Bikram Yoga

Seeing as your skin is one of the largest waste-disposal systems in the body, Bikram yoga classes are effective for detoxing because the body removes toxic waste through your skin via sweat. Bikram yoga classes are ninety minutes long and consist of twenty-six different poses performed in each session, along with two breathing exercises. The room is set to 95-100 degrees fahrenheit with the intentions of making you sweat profusely so that all of the toxic waste is removed from your body. Benefits include radiant skin, improved flexibility, weight loss,, strengthened immune system, and relaxed muscles.

Here’s a breakdown of the scale of difficulty for a Bikram Yoga class and the estimated cost per session:

Scale of Difficulty : Hard, but rewarding. Yoga is not only a great way to detox but a good way to sneak in some exercise!

Estimated Cost: $10-15 per session, but the price decreases if you purchase a monthly package.

Sauna

Many, if not most of us do not actively sweat on a daily basis. Deep sweating has many benefits and can be achieved by simply sitting in a sauna. Similar to Bikram yoga, the heat in a sauna causes your core temperature to rise and allows your body to flush out toxins while you sit in a relaxed position for about 20-30 minutes. Sitting in a sauna has both health and beauty benefits. The sauna  moisturizes while eliminating toxins and improves the overall condition of your skin. Benefits also include weight loss, cure for illnesses, strengthened immune system, and relaxed muscles.

Take a look at the breakdown of the scale of difficulty, estimated cost and tips for using a Sauna:  

Scale of Difficulty : Simple enough, but the process of sitting in a sauna for long periods of time can be challenging if you’re new to the process. Make sure to drink lots of water and take breaks when needed.

Estimated Cost: $60 per session, but most gyms include a sauna and steam room that you can utilize as a part of your membership. Portable saunas can range from $200-500.

JJ’s Tips For the Sauna:

1. Try out different saunas (infrared, steam, and oxygen steam saunas) to see which one works for you
2. Sauna bathing 2-3 times per week is ideal for the intended benefits
3. Drink water before and after the  sauna since most of the moisture in your body will be sweated out.
4. Always consult your physician before trying out new detox methods, especially if you have heart issues.

Until next time!

-XO JJ 

If you want to maintain your curves, expect to put in some physical work. Squats are a great exercise if you’re looking for a way to lift and tone fast. They are relatively simple to do, require no equipment, and can be done just about anywhere. Squats are known as a leg routine, but many people don’t realize they provide benefits throughout your body, specifically your core and butt.

Benefits

• Squats promote mobility and balance.
• Squats promote muscle growth throughout the body. One of the most time-effective ways to continually burn fat is by developing muscle tone which makes squats one of the best fat burning exercises you can do!
• When done properly, squats can actually improve knee strength, increase stability and strengthen tissue.
• Squats can be performed with or without weights. (For quicker results, incorporate light to medium weights into your squat)
• There aren’t many exercises that work a multitude of muscles simultaneously, but squats are one of them. They tone your backside, your abs, and of course, your legs.
• Squats are useful for improved movement through your colon and promote more regular bowel movements.

It’s critical that you perform squats properly, otherwise you won’t reap the benefits and run the risk of injury. Additionally, there are many modified squats for those who struggle with knee problems. The most important things to keep in mind are to make sure your back remains in a neutral position – doesn’t arch as you go down, and don’t lock your knees when you rise. Read more here on how to properly perform a squat.

Losing weight and maintaining your curves is achievable if you implement the tips throughout this Killer Curve Series. Keep grinding! Until next time…

-xo JJ

Belly Dancing

Belly dancing is not only fun, but is also a great form of exercise. It tones the arms, strengthens and tightens the abs and obliques, and improves flexibility. It can burn as many calories as jogging, swimming, or riding a bike but is less strenuous on the body than weight lifting and more entertaining than sitting on a bike at the gym.

Belly dancing is a very different form of exercise than what you may be used to, as it is a beautiful and sensual dance form. What makes belly dancing unique is that it is a cultural experience; you learn about its Middle Eastern origins while burning fat, improving flexibility and posture, and enhancing your sexuality and femininity. Belly dancing is great for women who want sexy abs, as it’s a perfect workout for your midsection, waist, and core. Belly dancing adds a whole different dimension to your fitness experience.

Striptease

Striptease is more of a seductive dance routine, typically performed in stilettos. When I attended striptease class, the dips and gyrating leg movements really helped to tone up my thighs and legs. Both striptease and pole-dance classes are great ways to embrace your sexuality and simply look and feel sexy and desirable. There are also workout videos, like Flirty Girl Fitness DVDs, if you want to work out at home as opposed to going to a dance studio.

Striptease is an exercise routine that you may prefer to practice in the privacy of your own home. This will allow you to let go of your inhibitions. The more you practice, the more you’ll get comfortable freeing your sensual self. The good news is that you really begin to work your muscles by gyrating and bending to the music of your choice. Once you get comfortable with your striptease routine, you may want to show it to your significant other. I’m sure he will enjoy your lean and toned body, along with your sensuality. When you get confident in your body, your movements will be beautiful and sensual, and you’ll walk around the room with a wonderful, sexual presence that you and your mate will both appreciate.

JJ Smith (www.JJSmithOnline.com) is a nutritionist and certified weight-management specialist who has been featured on The Montel Williams Show, The Jamie Foxx Show and on the NBC, FOX, CBS and CW networks. Her advice has also been featured in the pages of Glamour, Essence, and Ladies Home Journal. Since reclaiming her health, losing weight, and discovering a “second youth” in her forties, bestselling author JJ Smith has become the voice of inspiration to women who want to lose weight, be healthy, and get their sexy back! JJ may be contacted by email at info@jjsmithonline.com and on Twitter: jjsmithonline and Facebook Page: RealTalkJJ

Being physically active keeps your blood flowing and your heart pumping and keeps your mind sharp as oxygen flows to each cell in your body. Physical activity keeps your metabolism revved up throughout the day. Additionally, your muscles allow glucose (the primary source of energy from carbohydrates) to be better utilized, which will help prevent blood sugar and insulin spikes. Physical activity has also been known to improve insulin function in the body, which is especially helpful for those who have insulin resistance. A short daily walk has even been proven to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, and many other diseases.

People tend to greatly overestimate how many calories they burn while “exercising.” The reality is that walking on a treadmill for about an hour burns only 350 to 400 calories, which can be nullified with one jelly donut or one or two glasses of wine. People typically burn 200 to 300 calories in a 30-minute aerobic-exercise session, but when they follow it up with a bottle of Gatorade, they replace all the calories they just burned. Another way to think of it is that you have to do a lot more exercise than the average person does in a typical hour-long session to burn off about 500 calories. To burn off just two donuts, about 500 calories, takes roughly two hours of cycling. To burn off two slices of pepperoni pizza, you’d have to do one and a half hours of swimming. So you have to do an awful lot more exercise than most people realize to make any real progress toward weight loss.

In my new book, Lose Weight Without Dieting or Working Out!, I provide scientific studies that show how exercise doesn’t always cause you to lose weight. In fact, in some cases, it stimulates hunger and causes you to gain weight. For some time, researchers have been finding that people who exercise don’t necessarily lose weight. An increasing body of work reveals that exercise is rather ineffective when it comes to losing weight unless eating habits are also changed. Changing how and what you eat is the most effective route for losing weight. So, practically speaking, exercise is not the most effective method for slimming down unless you have the training regimen of an Olympian or professional athlete.

I definitely don’t want to give people an excuse to not exercise; rather, I want them to accurately understand what exercise can and cannot do for their weight-loss goals. Those of you who do exercise should be proud of yourselves, and I encourage you to keep it up. When you get more physically active, you feel better about yourself and feel more inclined to watch the type of foods you put in your body. One of most popular chapters in my new book is “Get Moving Without Going to the Gym or Working Out.” This chapter helps you incorporate more physical activity into your everyday life.

JJ Smith (www.JJSmithOnline.com) is a nutritionist and certified weight-management specialist who has been featured on The Montel Williams Show, The Jamie Foxx Show and on the NBC, FOX, CBS and CW networks. Her advice has also been featured in the pages of Glamour, Essence, and Ladies Home Journal. Since reclaiming her health, losing weight, and discovering a “second youth” in her forties, bestselling author JJ Smith has become the voice of inspiration to women who want to lose weight, be healthy, and get their sexy back! JJ may be contacted by email at info@jjsmithonline.com and on Twitter: jjsmithonline and Facebook Page: RealTalkJJ

Many of the world’s best athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, the Olympics, as well as Hollywood celebrities, are using WBV to lose weight, build muscle tone and bone density, relieve back pain and arthritis, improve circulation, and speed up metabolism. As a woman, I’ve found it to be especially beneficial for burning fat and cellulite around the thighs, hips, and buttocks.

The stimulation of whole-body vibration exercise delivers quick results that are simple yet phenomenal. WBV puts the muscles in a situation where they must expand and contract continually at a rapid rate, about twenty-five to fifty times per second, which helps to strengthen them. These contractions pump extra oxygen into the cells, which allows them to repair and regenerate quickly, resulting in amazing body transformations. Keep in mind, though, that maximum fat burning and weight loss is accomplished through WBV only when combined with proper nutrition.

The muscle contractions caused by a vibration plate will probably not build as much muscle mass as lifting weights, but unless you’re a body builder, it is still very effective for maintaining muscle tone and strength.

The results of a study that took place over a few years shocked many doctors globally. Research showed that vibration exercise was four times as effective as traditional exercise for weight loss. Additionally, the group of people who used WBV kept the weight off six months after discontinuing the use of the vibration machine. Those who only dieted or either dieted with traditional exercise all gained the weight back plus some.

Vibration machines are all the rage among celebrities and top athletes whose livelihood depends on their bodies being in top condition, yet they are too busy to spend hours sweating in a gym.

JJ Smith (www.JJSmithOnline.com) is a nutritionist and certified weight-management specialist who has been featured on The Montel Williams Show, The Jamie Foxx Show and on the NBC, FOX, CBS and CW networks. Her advice has also been featured in the pages of Glamour, Essence, and Ladies Home Journal. Since reclaiming her health, losing weight, and discovering a “second youth” in her forties, bestselling author JJ Smith has become the voice of inspiration to women who want to lose weight, be healthy, and get their sexy back! JJ may be contacted by email at info@jjsmithonline.com and on Twitter: jjsmithonline and Facebook Page: RealTalkJJ