Who says you can’t look and feel and have the spirit of someone 20 years younger. I do, and there’s not a week that goes by without someone guessing I’m 30.
You can too, with my 20 Ways to Be 20 Years Younger! Enjoy – R
Get Fit. Live Healthy. Lose Inches. Stay Zen.
RichTola.com. Follow on Instagram @BLVDZEN
Whenever I hear the expression “stick to your guns”, I think of Tom Cruise (aka Maverick) in the 1986 blockbuster, Top Gun, when he’s in the heat of battle with six hostile MiGs and triumphantly declares, “I will not leave my wingman”. Now that’s someone with true conviction who literally sticks to his guns, and one who sets a great example for anyone with little or no resolve to even make it through Lent without abandoning their abstinence.
Case in point:
I recently had dinner with two friends, a man and woman about my age (i.e., 50), who have each gained 20+ pounds in the past year. And both said exactly the same thing – that they “gave up sugar for Lent” and were determined to shed their unwanted weight. But when it came time for dessert, they both changed their tune and ordered the most sugar-filled items on the menu – Tiramisu in an edible chocolate cup and a slice of Red Velvet cake. So when I chuckled and asked, “Aren’t you going to stick to your guns and not eat sugar for the next 40 days”, they simply brushed me off and said it was no big deal since it was only this one time.
So much for having the courage and discipline to stick to their guns, especially when it comes to their health and well-being. Something I just can’t get my arms around (no pun intended).
Think about it. Setting your intentions and following through with your game plan, i.e., doing what you say, is not only good for your psyche and your self-confidence, but also helps everyone else around you because you’re leading by example. And if you don’t believe you can do it…NONSENSE. Just set your intentions and muster the fortitude to stick to your guns.
YOU CAN DO IT…just like I’ve been doing in Hollywood for the past 7 years. Peace – R
Rich Tola at Los Angeles Fashion Week (March 10, 2014)
What should you do when it’s too cold outside to go for your walk or even make it to your favorite exercise class? Stay inside and improvise..and why not walk the mall! Enjoy – R
Did you ever feel like your dreams and aspirations are floating away while your life just speeds on by? Because life does go by quick, and realizing your dreams can take many many years.
Just ask Diana Nyad, the 64 year-old US endurance swimmer who just completed the 110 mile stretch from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. It was Diana’s 5th try – she tried three times in 2011 and 2012 while her first attempt was in 1978. She never gave up because that wasn’t an option. And she finally accomplished her goal…35 years later!
However challenging at times, keep believing in your dreams and keep striving toward them in a positive and happy-good feeling way. I say happy-good feeling because staying positive is not just about thinking positive.
More is needed.
That’s why it’s so important to feel good about yourself physically through proper diet and exercise, i.e., good nutrition complemented by a Daily Fitness Program, setting the foundation for positive thoughts and feelings to help you battle through those hopeless times. Because we all have moments when it seems like nothing is happening and you feel like giving up – because you’re just too tired or don’t know what happens next to get closer to your dreams.
So when life gets you down here’s what you do: Stand up as tall as possible with perfect posture, relax your shoulders and your body while reaching your crown to the sky, take slow deep breaths, then put on your biggest smile and think happy thoughts. You want to stretch out the body while clearing the mind of negative thoughts and disbeliefs. Now go for a walk, or do some Yoga, or combine of a few of my 5-Minute Fat Burning Workouts on the web (click HERE for some great AB workouts), or hit the gym…you get the picture. And drink some water. And for your next snack or meal eat an apple or a banana with some peanut butter. Forget the candy bar for that quick jolt of energy. Get it yourself from the inside-out. Because feeling good about yourself starts with some good ol’ fashion fitness and a positive mental attitude.
Strong Body – Clear Mind. That’s my motto, and I workout every single day. It also keeps you vibrant and looking young and feeling better about yourself, no matter comes your way.
And if that doesn’t work, get your inspiration from those less fortunate who keep smiling through it all – like the paraplegic gal I taught on my most memorable Mother’s Day. Here’s the sound-bite from my memoir, Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood.
Enjoy – R
So you’re on vacation with lots of time for R & R and you’re thinking you want to workout – or what you’re really thinking is you don’t have to workout because you’re on vacation, right?
Wrong.
Because the only way to keep that Strong Body – Clear Mind is to do something physical fitness related EVERY single day. So keeping with your Daily Fitness Program, here’s 5 ways you and your entire family can workout together while on vacation that’s effective and affordable:
#1 – Walk, Jog or Run
There’s nothing better than lacing up your Chuck Taylors and Kicking the Bricks…literally. Whether it’s a brisk walk, steady jog, or a fast paced run, this is the simplest way to get your heart-rate up while taking in the natural beauty of your surroundings. I always prefer a long walk first thing in the morning, but no matter what time of day, lace’em up and get going!
#2 – Bike or Swim
Perhaps a bit more complicated than #1 since you’ll need a bike or a lap pool, but if you’re anywhere near the beach you’ll certainly find bike rentals, or check-out the local YMCA since they usually have a 25 yard pool. Two more great fitness activities the whole family can enjoy!
#3 – Push-ups and Sit-ups
How can you go wrong with good ole push-ups and sit-ups that you can do just about anywhere with no props required. Start with push-ups and do as many as you can – Chaturanga style for you yoginis – then lay on your back with your legs bent (or bicycle them) and do as many sit-ups as you can. Then do it again and again until you can’t do any more!
#4 – Take a Class: Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Cross-training or Whatever
Whatever suits your fancy – of course mine is Yoga – research the local health clubs and private Yoga and Pilates studios and treat yourself to an invigorating group fitness class. Albeit, the most expensive of your 5 workout options, but certainly a great way to meet people and experience the local teaching styles as well as learn from other popular teachers!
#5 – Rich Tola’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts
The most effective of your choices because my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts on the web are simple, easy-to-follow and effective. Plus there’s 100 Workouts to choose from, and you can combine them to equal as much time as you have to workout. And if you’re spending all your time at the beach or poolside, here’s Workout #84 – Lounge Chair Abs to get your started!
Enjoy – R
Rich Tola teaches Yoga at the domestic violence shelter
But wait, don’t I need a “place to live” and a “job” and at least “get to know the area” before I just pack-up and move there?
Not at all, if I believe in myself and I’m not afraid to jump. Not literally, of course, but in way that describes what most people experience when they’re asked to commit to something new and challenging. Like Yoga. Or walking 2 miles every single morning before you take a shower. Or doing my 100 consecutive days of 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts on YouTube (all of them, especially my AB ones!). Oftentimes we experience subtle fear and inward resistance usually followed by “rational” reasons for not doing it. Like “I can’t do Yoga because I’m not flexible”.
You know how many times I hear that phrase – about a dozen times a week. That’s right, because I usually talk fitness with people I meet and encourage them to embrace a daily fitness program that’s based on Yoga. Simple, effective and to the point. That’s my style, especially when it comes to respecting yourself with an arsenal of exercises that’ll stymie Father Time.
Muster the confidence to believe in yourself, and whatever you do, Don’t Be Afraid to Jump.
Enjoy – R
Here’s another book sample about helping others believe they can: Chapter 42 – Intervention
A sixty year-old man stood watching me blast my biceps in the gym this morning before he approached me and said, “This is my very first time here and I think I know what to do, but not how to do it.” I relied, “To perfect your body in the gym, knowing what exercises to do is not enough. It takes perfect form – including your posture and breathing – in everything you do. Not to mention good focus and concentration, just like a surgeon would in the operating room.”
Rich Tola
So if you’re one of those fitness buffs who thinks you can perfect your body with ‘speed and quantity’ rather than ‘precision and quality’, think again. No matter what you do in the fitness world – weights, yoga, pilates, or my 15 Minute Fat Burning Workouts – take your time, pay attention to your posture, breathe deeply and slowly and don’t hold your breath, and use perfect form.
Trust me, it works.
Because achieving a perfect body – or one that looks and feels 20 years younger like mine does – takes a hellava lot more than knowing what to do.
Enjoy – R
RIP Joe Weider
Martial Art’s greatest, Bruce Lee
“Emptiness is the starting point. In order to taste my cup of water you must first empty your cup. My friend, drop all your preconceived and fixed ideas and be neutral. Do you know why this cup is useful? Because it is empty.” Bruce Lee
It’s simply about clearing yourself of negative energy and creating space in your being, your mind-body-spirit, to absorb new positive energies & opportunities from a neutral, white canvas-like starting point.
Easier said than done. But definitely achievable…because ANYONE can.
Have the courage and confidence to empty your cup today and Celebrate the Emptiness!
Enjoy – R
If you haven’t done so already, then add some IRON to your diet. And I do mean the chemical element with the symbol Fe. That is to say, IRON in the form of dumbbells and free weights. Because a well-balanced Daily Fitness Program includes weightlifting to keep your muscles tone and strong.
All it takes are some dumbbells and a flat bench – or an ottoman will do – which you can likely buy on CraigsList or eBay for a ‘song and dance’. The dumbbells you can store under your bed and the bench or ottoman becomes and part of the decor. Then off you go…with a fool-proof way to spend a quick 30 minutes on a great workout…without ever leaving your bedroom. Who can say NO to that?
Rich Tola teaching Weight Room Yoga
And if you need some expert instruction on proper posture and technique when exercising with dumbbells and a flat bench, check out Lesson #9 – Weight Room Yoga and my Yoga Survival Guide.
There are 30 fun lessons about 5 minutes each, filmed throughout the streets of Hollywood including Walk of Fame Yoga, Shower Yoga, Bus Stop Yoga, Zoo Yoga, Traffic Yoga, Beach Yoga and the advanced balancing class I call, Prison Yoga, dedicated to Lindsay Lohan the day she went away.
Enjoy – R
Flashback to 10 years ago and visit your local Mall. Do you remember that rather unorthodox, grassroots fitness movement that swept the nation – Mall Walking. It was a sure fire way to lose weight and it was weather-proof. Plus it was a great way to hang out with your friends without spending any money…unless you hit the food court or stopped by Foot Locker for a new pair of kicks!
Today I experienced this exact flashback while watching a man cruise around the Burbank Town Center Mall (that’s right, the same Burbank, California that Johnny Carson would poke fun at), and wondered what a simple way to get in your 15 minutes of daily exercise – without being outside or paying for it at your local gym or yoga studio. Of course that goes without saying, but there really are no excuses for not respecting yourself with a daily fitness program that equals a mere 1% of your life.
So if you don’t have time for a few of my free 5 Minute Fat Burning Workouts on YouTube (CLICK HERE), then why not gather your friends a few frigid nights a week and head straight for the Mall!
And when you’re done sharpening your body, then sharpen your mind by reading a good book.
Here’s a great suggestion: Simply Between Millions: From Wall Street to Hollywood. It’s my witty and entertaining memoir filled with 69 fast-paced, bite-sized chapters from growing up Sicilian, to the cute-boy syndrome, to the boardroom deals (and babes) on the inside of Wall Street and Hollywood.
Check out the reviews on Amazon (CLICK HERE) and what’s in the Press (CLICK HERE). Enjoy – R
Rich Tola 