Get Your Fitness Groove Back

Angela Bassett is definitely a fitness queen that we can look up to. She has arm that are to die for! The fifty year old actress (man, I hope I look that good at 50. Shoot, I hope I look that good at 40...) used to work out with personal trainer Harley Pasternak (who has also worked with Halle Berry and Eve).



Pasternak recommends that his clients exercise for 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week. These workouts incorporate strength training and cardio in five minute intervals.

He also instructs his clients to eat five small meals a day (which is actually something that I do) instead of fewer large meals. Eating five meals a day raises your metabolism and provides a constant supply of vital nutrients, which helps your body to become toned and fit. Pasternak encourages Bassett and his other clients to eat foods that include quality protein (chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish), moderate carbohydrates, fiber and healthy fats (like omega-3 found in salmon and olive oil). He also encourages them to drink sugar free beverages. (I think that people often forget that beverages that have a high sugar content are also high in calories. And not good calories either. Take a look at the label on your next can of Coke or beer.)

This sounds like great advice. And it is advice that is not difficult to follow. If you are looking for a workout that you can do in 25 minutes, check this out. Try out Harley Pasternak's advice and see how you feel. (and remember to keep us posted.)

Let's all work to get our fitness groove back!

Fat Chance

Actress and comedian Mo'nique is one of the reasons that I have started this blog. She is the one that started "F.A.T. Chance", a beauty pageant on the Oxygen network that basically glorified being overweight and obese. She also wrote a book called "Skinny Women are Evil".

I have always found Mo'nique's message to America (especially to African-American women) to be horrifying and if not irresponsible and just plain wrong. Now, I am all for each woman having high self-esteem. We (myself included) are all not meant to look like the image of beauty that American fashion tells us we should look like. However, never once did she say that we should be happy to be who we are but we should strive to be healthy too. She never mentioned the importance of eating healthy or exercising.

As if F.A.T. Chance were not bad enough, Mo'nique "graced" the cover of Essence magazine at least five times between 2004 and 2007. Again, I was horrified. Essence magazine is the leading publication for African-American women, one that I had previously enjoyed. (I no longer read this publication.) In the Essence appearances, Mo'niques's message was the same. Jill Scott even chimed in on one issue. What kind of message is Essence sending to our community by featuring Mo'nique and her message so often?

But now Mo'nique's message is changing. It is being said that Mo'nique has lost at least 25 pounds because she is realizing that in order for her to be around for her family, she must be healthy. And that starts with losing weight. Thank goodness, Essence put her back on the cover, yet again, last year so she could talk about her change of heart, among other things.



How is she losing her weight? I am going to look into it and find out.

Ladies, tell me, What do you think about Mo'nique and her message? Both her old message and her new message?

The fitness revolution starts with changing the way we think about fitness. Part of that revolution is for prominent African-American Women to send a better message to our community-especially our young people.

Running is better than a Gucci Bag

It was beautiful out on Saturday. So, I went to my favorite its-beautiful-out-on-a-random-winter-day place: Georgetown.

I walked past the lululemon store on Wisconsin Avenue. This sign was in the window:


This led me to remember something that two of my clients said to me last year. Each one was talking to a friend about working out with their trainer (me). And the friend said something to the effect of, "I don't know how you spend so much money on going to see a trainer." To which the client replied, "Well, you spend that much on getting your hair done/shopping."

Why is it that we as black women will shell out our hard earned money on clothes, getting our hair done, shoes, pedicures, manicures, hand bags, you name it, but we are not willing to spend money on exercise? Exercise will keep us healthy and lower our chance of suffering from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. These other things just help us to look nice, but heart disease doesn't care how fly you look.

Don't get me wrong. I love shoes too. But, ladies, we need to get our priorities straight.

It's time for a revolution!!

It's Time for a Revolution!

The slogan in America for 2008 and 2009 is "Change". We expect change in our political system, change in the health care system, change in our financial situation.

But what about change in our daily lives? What are you doing to change your life and the state of your own health and fitness?

In my opinion, we, as black women, need more than change. We need a revolution! We need an all out, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in the mountains of Cuba revolution. We need an attack-the-community-while-they-are-sleeping-they-know-what-hit-them revolution.

You know what? I take that back. It is not "in my opinion." It is a fact. We need more than change. We need a revolution.

Here are some facts that have not yet changed:
-According to the National Health Interview Survey, 71% of all women are physically inactive. 80.4% of African-American women are physically inactive
-According to the CDC in 2004, 80% of African American Women were obese. Being obese is defined as having a BMI over 30 or being more than 30 pounds over weight.
-African American women are more likely to suffer from heart disease and diabetes than white women.

What is the one thing that can help to correct this trend? A change in lifestyle. Healthy eating and exercise.

Ladies, let's start a revolution! Let's promise today to change the way we think about health and fitness to change the fate of our community and the future that lies ahead for our children.