Life and Fitness Coach

'Work it!' with good guy Billy Blanks

Billy Blanks is no longer working out the troops in our old stomping grounds of Sherman Oaks, Calif., unfortunately. He moved on a few years ago.

The workout guru and inventor of the Tae Bo fitness regimen stays plenty busy, promoting his many videos and associated fitness products.

Blanks' classes attract mostly women, which is a shame since they provide fun but tough workouts that'll put anyone to the test. You have to take a class in order to take his classes!

Anyone who's been to a workout session of Billy's will never forget it. He combines boxing, aerobics, martial arts and good-old crunches, sit-ups and push-ups into a sweat-inducing, heart-pounding experience.

Here is a good and relatively easy video from Blanks' collection (2004):

Check out Billy Blanks' videos at Amazon.

Jack LaLanne video: C'mon, get happy!

The holidays bring cheer and fellowship, but as we know many people get the blues this time of year.

Some think back on better times; others simply feel left on the sidelines.

If you're feeling a bit depressed, give some thought to your state of holistic fitness. Exercise and healthful nutrition help keep our spirits on the upside, as our video buddy Jack LaLanne points out in this vintage pep talk.

Jack asks: "What's the good of living ... of making lots of money ... of having fine clothes and driving a fancy automobile if you're miserable all the time?

 "If you don't get enough exercise, it affects your mind -- you're just kind of down in the dumps."

 Enjoy!

A game of Hoops with Wii Fit

The Wii Fit game is pretty much sold out in North America, with copies going for north of $165 from third-party sellers. It was released in April in Europe and in late May in the States.

 Wii Fit uses a balance board that takes into account the user's weight and center of gravity. It's able to guesstimate a BMI and establishes a "fitness age."

 You watch the screen and move along with the onscreen characters, doing exercises such as step aerobics. Workout categories are yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games, with a half dozen or so activities in each area.

 I haven't tried it, but you can see the game in action on YouTube, where plenty of users are posting videos. Mostly, they're of "my girlfriend doing the Hula Hoop" exercise. 

Below is the "amateur" video that's getting all the attention. Apparently the gal and guy are a couple who work at the Wii Fit ad agency, but that doesn't make it any less hypnotic or sexy.

Jack LaLanne says, Get your act together!

Here's another classic video from Jack LaLanne.

You regulars know that the Life and Fitness Coach blog writes a lot about fitness as part of an overall self-improvement strategy -- mind and body, habits and attitudes.

Jack, no mere muscle-head, was decades ahead of us.

Behold:

Let's go to the video: 'Doggy Fitness'

Is there a place for oddball comedy in fitness training? Poodles? You be the judge. Here's the lovely Mariko Takahashi.

The dogs are actually doctors. Confused? Read about this fitness video on Wikipedia.

A few words from fitness king Jack LaLanne

The television fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne told his viewers a half century ago that "this is a nation of tired people." The causes of this widespread fatigue will look familiar -- they're some of the same power-draining villains that most everyone struggles with today.

Jack is still working out and living the healthful lifestyle at age 93. What a walking advertisement for the benefits of taking care of yourself, mentally and physically.

There are a lot of classic LaLanne videos over on YouTube. Enjoy this one!