Almost 75% of our body is made up of water. However, this water is not in its pure form. It has salt dissolved in it that helps in a number of functions of the body. Salt present in the cells and tissues of our body helps in muscle contraction, proper conduction of nerve impulses and transport of nutrients into the cells.

So yes, we need salt but unfortunately we end up getting way above what our daily allowance should be.

Some Facts you Need to Know about Salt

– Sodium is a component of salt. One (1) teaspoon contains about 6 grams of salt. Six (6) grams of salt contains about 2400 mg of sodium

– The amount of sodium considered adequate to promote good health in adults is 1,500 mg per day – not to exceed 2,300 mg of sodium per day. No more than a teaspoon.

– Although salt is the major source of sodium in our food, sodium is also a component of other ingredients, such as sodium bicarbonate used in baking and monosodium glutamate used as a flavor enhancer.

– Too much sodium in the diet can lead to health problems. It is one of the risk factors that contribute towards high blood pressure (hypertension), which substantially increases the risk of developing which substantially increases the risk of developing heart disease or stroke.

– Sodium and chloride levels are comparatively low in all foods which have not been processed. However, salt has been used as a preservative and a flavoring agent for centuries.

– Widely cited figures from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) lay about 77% of the sodium blame on processed and restaurant foods, with only 5%, 6% and 12% coming from cooking, table use and natural sources, respectively. Salt, quite frankly, is everywhere.

– In an analysis of more than 550 commercially prepared foods in 2005, CSPI found that even one dish could bump you near or over your daily recommendation, including: Swanson’s Hungry Man XXL dinners, 3,180 mg to 5,410 mg; and Denny’s Lumberjack Slam breakfast: 4,460 mg.

Salt and your Kidneys

Your kidneys regulate the amount of sodium kept in your body. When sodium levels are low, your kidneys conserve sodium. When levels are high, they excrete the excess amount in urine.

If your kidneys can’t eliminate enough sodium, the sodium starts to accumulate in your blood. Because sodium attracts and holds water, your blood volume increases. Increased blood volume, in turn, makes your heart work harder to move more blood through your blood vessels, increasing pressure in your arteries. Certain diseases such as congestive heart failure, cirrhosis and chronic kidney disease can lead to an inability to regulate sodium.

Tips for Reducing Sodium in Your Diet (Source Your Guide to Lowering High Blood Pressure)

• Buy Fresh, plain frozen or canned “with no salt added” vegetables
• Use fresh poultry, fish and lean meat, rather than canned processes types.
• Use herbs, spices and salt-free seasoning blends in cooking and at the table
• Cook rice, pasta and hot cereals without salt.  Cut back on instant and flavored rice, pasta, and cereal mixes, which usually have added salt.
• Choose “convenience” foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, canned soups or broths, and salad dressings — these often have a lot of sodium
• Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium
• When available, buy low- or reduced-sodium, or no-salt-added versions of foods.
• Next time you cook gumbo or jambalaya…skip adding any type of salt – there’s already plenty in it in the ingredients you are cooking with!!

Needing and wanting salt is an acquired taste.  If you salt your food, slowly start reducing how much salt you add when cooking or when food is served.  Eventually, you will not miss the taste of salt and you’ll be much better off for it.

Next time we discuss salt – we’ll have a look at what some say is healthier salt…Sea Salt.

Last night I attended an event for the LGBT Community Center 2010 Weight Loss Challenge at Oceana Grill.  (Oceana is a sponsor of the contest) Although you will not find any items on the Oceana menu that is under 700 calories, the Oceana Executive Chef – Chef Louis Brown prepared a special menu for the contestants.

The menu was as followed:

Appetizer:

The Famous Oceana Crab Cake Seared and served on top of Creole Mustard.

Entree:

Baked Ahi Tuna in fresh herbs layered over angel hair pasta tossed in a lemon garlic sauce, topped with fresh bell peppers.

Dessert:

Fruit medley

The seared crab cake was heavenly.  When Chef Louis presented his crab cake he explained how searing the crab cake in olive oil instead of putting them in a batter and frying them made a difference of 610 calories.  The seared crab cake only had 112 calories – as opposed to 722.

That was another great part of the meal, Chef Louis, as you can imagine, is a very busy man at Oceana but he took the time to explain each dish to the contestants, answer questions and share pointers.  He really drove home the importance and value of eating white meat and white fish (fish that turns white when cooked) such as what was part of our main course – Ahi Tuna.

Chef Louis opted to bake rather than sear the tuna, the spices he used and the parmesan cheese topping really did the trick.  Chef Louis chose to serve angel hair pasta since that is the lightest pasta option the restaurant carries.

For dessert the contestants and guests enjoyed a fruit medley.  Not one person sitting at the table got up feeling hungry and everyone was pleased and satisfied.  The point was well made that just because you are eating healthy and watching your calorie intake – that does not mean you have to be dissatisfied with what you are eating.

I wish Oceana Grill would choose to have these items on their regular menu…so others who live in New Orleans and come to visit could enjoy a healthy meal under 700 calories.

This was my first time meeting the contestants and hearing their story.  They are truly an inspirational group.  I plan on doing a Question and Answer session with each contestant so you can find out about them and learn from their story.  This contest has been a real commitment for all the contestants who have lost a combined weight of 50 pounds or 13% overall body weight.

The next event for the contestant that is open to the public is an upcoming panel discuss on March 9^th at the LGBT Community Center.  I will post more information about it in the next couple of days.

This past weekend I received my 2010 Womenthealth.gov calendar. It’s really packed with some great information…like this:

New information shows that smoking causes diseases in nearly every organ of the body.  Smoking is linked to diseases such as: leukemia, cataracts, pneumonia, and cancers of the cervix, lung, kidney, pancreas, and stomach. Lunch cancer alone claims the lives of more women than any other cancer.  You must stop smoking to lower your chances of getting these diseases.

Here is what happens in the 15 years health recovery cycle once you quit smoking:

20 Minutes after Quitting

Your heart rate drops

12 Hours after Quitting

The carbon monoxide (a gas that can be toxic) in your blood drops to normal

2 Weeks to 3 Months after Quitting

Your heart attack risk begins to drop

Your lungs are working better

1 to 9 Months after Quitting

Coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath decrease

Your lungs start to function better, lowering your risk of lung infections

1 Year after Quitting

Your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker’s

5 Years after Quitting

Your risk of having a stroke is the same as someone who doesn’t smoke

10 Years after Quitting

Your risk of dying of lung cancer is half that of a smoker’s

Your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney and pancreas also decreases

15 Years after Quitting

Your risk of heart disease is now the same as someone who doesn’t smoke

Get your Free 2010 Calendar at Womenshealth.gov – This is more information on How to Quit Smoking

As many of you know by now, Aaron is an aspiring bodybuilder.  He did his first competition last year and will be doing the Greater Gulf States Bodybuilding Championship this year. Health and Fitness are Aaron’s love and passions.

I’m very proud of him – being a bodybuilder takes a lot of time, discipline and hard work.  Aaron really was a very skinny kid (I’ve seen the pictures) so he’s had to dedicate himself to create the physique that he has and he has done so in the least favorable of conditions.

I’m truly happy that FLEX Magazine chose to feature Aaron in their My Story area of the magazine.  It’s great exposure for Aaron but also for New Orleans Bodybuilding scene. I hope you will pick up a copy and check-out Aaron’s story.  Also, do stay tune… as he will continue to write about his journey right here on the Be Fit NOLA blog. Click on the images to enlarge.

Next weekend – it’s all about health and fitness in New Orleans! The Rock N’ Roll Marathon Series is coming to town for the Rock N’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & ½. Thousands of runners are ready to go (note: registration closes today, if you’re interested in running and not yet registered.)

As part of the Rock N’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & ½; there’s also a Health and Fitness Expo.  Here are the details:

For two days, over 60 exhibitors will offer free samples, showcase the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health & nutritional information and much more.  Pick up some last-minute race essentials before race day and be sure to visit the Brooks Official Merchandise Store to check out the wide selection of stylish souvenirs to commemorate your Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras experience.

The Health & Fitness Expo is FREE and open to the public so bring your family and friends!

• Dates: February 26-27, 2010
• Location: New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Hall C
• Expo Hours: Friday 11:30 am – 7:00 pm;  Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Free Admission: Open to the public

But I did say, there are TWO health fairs happening this weekend.  The other is being hosted by Lakeview Christian Center. There are offering free seminars from 10:30 am – 2:30pm; and have a long list of local exhibitors.  Check-out their website for more information.

• Dates: February 27^th, 2010
• Location: Lakeview Christian Center, 5885 Fleur de Lis Drive
• Expo Hours: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Free Admission: Open to the public

Also happening next week is Tulane University Prevention Research Center seminar on “The Role of Public Policy in Obesity Prevention” presented by Joseph Thompson, M.D.,  Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity Director, and Arkansas Center for Health Improvement Surgeon General, State of Arkansas.

• Dates: February 26, 2010
• Location: Tidewater Room 1208 – 1440 Canal St
• Hours: 12-1pm
• Free Admission: Open to the public

There are some amazing fitness instructors in the Greater New Orleans area and I have said – “if you are looking for it; it’s probably available in New Orleans”…well, today I have quite the treat for everyone!

We interviewed one of the most fascinating fitness instructors in the city: Lorelei Ashe MacDonald. It’s not just her background as a retired trapeze artist after a career  as both a dancer and an aerialist that makes her unique…or that she performed with the Bay Area troupes Circus Finelli and Velocity Circus, and went on to teach at the San Francisco Circus Center, home to a professional aerial program and a clown conservatory. It’s a combination of all that and what she has brought to New Orleans – a one of kind way to get into shape: Gravity Defying Fitness

Interview with Lorelei Ashe MacDonald of Gravity Defying Fitness

Q: Where do I even begin? Can you tell us a little bit more about your background? How did you end up becoming a trapeze artist? I think as kids going to the circus – it’s something most of us only dreamt of becoming because our parents quickly shattered any hopes of that happening.

Lorelei:

I started as a dancer. I took my first creative movement class at about 4 years old and I haven’t stopped moving since.  I never took to gymnastics, but embraced dance and was performing professionally by the time I was 13 in New York City.  An injury side lined that career but I continued to explore movement possibilities. I did a bit of aerobic competition choreography, some modern dance choreography, and a bit of aerial dance.  Finally, I found circus – and I never looked back! I loved the height, and the combination of strength and grace that the static trapeze requires. And while I worked with rings and corde lisse and lyra, static trapeze was always closest to my heart. I have to admit that I had to let my mom know I was down safe at the end of each show, even into my 40s! Thank goodness for texting. And I think I gave my husband a few grey hairs as well.

Q: What inspired you to create the Gravity Defying Fitness program?

Lorelei:

Of course, I knew I couldn’t perform forever and when I started to think about a post-performance career I knew I wanted to share the excitement of trapeze.  But, I also wanted to make the trapeze accessible. My dilemma was that I don’t believe in teaching technique if you aren’t strong enough to execute it safely.  I realized that even the basic exercises are fun, and are the perfect way to get started!  After retiring at 42 I moved to NY to open a facility for Radu Physical Culture (of Cindy Crawford Workout fame) at the Plaza hotel.  Sadly, financing and construction issues scuttled that project, so I branched out on my own.   Aside from my background as a dancer and an aerialist, I was trained by Radu to teach his methods, am a certified NASM personal trainer, and have been trained to teach kettlebells by KettleBell Concepts. In fact, besides teaching GDF aerial conditioning classes at Next Evolution Gym here, I teach group kettlebell classes at Romney Pilates!

Q: Please tell us a little more. What can someone expect, look forward to…from taking the Gravity Defying Fitness Program?

Lorelei:

I tailor the sessions to each client’s fitness goals and experience, so the first session really varies based on what you are already doing. Everyone gets on the trapeze or the rope the first day, regardless of their fitness level. You learn how to hold your body to be able to move explosively in the air, you learn how to climb the rope, and in short order my clients are hanging upside down.  We do specific exercises that create the long straight leg lines required to look good in the air as well. I constantly hear from people that the workout is “so much harder than it looks” but also that it is crazy fun. My goal is that you should be a bit sore after each workout, but not so sore that you don’t want to do it again right away! That said, I suggest aerial training to be just a part of your program – two or three times a week.

You should also come in expecting to challenge your fears!

Q: What are the main benefits of aerial fitness compared to other fitness programs?

Lorelei:

I strongly believe that you should never restrict yourself to a single type of training. I myself swim, take bootcamp, bosu, dance, and yoga, as well as train in the air. The thing about aerial conditioning is that it is amazingly effective for your core – and while everyone focuses on the upper body strength it requires (and it certainly develops upper body strength) it works your whole body. It is functional training at its best.  We work strength, but also endurance, flexibility, balance and agility. Even better, it requires focus and you’re learning something new, so the time goes fast and you don’t even realize that you are training hard!  Looking good with sleek strong muscles – well that’s pretty great too.

However the biggest benefit is the feeling of accomplishment. I had a client in NY heading off to a meeting with a really well known and intimidating figure in her field. But, as she left she said that if she could learn how to climb the rope, the meeting would be a snap. Building self esteem and confidence is even better than good looking abs!

Q: This is an excellent program for us to have in New Orleans. What brought you to New Orleans?

Lorelei:

This is a subject really dear to me! I have been visiting New Orleans for the last 10 years.  My husband and I moved to NY two years ago from San Francisco, as I mentioned. My business was going gangbusters but I never adjusted to life in NYC (even though I am from there originally). My life in NY really lacked balance – too much work, too little play, and don’t get me started about winter.  While in NYC we started coming to New Orleans every few months and every time we would get on the plane to go back, my heart would sink. I have been talking about New Orleans as a place to live for years, and on a trip back last spring, I turned to my husband and said “let’s go!”  I couldn’t be happier, and I feel like I have come home. And what an amazing time to have moved here!

Q: We are working hard to promote health and fitness in New Orleans – what are your general thoughts on the health and fitness community here in New Orleans?

Lorelei:

I think we have a great fitness community here – there are some amazing classes and trainers. And, while everyone thinks of New Orleans as a hard partying town, and of course it is, it is also a hard training town. People here are very much committed to their fitness programs.  Of course, having just moved here, I love just about everything with the fervor of a recent covert (except the bugs).

I’m not that old and I didn’t grow up on a farm…yet I remember the saying “If you don’t have your health; you don’t have nothing at all.”  I remember my dad telling me that. He wasn’t or isn’t a sick man but he is a self-employed man; he owns a construction company. His health is very important to him because without his health/ability to put in a hard day’s work – he doesn’t make money.

The saying also definitely applied more in the old days – when most people did some sort of physical labor as the primary way to earn a living. If people were sick or injured, they couldn’t perform their work duties and they didn’t get paid.  The incentives to be healthy were far greater (survival) and by default of performing physical/manual labor people were more active.  Times have changed.  Technology has changed the way we earn a living and most people in developed countries can perform their job while being overweight, out-of-shape, and plagued with chronic diseases, etc. Most people don’t care about their health.  It’s obvious when looking at the results of studies. Louisiana ranked 41 out 50 on the 2009 Well Being State Ranking. #1 being the best – 50 the worst. From Gallup and Healthways Well Being Index (Click on the image for larger image)

Merging decades of social and clinical research, development expertise, health leadership and behavioral economics, Gallup and Healthways collaborated to develop the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI) – the first and largest survey of its kind, aggregating data from 1,000 calls a day, 350 days a year. The Well-Being Index is already the largest behavioral economic database ever created and, over the next quarter century, will generate more than nine million individual responses.

The Well-Being Index and associated City, State and Congressional District Reports provide the only measurement today for total well-being. Beyond medical condition and access to healthcare coverage and services, the Index also questions respondents about economic, professional, emotional and social circumstances. With Well-Being Index data, it’s possible to quantify and establish a correlation between the places where people work and the communities in which they live and their well-being.

Some more results were released today.

The County Health Rankings—the first set of reports to rank the overall health of every county in all 50 states—were released today by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at a briefing in Washington, D.C.  The 50 state reports help public health and community leaders, policy-makers, consumers and others to see how healthy their county is, compare it with others within their state and find ways to improve the health of their community.

Each county is ranked within the state on how healthy people are and how long they live. They also are ranked on key factors that affect health such as: smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates and number of children living in poverty.

Poorly ranked counties often had multiple challenges to overcome, including:

• Two- and three-fold higher rates of premature death, often from preventable conditions.
• High smoking rates that lead to cancer, heart disease, bronchitis and emphysema.
• High rates of obesity which can put people at risk for diabetes, disability and heart disease.
• High unemployment and poverty rates.
• High numbers of liquor stores and fast-food outlets but few places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

Read More from the Press Release

Now, if only Gov. Bobby Jindal would have a look at this study and stop his plans for cuts to health care…

Here’s a look at the results for Health Outcomes.  For the Greater New Orleans area St. Tammany Parish was #1, Jefferson #16 and Orleans and St Bernard 59 and 62 respectively.  Interesting disparity between those…any thoughts of why? (Click on the map for larger image)

And the results for Health Factors: For the Greater New Orleans area St. Tammany Parish was #1, Jefferson #5 and Orleans and St Bernard 47 and 59 respectively. (Click on the map for larger image)

For greater details of the overall rankings and finer details check this out.

I normally don’t write posts this long…but this is serious – we have to start going to back to the mentality: If you don’t have your health; you don’t have anything at all.

I can talk about New Orleans getting healthier…but I won’t allow someone else to cast a shadow on my town about it!!  You know you are truly a New Orleanian when you’re ready to police the Internet and defend her honor!!

We started Be Fit NOLA to educate, motivate and raise health and fitness awareness in the Greater New Orleans area but our second purpose was also to show the world that New Orleans is much underrated when it comes to being recognized as a healthy and active place to live.

My ear is to the ground for everything health and fitness related for New Orleans and this is how I came across this blog post “New Orleans – Transforming “The Big Easy” into “The Big Healthy”” on EmpowerHer.com

Here are some excerpts:

Statistics show that even prior to the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastation, the people of New Orleans, La. faced some of the poorest health conditions in the country. I do not intend to put a damper on this week’s celebrations, but want to raise awareness of the plight that still faces “The Big Easy.”

According to a post Hurricane Katrina survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, life has not been “easy” at all with, “more than one in ten adults or 13 percent ranking their overall health as fair or poor.” The statistics were even higher among the economically disadvantaged with 19 percent of them ranking their health as fair or poor. The Kaiser statistics showed the percentage for the uninsured and those on Medicaid and Medicare were even higher

The results also showed that, “chronic conditions were also widespread, with over four in ten or 41 percent of adults saying that they had been told by a doctor that they had hypertension, diabetes, asthma, other breathing problems, or other chronic health conditions.”

Like most environments, overall health and mental health statistics go hand in hand. The Kaiser findings reported “mental health challenges were also evident for adults, with about one in twelve or eight percent ranking their mental health as fair or poor.” The survey found about one in twenty adults reporting symptoms of depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The author of this post, Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist…and she lives in Arizona.  She did attempt to end her post in a positive note:

While a rebirth calls for a celebration and New Orleans or “Hollywood South” has so much to celebrate– individuals still have an obligation to celebrate responsibly.

A new beginning in this wonderful, talented city will have it flourishing; and hopefully with more attention to health.

What gets me is if she had really done her homework for this post she would have come across Be Fit NOLA.  Had she come across Be Fit NOLA and read the content of our posts she would have known that New Orleans IS paying attention to being healthier.

I know how the internet and blogging works.  You use what’s hot in the media right now (key words like New Orleans, Super Bowl and Saints) and you write about it as it relates to what your area of focus is because that will help with your SEO and traffic.  I have no problems with that…but do all your homework before casting a shadow on our city.

I left this comment on the post:

I’m the founder and CEO of a new site and company called Be Fit NOLA (www.befitnola.com) and I think this post is off mark. I understand you are using results from surveys taken post Katrina and since you don’t live here – you can’t understand how quickly progress and change is happening in New Orleans. One month, three months and six months in this city brings in 2-3 years worth of change. The success of the Saints has been all through the year…not just with the Super Bowl. The joy, happiness and renaissance movement happening in New Orleans is affecting everyone and creating major change.

We started Be Fit NOLA to not just educate the people of New Orleans about health and fitness but the world about what is available in New Orleans when it comes to health and fitness. There is so much people don’t know about this city. So please look a little deeper into what’s going on in New Orleans before casting a shadow on the city.

I definitely welcome your comments!!

Update: This Event was CANCELED due to the Saints Parade and will be re-scheduled. Stay tuned for details.

There is a very special event going-on tomorrow night…besides the Parade for our New Orleans Saints Super Bowl Champs – it’s the LGBT Community Center 2010 Weight Loss Challenge’s February Weigh In and Discussion Panel.

The LGBT Community Center of New Orleans’ 2010 Weight Loss Challenge kicked off on Sunday, January 10, 2010 at the Community Center on Decatur Street with the contestants’ initial weigh-in.  It was an amazing day for the contestants and included meeting all of the Weight Loss Challenge’s sponsors, the LGBT Community Center’s Board of Directors and each other.  The Challenge has officially started with a total of nine contestants.

The contenders are competing against each other for prizes all while losing weight that they have tried so hard in the past to lose and have been unsuccessful. The goal of 2010 Weight Loss Challenge is to assist each contestant to lose the most percentage of body weight in a stable and healthy manner. The Center is optimistic that it will be successful in changing the way that all involved, including the entire New Orleans Community, looks at themselves as it pertains to their health. Throughout the duration of the contest, the public will be given an opportunity to follow the contestants in their struggle to reach their individual goals.

When: Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 8pm
Where: LGBT Community Center of New Orleans (2114 Decatur Street)
What: Weigh in and Panel Discussion

You definitely have time to make both the parade and this event – which is open and free to the public.

The panelists and items of discussions are:

Nutritionist, Ginger Bouvier: Discussing the proper dieting techniques to fit your lifestyle.

The Fit Gourmet, Chef Dione Duhon: Discussing the importance of having a fully stocked pantry with it comes to making diets work.

Executive Chef from Ralph’s on the Park, Chef Chip Flanagan: Discussing different cooking techniques to lower the calories in your meal and how to make healthy choices with dining out.

Corporate Executive Chef for Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, Chef Haley Gabel Bittermann: Discussing different cooking techniques to lower the calories in your meal and how to make healthy choices with dining out.

The general public will be allowed to ask the panelists questions and interact with the contestants. Be Fit NOLA will be there and we hope you will too…this is such a great opportunity to discuss healthy eating habits.

It seems as though most people have heard of P90X and seen the infomercials and ads. If you haven’t given it a go yet you might be wondering what the fuss is about.

After having two children and moving to a situation that had none of the sports that I had always done, like surfing and windsurfing, I knew I needed to do something intense to get in shape. I had never heard of Tony Horton or Beachbody because I had never had an interest in video workouts, especially being from Maui where you spend so much time outdoors.  I needed something more athletic and challenging. Then I saw one of those P90X commercials.

What’s P90X all about? Muscle Confusion. By providing tons of different moves  and exercises, your body is continually challenged. The more you confuse the muscle, the harder your body has to work to keep up; the more variety you put into your workout, the better and faster your results will be.

Here’s Beachbody’s description of each workout on each disc:

•01 Chest & Back. Targeted strength and definition workout emphasizes two classic upper-body exercises.

•02 Plyometrics. Explosive jumping cardio routine, proven to dramatically improve athletic performance.

•03  Shoulders & Arms. A potent combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements that will leave you stronger and more defined.

•04 Yoga X. Combines strength, balance, flexibility, and breath work to enhance your physique and calm your mind.

•05  Legs & Back. Squat, lunge, and pull in a total-body workout like no other.

•06  Kenpo X. Intense cardiovascular workout includes punching and kicking for endurance, balance, and coordination.

•07  X Stretch. Achieve a higher level of athleticism, prevent injuries, and avoid plateaus.

•08 Core Synergistics. Build and support the core while conditioning your body.

•09  Chest, Shoulders & Triceps. Targeted strength and definition workout emphasizing two classic upper-body exercises.

•10 Back & Biceps. Flex your powerful biceps, and focus on toning and tightening those showcase upper-body muscles.

•11 Cardio X. Low-impact, fat-burning cardio routine.

•12 Ab Ripper X. Sculpt an incredible six-pack and improve your physical performance.

In the almost two years that I’ve been doing P90X, I have never felt that I had reached a point where the workouts were no longer a challenge. I’ve gotten better at the exercises, and increased the number of repetitions or weight, but as far I can see it would be almost impossible to reach a plateau because of the variety.

They were thinking ahead when they created the videos and knew over time a person can only listen to the same audio for so long. You have a choice to be able to pick silent mode, only music, and music and cues. At first you can’t get enough of all the tips and instructions Tony gives, but there are days I like to use my own music and that helps to keep it fresh for me.

I also take them on my travels. You can use bands if you choose instead of weights, which they demonstrate on the video. You really can use them anywhere. I love having them available at all times to be able to throw in a workout rain or shine.

I have permanently made P90X part of my lifestyle and now make hybrid workouts incorporating other forms of fitness when I don’t want to stick to the 90 day routine. The options with these DVD’s are endless.

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Joyce Cherrier has been involved in health, fitness and sports for over 25 years. A former professional Windsurfer from Maui and sports and fitness  model, she went on to co-own a thriving health food store.  Now a  mother of two daughters, she is an online coach and spends her time helping others reach their fitness goals and spreading healthy info using social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.