Happy Healthy Halloween Strategies

  Is it possible to enjoy Halloween without completely derailing your diet?  Of course it is, but you might need a few strategies.  Remember, strategy always trumps willpower.  Don't try to white knuckle it through Halloween.  You might be alright for a few hours or even that day but studies show that willpower is actually in limited supply, so resist the candy today, you probably won't be able to tomorrow. 

 Here are a few of my top strategies for surviving Halloween:

Leave it to the last minute- I know that doesn't sound like me (I'm all about pre-preparing) but when it comes to Halloween candy, it is best not to buy it too soon.  If you do have to buy it early, under no circumstance should you open the bag prior to handing out the candy.  You will be asking for trouble.

Have Healthy Options- You don't have to be the crazy fitness lady handing out apples and nuts on Halloween.  Kids like candy and that is partly what the holiday is about.  However, it's going to be a long night so you might want to have some fun healthier options for you to munch on.  Try Pumpkin Pie Popcorn mix with Raisins.  Recipe at www.loveyourraisins.com

I had this recently and it is yummy!!

Not Your Favorite! -Don't buy your favorite candy, you know, the one that is always calling your name.  Choose something that is not a trigger for you.  For me, that means no Reeces Peanut Butter cups.  I could easily eat 4 (and I don't mean the mini) before I realized what I had done.  Instead, I will purchase Milky Ways and Hershey's Chocolate Bars.  I will enjoy having one snack size treat but they won't continue to taunt me from the bowl.

Get Moving- Don't forget to do an extra good workout in the morning before the festivities.  This is like fitness in the bank.  Do a little extra now so when you make a withdraw (splurge) later, you won't notice it on the scale.

The Morning After- Get all candy out of the house!  You don't need it around and frankly neither do your kids.  A friend of mine has a great strategy with her kids; they each get to pick 5 pieces of candy to keep and then when they donate the rest they get a gift card for Target or Border's.  I think it is an excellent trade-off.

  I hope you all have a very happy, healthy, fun Halloween.

Val

ps:  If you need any help getting started on your fitness program, check out my 6 week transformation system at www.redcarpetready.com.

How Michael Phelps Won 8 Gold Medals

While I don’t know Michael’s exact training strategy and haven’t met him personally, I am pretty confident I know some things that helped him win 8 gold medals, and they are the same strategies you can use to get Red Carpet Ready.

1. He decided. That’s right. He made a very clear decision that he would win 8 gold medals at the Olympics in Beijing. I feel confident saying, he probably wrote this down somewhere. Then he held that vision very clearly in his minds eye and did not waver from his goal.

Here’s what you can do:

Decide right now to get fit or more fit. Take some immediate action so you can get some energy behind your decision. This could be something simple like a kitchen purge and restock or buying new workout shoes or a pair of Valslides.

2. He told everyone about it. Accountability is a powerful thing and telling everyone about your plan is like giving them your word. Michael told his plan to the world; it was announced through every form of media. Once he did this, I don’t think he ever considered missing a workout.

Here’s what you can do:

Tell your friends and family you are starting a new program and you would like their support. You could also start a blog (I have seen this be very effective for people) or you can join an online community. To find out about the Red Carpet Ready club go to www.redcarpetready.com/blog

3. He put forth the effort. It is hard for me to imagine that this young guy blew off workouts because he wasn’t in the mood, he was tired, busy or hung over. You might want to argue that swimming is Michael’s job. He’s an athlete and his job is to be fit. Newsflash: “Swimming and being fit is his job because he put the effort in.” His amazing god given talent would have meant nothing had he chose to miss practice and play video games.

Here’s what you can do:

Make your workouts non-negotiable. Schedule them in your calendar like any other important appointment. Ideally first thing in the morning. Implement the 10-minute rule. No matter how bad you feel or how busy you are, you will do at least 10 minutes. Chances are you will complete the workout. Crank up the intensity. You will not achieve a Red Carpet Ready body if your whole workout consists of walking or doing a workout that does not challenge you.


4. Recognize that recovery is important. Michael Phelps has someone measuring, testing and analyzing anything that can be analyzed. 3 minutes after Phelps’ race, someone will prick his ear with a needle and that blood will be measured to see how much lactic acid is in his system and he will swim slowly until it has dropped to an acceptable level. The coaches know how much to push him, how much sleep he needs and when he should start tapering his swims before a meet.

Here’s what you can do:

While you may not have a team of people looking after you, you can take one full day off each week. Build in some kind of soft tissue work. This could be massage or foam rolling. Get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Don’t eat junk food. Fuel your body with lean protein and veggies. Don’t’ forget to hydrate.

It is true that Michael Phelps was incredibly blessed. His body was built for speed. He has come of age during a time of advancement in training and equipment technology and he has the ability to turn off the outside world when necessary. Talent and blessing, however, are never enough. It is effort that brings forth the rewards. The way to your best body lies in your decision to have it and the effort you are willing to put into it. You have it in you. Dig a little deeper. The rewards are on the other side of effort and it’s not just the great body you will have. The latest magic potion or exercise pill will NOT give you the same as what you’ll get when you work for your goal. You might have to trust me on this in the beginning but you will thank me later!

Another Red Carpet Ready Success Story!

I just wanted to share another Red Carpet Ready success story with you all the way from Germany. People all over the world are getting results with Red Carpet Ready. Stefanie's email below is inspiration for you and a reminder to me that helping people feel better about themselves is what makes my job so rewarding!

______________________________________

Success Story

Dear Valerie,

Ever since my husband proposed to me in October 2007 I was wondering how
to lose weight and build up muscles. I have tried various programs and none really worked to my satisfaction. I had just recovered from an accident and a workout pause of six months. During this time I put on 12 pounds.
12 P O U N D S!!! I am 34 years old but I looked a lot older.

Inspired by lovely Jennifer Garner and an interview in SHAPE where your
name came up I started searching for your website - and found it. I
decided to order your ValKit for Travel and also bought your Red Carpet
Ready Program. I started working out in February 2008 - 4 months to go
until our wedding on June 21st.....

I have been with Weight Watchers for years and already dropped approx 30
pounds but they used to claim that potatoes were top of the list for
weight loss (they know better now concerning the glycemic index). Since
I am a vegetarian I thought about how to increase my protein intake.
Luckily I do eat eggs (I buy them at a nearby farm) and dairy products
so I focused on that instead of fish or meat. Also I started watching my
portions of pasta and brown rice and realized I always had too much of
it! This was why shortly after eating I was feeling hungry again (we
remember: WeightWatchers and potaoes).

We Germans simply LOVE bread, it is one of our substantial foods. I
always used whole grain, anyway, but now I've reduced it to one
piece in the morning along with yogurt or egg whites (instead of
additional 2-4 pieces in the evening). I stopped eating at our canteen
at work (my favourite was baked potato with salad..) and started cooking
again. My husband loves it because he switched to my vegetarian way of
living shortly after we met and even he does not want to eat any chips
or sweets anymore - he COULD eat it, though, because he really is thin
but he just does not crave unhealthy stuff like he used to. This is
thanks to your program!!!

Now we keep fit and concentrated throughout our working day and I go
straight to the gym afterwards. Even on very hot days I do not give up
and use our cool cellar instead of the gym - I just kept going. I never
knew I could be so determined! Even my husband now takes time to workout
with me 2 days a week (it's a start).

The Red Carpet Ready Workout is challenging and I needed some time to
adapt to it - especially the ValSlide - staying balanced while sliding
is not that easy. Now I do really well with it and a trainer at the gym
even asked me if I was a trainer myself because the workout looked so
professional to him.

I never was slim and although I still have a long way to go until I have
my "dream figure" I am sure I will succeed! I was so happy when my
wedding gowns (which I bought in November 2007) had to be adjusted TWICE
to my slimmer shape and on our wedding day they would fit quite
loosely...

I dropped more than one dress size and I will now try your action hero
workout - I am curious how I will look like in 6 weeks :))

Enclosed I am sending you 2 photos of our wedding - one after the
registry office (in Germany this is mandatory) and one after our
ceremony in the evening under a bright blue sky....

THANK YOU SO MUCH for the inspiration, the super program through this
making me feel so attractive on my wedding day and ever after.

You big fan from Hamburg, Germany!

Stefanie


Stefanie (before her wedding)


Stefanie (after the ceremony)

______________________________________

If you want to be Red Carpet Ready for your special event, then start now! It's never too late.

Click here for more information.

Lastly, I've had so many of you interested in joining the Red Carpet Ready club, and I'm so excited to get it started! If you haven't joined the interest list and want to be kept in the loop on the Club's progress, then visit www.chatwithval.com and sign up.

All the best,

Val

Earthquake Workout

“Call on God, but row away from the rocks.” -- Hunter S. Thompson

As I sat down to write today’s blog, my house started to shake. It turns out that LA was having an earthquake. Did you feel it? It registered at 5.4 and lasted 30 seconds. My heart is still racing as I write this. Nothing like an earthquake to get a little adrenaline pumping! It heightens your awareness and gives you the energy to get your butt moving. Of course, had the earthquake been more serious, that fight or flight response just might have saved my life. To learn more about how to increase your chances of survival during an emergency, read on.

According to a recent Time magazine article, surviving a disaster is not merely a product of luck, though it might seem so as we watch a fire take down a row of houses and then skip a few before burning through several more, or as a tornado that narrowly misses your house while flattening your neighbors’. It might seem that when disaster strikes it is so random that there is nothing you can do. Well, apparently there is actually quite a bit you can do to increase your odds of preventing or surviving a disaster.

People who study disasters and those that survive them have learned that there are specific things that survivors have in common:

1) Know the drill. If you live in an area prone to fire, mudslides, tornados, or hurricanes, have an action plan to get your family out. Often when disaster strikes, people freeze. The more automated your response is, the better chance you have. Run fire drills with your kids. Teach them which way you want them to exit. Do this repeatedly so they could do it with their eyes closed. Know where you keep important documents and have an evacuation plan for your pet. If you work in a high-rise, practice going down the stairs. As much as everyone thinks these kinds of drills are a pain, they could make the difference in your survival.

2) Knowledge. According to a Time Magazine article, knowing that you can survive might give you an edge in resilience. For example, did you know that 56% of people involved in serious plane crashes between 1983 and 2000 survived? Makes you want to pay attention to the in-flight briefing. Your belief that it is possible to survive helps you take responsibility in your survival.

3) Get Fit. If you need another reason to get in shape, here it is: When disaster hit the World Trade Center on 9/11, people with low physical abilities were 3x as likely to be hurt while evacuating the towers. People who are better conditioned are able to move faster to get out of harms way.

To increase your odds of surviving a disaster you need to make sure you and your loved ones have a basic level of fitness. You should be able to complete the following circuit 3 times without feeling like you might pass out.

Survival Circuit
• 15 Bodyweight Squats
• 10 push ups (or modified push ups for women)
• 12 alternating forward lunges
• 12 two arm rows with a stretchy band or dumbbells
• Plank hold for 30 seconds
• 20 Bicycle Abs
• 15 reverse crunches

Rest 1 minute and repeat 2 more times.

This is the minimum you should be able to do.
To get more fit, go to www.redcarpetready.com

Enjoy!

Val

PS. Just a few more days until I start working on the Red Carpet Ready club. It’s coming, so if you’re interested be sure to visit www.chatwithval.com to join the interest list so I can keep you updated.

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Valslide Cover Model

I was at the newsstand today and was so excited to see Jesse, our Valslide Manual cover model, gracing the cover of Maximum Fitness Magazine.  Check it out!

Here's a sneak peak inside the Valslide Manual that's coming soon!

  

New Years Resolution check-in

Here we are, nearly half way through the year. How are your New Year’s Resolutions coming along?

Have you lost weight?
Reduced your stress?
Improved your health?
Saved some money?
Reduced your carbon foot print?

I am not sure all of these were on your resolution list but if you are like most people, chances are a few of them are. What if I told you that just one action done consistently would allow you to put a check mark by all of these things. You would want to know, right? Well there is. It’s something we can all do with just a little forethought and about 5 minutes. What is it?

Bring your lunch to work.

I talk in my book Red Carpet Ready about the importance of this from a weight control standpoint. Losing weight is hard enough without the extra difficulty of waiting so long to eat and then rushing to get the most convenient (not necessarily the healthiest option) and scarfing it down in 5 minutes because the line was long and now you are running late. Imagine instead that during your lunch break you calmly open you cooler and pull out your healthy salad or wrap. Maybe you nosh on some baby carrots and hummus while you browse one of your favorite magazines or lose yourself in a chapter of a favorite book, such as “The Other Boleyn Girl.” Before anyone else has gotten back with their fast food fix, you have enjoyed your lunch and had a few quiet moments to yourself. You have also saved approximately $7 and with a 5 day work week that is $35 in savings. That is $140 per month that you’re saving. But wait, there’s more! You can reduce your carbon foot print by bringing your lunch in a reusable cooler which means that you’re not contributing to the 1.8 million tons of trash created by the packaging that take-out food comes in!

That is a lot of benefit for one small action. Be part of the club that brings their lunch to work!

A Red Carpet Ready Success Story

Since releasing my eBook, Red Carpet Ready, I have received such positive feedback and heard many success stories, I thought I’d start sharing them with you to get you inspired to reach your own goals.

I received an email from April Dunn on April 4th of this year. She had just purchased the Valslide and was excited to get started. She had a couple of questions for me and shared a few of her struggles:

“Valerie, I’m 33 years old and a happy size 10. I’m going to be in my sister’s wedding in 7 weeks and could stand to lose 10 pounds. I started lifting weights last fall in preparation for the wedding. I was doing a strength program that I found on the internet three times a week using 5 lb weights (for a total of 40 minutes each time – 10 minutes on abs, butt, thighs and arms). To my surprise, I ‘bulked up’ rather than toned down! After doing this consistently for four months, I quit cold-turkey. I’ve been very scared to try any weight lifting again. I tried the Valslide workout and whoa…what a workout!”

After reading April’s email I suggested that she do my program Red Carpet Ready, and three weeks later she sent me a progress report. In just 3 weeks, April had lost inches in her chest, waist, hips, thighs, calves, and biceps, and dropped 1 dress size!

“When I started your program three weeks ago, my attitude was “I can do anything for six weeks”. Now I’m realizing I want to keep doing your workouts even after my six weeks are up. I can do the weights in 50 minutes (three times a week) and the cardio only adds another hour and a half to my week. So, I figure with only four hours of commitment weekly, I can look and feel a whole lot better!”

In the end, April met her goal! Here's what she told me:

Valerie,

Where do I begin? Thank you, thank you, thank you for putting together an AMAZING workout! I met my six-week goal! In Six Weeks, I accomplished the following:

· 13 pound weight loss
· Chest – 3 inches lost
· Waist – 2 ½ inches lost
· Waist (2” below Bellybutton) – 2 ½ inches lost
· Hips – 2 inches lost
· Thighs – 1 inch lost
· Calf – ½ inch lost
· Bicep – ¾ inch lost
· From a tight size 10 to a loose size 8

These are REAL numbers – REAL results! It’s amazing!

I must admit I was skeptical – How much change could you make to your body in just six weeks? See the attached “Before and After” pictures for the answer! I felt confident, toned and fit! I had so many wonderful comments from friends and family members. I actually had people refer to me as “skinny”, “thin” and “hot”! I’m a 34 year old mother! What a thrill! Your workouts are the most effective I’ve ever done. I had dreaded the fact that I was 12 years older than all the other bridesmaids in my sister’s wedding…that was until I didn’t look like it!

Hearing these stories is what makes my job so rewarding; and not just because April saw the numbers change, but because she is more confident and happy because of it. What I know, and what April learned, is if you do the Red Carpet Ready program and commit to it for the full 6 weeks, you will undoubtedly see results! Great job April!

_______________________________________________________

Get Happy!

What brings you joy?

I would love to know the first thing that popped in your head. Have you experienced that lately?

If not, why not?

I have been taking surf lessons the last few days and when I am on a wave, I have a smile from ear to ear and feel so happy I might burst. It got me thinking about joy.

Joy is defined as the emotion of great happiness. If we all felt joy more often, I believe the world would be a better place.

Here are a few things that bring me joy:

• Surfing 

• Playing with Cody & Lexi

• Watching someone I don’t know, using the Valslide at the gym

• Dancing

• Finishing a great workout

• Seeing a client master a tricky new move

• Reading nice blog comments

• Running with my tribe (more on this later)

• Reading Red Carpet Ready success stories

• Watching motivational sport movies like The Rookie, Miracle, and Rocky.

Want to feel happier? 

Here are my top 4 tips for getting more joy:

1. Know what brings you joy and do more of that. Okay, we can’t always be surfing or dancing, or what ever it is for you, but certainly there are small things you can do each day. Maybe it is watching a funny or motivational video on youtube. Maybe it is surprising a loved one with a love note in their brief case or lunch box. Maybe it is taking a few minutes to read a couple of pages in your favorite novel or motivational book. Find something you can do today that makes you smile or laugh.

2. Fake it until you make it. If you are really stressed or are having a hard time finding joy in your life, act as if you are happy by smiling at others. Generally the response you get will make you feel good. 

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh said:

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, 

but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”

3. Exercise regularly. I don’t need scientific studies to tell me that exercise can ease depression, anxiety and stress. I have long considered exercise my wonder drug. My motto “you are one workout away from a good mood” says it all. If you are not exercising regularly you might find it difficult to dump daily stress, worries or frustration. Think of exercise as the “Norton Utilities” for your body. When you’re clogged with worry and stress it is hard to hear joy knocking on your door.

4. Count your blessings. Recognize what is good in your life and focus on it. You will quickly be reminded that you do have things to be joyful about.

Joy Blockers

If you haven’t experienced much joy lately, check to see if one or more of these joy blockers are in the way.

• Clutter: It is nearly impossible to relax or feel happy when every surface is covered with papers, bills, magazines, and other clutter. I recently did a major clutter clearing and it was almost as if I could breathe easier.

• Lack of sleep: Stop with the bragging about only needing 5 hours of sleep and go take a nap. Besides the fact that failing to get enough sleep heightens the risk for a variety of major illness such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, it is really hard to feel happy when you are chronically sleep deprived.

• Poor nutrition: Much like the lack of sleep, poor nutrition contributes to a variety of major illness but it in addition, it simply does not allow you to function optimally. Think about how you feel when its 3pm and you haven’t eaten or if you over indulged on some greasy Mexican food. It’s hard to feel really joyful. 

• Over-scheduled: We have become a society of schedule driven Blackberry (aka: Crackberry) obsessed people. Often joy wants to sneak up on you, but without a little breathing room it can’t get in. So create some breathing room. Take your child to the park and watch her laugh as she feeds the ducks. Share a funny story with your best friend. Take an early morning walk and you might see something special like an amazing rainbow or a mama duck feeding her babies. These moments of joy might have been missed if you were rushing to your next appointment or texting on your Blackberry.

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Summer Kick Off

Technically it's not summer yet, but the season has officially begun. How did you feel Memorial Day Weekend? Were you bikini ready? Do you feel that you successfully navigated the weekend BBQ or did you leave feeling like your program was derailed? Did you manage to get in a workout and chose the more healthy food options?

If not, don’t let one weekend throw you off track for good. Re-commit to your workouts and plan your meals for the upcoming week. Strategy trumps willpower! And if you need some direction and a little boost check out my Red Carpet Ready program.

To help you prepare for the next summer BBQ, here are the 5 foods you must avoid and 5 you should choose.

Avoid:
1. Hot Dogs
2. Cheeseburger
3. Chips & Dip
4. Potato Salad
5. Beer

Hot dog with bun: If you actually read the ingredients in a hot dog it would be easier for you to pass. Add the bun (which is devoid of almost all nutritional value) and other fixings and you will realize this is a diet buster.

Cheeseburger: A 4 oz burger with American cheese comes in at a whopping 630 calories and 41 grams of fat. Eliminate the cheese and make sure the patty is from 95% lean, grass-fed beef, and you can put this back on the menu.

Chips & dip: A 1 ounce serving of Lay’s chips, which is about 17 chips, delivers 160 calories and 10 grams of fat. Add 2 tablespoons of Lay’s onion dip, you just added 60 calories and 5 grams of fat and you barely even noticed your snack. Chips are definitely something that is best to not even get started on. We all know how hard it is to just eat one.

Potato salad: The problem here is the mayo. If you can make it without mayo, using mustard instead, then you may enjoy a small portion.

Beer: Okay, technically this not a food, but they don’t call it a beer belly for nothing.


Choose:
1. Grilled Chicken or Fish
2. Veggie Kabobs
3. Watermelon
4. Veggies with hummus
5. Red wine

Grilled Chicken or Fish: Fish in general and salmon in particular are excellent sources of Omega 3’s. Omega 3’s are amazing because they have numerous benefits like protection from heart attack and stroke, and reduction of inflammation, to name a few. Chicken is an excellent source of lean protein, just be sure to remove the skin and read the label of any bottled BBQ sauce you may use. Avoid those with “high fructose corn syrup.” Plain grilled chicken or fish is best.

Veggie Kabobs: It’s really hard to eat too many vegetables. Fill up on these first and you will be able to enjoy your BBQ without sabotaging your diet.

Watermelon: One medium size hunk is only 46 calories and naturally sweet.

Veggies & Hummus: Hummus is a great source of dietary fiber and protein. And like avocado, Hummus contains heart-healthy fat.

Red Wine: Unlike other types of alcohol, red wine contains vital antioxidants which help repair damaged cells. In moderation, drinking red wine can improve heart health and circulation while also preventing cancer. The key word here is “moderation.”

Your best summer body starts now!

With Memorial weekend a mere 6 weeks away, there is not a moment to lose to get bikini ready. It will take a commitment to both exercise and a healthy diet but I promise it’s worth it. Imagine how it will feel to wear your bikini with confidence. If you start now, not only will you look good, but you will be stronger and have more energy. Maybe this will be the summer you learn to surf, mountain bike or train for a triathlon. Let’s get started.

Valerie’s Top 5 Bikini Body Tips:

1. Decide right now you want it. No, I mean really want it, and be willing to do what is necessary. Nobody gets a hot bikini body by accident (especially if you are over 20).

2. You must lift weights. I know you love your Pilates and yoga but strength training will get you the shapely toned body faster. It doesn’t have to bulk you up. My program Red Carpet Ready is especially designed to keep you looking long and lean.

3. Interval train. It is hard to feel confident in your bikini if you have a lot of excess body fat. To burn maximum fat you need to stop reading magazines on the treadmill and jack up the intensity. You don’t need to start out sprinting but you should not feel like carrying on a conversation. If you find this difficult to do on your own, try a spinning class or one of the new treadmill workout classes.

4. Eliminate fast digesting carbs. This one step is going to help the fat melt off. What are fast digesting carbs? Sugar, white flour and most products made with them such as bagles, cookies, pasta, most bread, and candy. Fruit juice is another carb that needs to go. I know it seems healthy but it is loaded with sugar. What to eat? Lean protein such as fish, chicken, and grass fed beef and lots and lots of veggies with the exception of potatoes and corn.

5. Drink water! At least 80-100 oz every day. Feeling bloated: Drink more water. If your body is not getting enough of this valuable resource it will hold on to all it can as a survival mechanism. This results in swollen feet and a puffy body. By drinking more water, your body will realize it is safe to release this excess water.

Here’s a sneak peak from Red Carpet Ready Abs, my new program coming soon to http://www.blogger.com/www.redcarpetready.com. This sample workout is an intermediate to advanced workout. You are going to do each exercise 1 time without resting between exercises. When you complete the circuit you can rest 1 minute. You want to work up to doing the circuit three times.

Red Carpet Ready Abs – Sneak Preview Workout:
Single leg glute bridge --- Do 12 reps, switch legs
Valslide Mountain Climber on Bosu --- Do 15 reps each side, alternating
Valslide 1 arm slide --- Do 10-12 reps each side, alternating
Modified Turkish get up --- Do 10-15 reps X 5 lbs in 1 hand, switch sides

Do Circuit 3 times.

Single leg glute bridge
Lie on your back with your arms at your side. Extend one leg straight out, inline with opposite knee. Begin by squeezing your glute muscles and lifting them up until your body forms one line from your head to your toes. Inhale as you lower your body back to the floor and exhale as you raise your lower body.
**You will feel this in your glutes and hamstrings.

Valslide® Mountain Climber on Bosu (oblique crunch)
With both hands on an upside-down bosu, assume the push up position, body straight, arms under shoulders, and each foot on a Valslide. Draw abs in and activate glutes. Slide your left knee towards your right elbow and back. Then slide your right knee toward your left elbow and back. That is one rep. Repeat for remaining reps.
**You should feel this in your abs and shoulders.



Valslide® Plank with one-arm slide
Get in push-up or plank position with a Valslide® under each hand. Slowly slide your left hand several inches out in front of you, and then bring it back. Then slide your right hand out and back. Alternate back and forth until you have completed all the reps. Don’t let your hips drop.
**You will feel this in your abs.






Modified Turkish Get Up
Lie on your back with a dumbbell in your right hand, your left leg extended and your right knee bent. Crunch up while reaching the dumbbell toward the ceiling and keeping the leg extended. Lower back down. Repeat for remaining reps and then switch sides.
**You will feel this in your abs.

Vogue Editor & the Valslide

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of training Vogue's Features Editor, Sally Singer. I had 2 weeks to give her the experience of how I might get one of my celebrity clients Red Carpet Ready. Sally is such a delight to work with and it was great fun getting to peek behind the curtain of the fashion world.

The April issue of Vogue just came out and I am thrilled with the write up she gave me. Even more exciting is knowing she still uses her Valslides and takes them with her when she travels.

If you would like to experience a program similar to Sally's, you can get my new book "Red Carpet Ready" available on my website http://www.valeriewaters.com/

To learn more about the Valslide go to http://www.valslide.com/