Lose 72 Pounds in 8 Months at Home!
By Brie Evans, foreword by Kathleen Daelemans

Author, personal trainer and life coach, Brie Evans has lost 72 pounds. "The absolute low point of my life came after the unexpected death of our newborn son in 1999. I ballooned up to my all time high of 194 lbs. I'm only 5'3. In the midst of my grief and despair, I ate and ate and ate. My health and well being weren't even on my radar at that point in my life."

72 Pounds And 6 Dress Sizes Later, Brie's lifestyle modifications resulted in a 72 pound weight loss in just 8 months. "I dropped from a size 16 down to twos and fours by gradually changing my eating and exercise habits... Because my changes were small and gradual I know I can maintain my current weight and lifestyle forever!"

If Brie can do it, so can you! You might not lose 72 pounds in 8 months like Brie did, but with follow through and discipline you can achieve positively anything you set your mind to.

Because she's the super busy Mom of an active toddler, Brie's a huge fan of home workouts. The concept of working out at home sounds easy enough – pop in a DVD and off you go, but the reality, "Mommy I have to go potty", is quite another. I asked Brie to share with us how she got started working out at a home and how she overcame all the obvious distractions.

—Kathleen Daelemans


Article by Brie Evans

To get the most out of your time, a good exercise program includes strength training, cardiovascular work and flexibility training. You can focus all your efforts in one area but your body will thank you exponentially if you donate a little time and attention to each form of exercise.

Dumbbell Magic
Muscle toning is the fastest way to change the shape of your body. I've heard lots of people complain of being afraid to strength train, "I'm going to get too bulky", "I'm going to look like a man", "It isn't going to do anything anyway so why try?" Not true, not true, not true!

5 Reasons You Need to Weight Train Improves balance, control and coordination Reduces injuries Improves posture Reduces risk of osteoporosis Increases basal metabolic rate

Weight training builds strength. Regular weight training increases bone density which can help prevent osteoporosis and helps improve posture. Strong muscles help maintain and build balance so you can stay in control and maintain good coordination all of which helps reduce risk of accidents. Small stumbles and falls will occur less frequently and you're more likely to suffer fewer injuries. Personally, I find something very empowering about lifting!

Cardio Sensation!
Admittedly, if you haven't worked out in awhile, cardiovascular activity is hard to talk yourself into especially if you're huffing and puffing and feeling really uncomfortable after the first five minutes. But stay with it. By staying in control of your breath you'll be able to add time to your total workout every day. When you feel out of breath, slow down your pace a little and concentrate on your breathing until you feel in control again. Challenge yourself to add time to your total workout every day. Before you know it, five minutes will become 6 and 6 will become 10 and so on.

6 Best Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise Lowers blood pressure Increases endurance Increases energy levels Reduces body fat Improves mood Boosts the immune system

Including an element of cardiovascular exercise such as walking, running, swimming and cycling as part of your workout is important for good heart health. Cardiovascular exercise can help lower blood pressure, increase endurance, increase energy levels, reduce body fat, improve mood and help boost the immune system. The more you move, the better you'll feel.

Now That's A Stretch!
Stretching helps muscles look leaner and longer. Building stretch time into workouts helps prevent injuries, keeps muscles relaxed and increases overall flexibility.

The Rewards of Stretching Helps prevent injuries Keep muscles relaxed Improves flexibility Helps muscles appear leaner and longer

Keeping your muscles relaxed is especially important while you are working out. It can increase your range of motion, decrease delayed onset muscle soreness (the ache that you feel after a good, hard workout), and help your muscle fibers rebuild faster after you exert yourself. If you play any sports (even touch football with your kids), having better range of motion will help you avoid those aches and strains that seem to pop up often, especially as we get older.

There's No Place Like Home...
For most of us, the easiest place to exercise is at home. The upsides; you can exercise in the privacy of your own home without feeling the "need" to compare yourself to perky size zeros sporting perfectly applied makeup donned in tiny workout gear. You don't have to wait to use the equipment. You don't have to commute. A driveway full of snow won't hinder you on wintry mornings. Membership has its privileges. The gym's open 24 hours. Working out at home saves time and money.

Lost in Space
Where in the world are you going to carve out space to exercise! If you can dedicate a room to your equipment, you're in health and fitness heaven. But if you're like most people, there's barely enough room in the house for the inhabitants. Thankfully, most equipment can be stored in a closet, slipped behind a couch, or slid under a bed. Even bulky pieces of cardio equipment can be folded down and stored in a corner of a room.

How much space is enough space? Basically, you need enough space to lay down an exercise mat plus a little bit more. You'll need to be able to stretch yourself out without smacking your hands into a coffee table or couch. Most mats measure 2 feet wide by 5 1/2 feet long. Caution, if you're a fan of exercise videos that lead you to dance around the room, you may want to create a bit more space.

Surround Sound
Nothing makes working out more fun than some awesome, upbeat music. So when you're creating your workout zone, be sure to create access to a television, stereo, boom box, and or an MP3 player. Despite the fact that many of us would rather put pins in our arms than watch ourselves while working out, placing a full length mirror in the room can help you maintain good form. My home gym occupies half our guest bedroom. I've carved out a 6 foot by 10 foot sanctuary just for me. It's not fancy but it serves its purpose well, especially on days when my daughter is sick or blizzard warnings scroll across the TV screen.

Child Safety Rewards
If you have little ones in the house, childproofing your workout area is essential. Their curiosity usually always gets the best of them. Tiny fingers can easily get stuck in machines, weights should not be left out, exercise balls and bands should be tucked away too. You can also try playpens or gates to keep babies safe and away from your equipment. All the normal child safety awareness, rules and regulations apply. No trips to the ER please.

Excuse Busters
One of the big problems of home exercising is all the distractions; children, house hold tasks, ringing phones, piles of dishes in the sink and injuries real or imagined. I have a partially torn ligament in my knee from an old skiing injury. By no means though did my previous injury stop my doctor from giving me the green light to exercise. As a matter of fact, he was thrilled with the prospect and felt that it would help my knee become more stable. He was right. I avoid certain types of exercises that hurt my knee and I'm extra careful when I run. Just about everyone can exercise in some form or another. Work with your doctor to find out what your options are.

Schedule workouts with the same discipline you schedule doctor's appointments. Log work out time directly in your calendar. Pretend there are hefty cancellation fees. Keep in mind when the phone's ringing off the hook just begging to be answered that if you were shelling out money, you wouldn't waste a second of your time by answering it. Don't short change yourself just because you're at home. Once your session starts, let the machine get the phone, don't answer the doorbell and focus on the task at hand – getting fit!

Mommy I Neeeed You!
Small children can sabotage a workout faster than a traveling salesman. When they're not grating on your nerves, they're tearing at your heart strings. Give older kids books or crayons in a nearby room or better yet, schedule your workouts while they're at school. I set up my daughter in the hallway outside my space with her "yoga ball" (a green kickball) and she "exercises" with me but at a safe distance. Don't let having kids be an excuse not to exercise. You want to be around to see them grow up and this is one of the best ways to make sure that happens.

Remember, a regular exercise routine that includes a combination of strength training, cardiovascular exercise and stretching will help you get the body you want and the health benefits you need.


Brie Evans

cbccwellness@zoominternet.net


Next month: Equipping your home gym for 99 bucks or less. What to buy, what to avoid and some stuff worth saving up for.