Lucille Roberts

The Top 7 iPhone Apps for Fitness and Weight Loss

2010-05-17T15:14:00.000-04:00

The Apple iPhone provides on-the-go access to convenient applications that facilitate our lives in a number of ways. When it comes to fitness and weight loss, the iPhone offers the same mobile convenience, complete with applications that count calories, estimate body fat, coach workouts, track running routes, guide yoga sessions, and more. To discover the iPhone application that will help you stay in shape, check out the following top seven iPhone apps for fitness and weight loss.

1. LIVESTRONG.COM Calorie Tracker – Realize your weight loss and fitness goals by tracking both daily calories consumed through diet and calories burned during exercise. Simply set your weight loss goal to determine a daily calorie target and gain access to The Daily Plate’s extensive database of over 525,000 foods, complete with nutritional information like total fat, carbohydrate, protein, sugar, cholesterol content and more. You can also search more than 2,000 fitness activities to determine actual calories burned as well as your net calorie balance for the day. Available for the iPhone for just $2.99, LIVESTRONG.COM Calorie Tracker is one of the best on-the-go tools to lose weight.

2. 40•30•30 – Did you know that there are nine calories in one fat gram, and only four calories in a gram of protein or carbohydrate? If not, then you probably do not know enough about the nutritionist recommended 40•30•30 carbohydrate/protein/fat ratio. The 40•30•30 iPhone application ensures a healthy balance of the three main macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat), without the need for calculators or number crunching. Simply enter the grams of each macronutrient as they appear on the Nutrition Facts label and determine the percentage ratio in just seconds. Your daily goal is to achieve a balanced diet complete with 40% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 30% fat.

3. iPump FITNESSBUILDER – Complete with audio coaching, over 400 workouts and more than 4,000 male and female exercise images and videos, iPump FITNESSBUILDER for the Apple iPhone is an extremely versatile and useful fitness app. iPump FITNESSBUILDER features two free full body workouts targeting all the major muscle groups in the body, designed in a specific order to help you gain strength, increase endurance and lose weight. In addition, you will gain access to sample exercises from 19 other iPump applications and educational information on fitness facts & myths, and exercise philosophy. Track and log your reps, sets and rest intervals while listening to your favorite workout music, and email your progress to friends and family members, all in one great iPhone app.

4. StepTrakLite – A free pedometer app for the iPhone, StepTrakLite offers a useful and original application ideal for hiking or simply for keeping track of long walks. Accurately count every step you take in real time and StepTrakLite will classify each step as “vigorous” or just normal. Record walking steps, running steps and total steps taken to track with 100% confidence.

5. iMapMyRun – Embrace the built-in GPS technology of your iPhone 3G to track runs in real time while displaying elements such as time, distance, pace, speed and elevation. View both your current location and where you have traveled via an interactive map or manually record indoor gym activities such as treadmill running. All data from your run uploads automatically to MapMyRun.com where you can view your route, run data, and view a comprehensive workout history. iMapMyRun also supports Twitter integration, so you can tweet your runs to family members and friends.

6. Prt-Yoga Lite – Realize an unparalleled yoga experience with pose-by-pose, breath-by-breath instruction from Kathleen Kastner, your personal guru. Complete with meticulously designed yoga sequences, Prt-Yoga Lite for the Apple iPhone will guide you through your yoga journey in discovering the beauty and joy of this popular fitness art. Change your body and the way you think while deepening your connection to yourself with the help of Prt-Yoga Lite.

7. 2Fat – Ideal for the body fat conscious, 2Fat is a simple, intuitive iPhone application that calculates body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. Complete with useful and helpful features including metric support, BMI categories and easy-to-use scroll wheels, 2Fat is the convenient, accurate way to estimate body fat.

Exercising With Your Baby

2010-04-19T16:52:00.003-04:00

Juggling a daily exercise routine with the responsibilities of motherhood is a difficult task for any woman looking to stay in shape without separating from her newborn. The daily responsibilities of mothering your baby alone can be challenging and tiring, and can leave any woman feeling overwhelmed at the thought of fitting in daily exercise. Fortunately, with the help of a few techniques, you (and your baby) can remain active during this special time.
The Benefits of Exercising with Your Baby
Exercising with your baby can be one of the most beneficial (and fun) activities for both you and your baby to enjoy. Daily exercise will give you and your baby a time to connect while keeping your baby calm and content as you benefit from:
• Reduced stress – You will sleep better at night with daily exercise
• Reduced risk of post partum depression
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis through strength training
• Improved self-esteem
• Increased stamina

Basic Exercises You Can Perform with Your Baby

When most women think about exercising with their baby, the concept of walking around the block pushing your baby in a stroller is usually the first that comes to mind. While that is great, there are a number of other exercises a mother can perform by using her baby as added weight to build muscle and improve endurance. These basic exercises, which you can perform in front of the television or to some music, include:

• Baby squats – Cradle your baby against your body, slowly squat halfway to the floor and raise back up.
• Baby lifts – Hold your baby under the arms, slowly and gently lift the baby off your chest and gently lower your baby back down.
• Baby bends – Balance your baby on your thighs and slowly raise one knee at a time.
• Baby crunches – Place your baby in a sitting or lying position across your tummy or chest and perform a regular crunch.
• Baby lunges – Stand up straight and hold your baby against your chest in an infant carrier. Place your hands on your hips, take a large step forward with the right leg and bend at the knee with your foot on the floor. Lower your body straight down and rise back up to a standing position. Repeat movement with the left leg.

Cardiovascular Activities for You and Your Baby

As if the benefits of strength training with your baby were not enough, you can both take advantage of the various forms of cardiovascular activity. Cardiovascular activity burns calories and provides for a surge of energy that will help you keep up with your newborn. Try to incorporate any of the following activities into your daily schedule:
• Walking with your baby– Use a baby sling or carrier to hold your baby while you walk instead of carrying hand weights.
• Biking with your baby – Use a bike carrier and take your baby on a fun and exciting bike ride.
• Dancing with your baby – Pop in your favorite CD, hold your baby in a sling or carrier and dance together.
• Swimming with your baby –Join a fun swim exercise class with your baby.

How to Lose Weight Fast

2010-03-16T11:38:00.003-04:00

One of the greatest tools a person can utilize for successful weight loss is motivation – and a great motivator is a solid understanding of how exercise helps you lose weight. Remember, knowledge is power – and the following guide should start you down the road towards a slimmer, healthier “you.”

A Brief Lesson in Weight Loss
In order for the body to lose weight, it must burn more calories than it consumes – a concept known in the nutritional world as a “calorie deficit.” Although a low-calorie diet, resistance training and cardiovascular exercise all contribute to the calorie deficit required to lose weight, cardiovascular activity remains cornerstone of rapid weight loss.

The Weight Loss Benefits of Exercise
Physical exercise at a moderate intensity level elevates your heart rate and gets the blood pumping, causing you to breathe heavily and sweat. These factors cause the body to burn a significant amount of calories and help you lose weight fast. Another benefit of physical exercise is that through burning calories you can create the calorie deficit you need to lose weight without making any changes to your diet.

Types of Exercise for Fast Weight Loss
Depending on your level of exertion (intensity), length of activity and current body weight, you can burn anywhere from 150 to over 500 calories in a single session. Higher intensity exercises over longer periods of time burn more calories than shorter, easier exercises and the heavier a person is the more calories they will burn. To illustrate the idea, below is the average number of calories burned in a 30-minute session for a 150-pound person:
• Walking 4mph: 170 calories
• Running 5mph: 270 calories
• Stationary Bike: 238 calories
• Elliptical Training: 387 calories
• Rowing: 247 calories
• Swimming: 270 calories
• Jump Roping: 282 calories

Exercise and Calories
There are 3,500 calories in pound of body fat – and the safest, most effective way to lose weight is dropping one pound per week. In order to lose a pound of body fat per week, nutritional experts recommend 45 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical exercise most days of the week. If this amount of exercise seems overwhelming, start slow and build your way up to longer sessions. In addition, you can alter your diet by cutting out calories, as this will help you create a larger calorie deficit to lose weight fast.

Crunch Time
With this basic knowledge about cardiovascular activity and weight loss, you are ready to hit the gym and set the wheels in motion. To locate a Lucille Roberts women’s gym in your area, complete with scheduled classes and weight loss programs, visit www.LucilleRoberts.com.

Pregnancy and Exercise – Learn the Benefits, Limitations and What to Avoid

2010-03-15T13:15:00.002-04:00

If you are pregnant and the terms “shorter, less painful labor” and “faster weight loss after delivery” mean anything to you, it may be time to drop the motto “Rest is Best” that traditionally applies to pregnant women. According to Kate Kelly, Managing Editor for American Baby magazine, “Labor is a marathon, and you should never go to a marathon without any training.”

First Things First
For all women concerned about their own health and the health of their baby, be sure to visit your doctor to discuss these concerns prior to continuing an old exercise routine or starting a new one.

The Facts about Pregnancy, Exercise and Potential Dangers
Contrary to popular belief, exercise during pregnancy does not increase the risk for miscarriage, low birth weight or preterm delivery in normal, low-risk pregnancies. In fact, moderate exercise is actually beneficial for not only the pregnant mother, but also her baby.

Exercise is good for your baby’s fetal heart rate and helps you stay motivated to remain healthy during your pregnancy. Exercise also builds stronger muscles and a fit heart that ease both labor and delivery – and some studies show it may even lower your risk of complications like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes.

More Benefits
Exercise releases endorphins, otherwise known as the “feel good” chemicals in the body – and your body needs these chemicals even more during pregnancy. Daily exercise for a duration of about thirty minutes (i.e., walking on the treadmill, biking, Pilates) is medically proven to reduce stress, boost energy and minimize bouts of moodiness commonly linked to pregnancy. Exercise also builds confidence, a character trait desired by all women – pregnant or not.
Exercise during pregnancy also helps you look better by increasing the blood flow to your skin to produce a healthy glow while preventing excess fat from accumulating around the body.

Common Concerns
Some women may be concerned about their physical ability to exercise during a pregnancy. However, studies show that if you were athletic before you became pregnant, you can most likely continue your regular routine throughout your pregnancy. Therefore, runners can still run, bikers can still bike and yoga enthusiasts can still participate in classes – you may even want to try swimming as an exercise.

Women who are hesitant to exercise during pregnancy should find out if their gym hosts prenatal exercise classes but be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any new routine.

Limitations
If you are just starting an exercise program to improve your health during your pregnancy, listen to your body - as it will tell you if it is time to reduce your level of exercise. Always be sure to ease into any routine and not to overexert yourself. A great indicator of overexertion is exhaustion or breathlessness – two signs that your body and your baby cannot get their necessary oxygen supplies. Other signs that your body has had enough include dizziness, fatigue, heart palpitations and pain in your back or pelvis.

You may also need to limit your exercise if you have early contractions, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, vaginal bleeding or premature rupture of your membranes (also known as water breaking). Always discuss these issues with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.

During your workouts, take frequent breaks between exercises and drink plenty of fluids. Remain conscious of your diet during your pregnancy and always incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates to remain healthy.

What to Avoid
Despite recent studies on the importance of physical exercise during pregnancy, there are some activities to avoid. Typical limitations include downhill skiing, horseback riding and scuba diving, as well as high impact activities, contact sports and back or abdominal stretches. Never exercise in extremely hot temperatures while pregnant, according to Nemours’ KidsHealth website, as becoming overheated with your body temperature being greater than 102.6° Fahrenheit (39° Celsius) can cause problems with the developing fetus (especially in the first trimester), potentially leading to birth defects.
Avoid exercises that involve lying flat on your back during the second and third trimesters, as these exercises decrease blood flow to your womb. Obviously, this includes most abdominal exercises, so try gentle standing pelvic tilts, seated belly breathing or tightening, holding then releasing your abdominals as an alternative to keep them in top condition.

Conclusion
Whether you are an athlete looking to continue your training throughout your pregnancy or a woman of an average fitness level looking to ease the pain of labor and realize faster weight loss after delivery, exercise during pregnancy under these restrictions, limitations and warnings is not only healthy – but recommended. Do not be afraid to lace up your Nikes and hit the treadmill - you and your baby are in store for numerous benefits throughout the pregnancy.

Lucille Roberts: Size 16 women's fitness wear to appear in shop windows?

2010-02-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

Women could soon see ladies fitness wear in larger sizes modelled in shop windows, as Debenhams has become the first UK department store to use size 16 mannequins in its shop-front displays.

The average woman in the UK wears a size 14 or 16 yet most retailers display their clothes, including gym wear, on size ten mannequins.

Debenhams Oxford street store will be the first to use the 'plus-sized' mannequins but they will later appear in the windows of selected outlets across the UK.

Lynne Featherstone, Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green and equalities spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, has welcomed the news, claiming it will help to boost body confidence.

"The more realistic we can get companies to be, the better women are going to feel about themselves, whatever their shape or size," she said.

Ms Featherstone suggested that this move was a positive step in the fight against the promotion of thin as being perfect.

"In the end, we all deserve to be happy just the way we are," she added.

Posted by Martin SebbornADNFCR-2569-ID-19629738-ADNFCR

Lucille Roberts: Six Psychologically-Based Eating Problems and How You Can Solve Them

2010-02-16T10:15:00.001-05:00

As a weight-conscious society, millions of Americans continue to struggle with both overeating and obesity despite their efforts to cut back on calories and lose weight. According to recent studies, however, common problems such as overeating may reside not only in our stomachs, but also deep within our psyche. Researchers on the topic now believe that external signals and cues, as well as poor subconscious eating habits, may add more inches to your waistline than actual physical hunger. Below is a list of solutions to six of the most common psychological eating problems.

Problem #1- Big packages and servings, as well as super-sized meals, train our brains into thinking big portions are normal.

Solution - Cut your portions, eating about a fifth less than you normally would at each meal. This will help you eat less without feeling hungry or deprived. Also, use smaller plates and bowls that discourage overeating.

Problem #2 - Eating in front of the TV encourages snacking, a failure to concentrate on quantities and eating for too long – this is a triple overeating threat.

Solution – Eat at the dinner table and avoid eating in front of the TV, while on the computer or while reading at all costs.

Problem #3 - An underestimated food intake is one of the main causes of overeating and obesity. Normal people underestimate their intake on average by 20% while obese people underestimate by up to 40%.

Solution – Consciously decide how much food you are going to eat before starting a meal. Start a food journal also, as this will help you keep track of your daily caloric intake. Many fast food restaurants now post calorie and fat information so that you can be informed when eating out and make a healthier choice.

Problem #4 - Supermarket deals such as “buy two, get one free” encourage overeating. We typically buy 30-100% more reduced price foods (and eat them, too).

Solution – Avoid keeping supermarket foods stockpiled in your cupboards. Keep snack foods out of sight and out of mind, storing them on top pantry shelves and in the back of your refrigerator.

Problem #5 - Our desire for food diversity encourages overeating in restaurants, often causing us to order more food than we should be eating.

Solution – Avoid ordering an over-sized or multiple course meal when dining out. Instead, make healthier food choices such as an entrée and a side salad.

Problem #6 - Restaurants and fast food chains that serve healthy-sounding products create a false sense of security, often causing us to overeat because we believe these foods can do no wrong.

Solution – Consumers generally consume up to 50% more when eating low-fat products than they would if the products were not low-fat. They also amplify the health benefits of these types of foods, often taking in more calories than they think. Even with low-fat foods, however, be sure to keep track of how much you are eating – the calories add up fast!

Lucille Roberts: Good and Bad Drinks That Impact Your Weight Loss Efforts

2010-01-22T15:38:00.001-05:00

When it comes to losing weight, you may want to consider altering more than just your eating habits – what you drink counts, too! By substituting sugary sodas and energy drinks, as well as alcoholic beverages with healthier alternatives such as water, green tea and vegetable juice, you can boost both your metabolism and success rate for shedding those unwanted extra pounds. Below is a list of five quick fixes you can make today to start you down the road towards slimness.

Poor Drink Choice #1: Soda - Due to its large quantities of calories and making up for 10 percent of the caloric intake of the average American, soda consumption is without a doubt a significant contributor to weight gain. In fact, it would take approximately 27 minutes of walking to burn off one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola-Classic. Moreover, with such a high concentration of both sugar and starch, soda may also contribute to appetite increases and overeating.

Healthy Alternative: Fruit Juice – Loaded with vitamins and nutrients, fruit juice with natural pulp and very low quantities of sugar can actually help you feel more full, often curbing your appetite so that you will not overeat at your next meal.

Poor Drink Choice #2: Coffee Drinks - While drinking a two-calorie cup of black coffee in the morning will not put a dent in your calorie-reduction efforts, a venti-sized Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha from Starbucks will sabotage your hard work, accounting for an entire meal's worth of calories. At a whopping 660 calories, this popular coffee drink among caffeine cravers is a definite “no-no” for anyone trying to slim down.

Healthy Alternative: Green Tea - With a plethora of positive health benefits and plenty of helpful antioxidants, consuming 3 to 5 cups of green tea on a daily basis can boost your metabolism and speed up your body’s fat-burning mechanism by up to 40%.

Poor Drink Choice #3: Smoothies – Although a smoothie made from only ice and frozen fruit serves as a healthy and refreshing snack, beware of high-calorie frozen drinks made with enormous amounts of sugar. Jamba Juice’s 30-ounce Peanut Butter Moo’d Power Smoothie, chiming in at an unheard of 1,170 calories and 169 grams of sugar, accounts for 4 days worth of the recommended allowance of sugar.

Healthy Alternative: Fruit Smoothies – Fruit smoothies made from your favorite fruit and a touch of skim milk are among the top five healthy drinks to help you lose weight. Just be sure not to consume any fruit smoothie that contains caloric giants such as added sugar, whipped cream, honey or other sweeteners and your healthy selection will surely pay off.

Poor Drink Choice #4: Energy Drinks – Accounting for $3.4 billion a year in revenue, popular energy drinks such as Red Bull contain massive amounts of sugar – there are 27 grams of sugar in one 8.3-ounce can of Red Bull. While it may “give you wings,” this energy drink will also affect your metabolism adversely, often leading to undesired and inevitable weight gain.

Healthy Alternative: Ice Cold Water – Most of your drowsiness in the morning is a result of overnight dehydration, therefore, reaching for a refreshing glass of ice cold water may provide the boost you are looking for. You will also burn an extra 200 calories a day drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water, while boosting your metabolism up to 30%.

Poor Drink Choice #5: Beer – With the average light beer accounting for just over 100 calories and 6 grams of carbohydrates, its effect on weight gain may only be minimal. However, keep in mind that it would take a total of three hours and 20 minutes to walk off drinking one can of beer a night for a week.

Healthy Alternative: None - Since beer contains the macronutrient alcohol, a healthy alternative that offers the “buzz” you are looking for simply does not exist. Yet, drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages in moderation is a much healthier alternative to late-night binge drinking.

Exercise Improves Memory for Older Women

2010-01-13T09:42:00.002-05:00

BMJ Group, Tuesday 12 January 2010 00.00 GMT
Article history

Exercise might improve mental sharpness for older people starting to suffer from memory loss, researchers say. However, the benefits were seen mainly in women, and required an intensive, six-month exercise programme.
What do we know already?

Researchers have hoped for some time that exercise might have positive effects for the brain, perhaps by improving blood flow. If the benefits were proven, exercise would be used as a way for older people to prevent memory loss, or even Alzheimer's disease.

So far, research shows that older people who are more active are less likely to have memory problems, but it may just be that healthier, mentally sharper people find it easier to get out and exercise. There have also been some promising animal studies.

In a new trial, researchers asked older adults with slight memory problems to complete a six-month, high-intensity aerobic exercise programme. People exercised for up to an hour, supervised by a trainer, four times a week. They were compared with a second group, who did a more relaxed set of stretching exercises. The average age was 70.
What does the new study say?

Women who exercised intensively improved more in tests looking at things like memory and verbal fluency, compared with women who just did stretching. The researchers don't say whether the improvements were large enough to make a difference in day-to-day life.

For men, there was no clear improvement in most of the tests, despite the fact that men's fitness levels had improved the same amount as the women.
How reliable are the findings?

The main problem with the study is that it's very small. It started with just 33 people in total, and four dropped out before the end. Studies with fewer people tend to be less reliable, especially when you're looking at treatments that only have a small effect.
Where does the study come from?

Several of the researchers were based at the University of Washington, in Seattle. The study appeared in Archives of Neurology, published by the American Medical Association.

Funding came from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, and from the Alzheimer's Association.
What does this mean for me?

The exercise programme used in the trial was quite strenuous. People had been carefully selected to be able to cope, but even so, four of the 23 people doing the intensive programme dropped out because of problems like chest or joint pain. So, it might be that not all older people would be able to complete this type of exercise programme.

The people in the study were aged between 55 and 85, and all had mild problems with their memory. So, we don't know if the results apply to healthy people, or to people with serious memory problems because of Alzheimer's disease.
What should I do now?

It's still too early to say what effects exercise has on how mentally sharp you are. But we know that exercise can protect your health and help keep you fit generally, so it makes sense to stay as active as your health allows. Government guidelines recommend about 30 minutes' exercise, five days a week.

Lucille Roberts - How to Make Your Commitment to Diet and Exercise Easier

2010-01-03T10:00:00.002-05:00

Like any commitment in life, sticking to a healthy diet and exercise program can be a challenge – often draining you both emotionally and mentally in the process. If you have ever tried to develop newer, healthier eating or exercise habits, then you know just how difficult it can be to eat right, stay motivated and stick to a plan that works for you. Fortunately, with the right tips and a little bit of knowledge on the subject, you can develop a lifelong commitment to healthy eating and exercise that will help you look and feel your best while improving your overall health and wellbeing!

Keep a Journal - Start by keeping a journal with a list of all the foods you eat in a given day. Your journal can be as simple or as elaborate as you want it to be – some people simply jot down the foods they eat while others prefer counting calories or calculating macronutrients such as total carbohydrate, protein and fat grams consumed.

Not only is a food journal a great way to keep you on track, but it also shows you which foods are stifling your progress. If you avoid fatty foods such as French fries for a month and decide to indulge in Aussie cheese fries from Outback Steakhouse – check your weight the following day. If you gain a pound or two, you know to keep those greasy fries off your plate in the future. On the contrary, if you want to continue eating the fries, you may decide to cut 250 calories from your daily diet to make up for it. A journal is a great tool for that, too.

Feel free to include your exercise sessions in your journal, complete with the activity, duration, intensity and calories burned. Logging your exercises is a great way to track your progress, giving you a sense of purpose and direction while at the gym.

Get Involved in a Support Group - If you are just starting out your journey towards healthy eating, you will definitely benefit from talking to, or simply being around, like-minded people. Peer support is a great motivational tool for any type of commitment, and diet and exercise are no exception. There are plenty of support groups and clubs available, both locally and over the Internet (Weight Watchers, for example), designed to keep you motivated and connected with people on the same path as you.

Set Realistic Short and Long-Term Goals - Never underestimate the power of setting realistic goals in both your eating habits and exercise program. For example, if you would like to take up a cardiovascular activity such as running, avoid going from the couch to a 3-mile run in one week. Set small goals for yourself and you will stay motivated and excited about making progress each time you exercise.

Depending on your current fitness level, you may want to start by jogging for 90 seconds, followed by a brisk, 3-minute walk and then another 90 seconds of jogging – repeating this process for twenty to thirty minutes. The next week, you can try jogging 3-minutes intervals followed by a 3-minute walk, gradually increasing the interval times until you reach your long-term goal (jogging 3 miles, for example).

Short and long-term goals work great for your diet, too. Feel free to set daily goals, monthly goals and yearly goals to keep you motivated. An example of a daily goal would be consuming a set number of calories, where a monthly goal may be to lose ten pounds. Write your goals down and keep them in your journal so that you have objective evidence about the progress you are making.

The New Year’s Resolution before the Resolution

2009-12-07T10:02:00.000-05:00

Many people believe that the best time to make a change that will last is at the start of a new year. Sure, a New Year’s resolution can give you a clean slate to throw out your old habits and start making the right choices, but when it comes to exercising and getting into shape, you may want to think twice about putting it on hold. The truth is that no matter what type of body you are looking to develop, the best time to start any exercise program is now - especially before the start of the New Year. So, before you put off your workout routine until the ball drops in Times Square, consider the benefits of making a New Year’s resolution before the resolution.

From a proactive perspective, consider exactly why you are looking to exercise and lose weight. You will find that the answers are simple - exercise reduces stress, increases energy, builds confidence, keeps you motivated and helps you look and feel your best. This winning combination is sure to help you make the most of the holiday season no matter what it should bring - from the stresses of holiday shopping to entertaining guests at your home, even looking great in your new holiday gifts! On top of that, imagine how great it will feel to start the New Year ten pounds lighter and ahead of the game.

Exercise routines can be difficult to get into and it takes people time to adjust to them. If you are not prepared for a rocky start then you may benefit from starting a routine now as not to get discouraged during your first few workouts of the New Year. Ask any personal trainer, fitness coach, professional bodybuilder or athlete and they will tell you that the hardest part about any exercise program is starting it – so why not make it easier on yourself and eliminate the pressure of the New Year by starting right now?

Whether you are looking to join a gym or purchase your own fitness equipment to get in shape, the benefits of acting now outweigh the costs of waiting in a number of ways. Retail stores love slashing prices in the spirit of the holiday and there is no better time to purchase a piece of fitness equipment. From free weights and barbells to treadmills and elliptical machines, now is the time to save money on the equipment you need to get started. Vitamin shops also offer great deals during the holiday so you can stock up on discounted supplements.

If you are looking to join a gym, consider the inevitable crowd of people that appears at the start of every New Year – the people with the same New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get into shape. Large crowds mean less available equipment, which lowers your chances of finding the exercise routine that works for you. If you are a beginner, understand that it takes time to fall into an exercise routine and that it is better to develop a routine before jumping into the holiday rush at the gym so you can exercise confidently, efficiently and effectively.

Last, but not least, everyone wants to look good for the holidays. The New Year is a great time to celebrate life and meet new people, so it is always nice to look your best and feel good about yourself during this very special time. This year, consider breaking the rules and make the resolution that is changing the face of the New Year.

How to De-Clutter Your Life

2009-11-30T10:40:00.000-05:00

Everyone has a certain amount of tension in their lives. Being unorganized can only add to this anxiety and make us feel run-down and unmotivated, preventing us from doing the things that we love. With the holidays approaching why not regain this energy by focusing on reorganizing your life and make the upcoming celebrations worry free? Following are a few ideas which could help you out of your pre-holiday confusion.

De-Clutter Your Desk and Work Space
Whether you work from a home office or a tiny cubicle, there’s no way you can be totally productive in a pace that doesn’t function for you. Have you ever met anybody who is extremely successful who works in absolute chaos? I haven’t. Sure, everyone has a junk drawer or a messy desk on occasion, but if your clutter is taking over, it’s time to scale back. Start by compiling three separate stashes:
1. What to keep
2. What to shred (sensitive information)
3. What to just throw away.

Follow a similar routine working from desk to files to shelves. Clear everything off and sort into appropriate stacks. Use file folders, three-ring notebooks, or magazine sorters to hold important papers. And immediately pitch what you don't need. Get creative with containers. Coffee mugs and decorative boxes hold everything from paper clips and tacks to business cards and pens. Look toward vertical wall space as a new storage solution, instead of those piles we seem to make. Piles are hard to address and papers within them become hidden. You can’t pay a bill or return an important message if it’s hidden at the bottom of a stack on your desk. Instead, option wall space. Set bills in a hanging bin, keys on a hook, magazines in wall hangers. Now you can see and reach items easily.

Clean Out Clothing Skeletons in Your Cluttered Closet

If closets are your nemesis, you’ll need to spend some time getting down and dirty. The first step to cleaning a closet is to take everything out. Then you can see what you have. Often you’ll need to purchase storage boxes or organizing bins, shoe holders, or shelving. Don’t forget plastic garbage bags for trash and donations. Have a few bins or boxes for items that don’t really belong in the closet but will be moved elsewhere. Be realistic. Do you really need or want each item?
A good mantra here is: “If you haven’t seen it, needed it, or worn it in one year, get rid of it.” Ask yourself these three questions: Does it fit? Have you worn it in the last 12 months? Is there some sentimental value strong enough to keep it? If the answers are no, toss it in one of three options — in a bag for charity, to sell at a garage sale or on eBay, or for the trash heap.

Here are more steps to help you clear clutter from your life:•

Organize in bite-size bits: If the thought of getting organized completely overwhelms you, set a timer for just 15 minutes a day. Knowing you won't spend hours working on an organizational project might make working in small nuggets easier to manage.
• Mainstream email: Instead of checking email with each ding of the inbox, read your emails on a regular basis only twice a day. When you open an email, answer it immediately and don't save it for later.
• Handle snail mail only once: Create a special time and place to read your snail mail regularly. During the appointed time, open the mail and immediately take action on it. File it with bills, shred it, toss it in the trash, etc. Commit to touching each piece of mail immediately and only once.
• Avoid horizontal piles: When possible, avoid putting paper in horizontal stacks in your home or office. Save time and frustration by categorizing and finding a home for paper as soon as it comes through the door.
• Purge regularly: This applies to every room in the house but don’t forget the kitchen and bathroom. Check expiration dates regularly on medicines, vitamins, supplements, and cosmetics. Stick to the “when in doubt, throw it out” rule. If you can’t remember when you purchased it, let it go.

Lucille Roberts - Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe

2009-11-23T11:00:00.001-05:00

Introducing a new and exciting way to healthy weight loss!
Featured here each month will be a delicious natural recipe to combine with our own Lucille Roberts natural shakes.
Use the one below as an alternative to pumpkin pie this week.

Pumpkin Delight
½ Cup Canned Pumpkin
1 Scoop Vanilla Lucille
Roberts Live Rite Shake
5-7 Ounces of Water
½ Cup Ice Cubes
2 Dashes of Cinnamon
1 Dash of Nutmeg

Blend all of the above
ingredients in your blender
and enjoy!

You can also take the
above shake and pour into
8 Popsicle holders and freeze to
enjoy later as a low calorie tasty
and healthy snack.

Stop by the front desk at your Lucille Roberts club location to start “Shaking Up” your weight
loss with Lucille Roberts Live Rite Shakes!

Lucille Roberts - Super Weight Loss Month

2009-11-17T10:21:00.005-05:00

Lucille Roberts wants you to be in the best shape you can possibly be in. The better shape you are in the better you'll look, the more confidence you will have, and of course the better you'll feel. Come to Lucille Roberts during our Super Weight Loss Month to register with no contract. You'll be able to come to any Lucille Roberts work out as much as you want, loose as much weight as you want with no contract. Lucille Roberts Super Weight Loss Month give you the opportunity to get in shape before the holidays. Why waist a perfectly good New Years Resolution on weight loss when thanks to Lucille Roberts Super Weight Loss Month, you would have already lost that weight.

Lucille Roberts - Finding Strength in Numbers

2009-11-15T16:20:00.003-05:00

Discover the Power of Team Play for Individual Results

Sometimes taking care of number one, means counting on others for support and guidance. That's why at Lucille Roberts we encourage our members to attend group exercise classes. We've discovered that when it comes to establishing an exercise routine and sticking to it there really is strength in numbers. Our members seem to agree. They have discovered that exercising in a group offers them the following benefits:

Motivation: Did you ever notice how much easier it is to get something done when you're motivated to do it? The same is true of exercise. By joining others, of all different experience levels, our members find they are motivated to work a little harder and garner strength from others.

Camaraderie: A social, fun environment makes it easier to get moving. The time goes faster when you see the same friendly faces in the classes you attend.
Technique: By watching others you can learn a whole lot. The right technique is imperative to getting the most out of your exercise routine .Watching others helps you learn the right techniques for squats, lifting weights, doing push-ups and sit ups, leg lifts, etc.

Challenge: Chances are you will see a lot of the same people in the classes you choose to take. Many exercisers find themselves comparing their abilities to others and challenge themselves to match them. From the number of reps you do, to the weight you use, a little friendly competition pushes you to be the best that you can be.

Consistency: People who exercise in groups tend to return to the gym more often to repeat the same classes. Again, it could be the friendly faces they have grown accustomed to seeing. It might be the encouragement they get from others or the challenge they put on themselves to work harder and better than their neighbor. Regardless of the reason, the result is the same….the more consistent you are, the better the return.

Preventing Boredom: Sometimes doing the same thing, in the same way, can lead to boredom. If you get bored, chances are you won't want to exercise anymore. By choosing a number of different group classes to attend, you'll continuously be providing your body and your mind with new challenges.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine an important fitness trend is group exercise. From aerobics classes to yoga, step classes to basic boot camp, the group that moves together…improves together.

To find the group exercise classes that best fit your style and fitness goals check out what Lucille Roberts has to offer.

Lucille Roberts - Here Come the Holidays!

2009-11-12T13:28:00.003-05:00

Here come the Holidays…Eat, drink and be merry. And, then come the New Year’s Resolutions again. But, who says you can’t make an easy resolution or two, now. Here are some ideas to help you to healthily enjoy Autumn and the coming winter holiday season.

Ways to Improve Your Diet…Now.

Nearly half of all Americans make a New Year's resolution or two. For many, adopting healthier eating habits will top the list again for 2010. If you are in this group, make it real this year. If you're serious about changing your diet—and losing a few pounds along the way—a resolution can help. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology reports that those who pledge to make behavior changes by means of a resolution were 10 times more likely to succeed than those who simply want to make a change. Going public and sharing your goal with someone can also bump up your odds for success. But a commitment to better eating is only the start. You also need to figure out how and what to change. Here are four suggestions that can put you on the right path:

1) Keep a food record
To fix your diet you should understand where it's broken. One good way to do that, says Washington, D.C.- based registered dietician Katherine Tallmadge, is to keep a pencil and notebook handy as you go about your day. For at least a week, record everything you eat, when you eat, and maybe how you feel after you eat.
The exercise can be eye-opening, says Tallmadge, who is also author of "Diet Simple: 214 Mental Tricks, Substitutions, Habits & Inspiration" (LifeLine Press, 2004). By analyzing your eating routines, she says, you can discover both the good habits you practice as well as those that regularly route high-calorie, low-nutrition fodder toward your mouth.

It can also unveil such misguided behaviors as chronically skipping breakfast. "Studies have shown that if you eat breakfast," Tallmadge says, "you eat proportionally fewer calories the rest of the day." Keeping an ongoing food record while trying to establish better eating patterns can make you accountable to yourself and discourage mindless eating. And make sure to record one other item: your weight. Climb on the scale at least once a week if not every day, says Tallmadge.

2) Discover vegetables
Mothers have told us from the beginning of time to eat our vegetables. Now it's time to pay attention. Melanie Polk, a registered dietician and director for the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), says by adding ample amounts of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans to your diet you reap a nutritional bonanza. You also benefit from non-nutritive plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing compounds called phytochemicals.

Moreover, recent studies show that consuming plant foods can play an important role in weight loss, says Polk. High in water and fiber and low in “energy density,” they create a feeling of fullness without delivering the big calorie load of high-fat foods.

If you suffered childhood trauma from having to face mushy, flavorless vegetables, Polk says cooking techniques today such as roasting and stir frying can help heal those memories. Of course, many vegetables are also delicious raw.

3) Remove temptations

When retraining your eating habits, avoiding temptation is a better strategy than trying to resist it. “We're eating machines—that's instinctive,” says Tallmadge. “That's why it’s important to keep only healthy foods in your home.”

Tallmadge recommends purging your home of chips, cookies and other items you don't want to ingest. Then make sure you have nutritious foods around that are easy to grab when you do feel like snacking. One good option is pre-made vegetable soup in your refrigerator that you can quickly heat up. Another is chopped fruit and vegetables that you can dip into humus, yogurt or light ranch dressing.

Also, be ready for the challenges you face outside of your controlled eating environment. “If you know you’re going to overeat at a certain event, seriously consider not going,” she says.

To avoid feeling deprived, Tallmadge says it's alright to occasionally indulge in the foods you have eliminated yet still miss. But better yet is to find an alternative, non-eating way to treat yourself, such as scheduling a massage.

4. Don’t give up
Finally, if you begin to slide into your former eating patterns, refuse to give up and abandon your effort. Persistence is better than perfection.

“Accepting the setback and moving on is the best strategy,” says Tallmadge. Tallmadge notes that weight loss studies have shown those who keep weight off and those who regain weight typically have the same number of slip-ups. “Successful people just know how to rebound from them better,” she says.

Making a resolution to eat better doesn’t mean you have to fight your wayward dining habits all alone. Solicit the advice of nutrition counselors, doctors, or the 92-yearold marathon runner next door if you think they can help you help you get—and stay—on the right track.

Lucille Roberts Dollar Sale

2009-11-03T09:58:00.007-05:00

Now is the time to join Lucille Roberts! For the next two days you can get a membership at any Lucille Roberts for just one dollar. Think of all the money you will save and all the weight you can loose for just one dollar. You better act now because Lucille Roberts Dollar sale wont be around forever.

Lucille Roberts - Dollar Sale
Uploaded by lucilleroberts. - Check out other Film & TV videos.

Why Kick It into High Gear? The benefits of cardiovascular exercise

2009-10-20T10:57:00.001-04:00

Ok all you exercise demons, it's time to get out there and really kick it up a notch…and couch potatoes, the time has come to lace up your sneakers and get moving. I know not everyone loves exercise…I get it, but at some point you're going to have to realize that cardio is good for you! And, dare I say, fun?

So what exactly is cardiovascular exercise? Simply stated it's any movement that gets your heart rate up and increases blood circulation throughout the body. Cardiovascular exercise really does do your body good in a number of ways and it doesn't demand hours of devotion. Try to move three to five times a week, keeping your heart rate up for at least 25 minutes. Soon you will discover the benefits of cardiovascular exercise including:

Burn Baby Burn: Say goodbye to extra calories each time you get that heart rate going…the more strenuous the activity is, the more calories you'll burn. And the more calories burned the better. Plus cardio raises your metabolism so you get to burn more calories even hours after your exercise is done. So go for a run, take a kick boxing class, or ride your bike, any exercise that increases your heart rate counts.

Bye Bye Body Fat: Honest, cardiovascular fitness is associated with fat loss. First of all, it decreases appetite in many people…and even if it doesn't, it does promote lean body tissue and lower the percentage of body fat. Try running up and down stairs, or take a step class to get that heart pumping.

Let the Sunshine In: Cardio exercise actually improves your mood. So even if you're grumpy over the idea of exercising, you'll feel a whole lot better once you're done. Elevating the heart rate elevates your mood and helps alleviate fatigue and depression. Wow, just hearing it makes you happy, right?

Toughen Up Your Ticker: When you increase your heart rate, you actually improve heart and lung function since you pump more blood and transport more oxygen with less effort. Plus, cardio exercise has been shown to play a significant role in lowering the risk for coronary artery disease. Even lifting weights in swift repetition is cardio, and it improves muscle mass at the same time.

Put Up a Fight: The more exercise you do, the more assistance you give your immune system in fighting off disease. Plus, it helps you create a stronger skeletal system and increases muscle mass so your body is stronger and less prone to disease and damage. It's even been shown to help individuals with diabetes manage their sugar levels more efficiently.

So, have I convinced you yet? Cardiovascular exercise is good for body and mind, and I don't mind telling you, without it, you're missing an opportunity to keep yourself the best you can be. So kick up your heels and get moving. Oh, and about it being fun…for me aerobic exercise classes at Lucille Roberts and some belly dancing classes on the weekend make me smile every time.

YOU LOST WEIGHT….NOW WHAT?

2009-09-14T17:10:00.000-04:00

Congratulations are definitely in order if you've lost weight. But now what? How are you going to keep it off? The truth is, losing weight isn't nearly as difficult as keeping it off, especially if you return to your old eating habits. In fact, if you're not careful, the weight you lost can come back quite easily, along with a few extra pounds for good measure (or bad!).

7 EASY WAYS TO KEEP OFF THE WEIGHT YOU'VE LOST

Of course, the most important thing to remember is….don't forget! Continue to implement the strategies you used to lose the weight in the first place. Chances are some, if not all of the ideas listed below were initiatives you used during your dieting days. Stick to them and chances are good, you can keep off those pounds you worked so hard to shed for a good long time.

1. Exercise Your Right To Move: Many women find that exercise has become a welcome part of their life. Others don't love it, but exercise anyway. Regular exercise ( at least four days a week) is important for burning calories, so it's good for your body, plus, it's great for your heart.

2. A Fistful Is All the Punch You Need: When it comes to portion control, the general rule is, if it's bigger than your fist, chances are good that your chosen portion is way out of proportion. For most foods a fistful is usually just about the right amount to eat at one sitting. But beware, a fistful of chocolate chips, nuts, fat filled cheeses, etc. is still off limits and too much. Along with portion control, smart food choices still rule!

3. Plan Ahead: Make sure that the cupboards are never bare. Be sure that you have healthy foods on hand at all times on your kitchen shelves as well as the refrigerator. Plan your meals ahead of time so that you aren't tempted to cheat or go off your diet plan of healthy choices.

4. Write it Down: If you haven't been keeping a journal or food diary, start one now. Writing down everything you eat and drink helps keep you in control of your eating. Plus, it's a great way to see when, where and why you eat, which is especially helpful for those times when you eat something you know you shouldn't.

5. Eat Less, More Often: This particular trick is not without its controversy. One school of thought is, to stick to three square meals a day. The other is, eat small meals more times a day. The thinking behind this is that the human digestion machine burns calories just to first up its digestive track, so the more small meals or snacks you eat throughout the day, the more calories you'll burn. There isn't much solid to back this up, but many experts believe that compared to eating very heavy meals a few times a day, smaller, more frequent eating is a more healthful.

6. Don't Skip Breakfast: Don't go hungry. If you skip breakfast, you may end up eating more calories at lunch, or during other times of the day. Eating a healthy breakfast gets you ready for your day. Be sure to cover all the important food groups in the morning with a bit of protein, dairy and whole grain.

7. Hydrate for Health: You've heard it before….now hear it again. Drinking around eight cups of water a day may help burn up 100 extra calories a day. Plus, it fills you up especially when taken before meals, or when you're having those inevitable pangs of hunger. Drinking water also helps your skin and general health. If you don't like plain water, add lemon or lime, whatever it takes to get those 8 glasses in, will work wonders towards keeping you on track.

Ten Changes You Can Make to Your Diet to Start Losing Weight

2009-08-20T15:21:00.000-04:00

The truth about diets is that most of them fail. Diets are often an expensive, temporary solution to lose weight with very little long-term success. Most diets do not fit into normal life and can actually lower your metabolism if not supplemented with physical activity. However, by making the following ten changes to your diet, you can start losing weight and keep it off for good.

1. Drink six or more glasses of water daily. Divide your weight in pounds by two and the resulting number is the number of ounces of water you need to consume on a daily basis to maintain and control your weight. Get a water purification system, add lemons or limes to your water and carry water with you everywhere you go. Be sure to drink at least two cups of water with every meal.

2. Use a salt substitute. Salt does not contain any calories, but it does cause the body to retain water. Use a salt substitute and your body will expel water and weigh less.

3. Take a multi-vitamin daily. Multi-vitamins not only enhance general health and provide protection from certain types of cancers, but medical doctors have also linked multi-vitamins to weight loss. Take a multi-vitamin with chromium, vitamins B-6 and B-12 once a day with breakfast to start shedding pounds.

4. Avoid cream and sugar in your coffee & tea by switching to artificial sweetener. The caffeine found in coffees and teas is as an appetite suppressant, making you less hungry after drinking to help you eat less at your next meal. Without sugars, creams or other additives, an 8-ounce cup of brewed coffee contains around 2 calories! However, two teaspoons of sugar is equal to 30 calories and one tablespoon of cream accounts for just over 50 calories, so switch to artificial sweeteners for maximum weight loss.

5. Boil and drain vegetables without butter. Feel free to eat your favorite vegetables with every meal, as long as you boil them without butter. Vegetables are caloric dense, meaning you will feel fuller from eating smaller portions. Use vinegar or lemon juice instead for taste.

6. Avoid dressing in your salad. By using vinegar, lemon juice or artificial sweetener in your salad, you can cut down on fat without sacrificing on taste.

7. Boil or broil all lean meats and fish (beef, veal, lamb, fowl and fish). Lean meats are high in muscle-building, fat-burning proteins. The leanest poultry choice that is also high in protein is white meat from the breast of chicken or turkey. Check labels on ground meat and only buy ground beef made from 90% or higher lean meat.

8. Avoid pork and shell fish. Pork and shellfish calories can be especially high due to added sugars and fats. Limit your portions of pork and shellfish or eliminate them from your diet.

9. Do not eat between meals or skip any meals. Eat meals at the same time each day. Skipping meals not only makes you hungrier, so that you will eat more than usual at your next meal, but also creates metabolic changes in the body that can result in weight gain.

10. Avoid all alcoholic beverages. Pure alcohol contains close to 7 calories per gram, making it almost twice as fattening as carbohydrates or proteins, which both contain about 4 calories per gram. If you want to lose weight and reduce body fat, stay away from alcoholic drinks.

Its Strength Training Time!

2009-08-15T11:16:00.001-04:00

Tighten up as you lighten up, that's what strength training is all about. It's an extraordinary way to tone your body and turn that extra flab into muscle. We're not talking about body building, just simple, light weights and floor exercises designed for targeting different muscle groups. Contrary to popular believe, strength training may be more important to successful fat loss than aerobic exercise. Depending upon the intensity of your workout, you may actually burn more calories with weight training. Done right, you will gain muscle, but you'll lose fat, and muscle burns calories faster than fat ever will. In just 30 minutes, two to three times per week you can tone, tighten and lose weight.

There are a number of strength training exercises you should incorporate into your exercise routine, each targeting different areas. These include the following:

· Squats: These work your gluts, quads, calves and hamstrings all at the same time.

· Push Ups: Work all the muscles of your body at once including your chest, shoulders, back, triceps and abs.

· Lunges: Tighten up those leg muscles including quads, gluts, calves and hamstrings.

· Sit ups: Work those abs with crunches and sit ups as well as elbow to knee twists.

· Weights: Using light weights to focus on your arms shows almost instant results. Toning your arms is best done with single-joint movements like curls, kickbacks, tricep presses and tricep extensions.

A personal trainer at Lucille Roberts can help design a strength training program that targets each of your muscle groups, appropriate for your strength level. In addition, there are a number of classes specifically designed for strength training as well as those that incorporate all or some of the above mentioned exercises.

Once you understand the importance of the Big Three you're on your way to a stronger, firmer, thinner you. Training with others helps motivate you and keep you on track, and you'll find a community of women at your local Lucille Roberts that have like-minded goals. Hop on a tread mill, do some sit ups, ride an elliptical, join in on one of the hottest exercises classes around, get tips from a personal trainer…everyone's there to help. Plus, Lucille Roberts has a new diet menu each week for you to try as well as weight loss products and supplements to help you reach your goals. Together you can create great things.

Lucille Roberts will Amaze You!

2009-08-11T12:24:00.003-04:00

Lucille Roberts is the only place that you can work out as much as you want, burn as much fat you want and take as many classes as you want for as little as ten bucks a month with no contracts. For more information visit http://www.lucilleroberts.com

How to Lose Ten Pounds in Ten Days

2009-07-31T10:36:00.001-04:00

How to Lose Ten Pounds in Ten Days

If you are looking to lose weight, build lean muscle, and reshape your body, there are two things you will need to focus on, proper nutrition and cardiovascular exercises. Proper nutrition and cardiovascular exercises could be the key to losing up to ten pounds in ten days, and keeping it off for good!

Proper nutrition – If you want to lose weight quickly, you probably need to change what and how you eat. Breaking into a new diet can be challenging, and it is easy to get discouraged. However, most people who really stick to a diet lose a significant amount of weight (sometimes up to 30 pounds) within a month or two. For help, review the quick weight loss diet available on the Lucille Roberts website for losing ten pounds in ten days, and do the following:

· Keep a diary of everything you eat

· Drink six or more glasses of water daily.

· Avoid cream and sugar in coffee

· Don't be fooled, even "healthy" juices are full of unnecessary calories and sugar

· Take a multi vitamin

· Flavor boiled or broiled fresh vegetables with vinegar or lemon juice, not butter

· Avoid fatty salad dressings, replace with vinegar, lemon juice or non-fat plain yogurt

· Boil or broil lean meats, fish and poultry

· Use fresh seasonings to awaken flavors in foods without adding fat

· Do not fry anything, most oils are not your friend

· Avoid pork and shellfish

· Watch your portions, if your meat, poultry or fish is larger than the size of your fist….it's too much

· Avoid alcoholic beverages

· Do not skip meals or snack in between meals

· Try to eat each meal at the same time each day

Cardiovascular exercise - For fast, long-lasting weight loss results, cardiovascular exercise is a must. Not only does it elevate your heart rate and help burn fat and calories, it also firms and shapes your body and improves your health. There are many forms of cardiovascular exercise to choose from including the following:

· Brisk walking

· Running

· Biking

· Swimming

· Belly dancing

· Gym classes like pilates, yoga, fit-ball and total body workouts

· Vacuuming and house cleaning

· Stair walking

Lucille Roberts offers a number of fitness classes that are both motivational and fun, and perfect for women of all fitness levels. By focusing on cardiovascular and aerobic exercise, and increasing your heart rate, you can firm up and keep those lost pounds….lost. Consistently focusing on cardiovascular exercise three to five days a week for at least 30 minutes is sure to help. Remember, the more you move, the easier it will be for you to lose weight and keep it off. Another great thing about cardiovascular exercise is, if you're out moving around, you won't be sitting around, thinking about choosing an unhealthy snack to fill the time.

Once you understand the importance of Proper nutrition and cardiovascular exercises you're on your way to a stronger, firmer, thinner you. Training with others can help motivate you and keep you on track, plus its more fun. You'll find a community of women at your local Lucille Roberts that have similar goals. Hop on a tread mill, do some sit ups, ride an elliptical, join in on one of the hottest exercises classes around, get tips from a personal trainer…everyone's there to help.

To locate a Lucille Roberts women’s gym in your area, visit the Lucille Roberts women’s gym locator service.

Lucille Roberts

2009-07-23T12:00:00.004-04:00

Lucille Roberts was born in the Soviet Union on Dec. 7, 1943, in what is now an independent country, Tajikistan. Her family was Jewish, and after facing religious persecution the Roberts Family immigrated to the United States and settled Brooklyn. When Lucille Roberts was 13, She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1964 and worked in a succession of jobs in retailing.

Lucille Roberts last job was at Kitty Kelly, which sold shoes and other merchandise. Lucille Roberts was promised a $50 raise if she met her sales goals. She reached her goal, but never receive her raise. She quit to start her own business with her husband.

A self-described exercise nut, Lucille Roberts wanted to teach an exercise class for women at a hotel. Instead, she decided that what women really needed was a place where they could exercise with no men around. Lucille Roberts and her husband put up $10,000 of their savings, borrowed $5,000 each from their parents to open a little ''spa'' opposite Macy's in Manhattan.

The club was an immediate success, but its name, the Body Shop, caused confusion: People thought it was an auto-repair business. Within two years, two additional clubs opened, and the name was changed to Lucille Roberts.

The goal was to be friendly to women. No heavy weights or elaborate machines were emphasized; classes were easy to follow and taught by people with less-than-perfect bodies. The classes lasted only 30 minutes so they could easily fit into women's schedules.

Lucille Roberts target market was secretaries, teachers and the wives of policemen, she knew how to please them. Her business strategy involved recruiting as many members as possible and crowding them into large gyms. By continually adding more gyms, she was able to keep down the cost of advertising, a significant and critical expenditure for health clubs on a per-member basis. The result was summed up by a promotional slogan Lucille Roberts used for years: ''More Gym Less Money.''

Lucille Roberts, a businesswoman whose ambition to create inspired a chain of gyms for women, died on July 17th 2003 at New York University Downtown Hospital in Manhattan due to lung cancer at the age of 59.

How to Get Buns of Steel in 30 Days

2009-07-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

The truth about our bodies is that the shapes and sizes of our 2,000 parts (and yes, this includes our butts) are, for the most part, genetically predetermined. What this means is that despite the thousands of “butt crunches” and “butt flexes” that we do at the gym day in and day out, mom and dad’s oversized derriere may be holding us back. On the other hand, if your mother and father both fit into a slim pair of Levi’s throughout their glory days, you may already have the full and tight buns you desire. The good news is that with the right training and proper nutrition people can turn even the flabbiest behinds into true buns of steel.

Like every other muscle in the human body, the muscles in our butts need time to recover and build. Therefore, doing one butt exercise after another, day after day, is the least effective way to develop genuine buns of steel. Many beginners found in the weight room tend to believe that more training equals better training, which could not be further from the truth. An effective butt training routine requires just five simple exercises performed 3 times per week to get you well on your way to having the tight, firm butt you have always desired in just 30 days.

Exercise 1: Squats – Perform this butt-wrenching exercise using either dumbbells or a universal barbell to create the resistance required to build lean muscle. Hold dumbbells at your sides or position a weighted bar across your shoulders and squat down in a controlled motion until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Lift up from the legs to a standing position as fast as you can and count these two motions as one repetition. Do four sets of eight repetitions three times per week, alternating between training days and rest days. A good way for beginners to start is by training on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If squatting is too intense for you, which is normal for beginners, try using a leg press machine, keeping your feet further apart to target the butt area.

Exercise 2: Lunges – This is the bun-sculpting exercise Jessica Simpson used to fit into her skin-tight Daisy Duke shorts in the movie The Dukes of Hazzard. There are several different types of lunges, including walking, alternating and side lunges, but for now, we will stick with the classic, stationary lunge. Hold two dumbbells at your sides, and from a standing position bring one leg forward, bending both knees so that your back leg is almost touching the floor. Reverse this motion to get back to a standing position and count it as one repetition. Perform this exercise for four total sets of 12 repetitions, or two sets of 12 reps per “forward” leg. Remember to first do a whole set with one leg and then continue with the other leg.

Exercise 3: Flutter Kicks – Also known as hip extensions, flutter kicks are another great way to develop undeniable buns of steel. First, lie face down on a platform with your hips on the edge so that your legs are straight out and your toes are resting lightly on the floor. Lift both legs until they are off the floor and at the level of your hips, holding them in this position briefly. Lift one leg higher than the other and alternate this motion, mimicking a flutter kick performed in water. Do three sets of 20 repetitions for each leg.

Exercise 4: Deadlifts – Coming in at a close second to squats as being the best full-body workout, deadlifts are an excellent way to train your hamstrings, butt and lower back. Form is critical for this exercise, and practice makes perfect. Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a barbell resting on the floor close to your toes. Keeping your back flat and abs in bend forward from the hips and lower your torso to reach the barbell. Lift up from the floor using your lower back, legs and abs while squeezing your butt to rise back up to a standing position. Reverse this motion back to the floor and count this as one repetition. Perform the deadlift for three sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Exercise 5: StairMaster – Stepping on a StairMaster is a great way to tone your butt and build muscular endurance. Feel your body weight as you step down through the heel of each foot and complete full steps, as opposed to mini steps. Start by climbing for 20 minutes, 3 days a week on the same day of the rest of your butt training routine. Add one minute per session until you have reached 45 minutes per day and train on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Incorporate these five butt-building exercises into your workout routine and reap the benefits of sexy, rock-hard buns of steel. Remember that consistency is the name of the game and try not to get discouraged too quickly. Stick to this plan and soon you will be wishing bathing suit season were a year-round occurrence.

How to Sculpt Sexy, Bikini-Ready Abs in 30 Days

2009-07-18T13:22:00.001-04:00

Diets, countless abdominal exercises and daily 45-minute cardio training sessions form the equation millions of women rely on week after week in an attempt to lose unwanted belly fat and build a sexy mid section. Unfortunately, very few are actually able to accomplish this feat. Why, you might ask? Maybe it is because many of the “health foods” marketed by the diet food industry are not as healthy as they would like women to believe. It may be because abdominal exercises such as sit-ups and crunches are actually the least effective way to build muscle in your mid section. On the other hand, perhaps it is the fact that long, daily cardiovascular exercise routines do not yield the best results in losing stubborn belly fat. The truth of the matter is, the traditional methods of developing chiseled and sexy bikini-ready abs are outdated, ineffective and can even be counterproductive, and too few women are aware of it. Even women returning to exercise after pregnancy do not realize that proper nutrition and a gradual return to exercise are necessary to achieve the best results in abdominal sculpting. Follow these simple steps to be on your way to the stomach of your dreams in just 30 days.

Step 1: Sexy Six-Pack Abs Start in the Mind - The first step to sexy abs is to understand that most abdominal workouts, although effective in strengthening and toning the muscles in your mid section, will not get rid of stubborn belly fat. Specific and targeted abdominal exercises are certainly beneficial when mixed into a rigorous, full body routine, but ultimately ineffective in producing sexy abs when performed alone. The same is true for cardiovascular exercise routines, which help burn unwanted body fat but are hardly effective without incorporating strenuous, high intensity resistance training. On the contrary, a frequent, high-intensity full body routine and a balanced diet filled with healthy nutrients is the best combination for burning fat and revving up your metabolism so that your sexy abdominal muscles will show. As a side note, it might also prove interesting to know that most women have six-pack abs beneath their belly fat-the secret is simply learning how to reveal them!

Step 2: Speed- Up Your Metabolism with HIIT Cardio –The common misconception about cardiovascular exercise lies in your individual metabolic rate, or metabolism. Sculpting sexy abs by spending long lengths of time on a treadmill is a traditional technique based on the theory that this type of aerobic exercise pumps more oxygen through your body in order to burn fat and energy. However, recent research has pointed to a different type of training, known as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), as the best solution to sexy abs. HIIT in its simplest form is an anaerobic exercise that makes you work slightly harder but in less time. Varied intensities of cardiovascular exercise raise the body’s metabolism for up to the next 24 to 48 hours after training, where the metabolic rate returns to normal after slower, low-intensity sessions. Keep in mind, that too much time spent on a treadmill (or other cardiovascular machine) can begin to burn muscle, your body’s greatest ally in burning fat. When it comes to sculpting a sexy mid section, less cardio may actually be more. Try this routine during your next visit to the gym- all it takes is 26 minutes:

1. Jog briskly for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph

2. Jog for 4 minutes at 5.0 mph

3. Run for 8 minutes at 6.0 mph

4. Jog for 4 minutes at 5.0 mph

5. Jog briskly for 5 minutes at 3.5 mph

Step 3: Ten Strategies for Sexy Abs through Nutrition – One of the single most effective ways to show the six-pack of your dreams is by losing stubborn belly fat through healthy nutrition. Follow these ten nutrition strategies and be on your way to sexy abs in 30 days:

1. Protein shakes after a workout: Plain and simply, protein builds muscle and muscle burns fat. Consume 40 to 60 grams of whey protein per day after a workout and decrease body fat fast! Whey protein also increases satiety, meaning you will be less hungry throughout the day.

2. Dairy products to help weight management: The vitamin D found in dairy products promotes calcium absorption and regulates the metabolism by suppressing fat synthesis and sparking fat burning.

3. Overindulge in low energy density foods: Consume large quantities of low energy density foods that are low in calories but fill you up based on their total volume. Low energy density foods include whipped shakes, broth-based soups, non-starchy vegetables and many fruits.

4. Eat often: The more often we eat the less hungry we feel later on (as long as we are not at the McDonald’s drive thru every three hours). Skipping meals to lose weight will only cause you to overeat at your next meal due to increased hunger.

5. Switch to green tea: Green tea extract and caffeine increase energy expenditure when combined, which means you are burning calories. Habitual green tea drinkers tend to have better overall weight maintenance.

6. Always avoid trans fats: Trans fats are associated with increased abdominal fat deposition. Avoid any food that contains “partially hydrogenated oil” and shed pounds fast.

7. Load up on omega-3s: Omega-3s alter the expression of genes tied to fatty acid oxidation. Consume plenty of salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut, sardines and tuna steak. Try omega-3 supplements if you do not eat from the sea.

8. Beware of sugar-free products: Sugar free gums and candies may sound like a compromising reward for your hard work but ultimately lead to bloating and abdominal discomfort.

9. Get the sugar out: Sugar spikes your insulin and increases your cravings for more sweets. Therefore, daily trips to Dunkin’ Donuts do not yield positive results.

10. Put down the booze: Physically fit people do not drink alcohol on a regular basis. Make the choice between six-pack abs and a six-pack of Bud.

Step Four: Building up the Muscles in your Abdomen – When strengthening the muscles in your abdomen, always be sure to hit each region, or muscle group, to maintain a balanced and proportionate mid section. Follow this routine three times a week to shred those abdominal muscles and help them grow:

1. V-Crunches: Lie on a mat and bring your arms to your feet, forming a V-crunch that works the lower abdominals. Repeat this motion for 20 repetitions.

2. Hip Raises: Lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your hips to the ceiling while keeping your feet on the floor. Do this for 20 repetitions.

3. Crossed Knee Crunch: Lie on the floor in a normal crunch position and place one of your feet in a 90-degree angle on top of your other leg. Do a cross-crunch by touching your elbow with the opposite knee. Repeat this exercise for 15 repetitions on each side

4. Abdominal Plank: Do a plank for 30 seconds. Lie on your stomach, touch your forearms and toes to the floor and raise your belly off the floor. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

5. Leg Lifts: Lie on your back and lift your legs a few inches above the ground. Perform this motion for 30 repetitions.

Step 5: Patience is a Virtue – Follow this guide and be well on your way to sexy, bikini-ready abs in 30 days. Continue using this program for as long as you need to for progressive results and remember to remain patient. One of the biggest obstacles you will face is staying motivated in the face of discouragement but if you stick to your guns your stomach will certainly thank you.

2009-07-09T12:51:00.000-04:00

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2009-06-19T12:13:00.003-04:00

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2009-06-18T11:10:00.003-04:00

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2009-06-08T12:55:00.004-04:00

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2009-05-20T13:08:00.000-04:00

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