Walk with Purpose

Have you ever noticed yourself walking around all hunched up? I noticed this yesterday evening after a long day of shopping - I was walking around the mall like a flabby old person. And then it occurred to me what I was doing and so I intentionally activated my core, unfurling my spine, walking tall and straight and WOW. I instantly felt like i had more energy, like i was several inches taller - it was easier to move, easier to breathe, and I felt more attractive and confident at the same time. Activate those core muscles that you're strengthening with the crunchless abs workout and you'll feel better!!

Strengthen While You Shop

How are YOU doing with the start of the holiday season? Keeping on top of your workouts with the Crunchless Abs program has never been so important! And here's an idea - if you're attending potlucks this season, you could offer to bring the first course: soup! - to take the edge off of your hunger and help you keep from way over-indulging. Focus on your core while you're striding through the malls doing your gift shopping and you'll be giving yourself a gift!

Happy Thanksgiving - Don't Over Gobble!

How are you feeling about the impending day of feasting tomorrow? I hope you've been faithfully *not* crunching with Crunchless Abs, and are feeling fit, toned and are willing to allow yourself a reasonable helping of turkey and all the fixings without a bunch of guilt. It can really be a pretty sensible meal when it comes right down to it - but I suppose most of us pile it on because we only get the whole feast once a year. I know I have a big weakness for the most fattening dishes - stuffing and gravy. Nothing too healthy about that! Here's wishing you a warm and festive holiday without the traditional belly-bloating overindulgence! Your six-pack will thank you for not taking that second slice of pumpkin pie!

Trade Facebook for Crunchless Abs!

You know what convinced me to commit to Crunchless Abs? The fact that you can invest just 10 minutes a day and see a result. What else can you say that about? The various workouts are easy to get in and out of before you hit the shower in the morning, or in between work and fixing dinner. Really, 10 minutes is such a blink of an eye - don't you spend more time than that on Facebook every day? Or tweeting? And those social dealios don't exactly bust your flab, you know. Here's a challenge for you - trade in 10 minutes of your daily Facebook ration for a Crunchless Abs workout. You will sooooo thank me when you quickly begin to feel your core strengthening, and your abs taking shape. Take the challenge!!

Major Core Strengthener

I'm so thankful for the Crunchless Abs workout program. These exercises seriously are strengthening my core abdominal muscles, tightening my abs and giving me an overall sense of well-being... all without having to endure the brutality of traditional floor crunches - which, by the way, are so ineffective! See my post below about that one.

No Crunches - No Flab

Did you know that traditional floor crunches only work 2 of the 12 muscles that make up your abdominal core? That's ridiculous. Why have we all waited so long to find this out? Got the saggy pooch? Well, those crunches aren't going to help you on your road to sexy, flat abs. Linda LaRue's Crunchless Abs workouts tap muscles you didn't even know you had - zipping in your body's own muscular girdle. Seriously. Floor crunches strain all kinds of muscles that have nothing to do with your abs. Whereas, the Crunchless Abs program calls on innovative exercises that target precisely the muscles you need to tone up, without wasting energy elsewhere.

Flat Abs Without Crunches

So you know I'm a big fan of the Crunchless Abs program. It's the smartest workout series I've ever tried. Crunchless Abs demonstrates workouts for real people - starting from the ground up and getting more advanced as you get stronger. It really pushes you toward flat abs in a supportive way and without crunches. But I just ran across this new product, also from Linda LaRue: Core Transformer. Do you know what it is? I haven't clicked around yet. It looks like a fancy resistance band type of tool - have you tried it?

Healthy Weightloss: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Haven't you always wondered how much weight a person can reasonably expect to lose in a week? I sure have. And you know what? It isn't much! Only a pound or two. Here's a great piece about healthy weightloss on intent.com. Crunchless Abs creator Linda LaRue points out invaluable pieces to the weightloss conundrum. Check it out, especially if you've been discouraged about your weightloss rate. Turns out, you might actually be doing it the right way!

Recycle Energy

OK, so some of us are the smarty-pants types who are using the Crunchless Abs program at home. Yay for us. Because we're not spending big bucks on gym memberships, driving the gym, etc. But here's the coolest thing. Linda LaRue just wrote about this gym that captures the energy people are spending in cycling classes and using it to power the gym and sending excess energy back to the grid. Way Cool!! We need to implement more of these innovative ways of recycling energy!

Green Your Workout

Linda LaRue has got it going on. I stumbled upon this list of hers that details ways to get you all greened up. These Green Workout Tips are SO easy and can make a massive difference. The one I want to point up right now is how we should all stop using disposable plastic water bottles. They are a ridiculous waste of natural resources and are filling up the landfills like nobody's business. We all know that. But an even scarier part of the problem is that many of those plastics contain endocrine disruptors that are causing frightening, irreversible genetic defects in our children. Bisphenol A is an example of an endocrine disruptor that is super common (it's even in the lining of all those canned foods in your pantry) that causes irregularities in the reproductive systems of boys. OK, so this blog entry isn't exactly about Crunchless Abs, is it? No, but it's an issue that is slowly emerging as a topic of great concern in some science circles and is hitting the major media outlets, albeit slowly. Read a little bit about it, won't you? I've got my stainless steel water bottle all picked out. Very cute!

Sexy, Sculpted Arms

It ain't just about abs anymore, friends. Try this arm exercise on the road to sexy, sculpted arms and shoulders. Linda LaRue's blog entry features the limbs of none other than Michelle Obama, because hers are faboo, for sure. Don't forget to keep your core rock solid with the regular crunchless abs routine.

Work Your Confidence Muscle

If you're needing a little lift, a little motivation, revisit this page of Linda LaRue's Make Healthy A Lifestyle: Top Trainer Tips. The 1st two pieces are my favorites - with advice like ... have a few walks in your quiver at locations that really inspire you. I love that. It's good advice for me. I have the 2 same locations that I go to all the time, and I'd love to add a couple more that would keep my outdoor activity time fresh and uplifting. Also, Maura Barclay's piece on building confidence is an important one.

Get Your Sustainable On

So, I was reading Linda LaRue's latest blog post, getting really excited. It's NOT about crunchless abs - it's about sustainable school gardens. And as I was reading, I started thinking about my super amazing friend who is spearheading one in her neighborhood... and then, reading on... there she was! In the article!! Hurray for Saturn and Melissa and the kids who are going to benefit from it.

Weight Loss Plateau

If you're in the midst of a weight-loss phase, check out this blog entry. Linda LaRue has rounded up some numbers that get right down to the nitty gritty of weight loss, plainly stating the number of calories you must burn in order to lose one pound, the number of hours you need to exercise to lose a pound, and the ugly fact of the weight loss plateau that is an inevitable transition phase - there's a formula pivoting around your basal metabolic rate that explains the conundrum. Bottom line: don't give up. Keep the faith with your crunchless abs habit and all will be right in the end.

Hip Opener Move of the Month

I'm such a fan of Linda LaRue's Move of the Month. This month's focuses on opening up your hips. I've got some serious alignment problems - well, nothing too serious at this stage in terms of pain, but it seems like it's getting worse with age, instead of better. My yoga teacher had said to work on opening my shoulders and also working on my hips. So, Thanks, Linda! The move of the month makes a great companion to Crunchless Abs.

Crunchless Abs Strengthens Core

You know what I've realized lately? That the Crunchless Abs workouts seriously strengthen my entire core. When I'm out taking a swift walk, my whole torso is activated in a new way - a way I wasn't aware of before doing crunchless abs. It powers me through the walk with strong abs, strong back, strong obliques, strong posture, strong everywhere.

Crunchless Abs Check In

How are the old abs treating you? Are you feeling like your core is toned and powerful? Have you found a particular rotation with the crunchless abs workouts that really works for you? Any favorite recipes in the SouperSlim recipe collection that you're integrating into your summer kitchen regime?

Walking for Weight Loss

Check out Linda LaRue's entry on Intent.com about Walking for Weight Loss. It's good. I myself have been walking a ton lately - walking the dogs, walking to work, walking for errands, etc. As summer creeps in, it's a nice way to feel the season. The Crunchless Abs guru talks about adding an incline to your route for help with the old butt. I hear that! Sometimes, though, I feel a distinct lack of internal energy on the walk - like it's an effort to put one foot in front of the other - I feel all out of whack, like my posture is off, my breathing is inadequate, etc. I wonder if it's related to diet, mostly, but could be low-lying asthma strain, I guess. Anyway, I wonder if other folks feel that, too, sometimes. Is that normal?

Salmon Does A Body Good

Oh, baby! Members of Make Healthy A Lifestyle really oughta hit the recipe page today. Wasabi Salmon Burgers... um, ok, I'll take three, please.
Salmon is the food that makes my whole body feel good, and it makes my brain feel alert. And, wasabi helps with that general sensation, too. Doing the Crunchless Abs workout all day long wouldn't be helping if I was eating schlock. But, eating so well - not just nutritiously, but also with flair and delight, well, that makes the whole experience more than worthwhile.

Crunchless Abs on a Leash

So I was just looking at the SOUPer Slim diet book and have decided that I'm hungry!! It's too late, perhaps to start eating dinner right now (eating schedule was really out of wack today) but I've got to do it - I can't go to bed hungry. I do wish I had some soup on hand (admittedly, matzo ball soup sounds good even if it isn't the smartest), but it'll have to be something scavenged from the fridge and pantry - prefab nasi goreng and chick peas? Doesn't sound too bad, actually. So, I have found another core workout that does not actually involve putting the Crunchless Abs DVD into the player. It is this: walking a dog who isn't leash trained. That's right! Keeping a firm grip on the leash at a steady distance from my body and regularly correcting, using my core instead of my bicep, for the most part - kind of cool! Now, I am hoping to get the pup trained up soon, but until then, my core - my abdominals, the whole body, really, is getting a little extra workout.

I. O. Yoga

So the yoga studio called this week to say I had unused classes on my card that were going to expire because i purchased them many months ago. I guess the crunchless abs workout has been keeping me busy and not feeling the need. But I can't stand for them to go to waste - and really everyone is so nice there - so I'd better get my butt in gear and go take a class this week.

Workout Calendar

Looking for a little structure to your workout regimen? Check out the workout calendar on Make Healthy a Lifestyle. It gives you an 8-week workout schedule, indicating which days get which workouts, including Crunchless Abs, but also incorporating other activities. And... days of rest!

Make Crunchless Abs Part of Your Green Pledge

I ran across this site today - Gorgeously Green. Heard of it? I haven't fully investigated it yet, but I did see this pledge for greener living - she calls it The Gorgeously Green Pledge. Basically, it involves committing to reducing your meat intake, eating seasonal & organic & local produce, cooking at home more, reducing food waste through better planning, recycling and growing something. It's pretty doable. In fact, it's really doable. And just imagine the impact if we all did our little part. You know what else should be on that list? Forgoing driving to the gym - and opting for an at-home exercise program instead, like the Crunchless Abs program. The amount of resources it takes to operate a gym is substantial. Do your part!

Take Your Tote

Whoa: check this out. Billions or even a trillion plastic bags are used every year. Check out this link for the actual statistics on plastic bag usage and waste. So, get yourself a cute little reusable bag and save yourself a lot of trouble storing those flimsy petroleum-based death bags, people. My friend in Japan sent me the cutest little thing: it's a sturdy nylon bag with a charming little lion printed on it and it zips into its own little pouch. It lives in my handbag so that I never find myself in those "Oops, forgot my own bag" situations. America seems to think that the organic cotton tote is the way to go, but I beg to differ. While the nylon bag may not be as sustainably made (although who knows) it goes everywhere with me so I never forget it - I ALWAYS forget the canvas totes. Nuff said.
p.s., while these aren't nearly as cute as mine (sorry!) they're A-OK: Baggu

Exercise in the Kitchen

Don't you think the woman who demonstrates the crunchless abs moves looks just a bit like Jaime Pressly? I watched this movie last night wherein she is the goddess-beautiful coed. Of course.

So, I totally wasn't going to comment on Make Healthy a Lifestyle today, but then I had to go look and now I can't help but comment. Freshen up your workout by doing some of the moves suggested there. There's always a move of the month, but there are also 3 moves right now suggested by Maura Barclay (click on Top Trainer Tips). One of them you can do in the kitchen, while you're waiting for your soup to simmer. It's always nice to get a new spin on a trusted exercise move.

Congratulations to Meet You

Ever feel like you're totally failing to live up to your very own expectations? I do all the time. And it turns out that the people we think have got it together feel it too - wrapped up in personal disappointments. This month's A-Ha Moment for Linda LaRue has to do with that and ties it into the really great personal discovery/life change book "Eat, Pray, Love" (think I'm about due for a second read of that right about now.) You need to register at LL's Make Healthy a Lifestyle before you can read it - but that's easy and free and you don't get bombarded with emails or anything.

Crunchless Tweets

Goodness, EVERYONE is tweeting. You can find Linda LaRue's Twitter feed here. Politicians, artists, therapists, businesses, and the rest of us... we're all keeping each other informed of every move we make throughout the day! By contrast, I'm DELIGHTED to see that Linda's tweets are pleasantly measured. When I first got into the whole thing via Facebook, I updated incessantly throughout the day just like others. And now, I'm feeling the fatigue. Kind of like when you do traditional crunches instead of the crunchless abs program - you know!? All that wasted energy. I enjoy the well placed, witty and/or insightful updates so much more than the hourly navel-gazing minutiae.

Guess What's Coming to Dinner

Yes, that title IS indeed a Battlestar Gallactica reference. It just seemed so appropriate.

So, I went to http://store.exercisetv.tv/ to see which of Linda LaRue's Crunchless Abs videos were available for download and I couldn't believe my eyes ... Dr. Laura has fitness videos. WHAT?! All I can say is she's consistent - she even berates her personal trainer who does the videos with her. Whatever.

In terms of REAL workout videos, you can get ALL of the Crunchless Abs videos at this website. And unlike watching the Dr. Laura fitness videos, you feel GOOD after watching Linda LaRue's program, both in body and mind.

Move of the Month

Have you signed up yet for "Make Healthy a Lifestyle" - Linda LaRue's online fitness support system? You really should, if you haven't already. It's totally free and easy. One of the great perks is every month there's a new exercise move. This month's will help your golf swing and also slim your waistline. Now, I'm no golfer, so I'm not concerned about that part of it, but it's a nice stretching, strengthening move. And as you may have guessed, there are no crunches required.

10 Minute Workouts Are Good For You Afterall

You know, I always thought it was daft to say that if you failed to accelerate your heart for 20 minutes 3 times a week, you might as well sit on your arse eating oreos for the rest of your of life. It really never made any sense to me. Something is always better than nothing. And finally, an NPR article that vindicates my personal philosophy. Get out of your chair and move around for 10 minutes, a couple times a day, and you're doing yourself a favor. Amen. Now, that isn't saying that you won't be better off if you do cardio a few times a week, or if you do your Crunchless Abs workout daily - of course you will. But don't shame yourself if sometimes all you can manage is a brisk walk around the block.

Souper Slim and Smart

Got soup? I seriously could live on soup. Love the stuff. Just saw a recipe for white bean/shrimp/dandelion green stew - soup, stew, just a difference of liquid (yes, of course, an important distinction, but well, a gray area...) and it sounds divine. Check out Linda LaRue's Souper Slim diet booklet and also this piece she wrote about the effectiveness of incorporating soup into your weight loss program. You might call it a soup diet. I'd call it Souper Smart!

Another Kind of Workout

I love this. It's a workout for you and your dog. Hopefully there are *or will be* other courses of its kind around the country. This one is at Runyon Canyon in L.A. - the Bow Wow Workout. Now don't go thinking this replaces your Crunchless Abs workout. No way. But it's a fantastic activity for you and your best 4-legged friend to do together.

Pass It On

Thankfully, recycling is increasingly becoming a part of daily life for more and more Americans. Of course, back in the day, we reused our own things until they simply couldn't be repurposed anymore. Then lots of folks - out of actual or relative affluence - began chucking everything into the landfill when they were tired of it. And now, finally, people are either throwing things into the recycle bin, or passing goods on to someone else who needs it more than they do. Hurray!! In Linda LaRue's latest blog, she points us to some resources for passing on athletic shoes. It's a great idea. How many homeless folks have you seen who are either barefoot or close to it? Many. It might sound a little funky to you to wear someone's old running shoes, but I'm sure I'd be glad to wear them if they were my only option. Get to it: donate your shoes.

No Crunches

Can we all just stop and give the creators of Crunchless Abs a round of applause? I'm feeling grateful for exercises that strengthen my core, tighten my abs and give me a general feeling of well-being... without putting me through the agony of crunches ... which are one of my least favorite things in the world. I'm sure we could all put our heads together and think of some far worse things... waterboarding, pelvic exams, fasting, conference calls, stepping in doo... in no particular order. You get the idea.

And, wow. I just looked at Linda LaRue's blog and her most recent entry is about how you can help your gym go green. Now, if you ask me, the most green exercise there is, is staying home with your Crunchless Abs DVDs. But, if you're going to get in the car and go be with other humans to get your workout on, then do look at Linda's suggestions, because they are excellent. I hope more gym owners start thinking about not just their clients health, but the planet's health, and how each one of us can do our part.

Tone Up Your Abs Without Crunches

Hey friends, check this out. It's a list of the 10 most dangerous foods. So helpful, because it can be hard on the pocketbook to always buy organically grown vegetables, wild-caught fish and locally, compassionately raised meats. This is sort of a cheat-sheet to the potentially most egregious errors in your grocery list. Definitely take a peek. And then... top off your day with a nice, healthy dose of crunchless abs - dig into those obliques, strengthen your core, tone up your abs with the best darn abdominal workout out there.

Stop Talking and DO It!

I just read an article on intent.com called "You Can't Get Fit By Watching Others." It's all about how we may have good intentions, but sort of forget to DO anything to achieve our goals. Or, rather, mistake talking about it for actually doing something about it. That goes for exercising - being diligent about doing the Crunchless Abs workout - and everything else. This morning I had coffee with a friend who was talking about intentionally, intensely scheduling himself so that he gets more out of each day - concentrated play time, work time, veg-out time, etc. I like it.

Hot Cocoa AND Hot Abs

Thank you, Linda, for giving me permission to enjoy my hot cocoa!!! Friends, if you haven't already, this is your invitation to sign up for Linda's online fitness club called "Make Healthy a Lifestyle." Who else is going to look out for your waistline by giving you the Crunchless Abs program AND give you a recipe for sumptuous hot cocoa?? Check it, post haste. As for cocoa varietals to use in the recipe, I'll tip you in on my favorites: Scharffen Berger is ab fab, and then easier to find and, bonus, organic is Dagoba. Delish.