, focus your energies on 2 -3 intense ab workouts a week combined with a complete fitness program and proper eating.  Although it is ideal to rest between workouts, daily ab exercises are fine.  Consider Jack LaLanne, fitness guru and hero - Jack  had a daily workout routine and it is said he did it up until his last day; Jack LaLane passed in 20011 at age 96. There is something to be said about daily exercise,  if doing ab exercise daily helps keep you in a good routine and helps you maintain a healthy mindset, then crunch away.  Don't negelct to strengthen your lower back too, it will help you stay balanced and prevent injury.  Good luck with that six pack!

Get Fit Fast Jumping Rope

Jumping rope is an excellent way to burn a ton of calories in a short period of time, it's inexpensive and you can jump rope almost anywhere.  A great jump rope can be purchased for under $20, you can use it at home, outside in the garden, in the park, at the gym, or while on vacation,  the opportunities to jump rope are almost endless! (I always pack my jump rope when I travel).  

Jumping rope is a great form of exercise because it satisfies cardiovascular conditioning and works almost every muscle in your body, while toning the muscles in your legs, shoulders and arms.  Peter Schulman, MD, associate professor, Cardiology/Pulmonary Medicine, University of Connecticut Health Center is an advocate of jump rope, he says "it's certainly good for the heart, it strengthens the upper and lower body and burns a lot of calories in a short time".

Schulman also notes that jump rope can put a lot of stress on the knees, ankle and hips, but if done correctly it can be lower impact than jogging.  One of the keys to jumping rope is to stay light on your feet.  Beginners tend to jump higher than necessary, if you are new to jump rope  try to only jump an inch off the floor and stay high on your toes. 

Jump rope can satisfy your cardiovascular training or it can be incorporated into your workout.  For example  you  can do a set of squats or shoulder press followed by one minute of jump rope creating an interval style workout.  However, you chose to incorporate it into your routine, you will certainly elevate your  heart rate and burn a ton of calories. To get a better idea of how many calories you will burn, check out this exercise calorie counter, you may be pleasantly surprised.  Exercise should be fun, jumping rope was a childhood joy, I hope it helps improve your level of fitness while bringing a smile to your workout!

How To Stay Active July 4th!

Holidays are not an excuse to eat poorly and exercise laziness!  Try and stay active this holiday weekend, plan active things with friends and family.  For example, go for a walk or organize tag football, soccer, volleyball, etc.  Some other great ideas include, biking, hiking, rafting and kayaking.  Also consider a historic landmark tour of your city.  For New Yorkers, a walking  tour of Central Park is a great history lesson coupled with sun, fun and exercise.  There are a plethora of activities to do with friends and family on the 4th, check out this link for some tips on how to stay active in New York City, and for those of you in other cities, use Google!  Lastly, I know it is a holiday -do enjoy some gluttonous food and drink, but don't over indulge! Everything is okay in moderation!  Have a healthy and active 4th of July celebration!