Fear not it’s not too late! If you didn’t get a jumpstart on that diet or workout plan you intended to start January 1st, Everett Public Library is a good place to start. The library has a myriad of great resources to help you move into phase two- ACTION!
I will be honest here, I don’t like the words diet or workout. I am, however, tempted by terms such as ‘fit in 4 weeks’ and ‘shed pounds in 15 days.’ Truth be told I want to incorporate a sustainable and challenging workout as well as tweak my diet. Here are just a few motivators I found.
I don’t know exactly when it happened but sometime between now and then I developed a muffin top. Flat Belly Yoga describes a muffin top as subcutaneous fat, the fat you can pinch. The dangerous belly fat is visceral fat that can form around internal organs. For a simple straight forward approach to strengthening your core, Flat Belly Yoga offers good illustrations and instructions with minimal equipment needed.
A recent survey on fitness trends conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) confirms that High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) continues to be the number one choice for getting and staying in shape, second to Body Weight Training. I briefly considered getting into a 30 minute Insanity class offered through Everett Parks and Recreation but I quickly talked myself out it! If you would like to get a taste for this type of work out, checkout the library’s P90-X Extreme Home Fitness DVD.
Just reading the introduction to Andy Petranek’s Fire your Gym!: Simplified High-Intensity Workouts You Can Do at Home confirmed my decision to start slow pacing myself. Andy is up front: you will be sore, no pain, no gain. Known for his Crossfit LA gym, in this 9 week at home program the author incorporates a high intensity workout, forefoot or barefoot style running, and recovery endurance conditioning. If you are looking to mix things up this book gives you the tools and template to stay fit.
Juicing and the benefits thereof have been around for a long time. The Body Reset Diet offers a new twist – blending. Author Harley Pasternak breaks things down step by step asserting that blending is the key to resetting your body’s metabolism and maximizing the bioavailability of foods. As a person who has never met the daily requirement for getting my fruits and vegetables this book gives me hope. You will find recipes and an exercise programs to get you started.
One of my favorite exercise DVD’s is Extreme Makeover. Weight Loss Edition: the Workout. Fitness Instructor Chris Powell, touted as a transformation specialist, truly gives viewers a doable workout for various levels of fitness. In his latest book Chris Powell’s Choose More, Lose More for Life , Chris shares his own inspirational story along with a specific diet and exercise regimen.
When searching in the libraries catalog, type in a keyword search ‘physical fitness’, search by ‘any field’, limit by ‘DVD’, and I guarantee you will find a fitness DVD to match your interest from stretching to strenuous and everything in between. If DVDs don’t do it for you place a hold on Ellen’s I’m Gonna Make You Dance Jams featuring artist Macklemore, Usher, Aretha Franklin and more.
I’ve listed just a few titles in hopes that you will discover something new that motivates you towards a healthy and fit new year.
Be sure to visit A Reading Life for more reviews and news of all things happening at the Everett Public Library.
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