Picture of Shakira at Listal
Who doesn’t want to look their best at the beach this Summer? The hot, longer days of Summer are already here for many! Take advantage of these warmer temps and beautiful days to get outdoors and sweat!

Work your muscles and shed those Winter pounds so many of us seem to gain. Summer is the best time of year for building muscle tone and sweating away those extra inches!

Find some time in your hectic schedule just for you. Work your upper body every other day and keep up with your daily cardio or aerobic training. If the Summer heat is too much for you – get out early and walk or run to start your day. Join an evening tennis league and make some new friends while you burn calories!

Want more muscle tone? Try a few sets of good old fashioned push-ups. They boost your metabolism while you sculpt sexier arms and abs!

Make the most of your Summer and tone your body while you’re at it!

Is money stressing you out? Why spend money for gas just to drive yourself to the gym? You can get a great workout right at home! Save your money! Millions of healthy adults enjoy the low-stress results they get using their own home fitness equipment.

Yes, its that wonderful time of year – the kids are heading back to school after Summer’s last blast! Football stadiums will be packed this weekend. Tailgaters everywhere enjoying the perfect barbecue and their favorite refreshing drinks! And lots of incredible football will keep us all talking for the weekend and beyond.

Whether you enjoy tennis in the Big Apple or a favorite football team in your home town – September is a great time of year!

What a perfect time to take a look at your fitness goals for this year and assess your progress. No plan yet? No worries – this is the perfect time to start! The weather is cooling off some. Mornings are really pleasant across most of North America. Why not get outside and enjoy yourself while you burn off some of those calories you’ve piled on this year? Spend some time with your family at the playground or on the tennis court. Call a friend and get in 18 holes at your favorite course! Tee times are plentiful this Saturday afternoon!

Enjoy the milder weather and pick up your heart rate. Breathe in the fresh late Summer air! Head out to the beach for one more weekend of fun and catch some waves. Toss a football or frisbee around!

Whatever sport(s) you like – enjoy while the temperatures are so pleasant. Pick up some fresh produce at the local farmers market and enjoy a healthy variety of fruits and vegetable while they’re plentiful and fresh!

Who said building muscles has to be all about hours in the gym? Bring along a jump-rope and build your endurance and your balance. Chase your little ones around the playground and just try to keep up! Build up your stamina with a long run or fast-paced walk!

And, most importantly keep exercising, building muscles and – Have a Fun Weekend!

Smile - Life is short!

The good news is – You Can bolster your self esteem and find far greater happiness. You really can enjoy life more than you may have dreamed possible! You can have more energy and more fun!

Make some time for yourself – every day! Just for you. Be selfish and guard your self-improvement time. Write it down in your day planner if that helps – and don’t negotiate it out of your daily schedule! Use your daily time for exercise and getting in tune with those feelings and desires most important to you!

Exercise helps kick-start your adrenaline and boost the mood lifting chemicals your brain produces. Have you ever heard about the natural high many athletes get? This totally natural high is the result of the powerful and healthy chemical reactions taking place every time you exercise!

Try it today – Go for a run or a long, fast paced walk. Push yourself! After just 20 or 30 minutes of this heart and lung pumping exercise you’ll start to notice a real natural high like no other. It’s better than any drug ever known to mankind – and it won’t cost you a dime!

Make every day a little better and soon you’ll see the improvement to your overall sense of well-being. You’ll start feeling greater self confidence. A brighter future can be yours. You really can have more joy and pleasure without buying a thing!

Why not try it? What have you got to lose? ( Except maybe that gut you’ve wanted to lose for some time now! ) Develop a new daily habit. Get some exercise every day – or at least 5 days a week. ( You’ll soon want to kick it up to 6 and even 7 days a week! )

Here’s a great lower body workout to get you started:

With so many demands on your time, finding a Healthy Balance can be a real juggling act. Make time for yourself first and you can achieve far greater success in all your endeavors!

Try swimming for building healthy muscles!

Everyone encounters similar difficulties, obstacles, and resistance on the road to better health and fitness. If you cannot pass them, your ambition or willpower might suffer.

Persevere. Enjoy the journey. If setbacks come your way – and they almost inevitably will – stay the course. Exercise as often as you can.

Many successful weight loss and fitness experts will tell you in order to assure your success you must develop little tricks to help you overcome those bothersome obstacles.

Put a picture of a skinny – good looking celebrity on your refrigerator. Or a helpful, encouraging quote. These will remind you of your quest when you find yourself hitting the freezer for that late night bowl of HaggenDaz!

Frequently affirm your desire. Tell yourself everyday “I am losing 2 pounds this week and 20 pounds before Autumn”. Experts suggest that these positive affirmations really do help you succeed. Make them specific – “I’m losing 2 pounds this week!” And it helps if you keep them within reason. Don’t try to lose ten pounds in 1 week – that is too hard on your body and rarely sustainable.

Vigorous work-outs – when you’re breathing hard and sweating – help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel best. Always start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing. No need to spend a fortune at the health club. Buy some inexpensive home fitness equipment and burn those calories without leaving the house!

If you believe you can – you can exercise and lose weight fast. Your can overcome those never ending bumps in the road and cruise to better health and a leaner, sexier body!

Work hard – exercise every day if you can. Eat plenty of protein and keep your metabolism at an optimum level for burning more calories. Simple habits – practiced daily can lead to awesome results. Try it! What have you got to lose? Adopt a few healthy habits and lose a few inches around your waistline.

Visualize yourself looking great at the beach or your favorite vacation spot this Summer! See yourself looking hot in that sexy little bikini. You can shed those extra pounds and tighten up your abs!

The best way to lose belly fat – and keep it off is with a healthy balance of aerobic exercise and strength training! Focus your efforts on building lean muscles and losing those extra pounds!

Get Healthy - Be Happy

Two Simple Habits will help you change your life for the Better! Get more exercise. Do it every day. And 2nd – start eating healthy foods!

Try these easy tips for better health and fitness:

Breakfast refills your empty tank and helps get you going after a long night without food. A healthy breakfast helps you do better in school or at work. Why not start every day with a healthy breakfast!

Try plain old shredded wheat with some fruit and a glass of low-fat milk, or whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, whole-grain waffles or even last night’s pizza!

Get Up and Get Moving!
It’s easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Snack smart.
Snacks are a great way to refuel. Choose snacks from different food groups – a glass of low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple or celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.

Work up a sweat.
Vigorous work-outs – when you’re breathing hard and sweating – help your heart pump better, give you more energy and help you look and feel your best.
The harder you work your body the quicker you’ll see positive results. Want to lose a few inches around the waistline? Maybe you want to get rid of that pot belly. Get in at least 30 minutes of vigorous walking or running every day. Can’t quite make 30 minutes yet – no problem – just start small. Build up your workout time gradually!

Always start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Then shoot for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity, like running, jogging, or even dancing. Follow-up with some strength building exercises such as push-ups or lifting weights. For healthy and flexible muscles – always cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.

Balance your food choices – don’t eat too much of any one thing.
You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthy. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods.

Balancing food choices will help you get all these nutrients.

Get fit with friends or family.
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each weekend. Make some time for yourself or you and a fitness buddy every day.

You can have more energy for all life’s fun pursuits. If losing weight is one of your goals – the quickest way to lose weight is with exercise and healthy eating! Just twenty or thirty minutes, four or five days a week can help you lose weight and keep it off!

Do you ever suffer from those almost inevitable post-Holidays Winter Blues?

Countless millions have discovered one inexpensive solution for dealing with the Winter blues and post-Holiday stress.

They get a little exercise every day.

Exercise skyrockets your self esteem. You simply feel better about yourself and life in general!

Exercise reduces Stress. Period. This, alone, is reason to start – Today!

Regular and consistent exercise usually means less illness. Less money spent at the Doctor’s office!

If better fitness is one of your goals this year, Congratulations! You are choosing perhaps the single best journey anyone can embark upon.

Look for opportunities to reduce couch time and to increase active time. For example, instead of watching TV, try taking a walk after dinner.

Set aside specific times for physical activity in your schedule to make it part of your daily or weekly routine.

Start with activities you enjoy. Some people might like walking in their neighborhood in the mornings; others might prefer an exercise class at a health club after work.

Not thrilled about joining that fancy health club or shelling out cash every month to keep that membership?

Pick up some home fitness gear and workout right in the comfort of home! Working out at home saves time, and money! And lets you decide when to get your exercise. Pop a favorite comedy in the DVD player and enjoy some heart healthy laughter while you build muscles, burn calories and shed those extra pounds! Lose weight and feel great

Practice a few healthy habits. Make a daily habit of eating small portions of healthy foods. Practice the healthy habit of daily exercise. The Battle of the Bulge is one you CAN Win! You Decide! The best way to lose belly fat is with a healthy balance of aerobic exercise and strength training!

Health experts agree – The Healthiest Way to Lose those Winter blahs is eating healthy foods and exercising every day!

the best way to lose belly fat is burn it off with exercise

What is the best way to lose belly fat? Luckily the options are plentiful if you’re seeking to trim up your abs! You can greatly reduce belly fat if you start a regular exercise routine and start eating healthy! Start swimming, walking, jogging, rowing, or working out on a quality elliptical. Get your heart rate up and sweat away some major calories. Add some abs specific exercises to tone those underlying muscles and burn even more fat off!

If you were to ask ten people how they managed to lose weight you might well hear ten different answers. One aspect of most successful weight loss efforts is exercise. The more you exercise the more weight you lose. Watching what and when you eat is another key factor!

Depending on your age – if you eat anything within the last couple hours you are awake – well those calories may just sit there all night and end up gathering around your waistline! If you’re over 30 – try to avoid eating anything those last few hours before sleep. A light snack might help keep your blood sugar levels in balance. Keep it light and as few calories as possible!

Now – back to the real goal – the best way to lose your belly fat! Depending on where you are today – you can safely lose a couple or three pounds of stomach fat every week! The quickest way to lose those unsightly bulges is with aerobic exercise. Plenty of it! Mix in some Yoga or Pilates for a well balanced muscle tone! A variety of exercise routines seem to work well for many healthy fitness lovers.

Running every day can get boring after a while. Mix up your workouts. Do some form of cardio at least five days a week. And mix in some weight training every other day for even quicker results. You can start seeing amazing results in a matter of weeks!

If your knees are starting to feel the impact of hitting the pavement for all those miles you might enjoy some quality low impact workouts instead of running! Lots of slim and trim folks swear by their daily swim! Swimming is a great whole-body workout that some enjoy well into their 70s and 80s!

Don’t want to spend several hundred a year at the health club? Get some top quality home fitness equipment and workout right in the comfort of home! Rowing is an excellent workout that really works your whole body! Get a top quality – SmoothFlow R80 Rower just like they use in expensive health clubs! You’ll soon see why so many skinny fitness buffs swear by their rowing machines!

Whatever your fitness goals are for this year – you can still see amazing results before the Holidays. If you want a slimmer, more toned and muscular body – why not start today! Health and fitness experts agree – the best way to lose belly fat is with plenty of good old fashioned aerobic exercise!

Running and burning more fat

Try this simple routine to get you started – Warm up for a few minutes. Do some slow and focused stretches. Start your cardio for a couple minutes at a moderate pace. Then, kick it into high gear and sprint for 30 seconds to a minute at the highest intensity you can muster. Slow down and do a couple minutes at your moderate pace while you catch your breath!

Once you’ve returned to a more normal breathing pattern – turn on the afterburners and go all out again for 30 seconds or so. Then back to your normal pace. Repeat eight or ten times. You’ll torch more calories in less time, while you burn fat faster. And keep burning them!

On your strength or weight training days – use a little lower weight and do more reps. Focus on your form. In between sets – get on the bike or treadmill and go as fast as you can for a minute or so. Or get out the jump rope and jump for a minute or two. Then do another set – lower weights – more reps! Repeat for the duration of your workout. You’ll tone those muscles and really burn some major calories!

Many fitness lovers have discovered the powerful secret to burning more fat in less time – with interval training! Do some fast paced cardio early in your workout and then a few more times over the course of your workout. Your body will torch those fat cells much faster! You’ll start seeing results much quicker!

If you still want to lose some weight this year – its never too late to start! The quickest way to lose weight and keep it off is with plenty of vigorous cardio and strength work. Don’t forget to feed your muscles the fuel they need to grow and stay healthy. Get some protein early in the day. Start every day with a healthy, protein packed breakfast!

Looking to be more fit then you were in 2008? Let Bodybuilding.com provide everything from workout plans to nutritional supplements.

Reward yourself for your successes! Recognize when you’re meeting your goals and be proud of your progress

eating healthy for healthy muscles

Here’s a few tips to help you enjoy healthy eating:

* Plan ahead. Prepare or plan your meals at least a day ahead. Avoid the fast food drive-thru and eating on the run—impulsive food choices are more likely to be less than healthy!

* Shop wisely. Don’t shop for groceries when you’re hungry— your impulses may override your good sense. Hit the outside aisles first. That’s where the vegetables and fruits —foods you want to emphasize—are usually found.

* Order carefully. In restaurants, look for foods that are broiled, grilled, baked, or steamed rather than fried. Ask to have dressings and sauces served on the side. If a dish is unfamiliar to you, ask the waiter to describe how it is prepared.

* Cook creatively. Cooking at home gives you more control over ingredients, cooking methods, and cost. Home cooking doesn’t have to be plain. Look at creating healthy, tasty meals as a fun challenge, not as a chore.

* Think positive! Eating healthy foods has a lot to do with attitude. If you’re like the millions of healthy folks who succumb to temptation once in a while – don’t worry! Simply get back on track at your next meal.

* Share your healthy habits with others. Invite family and friends to join in and share your nutritious meals. Any dining experience is more fun when it’s enjoyed with good company.

Sometimes all it takes is a quick switch to lower the calories and add a new twist to the flavor of an old favorite. Here are some ideas for savvy substituting:

* Broil, grill, roast, steam, stew, stir-fry rather than fry.

* Use two egg whites in place of one whole egg in most baked goods.

* Add spices (e.g., cinnamon) to sweet baked goods to enhance the flavor when you reduce sugar.

* Add some flavor to your vegetables with lemon juice, flavored vinegars, and herbs instead of butter and salt.

* Try low-fat yogurt instead of mayonnaise or sour cream in dips and dressings

* Serve fresh, baked, or broiled fruits for dessert in place of rich sweets.

* Drink sparkling water with a lemon slice or fruit juice mixed with sparking water instead of soft drinks.

It just makes good sense to eat the healthiest foods you can. The effort it takes to make wise food choices often results in big rewards of better health and fitness. You’ll find weight control much easier, and enjoy an enhanced sense of well being! You’ll look years younger when you enjoy eating healthy foods and getting some exercise most days of the week!

A few simple changes in your daily habits will – over time – produce awesome results!

Get more sleep. Poor or inadequate sleep makes you cranky and adversely affects your energy level and concentration, but it may also increase your risk of heart disease. The Journal of the American Medical Association published a story indicating that more sleep can result in a reduced risk of heart disease.

Enjoy eating healthy foods. Eating healthy foods – in moderation is vital to a healthy lifestyle. Start by cutting the fat. Cholesterol buildup can reduce the oxygen supply to your body by nearly 20 percent over time. Load up on foods rich in antioxidants – like blueberries, strawberries, red beans, and leafy green veggies. You might enjoy fresh water fish to gain the heart healthy benefits of omega-3 fats. They also help your brain send and receive messages efficiently.

Try healthy snacks in between meals when you become irritable or unfocused. This will keep blood sugar levels steady and prevent you from crashing during the day.

Exercise or play a favorite sport frequently. Some health experts suggest there are four keys to better fitness:

Endurance builds your energy and “staying power.” It results from exercise that makes you breathe hard, like aerobic activity. Jogging, swimming, even riding your bicycle can help you build your endurance!

Strength comes from working out your muscles. Resistance training – with weights – is an excellent way to build healthy muscles and your strength!

Balance training can help prevent you from falling—standing on one foot, getting up from a chair without your hands or arms, or simply walking heel to toe help train your brain to balance. This kind of activity is especially important for older individuals.

Flexibility is what you gain from regular light stretching exercises. Try Yoga for a fun and healthy way to keep your muscles healthy and flexible!

Try cross training your body with a healthy mix of workouts and different sports. Save your money. There’s no need to spend a bunch of money driving to the expensive health club. Buy some home fitness equipment and work out whenever your schedule permits!

Accept and adapt to your limitations. Progress at your own pace! Enjoy the journey and the countless benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle! If weight loss is one of your secret desires – the quickest way to lose weight is with frequent, vigorous exercise and a healthy diet.