Print this page
Tuesday, 08 July 2008 00:00

Coloring Outside The Lines

Written by 

The Secret to Breaking Your Plateau…

 Written By: Jamie Alexandra Murphy

Through my studies as a fitness professional I have learned that a single universally practiced exercise is the elusive missing link to achieving your fitness goals.

It was *Joyce that introduced me to the missing link I’d been searching for to break her ’hate cardio’ mind set and last 7 lbs. I had her on a strict strength training regimen boot ncamp style thrice weekly, and imposed small changes to her diet. Light walking was the extent of her cardio homework as former injuries and a hate for machines prevented effective and safe options.  We went from a size 16 to a 10 in 27 days. After that no changes were seen for almost two weeks. We were both perplexed by the cause of this plateau. I then suggested we start her on a body bugg program. (www.bodybogg.com) A body bugg is a high tech device that straps to your arm and accurately records your bodies caloric burn minute by minute. A USB port sends info to easy to read graphs on the computer. I decided that I’d figure out which routine like activities were working her the most and at what points in the day I could add mini-workouts (I.e. take the stairs, park further, etc.). during our first monitoring session I was carefully reading through the charts when I saw a small block of time that revealed Joyce to be burning more calories than anything else. I asked what the heck she was doing at 2am last night when her blushing face left me awkwardly excited to assign her what would kick the last 7lbs. 

‘The horizontal mambo.’ or ’coloring’ as referred to by Carrie Bradshaw. Take her advice and mine, color outside the lines!

Newsweek published a report on the health benefits of sex, one being that it burns a little over four calories per minute. This is the average, so kick up the enthusiasm and kick up the calorie burn! *Joyce burned 9 per minute! Here are a list of ways to get the most health benefit out of your late night workout:

  1. This is one instance I’ll suggest indulging in the appetizers. Surely your heart rate will be steadily rising and this makes for a good ‘warm-up’. Plus, studies show that when you take your time you’re more likely to make it last longer…equals more calories output.
  2. Speaking of output, exhale. Like yoga, sex is a series of poses and contractions. Deep, heavy breathing will nenhance your positions and even improve your core!
  3. Here’s one more reason to eat healthy! Lite balanced meals throughout the day will leave you excited for desert ;) if you know something makes you fell crappy and lethargic, don’t eat it!
  4. Two a days. You know what I mean. Talk about endurance training.
  5. Green tea-it’s like a magic potion of anti-oxidants that should be recommended under any circumstance!

Besides a great cardio session, this pre-historic exercise is good for your health too!

  1. FIGHT COLD AND FLU. Airborne addict? This is even better to help improve your immune system. Inter-course raises the body's level of the immune-boosting antibody immunoglobin A by a third!
  2.  FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. In a study at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, a panel of judges viewed participants through a one-way mirror and guessed their ages. Those who looked seven to 12 years younger than their age (labeled " superyoung" ) were also enjoying lots of sex—four times a week, on average. OK, maybe they were having so much fun because they looked young. But it's likely the sex was helping, researchers say. One reason is that it raises a woman's estrogen level, which helps make hair shiny and skin supple.
  3. MIGRAINES? For a woman a migraine might actually be a reason for making love rather than avoiding intercourse: the increase in endorphins and corticosteroids during arousal and orgasm is analgesic. 
  4. IT PROMOTES REGULAR MENSTRUAL CYCLES. A series of studies by behavioral endocrinologist Winnifred Cutler and colleagues at Columbia and Stanford universities found that women who have intercourse at least weekly (except during their period) cycle more regularly than abstainers or the sporadically active. (Related research found that lesbian lovemaking also smoothes out menstrual cycles.) Cutler argues that intimacy is essential, not orgasms: "Regular exposure to a loving npartner has extraordinary effects on health and well-being."
  5. IT CAN PREVENT ACCIDENTS. Women use the muscles of the pelvic floor to stem the flow of urine. As they age, they need to keep these strong to avoid peeing accidentally. The same muscles are exercised during intercourse, and as with all muscle-building programs, the benefits require consistency.  (health benefits gathered from newsweek.com)

Remember, that sex is good for adults. And, as always, safety first! Single? nPartner Yoga is a good alternative for this stimulating exercise. Stay tuned, as The Basics (Partner Yoga) coming soon!

PEACE! Love You ;)

Thank You for reading! Please feel free to contact me: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Read 28783 times Last modified on Thursday, 26 February 2009 16:02
Jamie Alexandra Murphy, CPT, CN

Latest from Jamie Alexandra Murphy, CPT, CN