Month: February 2014

For the first time in his young life, my son Miguel is playing
baseball. His team has their first scrimmage this morning.

Prior to this year, he never expressed any interest in playing
“pee wee” or little league baseball. Oh sure, we’ve thrown around
the ball with him in the backyard and played wiffle ball. And
he’s been to our baseball mecca, Fenway Park, to see a Red Sox
game.

Now he’s participating in a more organized way.

When he made the decision to sign up for little league, I told him
he would be at a disadvantage to some of the other boys who have
played already. But that should not deter him. The important thing
would be to work on the fundamentals and begin to learn more about
how the game is played.

Which means….

PRACTICE!

So, the day we signed him up, we started to practice.

We agreed to regular practice as a habit. Not only did Miguel
make the commitment to show up – on time – at every practice.
He’s also committed to practice on his “off” days at home.

I’ve insisted on this approach because it offers such a
wonderful tool for success, progress and transformation.

It’s part psychology, part discipline, part leveraging the
power of momentum: the momentum you get from the simple act of
making a decision to do something.

And the best time to act is…..immediately after you have made
that decision.

Engaging in genuine discipline requires that you develop the
ability to take action. You don’t need to be hasty if it
isn’t required, but you don’t want to lose much time either.

Here’s the time to act: when the idea is hot and the emotion
is strong.

When did Miguel and I go out back and start throwing around
the baseball?

The minute we got home from baseball signups.

Since then, we’ve not had to prompt or remind a single time.

Miguel has been the one asking us to go out back and throw the
ball, or work with him on his batting.

It’s become part of his routine now.

Here’s the secret: Take action as soon as possible, before the
feeling passes and before the idea dims.

If you don’t, here’s what happens:

You fall prey to what famous motivational speaker and successful
businessman, Jim Rohn, called the “Law of Diminishing Intent”.

As Jim said, “We intend to take action when the idea strikes us.
We intend to do something when the emotion is high. But if we
don’t translate that intention into action fairly soon, the
urgency starts to diminish. A month from now the passion is cold.
A year from now it can’t be found.”

So take action. Set up a discipline when the emotions are high
and the idea is strong, clear, and powerful. You’ve got to take
action; otherwise the emotion soon passes.

Unless….

Unless you apply it to a disciplined activity.

Discipline enables you to capture the emotion and the wisdom and
translate them into action.

The key is to increase your motivation by quickly setting up the
disciplines. By doing so, you’ve started a whole new life process.

Discipline leads to self-worth and self-esteem.

As Miguel continues to develop his discipline by practicing
and playing and keeping his commitment to show up – on time and
ready to play – to all practices and games, he will develop far
more self-esteem than any amount of praise or encouragement
we can provide as parents.

Of course, our praise and encouragement are important. But when
he sees the fruits of his labors, and experiences the satisfaction
of persevering through an activity, even when it’s not fun or
seems hard (which inevitably it will sometimes), Miguel will have
learned such an important lesson.

How about you?

Did you make the decision at the start of the year – maybe as
part of your New Year’s resolutions – to “finally” get in shape
this year? Then…did you do something about it immediately?

Did the new exercise routine or diet you started seem to just…
fizzle. Or did you not even really get started?

Have you been struggling with some not-so-good habits – habits
you know are sapping your energy, preventing you from reaching
your goals, stealing away your life – maybe even killing you,
bit by bit, which is the case with poor eating and exercise
habits?

Are you unsure of where to start? Do you feel overwhelmed by
everything you could be doing, or should be doing?

Well, you may be suffering from the “Law of Diminishing Intent”.

And I’ve got just the remedy – an excellent place to start, to
help you get the ball rolling.

First: Make the DECISION to get in better shape, to get healthy,
to recapture your energy.

Second: Take ACTION and get my new Special Report, “Ten Universal
Strategies for Optimal Fitness”. It gives you a well-rounded,
highly effective approach to exercise and fitness.

Third: As soon as you order your own copy of the Report, DO
something good for yourself? Stretch, do some pushups, go for
a walk….breathe!

Those seemingly small actions will help you get started on your
own path to self-discipline, self-esteem, and better health
and energy.

Visit http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/fitnessstrat.html
to get more information.

You Can Do It!

“Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

P.S. A good exercise routine can literally rocket launch you to
improved health and fitness, higher energy levels, better brain
and cognitive function, and enhanced productivity.

I wrote my latest Special Report, “Ten Universal Strategies for
Optimal Fitness”, to help you get started. I cover – in
a concise, easy to understand, and easy to implement way – the
most important elements of an efficient, effective and ENJOYABLE
approach to getting fitter and feeling healthier than you ever
imagined.

The information in this report will point you in the right
direction and show you exactly what to do to get maximum
results.

To read more about it, or to claim your copy today (plus a
special bonus offer), go to
http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/fitnessstrat.html.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2014

There are simple solutions to our problems – just not easy ones.”

-Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States of America

In my home office, hung on the wall above and to the left of my
desk area, is a framed commemorative portrait of Ronald Reagan,
which also includes his official stamp and stamp ingot from the
US Postal Service, plus a couple of other keepsakes.

I didn’t agree with Reagan on all of his policies. For example, I
was very disappointed with the Iran-Contra scandal (bringing cakes
and making deals with the Ayatollahs of Iran? Really Ronbo?) And
his delay in driving significant government spending to study and
fight the emerging scourge of AIDS was unforgivable.

However, Ronald Reagan is one of the U.S. presidents I respect
the most. He held to his principles, developed over years of
experience in private enterprise and government. He believed in
America, the promise of her, and that she – and we – could be
great again, could continue to make a meaningful and (mostly)
positive difference in the world again. He believed that the
U.S. and our allies could and would overcome in the Cold
War – and he took steps to help make sure this indeed happened.

And he was a great communicator. He stuck to simple themes,
repeated over and over again. He told stories, he related to
people. He believed the best way was to communicate directly
with us, because he knew we were smarter than the pollsters
and politicians and industrial complex give us credit for.

Many took his simple approach and simple themes as weaknesses,
as signs that he lacked intellectual capacity or curiosity.

Actually, if you read any of his letters, or accounts from
the folks who worked most closely with him, you get a much
different picture.

Well, I’m not here to talk politics. You probably get enough
of that BS from the news media, don’t you? Especially here
in the U.S., where it seems like we are already getting
sucked into “Campaign 2016” as the potential presidential
candidates (and potential potentials) jockey for early position.

I mention Reagan because of the quotation above: “There are
simple solutions to our problems – just not easy ones.”

This applies to many areas of challenge we face in our lives.

Including improving our health and fitness.

The exercise and diet industry thrive on making things more
complex than they really area. I mean, they have to, otherwise
what would be their excuse for publishing twenty new diet
books around the beginning of this year?

(This is just an estimate by the way, based on my doing a
quick count the last time I was in a Barnes & Noble. I’m sure
the actual number of diet and exercise books was even higher.)

Well, as Reagan said, there are simple answers, straightforward
approaches that make sense.

But here’s the catch: they are not necessarily easy.

Now, here’s a question for you:

How would you like to spend less time exercising…do less
exercising when you are working out…and still get great
results?

How would you like an approach to fitness and getting in shape
that can actually fit into your schedule, no matter how hectic
your schedule is?

In today’s society, everyone from parents to executives to
business owners to students are busy. So the prospect of trading
long, boring cardio sessions of 45 minutes to an hour, three to
four times per week (the traditional area people focus on) for
several shorter, more effective, FUNNER workouts per week…is
a no-brainer for many people!

The trick to keeping your workouts short, yet still achieve good
results, is to:

(1) exercise with sufficiently high intensity, to the point where
you are really huffing and puffing; and

(2) focus most of your efforts on certain types of exercises.

It’s a simple approach, actually.

But you do have to work at it. Put in some elbow grease. Make
an effort.

To point #1: Obviously this means pushing yourself. However, to
work at a sufficiently high level of intensity necessitates
using an interval, or pulsing, approach.

Interval Training involves working hard for a short period of
time, followed by either a complete rest or a slower pace of
the target activity. For example, you run at a good clip for
one minute (the work interval), then run more slowly or walk
for two minutes (the rest interval). That’s one set.

Or, you perform repetitions of a compound movement, such as a
squat or pushup, and push yourself to just short of momentary
muscular failure (that is, you can’t do another repetition
without cheating, breaking down in form, or your movement becomes
super slow). Then you rest. That’s one set.

Put together a sufficient number of sets of high intensity
effort, and you’ve got yourself a super workout! And the good
news is, you only need about 20 minutes to complete such as
workout. In fact, if you are really pushing yourself, you
probably won’t want to do more than 20 minutes!

I think people shy away from high intensity training because
they associate it with highly intense levels of effort and think
it is too tough for them to do.

But the truth is, just about anyone can successfully adapt this
type of training, no matter their present level of fitness.

The key is to set the intensity and duration of your work
interval at a level sufficient to push yourself — but not
push yourself over the edge.

Just about every activity I can think of lends itself to interval
training. It just takes a little creativity.

For example, strength training is naturally interval in nature.
You perform sets of repetitions of exercises, interspersed with
rest periods.

Walking and running are also naturals for intervals. Simply walk
or run faster for a period of time, interspersed with periods of
walking or running more slowly.

Certain breathing exercises are interval in nature. Typically,
each exercise is done for a certain number of repetitions. You
pause briefly (rest interval) and move on to the next one. Also,
breathing floods your system with oxygen, creating immediate
surges in energy levels and metabolism.

Now, to point #2: Notice that the type of exercising – walking,
sprinting, resistance training – as well as the types of
movements – squats and pushups – I mention are either full body
movement OR compound exercises.

Compound exercises involve multiple body parts. They tend to be
the most effective exercises because they involve the large
muscle groups, such as your thighs, hips, chest and back. These
muscles require more energy and focus to work hard. Focusing on
them means you can train your entire body with fewer movements.

In addition, compound exercises make much more significant
demands on your entire system, especially if you push
yourself…meaning more calories burned not only during
exercise, but post-exercise.

In fact, a short but high intensity exercise session, focused
on as few as five exercises, can actually elevate your metabolism
for 24 to 48 hours AFTER the exercise session.

Imagine what this could mean to your efforts to get into better
shape, burn off some fat, or get stronger?

It helps to know a few “secrets” to really maximize the results you
can achieve. I share this – and more – with you in my latest
Special Report, <strong>”Ten Universal Strategies for Optimal Fitness”.

This report is an easy-to-read, easy-to-apply distillation of
my many years of learning, experimenting, failing and succeeding
in the areas of enhancing fitness and health.

I cover – in a very concise and hard-hitting way – the most
important elements of a rational, efficient, and effective
approach to getting fitter and feeling healthier than you
ever imagined.

If you’re just starting out and getting back into shape, or
perhaps beginning an exercise program for the first time, this
report will point you in the right direction and show you
exactly what to do to get maximum results.

If you’re already exercising and in pretty good shape, the
information in this report will help you take your fitness
program and results to the next level.

These strategies are universal. They are time-tested. They will
work for you, no matter what your current level of fitness is
today. And they will help you get results, fast.

To read more about this report, or to order your copy right
now, click HERE.

You Can Do It!

“Best Breathing Exercises: Transform Body Mind and Spirit with
Dynamic Energy Exercise!”
http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2014

It’s been said, “The body is the temple of the soul”.

Throughout the millenia, spiritual and religious practices have embraced this message and placed great importance on the health and fitness of the body.

As the Apostle Paul said, “You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The spirit is in you and is a gift from God.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Legend has it the great teacher Bodidharma, who traveled from India to China and started teaching the Shaolin monks how to meditate, was bummed out by the terrible physical condition of the monks. They spent all their time meditating or copying scrolls and therefore could not keep up.

Bodidharma developed a set of energy exercises to help the monks develop physical health, vitality and longevity.This set is the root of one of the most popular Qi Gong (Chi Kung) series, called “The Eight Pieces of Brocade” or “The Eight Treasures”.

Another great example is yoga. Most people associate yoga with the asanas, or postures, where you assume and hold positions to develop flexibility and strength. But the postures are only one of eight major areas of yoga practice. They are actually meant to support the deeper practices of breathing, energy development, and spiritual development.

The common thread here is that it’s tough to be a high-minded, well-developed, spiritual, enlightened person when your temple needs some renovation. It’s tough to do well in the world on a consistent basis – which requires so much energy, enthusiasm, passion and purpose – if you don’t treat your body well so it can do your bidding.

I’ve been writing a lot lately about the benefits of regular exercise. It’s so important to enabling all the things you want to do – and need to do – especially as our lives seem to get more and more hectic and crowded.

And, if you’re like me, as you get older you also start thinking more about quality of life issues. You want to thrive, feel good and be healthy today….AND you want to maintain enough strength and fitness to help keep your independence and ensure better quality of life as you get older.

Yes, exercise is truly the fountain of youth for your body. However, if you follow the conventional wisdom conveyed by the powers that be, you may miss out on the wonderful benefits you could – and should – be enjoying.

It’s been proven again and again: regular exercise and maintaining at least a base level of fitness can help keep your body young and healthy.

You’re probably thinking, “OK Karen, I know all this. I get it! I need to get off my behind and start exercising.”

You know this….but will you act on it?

If you’re like many adults, probably not.

In most of my programs and writings, I teach and emphasize breathing and energy exercises as a direct path to enhanced health, vitality and energy. However, I want you to be well informed about other aspects of a healthy lifestyle. I have a lot to share with you, based on my own research, study and experience training and working out…AND as a competitor, a martial arts instructor, and a personal trainer.

If you’re wondering how best to get started with a fitness program, then I’ve got a great resource for you.

It’s my latest special report, “Ten Universal Strategies for Optimal Fitness“.

This report is an easy-to-read, easy-to-apply distillation of my many years of learning, experimenting, failing and succeeding in the areas of enhancing fitness and health.

I cover – in a very concise and hard-hitting way – the most important elements  of a rational, efficient, and effective approach to getting fitter and feeling healthier than you ever imagined.

If you’re just starting out and getting back into shape, or perhaps beginning an exercise program for the first time, this report will point you in the right direction and show you exactly what to do to get maximum results.

If you’re already exercising and in pretty good shape, the information in this report will help you take your fitness program and results to the next level.

These strategies are universal. They are time-tested. They will work for you, no matter what your current level of fitness is today. And they will help you get results, fast.

Copies have been flying out of here.  In fact, I have broken my original “rule” and had some additional copies made of the report. Which means I have a few more available at the low price of only $19.95 (and I cover the shipping and handling). I usually only offer this kind of special deal to my email newsletter subscribers and customers. But this is so important, I want to share it with you too!

If you’d like more information, you can visit the Best Breathing Exercises website at  http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/fitnessstrat.html and read all about it.

You’ll also have the option of a discount on a complementary program too! It’s worth checking it out just to take advantage of this “bundled” offer.

Superior health and vigor are within your grasp – no matter what your age or current condition! Let me show you how.

Order “Ten Universal Strategies for Optimal Fitness” today!

It’s never too late…you’re never too out of shape…you’re never too old, or too busy, or too whatever….to begin today to get in great shape, and to reclaim the health and energy of both body and mind that you deserve.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

“Transform Body Mind and Spirit with Dynamic Energy Exercise!”

http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2014