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New exercise training cards available
Last month I discovered a new product that has dramatically helped my ongoing commitment to improved physical fitness.Having seen so much scientific research showing the benefits of strength training for health and weight management, I finally bit the bullet and started strength training myself.
While I was delighted at how quickly my body improved when I started doing some sit ups, push ups and other simple strengthening exercises at home, and while I was happy about how conveniently it fitted into my life, I also found it hard-going to stay motivated.
That's when one of my readers told me about FitDeck playing cards.
FitDeck Bodyweight is a deck of 56 playing cards containing simple and easy to follow illustrations and instructions describing over 50 different exercises that shape and tone all areas of your body. You don't need any equipment to use FitDeck Bodyweight, so you can use them anywhere, anytime. If you've ever tried to pack your dumbbells in a suitcase, you know the importance of portability.
There are many different ways to use these cards. What I like to do is shuffle them and select about 10 cards at random. After warming up by marching on the spot for a few minutes, I turn the first card over and do the exercise on it for one minute, then turn over the next card and do the exercise on that card for another minute, and so on until I've done all my selected cards. Then I use the deck's stretching card to stretch out all of my major muscle groups.
What I love about this workout is that it's quick (15 minutes tops), and the sheer variety of exercises on the cards and the surprise factor of not knowing which ones will bob up keeps me interested. There are certainly some exercises in the pack that my 'lazy' bones would rather not do (such as push ups), but the great thing is that even if I don't like doing a particular exercise, it's only for one minute, and then the card is lost in the deck until it resurfaces again.
Since I started using these cards a month ago, I've found myself leaving work on time more often because I'm actually looking forward to my little pre-dinner training session!
The overall result is that I've been using these cards 3-4 times a week (about 50 minutes in total); an amount of strength training that was shown to have clear benefits for weight management, as you'll read below. I feel lean, fit and motivated to keep going.
Being such a fan of my FitDeck Bodyweight playing cards, I've now made them available to you in my E-Shop. At $19.95 for the pack, they make a great gift of health for yourself or someone you care about.
If you'd like to order a deck of FitDeck Bodyweight playing cards and boost your commitment to health, click here.
What our readers say...
"Dear Amanda, just wanted to say how much I love your book The Don't Go Hungry Diet. I gave up traditional forms of dieting some years back as I am so over counting points or fat grams etc. Counting anything in fact! Been there done that. And who wants to spend their life 'counting' and obsessing and stressing over food. I certainly don't. I knew there had to be an answer and I reckon I've found it in your book. Having gained a massive amount of weight from taking anti-depressant medication for some years, I was fat and fed up - in fact I was depressed about being fat! The anti-depressants make you crave junk food, and the more you eat the more you want, you just can't fill that hole. Anyway, I weaned off them and no longer crave the junk, I eat mostly whole foods, lots of fruit & veg (aim for 9 serves a day, often go over). I eat full fat everything, use olive oil in my cooking, plenty of avocado and nuts etc. and have dinner out once a week and enjoy the odd bit of chocolate. In the 2 months since April 1st I've lost 8 kg and feel like a new person. After about 5 weeks of weight loss and feeling quite good about myself, I started to feel really hungry, wanting to eat but that inner voice saying, 'slow down or you'll put that weight on again'. I thought of the 'Famine Reaction' you talk about and decided to 'go with the flow' and just eat bigger helpings of healthy foods. After a few days, as predicted in your book, the 'Fat Brake' kicked in and I went back to my weight loss eating. Such a good feeling to have faith in my body, listen to it's signals and act accordingly. Since then I have had ravenous days where I increase my food, as well as not so hungry days where I eat less. And sure enough, at every weigh in at the gym there is a loss. I am an avid reader of anything to do with health, weight and nutrition and have a 'library' of books regarding eating disorders that deal with the mental side of things but had not come across anything on the physiological side of weight loss before your book. Thank you so much - I feel as though I've been released from a prison sentence. Warm regards, Lesley. PS - My sister is doing Weight Watchers and stayed with me recently. She arrived armed with diet yogurts, diet this, diet that etc. One day she was complaining of being hungry but had used up all her points - and as I sat there chowing down on a chunk of my home made organic bread with humus, I thought, Thank God for Dr Amanda. Maybe I'll buy my sister a copy of your book!"