The Fitness Guru

Hey Gang!

The iTunes link, long dormant to the point where I thought it had disappeared, is now up and running again thanks to the good folks at Apple. Check out the NPR-like, quick spots on all health and fitness related topics.

Got a question about your health and fitness? Send it to me HERE and it could be the very next podcast. Hit “subscribe” and have the quick link every time a new podcast is launched.

……and tell your friends…….

Rock on!

The final days of February…….New York was hit with about a foot and a half of slush……it’s kinda gray, very cold……..I don’t feel like doing anything……you?

When I feel down, I like to the sages for wise words to reignite my inner fire. Here are some of my favorite words….

I hope you enjoy…..

(please note, there are several cuss words as well as a reference to Hitler. Those easily offended should perhaps refrain from viewing…….but at the same time, it’s pretty damn funny….)

How do you know when it’s time to make a decision?

“How can I lose this weight? I don’t get it.”

“Are you eating healthy? Exercising regularly?”

“Well……kinda…….but, I mean, come on…….”

Riddle me this:

Let’s say your driving off for a weekend’s retreat. For New Yorkers, I will use the Hamptons as the example. So it’s Friday afternoon and you set off and drive for a while. You get to about exit 38 on the Long Island Expressway and all of the sudden you get the urge to sit in this really wonderful chair in your living room back in the city. It’s a nice chair, so soft and comfortable, and, damn it, you should sit in it. So you turn around, wrestle traffic and drive back to the city so that you can sit in the chair for a couple of minutes.

Pretty stupid, right?

So why the HELL, if you are trying to lose pounds and inches and get “healthy”, do you keep reaching for sugar-free muffin tops and low fat pudding and frozen pizza with half the calories? Why would you go to the trouble of getting in the car and driving, dealing with idiot drivers and traffic congestion, only to turn around and go home– all to sit in a chair?

Honestly, I have no interest in the Hamptons, but if you’re going to go, go! Enough with the chair and enough with the indecisiveness. There will be lots of chairs for you in Montauk but you have to get there first!

And if you do decide to sit the chair, great! Enjoy the chair! But don’t complain about how long it took you to get to the beach.

Rock on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…..it’s cold and wet and snowy…..whatever……We have five more days of February then comes the official countdown to SPRING!! WHOOPEE!!!!!

And, before you know it, the panic of having to shed layers is going to hit! Start getting ready now! We have new BOOT CAMPS forming: 6am, 7am and 9:30 am! PLUS we may just add a YOGA BOOT CAMP on the weekends if you folks seem interested!

Want to know more? Email Michael at michael@fitnessgurunyc.com.

And for those of you who don’t have easy access to our BEEEAAAUUUTIFUL DUMBO studio? Check out the training podcasts online! All the joys of the Guru right in your own head (well…….iPod…..)!!

Rock on!!

How many calories should you consume in one day in order to lose weight? The Fitness Guru tackles this question in his latest podcast.

The Fitness Guru

www.fitnessgurunyc.com

The Fitness Guru

www.fitnessgurunyc.com

Check out today’s task! And, again, bookmark the Games Page so you can check in for the next three weeks!!

Start getting in to the rhythm and bookmark the Games Page! Today’s task should only take a few minutes– and all the will power you can muster! It’s five quick, but not-so-easy, points!! Good luck!!

It time for the Guru Games– three weeks of daily challenges to help get you focused and on target! The fun begins today, right in synch with the Vancouver Olympic Games. So tune in to the special Games Page and get started now!

No wagering…….so long as we don’t know about it!

a "Tough Guy"

Over 5,000 people arrive in Staffodshire on Monday to compete in a Tough Guy competition: 8 miles of fire, water, ice, more fire, barbed wire…..you name it. Men and women, many of whom represented the military and police forces, took part in the grueling competition. And, not so surprisingly, many people chose to wear costumes. Bones were broken, blood was shed, but at the end of the day, everyone seemed to have a rousing good time and retired to the pub for a pint.

I want to do the same thing here in Brooklyn. Fire, water, tourist wrestling on the Bridge, walking down a Soho sidewalk on Saturday afternoon……. Who’s in?

Is it just me, or does it seem like this past December was a resounding kick to the stomach and we are only now starting to stumble up? The Flu? Possibly. The economy? Could be. Maybe it is just me but everyone seems a little tweaked, and not just in the Oh-my-God-Oh-thank-God-Apocalypse-Deliverance-Good-Cop-Bad-Cop reactions to the Massachusetts election. In the small sphere of the studio, things are off: Rippy Cutty boy shows up looking like a deer in the headlights instead of the noble morning warrior; the Boot Camp seems to have overdosed on Xanax; and with nerves frayed, many seem to be edging for a fight of one kind or another, even if they are not quite sure of the topic.

Did we all quit sugar and caffeine at the same time? Was that the group resolution and I just missed the memo?

No, it’s more than that. Folks are freaked. No one is quite sure where we’re headed, there is very little faith in “the system”, and many want to simply stay huddled up in the cave until the storm passes. Perfectly understandable, I say. Understandable, sure, but impossible to do. We have to get up, get out, go to work, the whole nine yards.

And I see all of this anxiety and stress wear away at all these people. And what’s the first thing to go out the window? Health and well-being. You’re not quitting the sugar and caffeine. You’re OD’ing on them. You are tanked and you are reaching for that muffin or that extra cup of coffee (or three). At the brand new DUMBO candy store, Tootsie Rolls are flying off the shelves. Anything for that little burst of energy.

But that just creates a vicious cycle that brings us further and further down. More sugar, more caffeine, more stress at work, less sleep, less peace, more tired, more sugar……..you get the idea.

So how on earth are you going to break this cycle?!? I know, I know!……it’s out of your control, it’s tough at work, you can’t get it all done, there’s too much stuff, too little time, aaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!……………

Wrong.

Here are three simple ideas, not the be-all-end-all, but certainly a good start:

1. Start to cut back on the amount of sugar and caffeine you consume. It’s tough but it’s an addiction like any drug, and this drug is bringing you down, baby. If you want the coffee and sugar, have it but then back off after lunch. You’ll probably have to take a nap on your desk, but that’s better than getting a poor night’s sleep.

2. Schedule one 5-minute period at one point in the day when you can simply breathe and relax. Five minutes is all it will take to allow your system to reload. And once you calm yourself down, it’s like a second wind. You’ll find you have more focus and energy and can accomplish more than you could a few minutes before. Not sure about this one? Try this 5-minute Relaxation podcast. Or just set a timer, close your eyes and breathe.

3. Be present. So much going on, so many responsibilities. It is very easy to get perpetually distracted. Have you been in a conversation with someone recently and noticed that you have no idea what they said for the last few minutes? Take some time for yourself and practice being present. Be aware of where you are and that that is all that is important for the moment. Nothing is going to change, nothing is going to destruct. Just enjoy that moment and be present for yourself. You will find that, as an exercise, it is very refreshing. And, as a practice, it will give you a brand new source of energy and power. And couldn’t we all use a little bit of that?

If all else fails, take a moment and watch the video:

The Fitness Guru

www.fitnessgurunyc.com