With all the fitness infomercial hype telling you what to buy this holiday season, promising you tight toned arms, abs, and thighs, it is hard to know what to buy and you often wonder if these products do what they claim. Do those fitness products really live up to their claims? Healthy Lifestyle Expert Danette May reveals her take on some of the current fitness fads.

I want to discuss four of the top fitness products that you see coming through the airways and let you know whether they are a winning gift of health for you and your loved ones this holiday season.

1. Shake Weight: The shake weight is currently the number one selling fitness product. For only $19.99 and 5 minutes a day, it claims you will receive tight, toned arms all while having fun! The shake weight works by shaking the 2.5 pound (girl version) side to side, causing a pulsing, side to side movement. Spending 5 minutes shaking this weight, yes, you will feel a burn, but from a personal training standpoint, I believe that you will get more bang for your buck by spending 5 minutes per day with heavier dumbbells lifting your biceps and triceps instead of shaking a 2.5 pound weight in one constant motion. www.shakeweight.com

2. Slendertone: The slendertone is a belt you put around your waist that sends electromagnetic muscle stimulation to you abdominals causing muscular contraction. For $119-$150 (prices vary) and 20 minutes a day, this product claims to widdle your waistline and give you the flat, toned abs you've dreamed about. This product could be a good addition if you are already slim and wanted to supplement your cardio, nutrition, and abdominal work outs. If you are over weight, this product will not do what it claims. You will not get flat abs if you are over weight using this product. You must incorporate a clean diet and daily movement practices first, to receive the abs of your dreams. www.theflexbelt.com

3. Air climber: The air climber is basically a mini stepper for your home. It uses air bellows that allows you to step up and down in comfort. For $79- 119, it will tone up your thighs and buns and can give you up to a 500 calorie burn in one hour. This is fine product if you have decent balance and you like to remain in one spot while working out. It mimics the up and down movement of stomping, but gives you an upbeat trainer to work out with via video. If you lack balance and like to vary up your work out, a total body circuit training fitness video may suit you better. www.theairclimber.com

4. Ab Coaster (or similar product): The ab coaster is one of the most expensive leading fitness pieces on infomercial. Ranging around $199, it claims to target multiple abdominal muscles at one time. If you feel you have the space in your home and the money, then this is a great addition to your workouts. From a training standpoint, I like to use this piece as a supplement in my training. If you do not have the space, nor the dollars to lay down on this piece there are plenty of abdominal exercises you can do using your own body weight that will get you similar results. www. unitycart.com/abcoaster2/cart/newcart3.asp

Word to the wise. If you want to see tight toned arms, flat, ripped abs, and slender thighs and glutes, then what you put in your mouth is 80% of your success to achieve the body of your dreams.

Yours in health,

Danette May

Fitness Fads and the Home Versions One of the hottest trends right now is “at home fitness”, or the “no gym required workouts.” People are finding amazing results by sweating it out in the comfort of their own home, on their own time. The top 3 at home fitness programs that are out today is: P90X, Rip60, and Insanity.

Personal Trainer Danette Allen explains what each one does, and how to do your own version at home.

I have personally gone through each one of these programs and was talent in the Rip60 videos and created the meal plan. I am going to take you through each “At home exercise program”, and explain what is required and give you an example of some of the movements that each one uses so that you can decide which program is right for you. I can honestly say that each one of these programs will deliver results if you follow its guidelines and participate fully in the meal plan.

P90x: Cost: $120

Duration: 90 days- 1hr/day

Equipment Needed: Dumbbells, pull up bar, and resistance bands

This 12 DVD + nutrition plan workout is a strength based exercise routine. The science behind this work out is muscle confusion. Changing up the movements, so that you burn more calories in one hour by confusing the muscular system. You will use dumbbells, resistance tubes, and a pull up bar in these work outs. This is a 90 day program, exercising 1 hour/day. Some examples of movements are: pull-ups, 1 arm abdominal crunch and dumbbell rotation.

www.P90x.com

Rip60: Cost: $129

Duration: 60 Days- 45 min. /day

Equipment Needed: None-comes w/ Rotational Straps

This exercise program comes w/ 12 progressive DVD's, nutritional plan and rotational straps. These DVD's progress from week 1-week 8, making it so any one, at any level can start and succeed. The science behind this work out is the optimization zone. It comes in using the straps to leverage your body so that you can go a full minute without stopping. Some examples of the movements used are: back rotation, side oblique, and triceps extension.

www.rip60.com

Insanity: Cost: $120

Duration: 60 days-1 hr/day

Equipment: None, uses your own body weight

This 60 day, 12 DVD challenge is just like it is called. Insane! The movements used in this work out use your own body weight to burn calories. The science behind Insanity is called Max Interval training. This workout is based around many plyometric drills that make it feel like an hour of extreme cardio. Examples of common movements used are: knee slappers, punching arms, and front leg kicks.

Yours in Health,

Danette May

By Healthy Lifestyle Expert Danette May 

We are always looking for peace, time savers, and rejuvenation. With the 5 Tibetan movements you get all three. Two thousand years ago, Tibetan monks claimed that the aging process could be reversed. They developed the Rites, by condensing 21 yoga exercises into 5. What would easily take a couple of hours to perform, could then be completed in 10-20 minutes. It was not uncommon for Tibetan monks to live to be 120 years of age, while still enjoying exceptional health!

Today many followers claim that this short 10 minute movement practice brings bliss, peace, and exceptional powers in life. For most of us during busy times, we could use a time saving work out that brings us added energy and bliss!

The 5 Tibetan rites can be done anywhere in a limited amount of space.

You want to work toward performing each of the movements 21 times. When you first begin, try to do 1 or 3 repetitions of each exercise. After a week, try to do 3 repetitions, then pause and try 3 more. You will certainly feel stronger in some of the movements than others. If you have trouble performing a complete set of 21, try to break it down into 3 sets of 7 repetitions with a pause between each set. Once you've achieved 21 repetitions of each exercise, you don't need to go on to more repetitions. These exercises are for restoring energy, not necessarily building strength. If you feel great after doing 21 repetitions of each movement, feel free to add another session later in the day to perform another set of 21 repetitions each.

Tibetan Rejuvenation Exercise Movement #1

Whirling. Having fun like a 3 year old

Rite 1: Stand upright, extend your arms at shoulder level away from your body and spin clockwise (if looking at a clock face on the floor). Keep your eyes looking directly in front of you, do not focus on any one point, let your vision blur as you spin. Turn up to 21 times or until you feel unstable or dizzy.

Breathing: breath in and out of your stomach. An opera singer, stage actor/actress or yogi experiences the benefit of breathing from this point of the body. When you stop spinning, breath even more deeply from your stomach until your head stops spinning and your balance returns to normal.

Tips and Recommendation: Speed is not so important, just try to spin 21 times and stop.

Tibetan Rejuvenation Exercise Movement #2

Leg Raises, Bending at the Waist, Tummy Tucks

Rite 2: Lay down on your back with your arms to your side, palms up, keep your legs straight, begin your inhalation, raise your legs off the ground until as high as possible and pick your head off the ground, bending your neck with your chin falling toward your chest. Begin your exhalation and return to laying flat on the ground. Repeat up to 21 times.

Breath In: Raising your legs and head
Breath Out: Lowering your legs and head

Tips and Recommendations: When starting out, bend your legs until your stomach strengthens. If your feel discomfort, place your hands (palms facing down) under your buttocks to support your lower spine. As you progress, straighten your legs and try to raise and lower them at the same speed. Once you have worked up to 21 repetitions, try to move at a nice steady rhythm without stopping.

Tibetan Rejuvenation Exercise Movement #3

Morning Neck Warm-up, Hotel Pillow Recovery Posture, Camel Asana in Yoga

Rite 3: Kneel with your legs together, arms extended, palms of your hands on the side of your thighs, drop your chin to your chest, begin your inhalation, raise your head and lean back, move your hands to the back of your thighs and let them drop lower and support your weight, crane your head and neck backward, relax your lower spine. Begin your exhalation, start to come forward back to kneeling position with your head back up in the straight position. Repeat up to 21 times.

Breath In: Going backward
Breath Out: Coming forward

Tips and Recommendations: When you start this exercise, use the weight of your head to come forward instead of forcing your chin to your chest with your muscles. When you lean back, avoid craning your neck, simply let it drop with its own weight. Eventually, you can bring your shoulder blades towards each other when you're in the back position. Keep a steady movement while going backward and forward. Keep your eyes open to maintain balance. Later, try the movement with your eyes closed to feel the difference and see if you can relax even more in the backward position.

Tibetan Rejuvenation Exercise Movement #4

Table Posture, Wrist warm-up and Neck agility

Rite 4: Sit on the floor, legs a little less than shoulder width apart, arms to your sides with hands extended flat on the ground and fingers pointed forward, drop your head toward your chest, begin your inhalation, raise your buttocks off the ground while bending your knees, shift your weight to your arms/hands and legs/feet, continue to raise your buttocks until your trunck and thighs are parallel to the ground, let your head fall back. Begin your exhalation and return to sitting position with your head dropped forward. Repeat up to 21 times.

Breath In: Raising off the ground
Breath Out: Returning back to sitting position

Tips and Recommendations: When you begin this exercise, just try to get from the starting to ending posture. It's easier to do it than read about it. In the beginning, you might not be used to your body weight on your wrists. Doing some wrist warm-ups before you begin can prevent discomfort. Once you have worked your way up to 21 repetitions, try to perform the movements without stopping.

Tibetan Rejuvenation Exercise Movement #5

Inverted-V, Yoga Cobra to Downward Dog

Rite 5: Get down on the floor on your hands and knees (in push-up position) with hands and legs a little less than shoulder width apart. Begin your inhalation, come up on your toes with weight in your arms, straighten your legs, arch your back, lean your head back, do not let any of your body touch the ground except for your toes and hands (Cobra in Yoga). Begin your exhalation, bend at the waist, bend your knees, push your buttocks up into the air, make an inverted V shape with your legs and arms straight, tuck your chin toward your chest (Downward Dog in Yoga), try to put your feet flat on the ground. Begin your next inhalation and repeat up to 21 times.

Breath In: Raising hips up into an ^ shape – downward dog.
Breath Out: Hips down & head coming up into cobra.

Tips and Recommendations: In the beginning, you will need to find where to place your hands and feet to make a complete inverted-V shape. You may do this exercise for years and never get your feet flat on the ground (a symptom of western living and always sitting in a chair). Once you've worked your way up to 21 repetitions, work on keeping a steady rhythm while going in and out of each position.

Finishing Posture Recommendation
After Exercise 5, lay flat on your stomach with your arms stretched out from side to side like Christ position. Keep your chin on the ground and close your eyes. Feel you heart pumping and blood circulating through your body. Wait until your hearth beat and breath returns to normal. Turn your head to one side and take a few deep breaths. Relax for 1 minute.

Danette's personal tip: While laying in the finishing pose, my body is warmed up and my mind is positive. This is when I take advantage of doing my positive visualization for the day.

Yours in Health,

Danette May