Seeds of Compassion – Live Laugh Love

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Amy

I had an amazing opportunity to attend a speaking engagement with the Dalai Lama about a year ago. Unfortunately, I chose not to attend because I had already committed to something else.

Thankfully, one of my fellow fitness professionals did go and brought me back some literature and my now, very worn out, “seeds of compassion” bracelet. Although the bracelet is slowly fraying away, I still hold the words and information close to me. I have them posted on a bulletin board in the studio and look at them frequently. Especially when things aren’t going the way I envisioned them or I just need a little reminder that life isn’t always problematic.

Life is full, unpredictable and what you make of it. A healthy life is one that balances life, work, play and pleasure and allows for the natural ebb and flow of day to day circumstances.

Although the following words of the Dalai Lama were geared toward our interactions with children, I believe they apply to everyone at any point in their life. We all need to remember:

When we wake up to make a promise: “With an open heart and joyful mind, I promise to practice compassion- to be kind to myself and to others and, especially, to be kind to every child whose life touches mine, from near or far, for today and always”

ALL DAY LONG REMEMBER TO: Laugh Listen Learn Love Encourage Respect Be Kind & Consistent Part of living a healthy, compassionate life is to be fulfilled both physically and mentally.

You may have amazing work ethic when it comes to staying fit, but lack compassion or the ability to let go of things that in the long run, can make you sick. I truly believe the 8 words above summarize it all and should be screamed out off of the rooftops for all to hear.

Think about it: Do you practice planting the seeds of compassion? Are you taking care of the physical and mental you? What is is that you need to change or do to make it happen?

In health and compassion- Amy

PS- one of my other all time favorite quotes: “Live, Laugh and Love!” My next tattoo is going to have this in it!!

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Improving Health with Resistance Training Programs

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Amy

A guest post from GBG Health:

resistance training program

By choosing to do a resistance training program, you will be doing a workout
that will provide you many more benefits than are found in other programs. Your health with resistance training programs is greatly enhanced.
Physical fitness can come from many different forms of exercise including
aerobics, treadmills, and also by adding a strength building routine. As you
continue reading, you will see our discussion of some of the
benefits that
resistance training can offer.

Not too long ago, most of the people attending the local gym were younger
people that were working out trying to get buff. It is now well known that  Continue reading →

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Reducing Stress Tips

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Amy

The 10 commandments for Reducing Stress:

1. Thou shalt not be perfect, or even try to be

2. Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people

3. Thou shalt sometimes leave things undone that ought to be done

4. Thou shalt not spread thyself to thinly

5. Thou shalt learn to say no

6. Thou shalt schedule time for thyself and for thy supportive network Continue reading →

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Belly Fat- 3 Easy Tips to Annihilate Your Waistline

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Amy

Recently, at the gym, within one hour I had three people come up and ask me the same question. They all patted or subtly pointed to their mid-section and said, “How do I get rid of this?”

Outside of my first thought being somebody must have put them all up to this, I quickly realized that they all honestly had been trying, but to no avail were able to remove the stubborn area around that middle.

My first question to somebody who asks me a question regarding target or specific area weight loss is, “What are you currently doing for exercise?” With the general reply being something along the lines of crunches on the floor, sit-ups, or some form of spine flexion (bringing their ribs to their hip bones) for lots of repetitions; average is 100 or more. Continue reading →

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7 Tips To Staying Active

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Amy

I’m always trying to encourage others to be active, stay active, think active and live active. Trouble is it doesn’t always happen. Most of my clients, friends and family all give me the same response: I don’t enjoy exercise, nor do I have the time or money to invest in my active lifestyle.  SIGH…this burdens me so because I know for a fact that being active can improve their health, increase their life span and give them more energy to explore life and all its wonderful activities.

Of course being physically inactive has its health ramifications. It increases one’s risk of developing chronic disease, which the CDC reports accounts for over 70% of all US deaths. Tragically, one out of every ten Americans will deal with some sort of limiting physical factor caused by these diseases and lose out on a better quality of life. The good news is physical activity is a prevention tool that individuals can use to decrease their risk of developing chronic disease, and improve their quality of life.

How do you become more active, stay active and live more active? Continue reading →

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Flat Tummy, Strong Core, More

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Amy
Excess adipose tissue around a male's mid-section.

Image via Wikipedia

Flatter Tummy, Stronger Core, And More!
By Amy Bomar

Are you fascinated by the sight of a well-toned set of abdominal muscles? Do you ever look in the mirror and long for somebody else’s waistline? A tighter, leaner midsection is what many of us desire.

A leaner waistline is not only pleasing to the eye, but also essential to maintaining a healthy waist-to-hip ratio: the waist divided by the hip measurement. Health experts recommend that men not exceed 1.0, and women carry even less, at 0.85. Ratings higher than this carry an associated risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which does no one any good even if their midsection looks great.

If you’ve struggled to achieve your optimal toned tummy, then we have some suggestions for you to follow and assist your journey to a flatter, more flattering midsection…

Continue reading →

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Five Mistakes Women Make in the Gym

Posted on May 31, 2011 by Amy
A senior citizen in trying to slow down his pr...

Image via Wikipedia

Many of my female clients are gym members who have been working out for years, but are no longer seeing results or are just plain bored and frustrated. They are dedicated individuals who enjoy the benefits of exercise, but are ready to throw in the towel because they are either gaining weight, losing function or just feeling stagnant.

It comes as no surprise to me because I often view them in the gym and understand why they aren’t meeting their fitness goals or seeing further improvement. There are some common mistakes among woman (trust me men are not excluded from this) that are made when it comes to working out, which can lead to these discouraging scenarios.

Are you making any one of these common mistakes?

1. Focusing too much attention or cardiovascular/cardio training- Continue reading →

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Not So Sweet

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Amy

I always find it interesting when my friends tell me that they are going on a low-sugar diet, but smother their whole grain waffles in syrup, or squeeze 1/2 of the honey bear into their Sweet Sugartea.  Sugar, in all its forms, is a carbohydrate fuel like it or not.  It is necessary fuel that the body is designed to use for energy, and it is essential for the proper functioning of the central nervous system- you know that brain and spinal cord of yours.

There is still sugar in milk, honey, syrup, fruit, breads, cereals, juices, alcohol and vegetables.  You need grains, fruits, vegetables and dairy to maintain healthy dietary balance, but those other “simple” forms of sugar are often disguised in cute little names and will reek havoc on your waistline and metabolic abilities.

Just in case you’re wondering…..here is a list of some common names used to describe those “simple” sugars.  Look for them on your food labels and ingest them in moderation.

Staying sweet- Amy

Finding Sugar on Food Labels

  • Dextrose
  • Lactose
  • Fructose
  • Sucrose
  • Glucose (dextrose)
  • Maltose
  • Corn Syrup
  • Corn Sweetener
  • Syrup
  • Honey
  • Fruit juice concentrate
  • Molasses
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Brown Sugar
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Raw Sugar
  • Table Sugar
  • Inverted Sugar
  • Cane Sugar

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Through Your Trainers Eyes

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Amy

I admit it! Much of my job entails being a bit superficial and observing students, clients and potential enthusiasts with a careful eye. It helps me anticipate the next move, how I will communicate or which Women on Weightstactic I will use to motivate them to adhere to exercise or my advice. It can be a challenge at times, especially when I know they can do something they think they can’t, or they are just plain unwilling to do it. All in all it works to my advantage and I’m happy to report most people do listen, apply and see results if they are dedicated.

On the contrary, with all the knowledge we have as a culture- media attention to things and such- I am still quite amazed at how misinformed many individuals are. I notice many common traits, conversations, thoughts, opinions and attention being focused, or not not focused, on an individuals exercise/wellness regimen. There are many to chose from, but I have compiled a list of the 25 most common ones I see in the gym or witness in my line of work. 

Here we go: Move it to lose it!

1. Women don’t strength train enough

2. Men don’t vary their training protocols enough

3. Most and especially Women focus too much on the “fat burning zone”

Continue reading →

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Reading Fitness

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Amy
Fitness Model 1

Image by ? spunkinator via Flickr

I love reading, learning and ingesting anything I can about fitness and the latest science to support and expand my work.  It helps me to become a better trainer and fitness provider to my clients, classes and colleagues plus encourages me to try new things (my favorite) and implement ongoing progressions and current research into my job.

This info can be a bit dry to the consumer, especially if you don’t have exercise/fitness background, but I’ve been impressed with a few of the consumer magazines and want to pass this along to all of you.  A few of my favorite things include:

Fitness Magazine- mostly factual information on fitness, wellness and nutrition- plus great tips each month on exactly what to eat when.  One caution- Continue reading →

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