Supernatural Botanicals

Turns out, yoga does far more for make us limber, it’s also a major libido booster, too.  Yoga improves blood flow to sexual organs, which increases sensation.  Being limber certainly can’t hurt your game in that regard, either.  But more so, being in shape makes you confident in your body and assured with self confidence.  Yoga is a win/win in and out of the bedroom.

For years, Jillian Michaels has come into our homes, teaching us her workout techniques on The Biggest Loser.  How does Jillian keep her near-perfect physique?  Jillian says “I usually go to the gym three to four times a week.  I work out hard when I go.  I just kill it, whether it’s doing kettlebells, mixed martial arts, Spinning classes or power yoga.  I get bored easily, so I need something that’s going to keep me focused.  I mix it up.  Everything I do is a combo of body resistance and cardiovascular endurance.” Jillian’s favorite workout is mixed martial arts.  Her most dreaded workout would be a marathon.  She says “You’re at mile 20, and you have six more to go, and your body is just battered and bleeding and miserable.  I would rather be dead.”

Check out Fitness magazine’s July/August issue to learn more about Jillian Michaels’ signature workout style.

Anyone who has worked out with regularity can confirm this  Harvard study, who reports adults who practice about 27 minutes of mindful activity a day, including gentle yoga and meditation exercises, had a significant increase in gray matter in eight weeks.  Specifically, in the parts of the brain that help regulate emotions and stress.  “We believe that these changes reflect increased brain activity which helps explain why the benefits of practice continue throughout the day.”  Working out simply makes you sharper, quicker on the draw.  It also helps you to deal with stress better, and of course,  be a kinder and better all around person.  It works every single time….so do some mindful activity eight weeks in a row and find out for yourself.  You’ll love the results.

If you want a seriously sculpted body, it’s all about exercise.  There’s no way around it…beside starvation, and even starvation won’t make you sculpted.  Try this to carve amazing abs for yourself.

1. Begin it with 5 minutes of jogging to warm up.
2. Follow it with 2 minutes of sprinting
3. Slow down your jogging pace for the next 5 minutes
4. Sprint again for 2 minutes
5. Return to jogging for 5 minutes

If you workout regularly, you’ve probably had an injury or two.  That, however, is not a reason to give up your workouts until you feel healed.  In fact, as you are healing from an injury, you should not stop exercising.  Activity delivers oxygen and nutrients that help your body repair itself. Sure, take it easier.  Consider training with less weight and intensity, but by all means, don’t stop exercising.

A pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. So if you have a calorie deficit of 500 calories (meaning that you burn 500 calories more than you eat each day) you would lose approximately one pound per week.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAIBxubYUy8v

In addition to daily yoga workouts, Trish swears by circuit training and squats.  “The little secret things I do:  100 Squats.  You’d be surprised how much development can come from doing 100 freestyle squats using your own body weight.”  Trish Stratus, cover girl and wrestling champion, on workout secrets.

Julianne Hough’s new DVD workout, Just Dance, is the perfect workout if you love to dance.   Julianne’s DVD features three hip-shaking routines, Work It, Flaunt It, and Pump It.  The routines are fun and flirty…more of a club-style dance.  There’s no hint of a samba or waltz on this DVD.  This DVD provides a serious workout if you keep up with it.  Don’t worry, you can always modify to your level of endurance.  Not to mention, you can learn a few cool moves the next time you are out on the dance floor.

Hitting that hour-long cardio class today?  Read this recent study and you may just skip the class all together.

In a recent study, people who used kettlebells torched a whopping 400 calories in 20 minutes.

Kettlebells have made strength training fun and interesting with its new design, enabling the exerciser to perform a multitude of moves that were otherwise not possible with simple hand weights.

Entire classes, and even gyms, have been created based on the practice of kettlebell exercise.  Consider jazzing up your strength routine with kettlebells, and torch 400 calories in 20 minutes while you’re at it.