Halloween tips!

Is Halloween a big holiday in your house? If so, it can be a tough one with all the candy and junk around. Here's a tip to help!

Halloween Tip!

Are you dreading Halloween? Here's a tip:  Don't buy any candy you like!  Don't tempt yourself with your favorite candy. Buy only candy you don't like. And don't tell yourself how badly you feel giving out that crappy candy to the kids in the neighborhood. They don't need the candy anyway.

Take Shape for Life can help.  Be sure to save one of your "5 & 1" meals to treat yourself with while you are handing out the crappy candy. Cut that chocolate mint bar into tiny pieces and make it last while visualizing yourself in that hot, new outfit you'll be wearing at those holiday parties. 

And, if you do happen to indulge, remember those T-Tapp Hoe Downs!  Hoe downs help regulate blood sugar and can minimize the problem of those additional calories showing up on your hips!  Hoe downs are a great T-Tapp minute move to do throughout the day, not only to help you with your waistline, but also provide a mental boost during those afternoon slumps.  Three minutes and your mind is back on track!

Finally, it's not too late to sign up for the AVD Fitness "Here Come the Holidays" Food and Fitness Challenge.  Click here for details and join us!  You'll be on your way to a slimmer, trimmer, and healthier YOU! 

Take good care and have a safe and fun Halloween!

Announcing the “Here Come the Holidays” Food and Fitness 30 Day Challenge

Ready to get slimmer and trimmer before the holidays? 
Ready to learn some tips and tweaks 

to keep from gaining weight over the holidays?
Want some really great prizes?

Then join the AVD Fitness
Here Come the Holidays
Food and Fitness 30 Day Challenge

You commit to:

1.  At least one hour-long T-Tapp workout per week with
your Tennessee T-Tapp Trainer, Vicki Drobnis
2.  Three T-Tapp Minute Moves each day
3.  Your choice of two or four weeks of Take Shape for Life meals to 

jump start your weight loss and to promote healthy changes in your life.

YOU RECEIVE:
A Tip of the Day emailed to you   
A customized webpage to track your results   
Free Health Coaching   
Email support   

PRIZES INCLUDE:
Free personal training session
Free workout DVDs
Free spa bath products
Other great stuff!

AND BEST OF ALL - A new healthy and more fit YOU!

Challenge starts November 1, 2009 and ends November 30, 2009.

To enter, send an email to workout@avdfitness.com, then order your Take Shape for Life meals here

Beginning on November 1, 2009, you...

1. Take a before photo (front, side, and rear) - also do weekly.
2. Weigh yourself - also do weekly.
   
3. Measure yourself (Excel spreadsheet or pdf form provided) - also do weekly.
   
4. Email me with which class(es) you plan to attend.
5. Make notes of health improvements you notice (better sleep, less fatigue, higher energy, better outlook, etc.)
6. Update your Support in Motion personalized tracking system daily.  

On November 30, 2009, do the same and email me your pics and results of your 30 day challenge.

As always, if there are any questions, email me at workout@avdfitness.com. 

T-Tapp fat-burning moves to try at home

Here are some T-Tapp moves you can try at home:  7 Easy Fat-Burning Exercises

T-Tapp IS cardio!

From T-Tapp Trainer, Jill Brightbill in Pennsylvania as posted on the T-Tapp forums...

"I just had to post something about an experiment I had been doing.

I have been diligent in using my elliptical for 3 months now in addition to my T-Tapp. I use a heart rate monitor when on the elliptical. The highest heart rate I was able to achieve on the elliptical was 142 and that was just during a sprint. Usually it's around 130-132.

I wore the heart rate monitor while doing BWO+. I was amazed that after plies it was already up to 132 (it takes a lot longer on the elliptical) and after hoedowns at the end it was 152!!! Amazing!!! I couldn't believe it! Doing T-Tapp is definitely better than doing the elliptical!

So don't ever let anyone tell you T-Tapp is not cardio! We all know better!"

Muscle building and cardio in one fifteen minute workout...

how's THAT for effective and efficient! 

Links to classes added

Hello T-Tappers (or future T-Tappers!)!

Nashville area classes are listed to your right.  You can register for these online by clicking the link to the class(es) you want. 

Classes are open to all levels of T-Tappers.  Come one, come all to find out how T-Tapp can make feel and look better. 

And guys, remember that men T-Tapp, too!  In fact, in my class tonight, my male clients outnumbered the female 2 to 1!  And they were sweating from the workout, too! 

Do your own hoe down showdown!

At the recent T-Tapp Retreat in Safety Harbor, Florida (just outside of Tampa), Teresa and those attending did a hoe down showdown.  For those of you who don't know what hoe downs are, they are a three minute T-Tapp move that can increase mental clarity and reduce blood glucose levels (helps to keep that cookie you just ate off the hips!).  They look deceptively easy, but boy are they aerobic!

Over twenty of those attending the 2009 Retreat did 55 sets - that's right, 55 sets!  And the average inch loss among those participating was over 13 inches in the weekend!  Pretty impressive results!

So, tonight I decided to do my own variation.  During one of my favorite TV shows, Ghost Hunters, I did hoe downs during the commercials.  In an hour-long show, I completed 15 sets of hoe downs!  That averaged to about three sets per commercial (some were four; others were two).  And was I ever sweaty from this great form of interval training.  Even now my lats (latissimus dorsi muscles) are sore just a couple of hours after completing those fifteen sets.  Betcha that worked off the wonderful pasta my friend Hope made for lunch!

Now, here's my challenge to you.  Watch the hoe down video on YouTube to learn the move.  One set equals both right and left leg lifts (4 front, 4 side, repeat; then 2 front, 2 side, repeat, then singles - front, side, front, side, front, side, front, side - now repeat on other leg to equal one set).  Then during your own favorite show, do as many sets of hoe downs (with good form) as you can during the commercials.  Write down how many sets you did during each commercial (you'll forget otherwise).  Total them up, then post a comment here with your total and how you feel. 

T-Tapp hoe downs...a great little move to have in your fitness arsenal!

T-Tapp and Breast Cancer

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I'm sharing this article about Breast Cancer and T-Tapp written by two T-Tapp Trainers from New York City who are working with clinical trials for breast cancer patients using T-Tapp at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

Breast Cancer & T-Tapp
by T-Tapp Trainers
Donna Wilson and Esther Choi Williams

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancer.  Twelve percent of American women have a chance of developing invasive breast cancer that is a little less than 1 in 8 women in US.  American cancer society 2009 statistics is 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer in US, and 40,170 women will die from breast cancer.  This is the second leading cause of cancer death in women exceeded by lung cancer.  Presently there are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the US.  Many women experience secondary complications of the disease and the treatment such as fatigue, weight gain, poor body image, premature menopause, sleep disturbances, increased risk of osteoporosis and lymphedema.
   
Breast cancer is commonly treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.  Some receive chemotherapy before surgery and many women do not require radiation.  This depends on the stage and the cell type of the cancer.  Many have a sentinel node biopsy to stage the disease.  An axillary lymph node dissection and radiation can result in lymphedema due to obstruction, trauma, and inflammation of the lymphatic system.  Lymphedema is defined as an abnormal accumulation of protein rich fluid, edema and chronic inflammation.  This causes pain, tightness and heaviness in the upper extremity.  Additional problems associated with lymphedema decrease range of motion and poor flexibility.  For many years women were told to avoid exercise involving repetitive motion.  There was no scientific evidence or data at that time to support these preventive strategies.  Recently there are many research studies are encouraging exercise.  Skeletal muscle contractions provide the primary pumping mechanism for lymphatic and venous drainage therefore exercise is encouraged.

There are many studies that suggest yoga and pilates decrease the unpleasant side effects such as anxiety, depression and fatigue.  T-Tapp provides mindful movements focusing on movement quality rather than repetitions.  Concentrating on the feel of a movement rather than its appearance while exercising restores the body confidence.  T-Tapp teaches how to resume your posture and strengthening the back muscles thus gives one the strength to maintain good posture.  The T-Tapp exercises build strength and mobility on both sides of the body, this is ideal for clients that have one sided or right and left sided stiffness.  The most effective movement in T-Tapp after breast cancer is Primary Back Stretch preventing rounding of the upper back and slumped shoulders from the physical effects of surgery, thus T-Tapp focuses on posture and alignment.  Many of the T-Tapp movements promote lymph flow to veins in the neck where it returns to the blood circulation.  Exercise assists the proteins in lymph fluid to be reabsorbed.  Remember lymph fluid moves through action, exercise and activity.  Thus doing T-Tapp exercises on a regular basis will help increase the lymph flow.  It also provides flexibility and stretching to increase range of motion, and decrease muscle soreness and stress. 

Overall T-Tapp's comprehensive movements are effective before and after a breast cancer diagnosis.  The classes we provide at the Integrative Medicine Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center focus on improving flexibility, focus on stimulating lymphatic flow, decrease one's fatigue level from treatments and restore energy level.  Most importantly our team wants each patient to return to a normal lifestyle of activities.

Donna J Wilson RN, MSN/Personal Trainer/T-Tapp Instructor
Esther C Williams BA/Personal trainer/T-Tapp Instructor & Mentor
Integrative Medicine Center
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, New York

Very good information from two ladies who are working firsthand with breast cancer patients and seeing the benefits T-Tapp has for them!

Befores and Afters - 1 1/2 years difference

March 2008

October 2009

Take Shape for Life Meals plus T-Tapp workouts

So, when are YOU going to start?! 

Welcome to the AVD Fitness Blog!

My first blog!  I'm so excited!  :)

I decided to create a blog for my business, AVD Fitness, to share ideas and tips for fitness and health.  I can reach more people and help them reach their goals.

First, a little about me.  My name is Vicki Drobnis, and I am a NESTA (National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and a T-Tapp Trainer.  For those of you who know nothing about T-Tapp, you will soon.  This blog will tell you all you want to know (and maybe more!).  I've been into fitness for the past fifteen years and an educator for the past ten years.  I combined the two by becoming a fitness trainer and have been doing that since 2006.  I love helping people reach their dreams of health and fitness.  It's very rewarding and LOTS of fun!  And you gotta have fun, right?!

By working out with T-Tapp and following Take Shape for Life (more about that later), I was able to lose over 33 pounds since February 2009, lose over 16 inches (from my waist, hips, and chest), and lose four (that's right, four) sizes!  My blood sugar is stable, and my blood pressure is normal (even with a family history of high blood pressure).  I was able to rehab an arthritic knee (also family history-thanks, guys!) and to rehab a torn rotator cuff without having surgery.  Pretty impressive, huh?  Once I figure out how to post pics, you can see for yourself.  Pictures don't lie (well, unless they've been Photoshopped, and these haven't)!

Enough about me.  There will be more information posted soon.  In the meantime, take care of yourselves.  You're the only you there is!