Are You Ready For The BodyPROUD Challenge?

Posted on December 23, 2011 by BodyProud

FAME Media Group Inc. is scouting for health and wellness Ambassadors to lead by example so as to inspire and empower others to become bodyPROUD.

Body = inner wellness, physical abilities, outward appearance.
Proud = confidence, self-esteem, loving who you are, joy in life

Ambassadors are scouted through the BodyPROUD Challenges and Showcase Events.

The Grand Prize features representation by FAME Media Group Inc. and a grand-scale endorsement contract which includes media exposure, magazine features, brand-building, video portfolios, professional photo-shoots, public speaking engagements, and life coaching.

Additional prizes, media promotions, gift packages, and contract endorsements are being awarded to others who personally captivate, inspire, and/or attract attention of the judges and prize sponsors.

Of course, the ultimate reward for participants is an overall transformation in body, mind, heart and spirit. Participants gain a new lease on life, a body they are proud to display, strength, flexibility, inner drive, health, joy, and newfound self-confidence.

Transforming from shy and insecure into a bodyPROUD natural bodybuilder, Maria Sheppard-Thompson states “Emotionally, I feel happier, more motivated and excited! I think I am more connected to other people. Physically, I feel so much stronger! I can do things and lift things with easy. I am more aware of how to maintain my fit body, to keep it in beautiful shape. I can wear fitted outfits without ever worrying about my figure, surprisingly it takes a lot of stress out of dressing for any occasion. I look in the mirror at my body and I’m happy! And overall, I am more confident in myself. It shows in my physical body, the way I walk, and how I talk.”

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What’s The Easiest Way To Start Getting In Shape?

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Flirting With Fitness

3 Top Tips For Getting In Shape With Walking In The New Year

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Walking is a low intensity exercise that is perfect for people who like the outdoors. It’s pretty low intensity but a long walk can still burn through a good amount of calories. In this article I discuss why you should consider walking in the New Year and provide you with some top tips for getting started.

Why Start Walking For Fitness?

As I discussed above, walking is a great way to exercise and enjoy the great outdoors. If the thought of being cooped up in a gym while you workout does not appeal then walking could be for you.

Walking is also a great exercise for people just getting started in the world of fitness. There’s nothing to learn and no fancy equipment needed. Just a good set of walking boots and you are ready to go.

Finally, the chances of injury with walking are much lower than with other forms of exercise. It’s very low impact so places very little pressure on your joints, bones and muscles. If you’ve previously experienced painful injuries when doing other sports, walking is definitely worth a try in the New Year.

Top Tips For Walking For Fitness

Whilst it is pretty easy to get started with walking, the top tips below should help improve your experience:

1) Get A Good Pair Of Walking Boots: If you are planning to take walking seriously in the New Year then you really need to invest in a decent pair of walking boots. This will stop your feet getting bruised or blistered and also protect your ankles from injury.

2) Join A Hiking Group: One of the best ways to motivate yourself to carry on walking is by joining a hiking group. A hiking group will take care of all the planning for you. All you have to do is show up and start walking. Hiking groups also give you some company along the way which is really useful on the long walks.

3) Bring A Rucksack: Walking is an all day activity so you need to make sure you come prepared. Pack a rucksack with some water, healthy snacks, waterproof clothing (in case the heavens open whilst you are out walking) and warm clothing (in case the temperature takes a turn for the worse).

Start Walking For Fitness Today!

If you are looking for a low intensity introduction to fitness in the New Year, walking could be right up your street. If you go for a short walk every day and one long hike every week you will be able to quickly build your fitness levels during the New Year and start burning some serious calories.

Walking really is the easiest way to start getting in shape – start your walking program with a short walk today & add a bit more distance every day!

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Zumba Tips To Help Improve Your Fitness Quest

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Flirting With Fitness

3 Top Tips For Getting Started With Zumba In The New Year

Unless you have been living on a tropical island for the past year you have probably heard of Zumba. It’s been one of the most popular fitness methods for quite some time now and you can now attend Zumba classes at almost every gym and fitness centre in the country. If you are not a fan of traditional exercise but still want to get fit as part of your New Year’s resolutions, then Zumba might just be the perfect choice for you. In this article I will be discussing why you should try Zumba to help you start the year right, and provide some top tips for getting started with Zumba.

Why Zumba?

As I mentioned above, Zumba is great for people who don’t like traditional exercise because it doesn’t feel like exercise. You just go in, dance like crazy and have fun. Then before you know it you’ve danced an hour away. The best part is although Zumba doesn’t feel like a traditional workout it is actually very effective. Once you get the hang of it an hour-long Zumba class can burn through over 600 calories!

Some Zumba Top Tips

Despite being renowned for its fun, party atmosphere, stepping into your first Zumba class can still be very daunting. Everyone in the class seems to know all the moves whilst you have absolutely no clue. The good news is I have some top tips that will help you get started with Zumba:

1) Sit In On A Class Or Get A Zumba DVD: If you are nervous about getting all the moves wrong in your first class, ask if you can sit in on a class and observe how everything is done. Alternatively, get a Zumba DVD and learn all the basic moves. Preparing in this way will make you feel a lot more confident about your first class and help it go a lot more smoothly.

2) Ask A Friend For Help: If you are still not confident about heading to a class after following the advice above, ask a friend who currently does Zumba for help. They will be able to show you the moves in person, give you a few pointers and build your confidence for that first Zumba class.

3) Get the Right Shoes: Since Zumba requires a lot of moving, spinning and pivoting, your standard gym shoes probably won’t cut it as they will have too much grip. Instead get a shoe that is lightweight, has some grip without making you stick to the floor and if possible has a spin spot. Cross-trainers or dance-specific sneakers are perfect.

Start The Year Right & Have Fun With Zumba Classes!

Once you get over the initial feelings of self-consciousness, Zumba is one of the best ways of getting fit, keeping fit, losing weight and having fun. If you have previously tried and failed with your ‘get fit’ New Year’s resolutions, have a go at Zumba this year. The party atmosphere and the community feeling should ensure that you don’t get bored with the Zumba classes and allow you to keep it up for the full year. Don’t forget to come back and let us know how well the Zumba exercise classes work for you, ok? See you then!

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8 Tips To Help Build Muscle Mass & Get In Shape This Year

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Flirting With Fitness

8 Tips To Help Build Muscle Mass & Get In Shape This Year

So you want to build big muscles? Simple isn’t it? Just join a gym and hit those weights regularly and viola, in a couple of months, you will gain so much muscle mass that you are ready to take on any bodybuilding contest. Is it really that simple to build big muscles? Well, to gain muscle mass, there is much more than just hitting the gym regularly. Here are some muscle mass gaining tips…

a) Eat and Eat - To build muscles, you must eat. Your calorie consumption must be more than your calorie expenditure. If you expend all the calories you have eaten, then where are the calories to build muscles?

2) Protein - Make sure that you eat enough protein. You should eat at least one gram of protein per pound of your body weight everyday if you want to gain muscle mass fast. If you don’t get enough protein, your muscles won’t grow big.

Continue reading here…

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Is Weight Lifting A Good Way To Start The Year Right?

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Flirting With Fitness

3 Top Tips For Getting Started With Weight Lifting In The New Year

As we enter January you are probably starting to finalise your New Year’s resolutions. Perhaps you want to lose some weight this year? Maybe you want to finally improve your fitness? If so then weight lifting can help you achieve both of your goals. In this article I discuss why taking up weight lifting is such a good New Year’s resolution and provide you with 3 top tips for starting a New Year weight lifting routine.

Why Weight Lifting?

As discussed above, weight lifting can help you hit a number of fitness goals. The most obvious benefit of weight lifting is improved strength and bigger muscles. However, it also helps you lose weight by burning body fat when you are away from the gym. A pound of muscle burns 6 calories per day whilst a pound of body fat burns just 2 calories per day. So for every pound of muscle you gain you can burn an extra 42 calories per week. In addition to this, it improves flexibility, reduces your chance of injury, prevents disease and much more.

Weight Lifting Top Tips

Whilst weight lifting is a highly beneficial activity I would recommend you follow the tips below before getting started:

1) Get Some Weight Lifting Gloves: I see quite a lot of people in the gym without weight lifting gloves and to be honest I don’t know how they do it. If I forget my weight lifting gloves for just a couple of days in a row I find the skin on the insides of my hands becomes red, rough, sore and swollen. This makes it really hard to hold dumbbells and lift weights effectively. If you are just starting out I would really recommend that you get yourself a pair of weight lifting gloves before you pick up your first dumbbell. This will help you avoid plenty of unnecessary discomfort and significantly improve your grip.

2) Make Sure You Warm Up: If you are just starting out with weight lifting then your body is not going to be used to the weights or the movements. Therefore, it is essential that you warm up. I find a good warm up is to grab a set of light dumbbells then perform a couple of sets with them before moving on to your main weight lifting exercises.

3) Go For Technique Over Weight: One of the big mistakes that new starters make when it comes to weight lifting is trying to increase the amount they can lift as quickly as possible. As a result their technique suffers, they don’t exercise their muscles properly and they significantly increase their risk of injury. If you are just starting out weight lifting you need to remember that it is a long, process. Building strength takes time and the best way to build strength is to get the technique right and exercise your muscles properly. Stick on your current weight until your technique is 100% perfect – no matter how long it takes to achieve this.

So Is Weight Lifting A Good Way To Start The Year Right?

Weight lifting is a great exercise for you to take up in the New Year. It can help you achieve a variety of fitness goals such as burning fat, building muscle, improving your strength and improving your appearance. If you are looking to improve your fitness in any way at all in the New Year I highly recommend you make weight lifting part of your routine.

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