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Did you over do it during the holiday weekend? Never fear – the Plank is here!
While you begin to de-Christmas your diet, check out ALL the ways you can work your core with Total Gym Plank exercises. GRAVITY Master Trainer Michael Steel demos how to add an extra upper body challenge while you’re at it!
Whatever holidays you celebrate this time of year, we at Total Gym wish you blessings, happiness and prosperity.
I am thankful for family and friends and all the diversity that each of YOU brings to our lives.
I am thankful for a landmark year in which Total Gym returned full circle to its roots and launched new products into more than 20 countries through our amazing distributors.
I am thankful for nearly four decades of Total Gym delivering life-changing results to customers… customers who actually write to us and tell us about it daily, which changes our lives.
I am thankful for your enduring support of our company and our family… all of YOU –customers, suppliers, service providers, trainers, dealers, distributors, friends, family, editors and publishers.
In the spirit of love and joy, from our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous New Year!
In health,
Tom Campanaro
Total Gym President and CEO
Happy Holidays TG Team!
The holidays can put a time crunch on everything, including our workouts. So here’s a little combo I love to do and teach. I call it “Roly-Poly!”
Benefits you ask?
*Multi-tasking/time management at it’s best
*Easy to remember
*Hits all the major muscles quickly and effectively
*It’s FUN!
For instance, if I’m in a time crunch, I’ll do three 5-minute Cardio Blasts to torch some calories interspersed with 3 Roly-Polys. A full body workout in less than 22 minutes! Then I’m ready to hit the holiday goodies with a clear conscience.
I also threw in a new Plyometric move that I love … man, did it get my calves nice and sore!
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
I hope Santa is good to you all!
JayDee
JayDee Cutting is a GRAVITY Master Trainer, certified personal trainer, Pilates instructor and creator of the “Core Golf Fitness” program. JayDee’s Core Golf Fitness DVD offers on-course and warm-up exercises proven to help advance your golf game and is available for purchase at http://coregolffitness.com.
There was an excellent article in the November issue of Prevention Magazine discussing the 7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips. I’ve actually narrowed that list down to 4 (because 7 may be too hard to remember) and weighed in with my own opinion about some excellent alternatives!
Canned Tomatoes – I’m actually going to expand this to all canned vegetables. The main danger of canned vegetables (specifically the acidic ones like tomatoes) is that the cans contain a synthetic estrogen called BPA, which can leach into the food. BPA has been linked to all sorts of major diseases but specifically those related to your reproductive system. In addition to BPA, as the vegetables sit in the can, most of the important vitamins and minerals are leached out into the surrounding water. So unless you are drinking the juice (gross), you’re missing a lot of the essential nutrients.
Instead: Try vegetables packaged in glass or even frozen vegetables. A vegetable is most nutritious the second it is harvested. Frozen vegetables are flash frozen immediately after harvesting so in some cases they can contain more nutrients than their fresh alternatives.
Nonorganic Apples – This year the apple skyrocketed to the top of the “Dirty Dozen” list, an honor that no produce wants. This means that nonorganic apples have the highest amount of pesticides.
Instead: Buy organic. If you can’t afford organic, make sure to wash, wash, wash your apples before eating.
Corn/Soy-Fed Beef – Close your eyes and picture a cow in a meadow. What’s he doing? Eating grass, right? That’s what they were designed to do, however, factory farmed cows are fed corn and soy because it’s cheaper and fattens them up faster. Unfortunately, it also decreases their nutrient profile making them lower in O-3’s and vitamins and minerals and higher in saturated fat.
Instead: Opt for grass-fed beef. As the damage of corn-fed beef becomes more apparent grass-fed options have been popping up at more and more grocery stores. It tends to be more expensive, but if you are going to spend your money on one thing, this will have the greatest impact. You can also visit www.EatWild.com and find a local farmer to buy from directly.
Microwave Popcorn – This one actually makes me the saddest because popcorn is one of my favorite treats! However, microwave popcorn bags contain chemicals that have been linked to infertility and cancer. They will actually be phasing out these chemicals by 2015, but I suggest you phase them out by 2012!
Instead: Pop your own! It is way cheaper and actually tastes better. Don’t have an air-popper? What a perfect time to ask Santa…or Amazon!
Tara Coleman is a Clinical Nutritionist and Salada Tea Spokesperson living in San Diego, CA. She blogs twice a month with “Tara’s Friday Bite.” Leave your comments with ideas for future topics or email Tara directly at tara@taracoleman.com.
Q: The holidays are so stressful with all of the “to-dos” and little time to get it all done. How can I ease the holiday stress?
A: That’s a great question that not only applies to the holidays, but to the stress of “life” in general. When our bodies experience “stress,” our adrenal glands, that sit just above our kidneys, release a combination of hormones that include cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. The term “adrenal” fatigue occurs when we have prolonged periods of stress, resulting in the prolonged release of stress hormones. The symptoms of adrenal fatigue can include decreased energy, body and muscle aches, extreme exhaustion, poor quality or interrupted sleep, lack of mental clarity, or “brain fog,” and sometimes depression.
Exercise can help overcome the effects of stress by shutting off the adrenal hormones and instead causing the release of substances that our brain produce called endorphins. Endorphins result in feelings of relaxation, peacefulness and calmness. Exercise also helps to relax our bodies and our cardiovascular system, which helps to enhance our quality of and depth of sleep, which results in more restorative sleep.
How much exercise a person needs to maximize the release of endorphins varies from person to person and with the aerobic activity being performed. Generally, a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day of moderate intensity aerobic activity that elevates your heart rate above 100 beats per minute should be enough to at least “take the edge off” of those stressful feelings and clear your mind so that you can focus better.
So, with the stress of the holidays bearing down on us, make sure to use your Total Gym daily to relieve those “holiday blues.” Daily exercise will also help fight the weight gain that is so common this time of year!
Until next time, have a wonderful, safe, healthy and blessed Holiday Season and New Year!
Dr. Salada is board certified in Internal Medicine and has been in practice in San Diego since 1996. She attended medical school at Wake Forest University where she received high honors in Family Practice and Internal Medicine. Her final training was obtained from Pennsylvania State University where she completed her residency in Internal Medicine.
Visit Dr. Salada’s website for more information: http://elizabethsaladamd.com/.
Total Gym wants to help inspire a fit New Year for one lucky Facebook Fan!
We are giving away a “Holiday Smart Start Package” featuring the NEW Total Gym Sport, plus the popular 3Grip Pull-up Bar and GRAVITY :: Power UP Workalong DVD.* A total offer value of over $2,700!
Hurry! Deadline to enter is Tuesday, December 20 at 5 p.m. PT.
Look for the winner announcement on our Wall next Wednesday, December 21 at 8 am PT!
Total Gym … spreading the joy of fitness since 1974.
No purchase necessary. Winner will be selected at random.* Free shipping provided to the winner if he/she is a legal resident of the 50 United States and DC. Shipping costs will be incurred for a winner residing outside of the 50 United States and DC. These and other Official Rules can be found here.
By: 
Physical Therapy Contributor Jessie Carter, PT
Low back pain has been a common theme around the clinic lately. Every year around this time, there seems to be an increase in patients complaining of back pain – aches and pains from shoveling snow, back strain from carrying shopping bags and packing gifts, and chronic pain patients want to address before the holidays.
I was out with the best of them on Black Friday braving the crowds. What started as a quick trip to snag some deals, however, turned into an all-night, exhausting event.
Consider these tips to keep your body from wearing down before you do:
While most back pain is mild and resolves on its own, some pain persists or comes back repeatedly over time. A lot of my patients, who have experienced low back pain for years, tell me they have tried multiple treatment options without success. They also report that each time the pain returns, it seems to get worse.
When you experience low back pain, one of the best things to do is to stay active and continue with your normal routine as much as possible, without the risk of further injury. This seems to contradict the old approach of “putting someone to bed” when they are down on their back. Bed rest for more than a day has been shown to actually slow recovery.
If your pain worsens or lasts more than a few days, then it is time to see a medical professional. Immediate medical attention should be sought if you experience loss of bowel or bladder control, numbness in the groin or inner thigh and/or pain that does not change with rest.
Continue your Total Gym routine over the holidays to maintain optimal strength and tone. Try these “Cable Core Work” exercises to target your snow shoveling and shopping muscles: the shoulders, back, arms and chest in conjunction with the core.
Arm Cable Exercises; Recruiting the Core
The mad rush of the holidays is here…following these simple tips and taking care of your body will allow you to enjoy the season and shop without the drop.
Happy rehabbing!
Jessie Carter is the owner of High Pointe Rehab in Clarksville, TN, where she utilizes Total Gym for physical therapy and fitness training to offer the full continuum of patient care. Jessie is a 2001 graduate of the University of Evansville (UE) in Evansville, IN, where she earned both her BS and Master’s degrees in physical therapy. Contact Jessie at jessie@highpointetn.com with your questions or ideas for future topics.
