Tuesday, August 31, 2010

We Got A Good Review Ya Ho!

We got a good review from a fellow blogger. She has a fun blog that I visit often. Give it a read!

http://www.iamsucceeding.com/2010/08/review-dvd-box-and-burn.html





This is our very first workout. It was a student favorite. Some students got a bit addicted to it and got upset if I did another routine lol. It is lots of fun.

We were and are learning lots about making DVDs. It's not as easy or inexpensive as some may think. You get a great deal on fitness DVDs. The producers are relying on bulk sales to get their return.

I hope to be "movie making" again soon. I'm still not healed well enough from my spine surgery. It takes a lot out of you when you do DVDs but I love it so I can't wait!

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Monday, August 30, 2010

What Beverage Keeps Your Hydrated The Longest?

What's one of the best ways to hydrate after exercise?  Milk

It's so important to stay hydrated! There's lots of drinks out there that claim to be great at hydrating you after your workout.

Studies show that milk keeps you hydrated longer. Your average sport drink keeps you hydrated for about an hour while milk has proven to keep you hydrated for four hours!

The other benefit is that milk helps your body burn fat! 3 servings a day of dairy can double the amount of fat you lose around your middle!

It also helps you maintain your muscle mass which adds up to weight loss. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn!

Milk prevents osteoporosis, hyper tension, colon cancer and lessens tooth decay.  If you lose a tooth, putting it in milk will preserve it so your dentist may be able to re implant it.

So for a recovery drink milk is one of your best choices!

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Here's A Great Way To Strength Train

I love to lift weights! I do that once a week. The other days I use bands and rings (or some call them loops).

Bands and rings give you a different feel. I get a deeper burn. I was amazed when I started to use them. They're easier on your joints than weights too.

Bands and rings also take a lot less hassle to use. They don't take up space for storage. They can't fall on the floor and injure the cat or your kids lol. They're inexpensive and easy to take from room to room, to work or to a hotel.

Variety is key with exercise. It's good to use different methods to strength train just like using different methods to get your aerobics.

Anything that overloads the muscles will cause the muscle to strengthen. Using your body weight to challenge your muscles works too. 

As we age we lose muscle mass which leads to a slower metabolism which leads to weight gain. It is so important to take the time to strength train. 

I share my personal band workout out on my DVD "Body Bands and Rings"




I've done this workout all over the world. I travel with a bag of bands and rings in my luggage and I'm good to go. I can strength train where ever I am. No need to skip my workout.

You can buy the bands on my website on the "equipment" page http://www.getrealfit.org/products.html you don't have bands or rings. They sell them at most sporting good stores.

Give bands and rings a try and let me know what you think.

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Becoming The Most Beautiful You!

become the best you can be!
Exercise does so much for you! It burns fat, strengthens your muscles and your bones as well as so many other health improvements...the list is long.

One thing it can't do is decide where your fat will be reduced from or give you a different body type.

Yes, you can get stronger abs and a firmer body by exercising but the fat on top of the muscle can't be lessened by spot reducing exercises. 

Losing weight and doing aerobics will lessen your fat but your body is predetermined as to where that fat loss will come from. 

Generally your body has a favorite place to gain and lose fat from. Some women tend to store fat in their middle section and some women tend to store fat in their bottoms and thighs.

If you are a pear type body shape (small upper body and large in the hips and thighs) you won't become an hour glass shape when you exercise and lose weight, just a smaller pear shape.

Learning to accept your body type is important. Then you can work at making it the best looking body within that shape. 

I would highly suggest focusing on your best body and letting go of the false claims made by some workouts to give you six pack abs and skinny thighs.

If you're born with the tendency for a six pack and skinny thighs great! If not you're heading for some disappointment.

All women are beautiful! Becoming your best is the best goal!

Your fitness expert,

Lynn www.getrealfit.org

Monday, August 23, 2010

Are You Afraid Of Aging?

The word "aging" can send some women into a panic! I go over great tips to make your "Golden" years some of your best years in my new podcast.

You're never too young to start preparing and never too old to start turning back the clock.

Here's the link to the podcast. No special equipment is needed to hear the podcast. Just push the button on my podcast site and you're on your way to learning about aging. You can also click on the podcast icon on the right side of this blog page.

http://lynnhahnpodcast.libsyn.com/

Your fitness expert

Lynn      www.getrealfit.org

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Get All The Fitness Information You Can!

This is a great website to visit to get some excellent information about fitness. I love the presidents challenge. The fitness partner connection is good too.

www.pecentral.org/websites/fitnesssites.html

It's so important to keep reading and learning the new information available about health and fitness. I'm out there checking out what's new all the time and I have the training to be able to know if the information is helpful or trendy.

I hope you'll make use of my blog. You'll learn great information from me and  find other sites that will help you keep updated about your health needs. I'll pass them on to you. This is a good one.

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Friday, August 20, 2010

The Pressure To Be Beautiful

There is so much pressure on the young girls of today to be perfect and beautiful. With all the false representation the media presents it's harder than ever to actually be as beautiful as what is presented to the public.

Here's a video that helps to make that truth clear. This is a good video to share with your daughters and to be aware of yourself.



Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Mind Over Matter When Trying To Lose Weight

The mind is an amazing thing. More and more research is going on to try to understand it.

One interesting research is on the minds ability to handle will- power.

Studies are finding that the mind has a limited ability to handle self-regulation. In other words, it can only deal with so much will-power.

If you're cutting down on spending due to the economy...you may struggle cutting down on the amount of food you're eating. The mind goes into overload when asked to do both things!

Going out to dinner is a challenge for lots of people (me included!). If you want to be able to control the portions on your plate it's best not go window shopping for things you can't afford on the way to your restaurant.

Studies are also showing that your supply of will-power can be increased.

Doing any activity that requires will-power on a regular basis seems to increase the will power threshold.

Staying on your exercise program, working on controlled spending, taking on new sports or exercise routines, controlling your food portions all help you to be able to resist temptations more easily.

It makes sense.

So if you're trying to lose weight and control your spending be aware that it is tough to do that. It can be done but make sure you are giving yourself nice rewards while doing so.

The rewards don't have to be food or things!

You can write a list of things that are free and fun to fall back on. Spending time with friends playing cards, going outside and looking at the sunset or sunrise, playing with your pets are just a few ideas.



It helps to know that you aren't alone with the struggles you're going through on this crazy but fun journey called life.

I'll keep you posted on facts and theories that can help you enjoy your journey so visit me often!

Your fitness expert,

Lynn www.getrealfit.org

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Helping Our Kids Get Healthy

I'm always out there seeing what's new and I found this site I want to pass on to you that have kids and grandkids.  It's called "Let's Move". The Obamas developed it to help give basic information to families and schools to improve children's health through good nutrition and exercise.

I've worked with kids for many years in my martial art school and in local school programs. I see the need for more exercise and better nutrition.

I realize more and more families need both parents to work. I think schools need to provide better food and make sure the PE programs remain regardless of the challenging economic times. After school programs and such are needed as well to keep kids moving, busy and out of trouble while parents are providing for their children by working.

Having healthy clear minds is the only way our children can do well in school. All the tests in the world can't help them to do better if they're feeling bad due to lack of nutrition and exercise. It's just how that works.

Give the site a visit and help support our kids

http://www.letsmove.gov/

Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

This May Explain Why You're Overweight

Science is a multi billion dollar industry. It's good we have the science industry discovering new answers for health issues.

A lot of research is being done on ghrelin, a hormone that causes hunger. A pill that controls it's affect on the obese is in the works.

There's a disorder called Prader-Will that may benefit from that pill. People with the disorder have slowed development, severe obesity and insatiable hunger. The scientists are linking the extreme excess of ghrelin in their bodies as one of the factors that may cause this disorder.

They also are finding that ghrelin helps with learning, memory and good mood. Those are very positive affects of the hormone so it's important to have a normal amount of ghrelin in your system.

They also know that lack of sleep increases the amount of ghrelin stored in the body and helps to explain why people over eat when they don't get at least 6 hours of sleep each night.

Some scientists have a theory that we were designed to be eating machines for survival. They think the people who had extra ghrelin in their systems were the ones who survived in the early days of our development.

Studies have been done supporting that our genetics play a large role on our size.

The thought is that we are born with a set point weight, the weight your body is designed to be. And that no matter how much we try to alter that, our bodies will find their way back to that weight.



Varying that weight by 5 to 10% is possible but more than that is difficult. I find some truth to that. When I get under my normal weight I get extremely hungry. When I'm above that weight I'm not as hungry.

It supports the importance of finding a realistic weight to maintain and that exercise is an important factor in weight control. Those extra calories you eat due to hunger can be burned up by exercise.

Staying active burns calories and develops active tissue, muscle, which burns calories while you're resting.

Studies show people who maintain a weight slightly above their ideal weight that exercise are far healthier than those at their ideal weight who do not exercise!

Those who yo-you up and down in weight have more health complications than those who stay at a consistent weight and include exercise, even if that weight is slightly above their ideal weight.

The lesson today is no pill is available currently for controlling ghrelin but you can have some control by getting enough sleep. You also have some control of your weight by exercising and staying active.

This information may support why people get depressed when they over eat and think more clearly on an empty stomach.

The levels of ghrelin are higher when you're hungry so the good affects of the hormone can be experienced as well as the negative ones.

The world is always gaining insight, knowledge and remedies to health disorders due to science. I'll try to keep you posted, so visit me often!

Your fitness expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Friday, August 6, 2010

Uncle Sam Wants You To Get Healthy

The Government is really trying to get people moving!

Health care is an issue right now. Insurance rates are rising. One way of improving the situation is to improve the publics' health.

Exercise is one of the primary ways to improve health! The government is completely aware of this fact.

Their website explains the new requirements for weekly exercise www.health.gov/paguidelines

The old 30 minute daily rule is now being replace by a weekly amount of exercise. 150 minutes of weekly exercise is the minimum.

It can be split up into 10 minute sessions twice everyday, three 50 minute sessions per week...they give a variety of ways to divide the time.

Having the time spread out is the best way. Doing it all in one or two days is not wise! They do not recommend that.

The goal is to make it easy for people to get their aerobic exercise in. They also recommend two to three strength training days per week. Those must be done on non consecutive days! You need 48 hours of rest between sessions. Your muscle build on your rest day!

They don't give a time allotment for the strength training. It needs to be under an hour. It should be at least 15 minutes.

The government site goes on to say that for the best health improvements, 300 hours per week is needed. I would totally agree!



They state that some of the exercise needs to be vigorous. They say that one minute of vigorous activity equals 2 minutes of moderate activity.

That's a bit confusing. How much of the time needs to be vigorous and how much moderate? Does that mean I can do less time if it's all vigorous?

I suggest two to three non consecutive days of at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise which could be jogging, aerobic workouts (examples:kick boxing, dancing, step workouts ) or playing active sports. That can be split in two 10 minute sessions.

The rest of the minutes can be used walking, doing tai chi, ballroom dancing, riding an exercise bike at a slower pace, anything that gets you moving but doesn't get you extremely winded.

If vigorous exercise is not possible for you just doing the moderate exercise will be helpful!

Children and adolescents need one hour per day of aerobic activity. That's 420 minutes of weekly aerobic activity. Three hours of that needs to be vigorous.

It's a great website to stroll through.

It's helpful to keep learning about exercise so you're inspired to do it. Out of sight out of mind! It's easy to think "I'll get to that tomorrow".

Keep visiting my blog because I'll keep you posted on all the new stuff and the old stuff that works. I'm here for you!

Your fitness expert,

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Do You Want To Double Your Chances Of Losing Weight?

Do you want to double your weight loss?

According to a recent study those who pick up a pen and keep track of what they eat get big rewards! They are twice as successful at losing weight.

The study showed a couple of reasons why.

Most people did not want to write down the extra piece of chicken they wanted or the candy bar they knew they shouldn't have.

A lot of people had no idea how much they did unconscious eating. Once they were aware of it, they were able to stop that habit.

The third reason was that often people are not aware of how many calories are in the foods they're eating.

A great website for keeping track of your calories is

http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/menuplanner/menu.cgi

Some people say,"it's too burdensome to keep a food diary".

My answer to that is... instead of spending the time over eating use it keeping track of what you do eat.

I love to eat and have to keep myself busy often to avoid nervous eating.

You don't have to keep a diary forever. Most people eat about 30 or 40 things so once you get familiar with the calories in those foods you'll know how many calories you're eating.

Measuring the portions of food you eat is extremely helpful. 
Knowing what a normal serving size is important. With all the excess food restaurants feed us it's easy to lose track of what a true portion is. 


I always use the fist method. A serving size is generally the size of your fist. Nuts are what you can hold in the center of your palm because they are so concentrated in their calories.


Just some food for thought!


Try using a food diary for a few weeks and see what a differnce it makes in your weight. I think you'll be happily surprised.


Your fitness expert 


Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Tips For Staying Fit Through Out Your Life!

Getting great tips for staying fit through out your life is like being given the Hope Diamond...they're extremely valuable.

I was reading "More" magazine and came across some fantastic tips for staying young after 40. The good news is...they're the tips I've been giving for years.

Having your information confirmed by doctors is always comforting.

Here are the tips:

After the age of 30 your body changes due to hormonal levels changing. Most women start to store more fat in their stomaches and their once firm muscles start to loosen.

The answer to real change is...EXERCISE!

Exercise retards aging on a cellular level...it truly works!


One great suggestion was that if finding time to exercise is a problem, instead of exercising 3 to 4 times a week for 20 to 40 minute blocks...exercise for at least 10 minutes 2 to 4 times a day and do it everyday!

Turning on the timer and cleaning the house vigorously counts. At work, looking at your watch and going up and down the stairs or walking vigorously around the parking lot counts. Going to the mall for lunch and walking around the mall at a fast pace counts.

Studies show that most women who are instructed to exercise in that manner do more exercise than those who are told to do "block" timed exercise and because of the increased exercise tend to lose up to 5 lbs more than the "block" timed exercisers.

If you are already walking, jogging, or riding a bike...include intervals 2 to 3 days per week! Spend 20 seconds to 2 minutes at full speed then at least the equal time recovering through out your 30 to 40 minute aerobic workout. The results are amazing!

Do weight training with free weights 2 to 3 non consecutive days per week. 



Weight training increases your muscle mass which increases the number of calories your body burns and improves your body's appearance.


Free weights are more effective than the machines because your muscles are challenged in more functions than with the machines. Your body has to stabilize it's self instead of the machines doing the work so the results are better.


Instead of taking a day off from exercise when you're sore...do an active rest day. Take an easy walk, stretch several times a day. Use a foam roller to help massage your sore muscles. You can find the foam rollers at sporting good stores and on line.



Eat 5 to 6 small meals per day instead of 3 square meals! That slows down the release of insulin in your body, a hormone that causes your body to store more fat. Each meal should be about 300 calories and include protein and carbs.


Pump up your protein intake. As you age it's harder for your body to recover from exercise so you need more protein.


Eating half your weight in protein grams everyday is what is recommended. If your 120 lbs that's 60 grams of protein. If you're eating protein with all your 5 to 6 meals you'll achieve that!


Those are great tips. I've been using them for years! 


Your fitness expert


Lynn   www.getrealfit.org



My three best friends and I

My three best friends and I
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