Best Supplement for Super Joint Health

March 11, 2012 — kvanness01

As I mentioned in my previous tip, last Friday I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee.

Going through the recovery process has prompted me to get back onto a supplement I used to take – and have begun to take again.

You have probably heard about Glucosamine and Chondroitin, supplements that support joint health. There has been quite a lot of attention paid to these two supplements, especially as the Baby Boomer generation begins to hit their 60s. They have been popularized as treatments for osteoarthritis.

About five years back, there was some controversy about Glucosamine, and some backlash against its depiction as a sort of “wonder drug” for joint health and arthritis sufferers.

At the time, a couple of studies showed glucosamine was no better than a placebo in improving joint health.

However, numerous subsequent studies, as well as years and years of “empirical research” – meaning people who have used it and benefited from it – support the use of Glucosamine – Chondroitin.

Based on all the evidence I have reviewed, as well as my own experience as an athlete, I believe that Glucosamine and Chondroitin, taken together in supplement form, can indeed support joint and connective tissue health and repair….which is vitally important as you age, AND if you engage in an active lifestyle.

By the way, glucosamine and chondroitin supplementation is not only for older people. It most definitely can work to help you build a stronger body, regardless of your age.

Why is Glucosamine so important? And how does it work?

Connective tissue is one of the most prevalent substances in your body. Cartilage, tendons, ligaments, intervertebral (spinal) discs, pads between joints, and cellular membranes: all are made up of connective tissue.

All connective tissues have two common components. One is collagen. Collagen is the most common protein in the body.

The other component is proteoglycans (PGs). PGs form the framework for connective tissue. The principal component in PGs is comprised of 50% glucosamine. Collagens and PGs must “get together” during the production of new connective tissue. And glucosamine is the single most important substance in the synthesis of connective tissue.

Over 30 years of research on glucosamine have proved that ingesting purified glucosamine helps the body produce more connective tissue.

But, just to make sure, I asked my orthopedic surgeon and my physical therapist what they think about it.

They both said absolutely to take it – not just during this recovery period, but from now on.

So….I’m back to taking a supplement I knew was good for me, but which I didn’t sufficiently appreciate at the time.

I discuss Glucosamine and Chondroitin, plus several other key supplements that help restore and maintain healthy, pain-free joints, in “Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and Maximum Mobility” (go to http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html for more info or to order a copy).

The proper use of targeted supplements, along with the approach and specific exercises I teach you in this program, help you easily and enjoyably improve your flexibility and joint health…leaving you limber and pain-free with the investment of only a few minutes per day.

Prior to undergoing surgery last Friday, my orthopedic surgeon told me that, despite old injuries and newer trauma to my knee, both knees are remarkably free from arthritis, and are actually way more functional than they “ought to be”, given some of the wear and tear they have experienced.

I credit this to the functional, effective flexibility and strengthening exercises I have done over the years. I learned long ago that it’s not just about static stretching, how far you can stretch, how long you hold a stretch, etc. — which is the standard stretching fare typically offered in most martial arts and fitness studios.

The important thing is the way you stretch, ensuring that your movement and breathing and method are all integrated into an approach that supports limberness in your soft tissues, such as muscles, with flexibility and strength in your joints and supporting structures.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Knee Surgery and Crutches

March 7, 2012 — kvanness01

Hey there [firstname]!

I’ve been involved in athletics just about my entire life. Played basketball and softball through high school, basketball and a season of track and field in college….

Martial arts as a kid and again as an adult – including teaching, full contact kickboxing, and teaching breathing and energy principles along with good old fashioned martial techniques….

More recently I’ve enjoyed teaching my son Miguel how to play soccer, throw and catch a ball, and throw some mean punches and kicks.

All those years of activity (some at a pretty high level) and I never had to have surgery on my knees…until now.

This past Friday I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee. It seems that years and years of wear and tear, and a few specific injuries from my martial arts days, had taken their toll. So I concured with my orthopedist that it was the time to take care of this.

I’ve had other injuries and other surgeries over the years, and comparatively this one was not that bad. The tricky part is that I have to be on crutches for 6 weeks.

Six weeks!

So, I have two challenges facing me:

(1) Have the patience to slowly and surely rehab the knee without getting ahead of myself, dinging it and being sent back into surgery and more recovery; and

(2) Ensuring that I figure out the optimal combination of breathing, dynamic exercise, and more traditional fitness exercises to maintain my vital capacity, muscle tone and overall good health.

I think this information could be quite helpful to you as well, whether you are facing some health challenge, or simply looking to take your fitness to the next level. So, with your permission, I’ll be devoting some of my forthcoming tips to my progress and approach as I rehab my knee AND experiment with some different exercise and breathing regimens.

A couple of “good news” items are inherent in my experience:

Good News Item #1: I have already begun to use this time as an opportunity to get in better touch with my body. I’m taking more time each morning to stretch and breathe than I normally do – and I love it!

If you’ve read my stuff for any length of time, you know that I’m always encouraging my dear readers to take a little time for themselves, first thing in the morning if at all possible, to breathe and stretch and visualize. It’s the perfect time to relax yet energize as well as plan for a great day.

And I practice what I preach. Whether I’m at home or traveling, one of the very first things I do each morning is my breathing and energy exercises. Now, I’m leveraging this “event” in my life as justification to take even more time each morning. It’s been wonderful!

Good News Item #2: My orthopedic surgeon told me that, despite the old injuries and newer trauma to my knee, both knees are remarkably free from arthritis, and are actually way more functional than they “ought to be”, given some of the wear and tear they have experienced.

I credit this to the functional, effective flexibility and strengthening exercises I have done over the years. I learned long ago that it’s not just about static stretching, how far you can stretch, how long you hold a stretch, etc. — which is the standard stretching fare typically offered in most martial arts and fitness studios.

The important thing is the way you stretch, ensuring that your movement and breathing and method are all integrated into an approach that supports limberness in your soft tissues, such as muscles, with flexibility and strength in your joints and supporting structures.

(If you’d like to learn more about this approach, go to http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html.)

So at least I know that, with proper healing, I have many more years of funnin and gunnin with my two knees.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Do You Know About This Natural Pain Relief Method?

March 1, 2012 — kvanness01

Did you know that painkillers – both over the counter and prescription – are some of the best-selling drugs on the market?

Says a lot about our modern society, doesn’t it? Not only do we run ourselves ragged…but we are encouraged to medicate our pain away.

Some painkillers, such as aspirin, are touted for their benefits.

Aspirin does offer benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in men. It”s less clear whether women enjoy the same benefit relative to the risks.

But aspirin can also cause risks. It thins your blood, and makes your blood slower to clot. It can make stomach or digestive problems even worse.

And, if you are a Type O like me, you should probably avoid aspirin, because our blood tends to clot more slowly anyways.

Aspirin is a drug, just like many others. So I say use with caution.

It also scares me that new parents are encouraged to give their kids Tylenol, even if they aren’t in pain or don’t have fever.

I can’t tell you how many times a friend, or even my own mother, told me to give my son some Tylenol to help “settle him down” when he was a baby and toddler.

Yes, I know it works in a lot of kids. But do I really want to give my two-year-old a drug if he doesn’t need it? Why would I do this to him when I almost never take an aspirin or Tylenol myself?

Here’s the larger issue in my mind: the heavy use of aspirin and other painkillers in our society. Why do people have to take so many painkillers?

One reason is they don’t know how to relax and de-stress. Most headaches, backaches, joint aches and muscle aches are caused by stress and tension.

If your muscles and joints are tight, you are less resilient and resistant to the stress of modern living. It attacks you in your weak spots – your muscles, your joints, and your aching back.

This is one reasons why I created my “Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and Maximum Mobility”.

Most people don’t stretch enough, because the way they have been taught to stretch is boring, or because they don’t think they have the time for it.

But if you follow what I show you in Dynamic Flexibility, you’ll discover that improving your flexibility, joint health, and ability to relax can be rejuvenating, invigorating AND enjoyable.

I want to share with you a little habit that I developed over the years:

Every so often, even during the busiest work days, I take a minute or two to move and stretch. Sometimes I stretch in my chair; more often I stand up and stretch. And it makes all the difference in the world!

You see, I get a lot done during the course of a day, and I truly believe that my habit of stretching here and there during the day is a big reason why. It keeps me more relaxed and on an even keel, even during stressful days. And it allows me to keep on plugging away when most folks would have already turned off their computer.

Here’s a quote from Dr. Joyce Brothers, psychologist and advice columnist:

“No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could just find ways to relax for at least 5 minutes every hour, you’d be more productive.”

When you coax your body into relaxing and becoming looser,your nagging aches and pains naturally dissipate. And you have a vital reserve to help you better cope with life’s challenges and stressors – without resorting to painkillers.

It’s natural stress relief. AND it’s natural pain relief.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Nature’s First Adaptogen

February 21, 2012 — kvanness01

Feeling tired? Stressed out? Not losing the weight or fitting in the exercise as you resolved to at the beginning of the year?

If so, read on….

A fascinating class of compounds called “adaptogens” help the body heal from disease, imbalances or other stressors and return to homeostasis, or a steady, healthy state.

Exactly how these compounds work is not well known. They basically can correct any problem. If you have too much of something, they help reduce and bring you back to baseline. If you have too little of something, they help increase and bring you up to baseline.

Pretty amazing little critters, aren’t they?

Most of the known adaptogens are herbal or chemical in nature. Ginseng and rhodiola are two fairly well-known examples. Gynostemma is another widely used herb for adaptability as well as anti-aging.

There are also classes of mushrooms (not the type you may be thinking about!) that are used to enhance recovery, such as athletes recovering from hard training or road warriors recovering from a tough travel schedule.

The problem with herbal compounds is that you never know for sure about the quality or amount of the active ingredient you are getting with each dose.

You have to be very careful about selecting a quality supplement from a manufacturer that is known for quality and care in creating its products.

I rarely ever plug a specific supplement or company. But I know people are curious as to what I do or what I use.

Here at the Van Ness household, we’ve been drinking Spring Dragon Longevity Tea made by Ron Teeguarden’s Dragon Herbs. It’s a broad spectrum health promoting tea with specific adaptogenic herbs. It actually tastes good (which is saying something) and can be taken in the morning to help get you started, or at night to help you relax.

I take specific supplements, such as a quality multi-vitamin and multi-mineral supplement, on a daily or every other day basis. But I also like drinking or eating many of my “supplements” because it’s a more natural way, as opposed to downing pills and capsules. Your body can mor easily assimilate the nutrients it needs from food or drink.   

Probably the most effective, and usually under-appreciated, adaptogen is the most natural one. It’s also free.

Yes, of course… it’s breathing.

A few minutes of conscious, relaxed breathing each day can smooth out the rough spots and help you to better manage stress and tension. It can energize you and help increase your stamina. It can improve your mental focus and acuity.

Added as a complement to exercise, it can even help you burn fat and lose weight faster.

If you are underweight and wish to add some healthy pounds, breathing can help you balance your energy and, along with a rational diet, gain healthy lean weight.

Even if you develop the habit of doing some deep breathing each day, you may not be sure whether you are breathing correctly.

It should be a no-brainer, right? I mean, it’s something each of us does, on average, over 17,000 times a day.

Problem is, most people have forgotten how to breathe in a healthy, natural manner. They breathe shallowly, often through their mouths. They have trouble when they have to breathe deeply, because the structures that support deep healthy breathing are out of shape.

This is one reason why I include a lesson on how to breathe completely in Volume I of the Secret Power of Dynamic Energy Exercise Course: Invigorate and Rejuvenate.

It’s also why I sequenced the exercises the way I did in the Dynamic Energy Routine – part of the Dynamic Energy Exercise Course, Volume II.

The first series of exercises combine movement with breathing to help you understand how deep, dynamic breathing should feel. The movements also help open up and strengthen the structures that support healthy breathing.   At any rate, I highly recommend at least a few minutes each morning of conscious, proper breathing. It can make an enormously positive difference in how your day starts out.

It can help you gear up and maintain higher levels of energy throughout the day…as well as better cope with the inevitable stresses and strains that go along with having a busy and productive life.

Of course, if you would like to discover some ideas and techniques to help you develop your own “best breathing” program that meets your unique needs, then look into one of the programs available through the Best Breathing Exercises website.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Why Goals Are Not That Important

January 17, 2012 — kvanness01

I trust you have begun 2012 in fine form.

If you’re like me, you have probably been inundated with emails, articles and other such talk about setting resolutions and goals for yourself.

I’m a huge proponent of setting and working towards meaningful goals.

But I have to admit one thing:

Goals in and of themselves are not the most important thing.

What IS important is the person you become in the process of achieving your goals.

In order to achieve more, you need to become more.What you become determines what you can achieve and realize in your life. What you become is just as important as what you do.

The real reason to set, work towards and achieve goals is your own personal growth. Growth that helps you create a better life for yourself…and have a more positive and profound impact on the people around you. Growth that helps you make a difference in your world, your community, within your circle of family and friends. Growth that is in alignment with your highest personal values and vision for your life.

Here’s the exciting thing about having a goal:

When you focus on a goal, you immediately begin improving because you have become aware of a new and exciting direction in which to take your life.

You’re already mentally and emotionally shifting in that direction.

As you think about what you would like to achieve, do, or bring into your life this coming year….think also about the type of person you will have to become in order to realize your goals.

For example, some years ago, when I set out to overcome a serious and chronic health problem – a severe case of asthma – I not only thought about the obvious goals, like reducing or eliminating the asthma attacks, or breathing more clearly, or getting off all the darn meds.

What really motivated me was picturing the kind of person I would be if I were free from asthma.

I thought about how great it would be to lose the fatigue and anxiety, to have abundant energy and confidence. To be able to participate fullbore in just about any activity I wanted to – without fear.

You may face your own health or fitness challenge. Have you set a goal and made the commitment to begin overcoming that challenge?

If so, keep in mind the transformative power of deep breathing and dynamic energy exercise

No matter what your goal is – losing weight, improving stamina, transforming stress into positive energy, becoming more flexible and open in body and mind – you can get started more quickly and easily if you put one of the Best Breathing Exercises programs to work for you.

It’s not magic, and you have to make some effort. But remember this:   “The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get by it, but what they become by it.”

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

P.S. If your goals for 2012 include getting more fit…breathing more clearly..>overcoming stress and anxiety….or feeling more energetic and healthy, then you owe it to yourself to check out the Best Breathing Exercises programs.

Let me help you make 2012 your healthiest year ever!

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Deserve It!

January 13, 2012 — kvanness01

I have a poster in my office that I absolutely love.

It’s a picture of Winston Churchill. Actually an official reprint of one of the World War II posters put out during the war in England.

In the picture, Churchill is pointing his finger at you, the viewer. The caption beneath him says, “Deserve Victory!”

I purchased this poster during a trip to London, after a tour of the war cabinet rooms. This was the complex of offices and personal quarters the Brits built under Whitehall during WWII.

Churchill and his administration spent many hours and days in these rooms, running the war effort and rallying their people.

Of course, I had heard of and read about the bombing of London during the war.

But touring the war rooms…seeing how people had to live and operate under the most grueling of conditions…seeing the photos of  bombed, burned out buildings, and hearing about how the average family had to camp out at night in the subway tunnels…

Well, this really brought home for me the level of sacrifice and sheer determination and fortitude it must have taken to not only survive, but emerge a victor in the (to date) most devastating war humanity has yet waged on itself.

One of the reasons I like this picture is that Churchill himself had very serious doubts about how the war would turn out. For awhile there, it was basically Britain against Nazi Germany and the other Axis countries.

And Churchill himself suffered from bouts of self doubt and sometimes severe depression.

He also liked to drink a lot, which probably didn’t help in those dark hours (or maybe it did).

In other words, he was not perfect. He had flaws and shortcomings. He had doubts.

Yet somehow, through his language, attitude and sheer force of will, he rallied his coutrymen and women, and helped bring the U.S. and other allies into the war.

How does this apply to you? Well, I think each of us can relate to feeling overwhelmed, not up to the task, and perhaps even undeserving of the good things we wish for.

These types of feelings, even if held subconsciously, can bite you in the you-know-what if you don’t acknowledge them and begin to change them.

They typically manifest as lack of confidence…or lack of persistence…or self-sabotage.

Well, take a word of advice from one of the great men of history.

You deserve victory.

You deserve to have the level of fitness and health you want. You deserve to be energetic, enthusiastic and happy.

However, you must also make sure you DESERVE victory.

In other words, you must put in the mental, emotional and physical effort to make your goals and dreams come true. You need to take care of the basics each day. You know, those things large and (usually) small that add up over the days and months to signficant progress.

Let me help you make 2012 your healthiest year yet. Check out my programs and give one a try. I guarantee all of my products. With a small investment of time, you too can feel energetic, inspired, enthusiastic and ready to go!

Go to http://www.BestBreathingExercises.com to discover how. 

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

P.S. How’s your flexibility? Did you know that stretching and flexibility means more than maintaining a certain range of motion, or the ability to bend down and pick up something. It means resiliency. It means motion. It means acting – and FEELING – younger and more energetic, in everything you do. AND having a more flexible and supple body helps you develop greater flexibility and creativity in your thinking – a surefire way to accelerate your results this year.

I share my method of improving flexibility and joint health through my program, “Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and Maximum Mobility”.

Check out this life-enhancing program right now at: http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Stretch Yourself in 2012

January 8, 2012 — kvanness01

As we move into 2012, here’s something important I want to share with you.

Improving and maintaining the flexibility of your muscles and joints is one of the most important things you can do for your body.

A proper program of stretching and flexibility exercises helps you feel better, move better, and avoid injury.

Problem is, most people have been taught the wrong way to stretch. I can’t tell you how many horror stories I witnessed at the gym and in the training hall.

In fact, many of the stretches taught at gyms and in classes, in books and DVD’s are redundant and a waste of time. Some can even do you more harm than good.

Stretching and flexibility means more than maintaining a certan range of motion, or the ability to bend down and pick up something. It means resiliency. It means motion. It means acting – and FEELING – younger and more energetic, in everything you do.

It can even impact your thinking. Yes, having a more flexible and supple body helps you develop greater flexibility and creativity in your thinking! And being more flexible and open is a surefire way to accelerate your results this year.

Think about it this way:   If you have any sort of lower back pain or stiffness, it’s pretty much weighing on your mind all day long – distracting you, bugging you, keeping you from 100 percent focus on the important things you want to get done. So think of what a load has been lifted when your back is loose and free. The benefit is far more than physical – it’s mental, too.   In addition, when your lower back is loose, your kidneys and other internal organs function much better – and this is huge in terms of giving you the energy and fearlessness to go through your day with gusto and enthusiasm – with a belief that everything is going to work out just fine.

Like many people, you may avoid stretching, or throw it in as an afterthought to your exercise program. And you may think that stretching means pain, boredom, or twisting yourself into a pretzel.

I’m here to tell you that’s not the case!

Done properly – the way I teach – improving your flexibility, range of motion and joint health can be rejuvenating, invigorating – AND enjoyable.

I share my method of improving flexibility and joint health through my program, “Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and Maximum Mobility”.

Check out this life-enhancing program right now at: http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html.

In “Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and Maximum Mobility”, I home in on the most productive, results-producing flexibility exercises. I show you how to use dynamic, natural movements to improve your flexibility and the health of your joints in only minutes…so you are limber, loose and injury-proof.

I also show you how your breathing and emotional state can influence your flexibility…and how to leverage both to radically increase your flexibility and feeling of wellbeing within minutes.

And guess what: even if you are super stiff, my method can increase your flexibility by 300% – often after just one session.

Getting older doesn’t have to mean increased stiffness and loss of mobility, degenerating joints, or chronic nagging pain. You CAN recapture the limber, pain free body you once enjoyed in your younger days. And I have just the program to help you.

Order your copy of “Dynamic Flexibility: The Secret To Healthy, Pain-Free Joints, Limber Muscles and Maximum Mobility”  and discover for yourself how easy and enjoyable stretching and improving your flexibility can be!

I’m letting this program go at a special price. So stretch yourself this year! Go to http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/dynamic_flex.html and get your sopy today.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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Finally – Achieve Your Goal to Lose Weight

January 5, 2012 — kvanness01

If you’re like 80% of adults, you probably made a resolution to lose weight and get in better shape in 2011.

If you want to lose weight, or have been told by your doctor (or a significant other) that you ought to lose weight….I’m here to help you.

But first, full disclosure.

I’ve battled my weight, off and on, for many years now, going back to college days.

Yes, even though I’m a fitness trainer, producer of information products that help thousands of people improve their health and energy levels, a black belt in two martial arts, and a former collegiate athlete – I too have had a few periods in my life when I have been overweight.

When I was overweight, I resolved to diet and exercise in order to lose the pounds and firm up. I typically would join a gym and embark on a conventional program of doing cardio, lifting weights, stretching, and doing lots of abdominal exercises.

I even tried yoga and pilates (before pilates was popular!). I also put myself on a diet and was very careful about what I ate.

I experienced success for a time. I would lose weight, usually up to 10 or 15 pounds. I would be feeling good about myself. Then, I would inevitably hit one of those momentum-stealing, motivation-sapping plateaus, and the weight loss would stop.

It was hard to stay motivated at these times, because the pounds just didn’t come off as quickly as I expected. I felt like I was working so hard and depriving myself. I should have been seeing better results.

Each week, I stepped on the scale. And each week, I was disappointed at my lack of progress. Even worse, I sometimes found that I had gained weight! Maybe it was just “water weight”, but who cares? I was so frustrated and heartbroken that I would cry whenever I looked at myself in the mirror.

I knew there was a beautiful body – MY beautiful body – in there somewhere. But how could I get to it?

If you’ve tried and failed to lose and keep off a significant amount of weight, I’m sure you can understand my frustration and despair.

This is the point at which most people say, “Aw, what’s the use!” and give up on their quest for a great body.

I wasn’t done yet, though. I decided to investigate and try one more thing – something I thought could accelerate my results and melt away the pounds.

Here’s what I discovered:

Through my training in martial arts, energy disciplines and breathing methods, as well as research I have done into old-time methods of physical training and health enhancement, I came to a realization:

All the exercising and dieting I had been doing was good for me, and I was getting some results. BUT I was missing a key ingredient: deep breathing.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re trying to lose weight:

One of the primary actions of deep breathing is to provide the body with ample quantities of oxygen. Oxygen provides the spark which heats up your metabolism, which in turn increases your body’s need for energy, or calories.

When you engage in deep breathing on a regular basis, you pull more oxygen into your system. This causes your body to more quickly burn the calories you take in from food and drink. It then goes into a deficit, and turns to fat stores as an additional source of energy.

Priming this mechanism is the secret to dramatic and lasting weight loss. And the key is oxygen: the more oxygen you take in, the faster the results.

So I leveraged this information I already had, but had taken for granted. I put it to use. And my results were fantastic!

Not only did I lose the weight, including those last 5 or 10 stubborn pounds that you can never seem to get off…I also toned my waistline and core to the point I could actually see my abs!

Later, I shared the exercises and recommendations in this program with a few of my private training clients. They also achieved wonderful results using this method.

Maybe you have a lot of weight to lose. Perhaps you would like to radically improve the results you’re getting from your current fitness or weight loss program. Or maybe you want to lose that last 5 to 10 pounds so you can see your abs.

Whatever your situation, you can put this program to work immediately to help reach your goal.

I call this the “Fire Up Your Metabolism” Program, because that is exactly what it does.

I encourage you to check it out and put it to work for yourself. You can read more about it at http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html.

You Can Do It!

Karen Van Ness

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

P.S. Another full disclosure: I’ve let myself slip – yes, me, the so-called health nut – and I have some weight to lose. One of my priority goals for 2012 is to get back into fighting trim. But I don’t have a lot of time to try to fit in workouts. So I will be following a very focused program – the approach in the “Fire Up Your Metabolism” Program – so I can get the results I want in less time. Why don’t you join me? Discover how at http://www.bestbreathingexercises.com/metabolism.html. 

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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How To Get Off To A Great Start to 2012

January 2, 2012 — kvanness01

Happy New Year!

As you move into 2012, I’m sure you’ve given some thought to the changes or improvements you’d like to make in various areas.

I know I am. I’ve drafted and re-drafted and refined my list of goals for this year. And I’m already working on some stuff today to help me move towards some key goals. So I feel pretty good!

Did you know that the three areas people think about the most when it come to setting goals (according to surveys) are: relationships, health, and money. So I imagine these areas are important to you too.

My tips and programs don’t help directly with the areas of relationships or money. But I believe that improving your health and energy levels has a direct and dramatic impact on how successful you are in all areas of your life.

And those are two areas I CAN help you with!

Now, this is not a message about making resolutions. As you know (if you’ve been reading), I don’t believe in resolutions. I am, however, a huge believer in having an overall vision for your life and setting short-term to long-term goals towards that vision. I have experienced enormous benefit in my own life from setting, planning for and working towards specific goals I have set for myself.

So…I’d like to suggest that you formulate some goals pertaining to your health, energy levels and fitness.

What really resonates with you? Is it to lose weight? Is it to enjoy higher energy levels so you feel better and get more done? Is it to improve your fitness and mobility so you can play with your kids, or run in that 5K or 10K you’ve been wanting to do? Is it to fit into those old jeans?

Make sure you focus on a goal or goals that are important to YOU.

To help you, here are some areas to consider:

(1) Learning and applying basic stress management and coping techniques, including targeted visualization, deep breathing, and relaxation and stretching exercises. This helps you control your response to life’s challenges, control pain, manage stress, and achieve clear thinking and mental focus.

(2) Learning and performing on a regular basis (daily if possible) deep breathing and other dynamic exercises and techniques. This is critical to helping you gain control over your breathing, build lung power and stamina, improve the health of your digestive system and internal organs, and maximize energy.

(3) Starting, and sticking with, a rational exercise program. This helps you get into better shape, build stamina and strength, and protect you from disease. When you embark on a well-planned program, you can enjoy your workouts and favorite activities.

(4) Learn simple modifications to your diet, including some key nutritional supplements, to help improve your health and energy levels.

This year, I’ll continue to focus on these areas in these tips I send you, as well as in new programs being introduced over the course of the year. My emphasis is on making it easy (and fun!) for you to discover and leverage the power of your breath to promote better health and energy. Because, fact is, our overall health and energy is so important to success in every area of our lives.

Thank you again for reading and for being a Best Breathing Exercises “Energy, Fitness & Personal Power” newsletter subscriber. One of my favorite things to do each day is to write to you.

Here’s to your health and to an awesome 2012!

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

P.S. Start your New Year off right by embarking on a fitness and health adventure. Discover how deep breathing and energy exercises can improve your stamina, transform stress, and put you in touch with your inner power. Go to the Best Breathing Exercises website to learn more.

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2012

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How To Prepare For the Best Year of Your Life

December 30, 2011 — kvanness01

The first step in deciding what you want for the coming year is to think back over the past year….about the good things, as well as the not-so-good things, that came into your life.

Think also about what you did (or did not do) to achieve those good things, or to bring or allow in those not-so-good things.

We learn from our mistakes as well as our successes, so it’s good to spend a few minutes on each.

If you’re like most people, you are your own worst critic.

Dr. Maxwell Maltz, the famous founder of Psycho-Cybernetics, always said, “See yourself with kind eyes.”

(By the way, I highly recommend all of Dr. Maltz’s books. Try to find the original versions from the 1960s and 1970s. More recent versions of his works have been re-published by people who added their own stuff on top of Maltz’s. His original material is the best resource, from my point of view.)

“See yourself with kind eyes.” So basic, but so difficult to do sometimes.

So, I recommend you pretend you are speaking with your best friend when you inventory the past year. Just as you would with a friend, be honest, but…spend more time congratulating yourself on the good things – the things you achieved this past year. Spend less time on the not-so-good stuff.

And there ARE good things – no matter how challenging your year may have been. You might have to think a little bit, but they’re there.

The next step is to reflect on what you would like to achieve or bring into your life in 2012.

Now, I’m not talking about making New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are for amateurs.

I’m talking about setting meaningful, exciting goals for yourself.

Humans are inherently goal-oriented. So setting, planning for, and working toward goals is a natural, powerful mechanism for moving forward in life. Goals are critical to the process of constructive change and growth.

It’s good to have balance in your goals.

In other words, look across the major areas of your life and think about the outcomes you would like to see in each of them.

As I mentioned yesterday, some key areas to consider include:

-health and fitness;

-family and relationships;

-career or business;

-financial;

-personal development;

-spiritual development;

-contribution and service.

You can have specific goals for any and every area of your life. And one of the most, if not THE most, important area is your health.

In fact, I believe that setting a goal or goals pertaining to your health and fitness is critical to having a positive and constructive year.

Here’s why: If your health or fitness is lousy, it will negatively impact every other area of your life. Your energy levels, your confidence, your belief in your ability to set and achieve goals, are all impacted by your success in establishing and following a solid health and fitness program.

If your health and fitness levels are high, you will possess the energy, confidence, and sense of well-being that literally catapult you forward to the achievement of even your most difficult goals.

The most direct way to this inner power (that you already possess) is through your breath.

Your breath is like a super highway that drives straight to your spirit, emotions and internal energy.

That’s one reason why I place such emphasis on cultivating your breath and energy as a fundamental cornerstone of your overall health and fitness program.

And the Best Breathing Exercises programs  – can help you with this. Each one teaches you how to tap into the inner power that you usually ignore or underestimate.

So…Back to setting your goals and planning the outcomes you want to manifest in your life for 2012. Here’s a great way to begin:

Pretend it’s a year from now, and you are looking back over 2012.

What kind of year will you be reviewing? What will you feel really awesome about having achieved or completed? What will you be most excited or proud of?

Usually the first few things that pop into your mind are good candidates for your major goals for the year. Because these are the things that you really want and desire.

And strong, burning desire is the master key to unlocking your internal powers and achieving your goals.

You Can Do It!

Karen

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

Copyright, Karen Van Ness, 2011

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