This lower body exercise can be done anywhere that you can find a wall to lean against!  However, I love this move for hotels because it takes so little space and just a few seconds to engage the leg and butt muscles.  This is also another exercise that can work for people that have weak knees because it really forces your weight into the heels. Remember that you can gradually work your way lower and lower until you are in a full seated-chair position.  Breaks are also OK so don’t be intimidated – take a deep breath, you can do this!

If you’re feeling strong, start challenging your balance by lifting one leg at a time!

<< Watch Hotel Workout: Lower Body exercise video now! >>

Trainer Tips:

• Keep shoulders back
• Don’t let knees come over toes
• Don’t let your butt dip lower than your knees
• Squeeze stomach
• Don’t hold yourself up with your arms!

Fit Links:
Travel Fitness – ACEfitness.org
Travel Fitness – CNN
Top 5 Travel Fitness Tips – Associated Content

Amy Mac Discount Codes
Zazzle Discount Code: FitnessShow1 – Save 10% off a $50 order!

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Be fit to fight with these exercises:

Exercise 1- Pushups for upper body strength.

Exercise 2- Jump Squat for lower body strength.

Exercise 3- Baseline Gallop for speed and agility.

Exercise 4- Cardio for endurance.

<< Fitness Survival Guide Video – Watch Now! >>

Fit Links:

The Discovery Channel’s The Colony social experiment
How to make a survival kit – WAM
Discovery and Facebook show how a pandemic could affect you – Mashable

Get the biggest discount at Dollar using the Dollar promo code for the biggest discounts.

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Fit Links:
Mark Bittman Salad Dressing Recipes – Today Show NBC
When did salads become unhealthy? – WithAmyMac
Spectacular Salad Recipes – WithAmyMac

<< Watch Tips to Healthy Salads video >>

Discount Codes
MooseJaw Promo Code: FIT to save 15% off and FREE shipping on your $49+ purchase!
Nutrisystem Coupons

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Everyone wants to have a travel workout plan.  It can be so difficult to achieve ‘travel fitness’. You’re in a hotel with no equipment, what kind of exercises can you do?  I’ve made a full 12 exercise Hotel Workout series that will be available in Amy Mac’s Fit System this summer.

This ab exercise is going to tone your tummy as your whole body works to balance, strengthen and work your belly! In & Outs can be done on the floor, ottoman, bed or any other flat surface.  This means that you don’t need any equipment and your hotel room is the perfect place to do this travel ab exercise! Traveling doesn’t mean you have to let your health suffer, just a few minutes can make a difference so always remember that something is better than nothing!

<< Watch Amy Mac’s In & Out Ab Exercise video now! >>

Trainer Tips:

• Squeeze butt and stomach for balance!
• Only lean back as far as you can, while keeping control over the move!
• Keep your shoulders back and upper body straight!
• Breathe!

Fit Links:
Travel Fitness – ACEfitness.org
Travel Fitness – CNN
Top 5 Travel Fitness Tips – Associated Content

Amy Mac Discount Codes

eHarmony Discount Code – EHFIT – Buy 3 months, get the 4th FREE!

…more info on eHarmony discount code.

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Walking is good exercise. Exercise burns calories. Therefore, walking burns calories and we all know that burning calories is how we lose weight! Burning calories walking is so easy.  So why don’t we all do more of it? In this Fit Life, Amy Mac walks your through how many extra steps you would need to add to your day in order to shed some pounds.  Tips like getting a pedometer, walking the stairs (up & down!) and actively trying to move more are just some of the insight in this quick health and fitness tip video!

<<Watch Walking Burns Calories Video Now! >>

Fit Links:

Shape Up America – ShapeUp.org
10,000 Steps a Day – TheWalkingSite.com
Based on Fitness Attack with Amy Mac Book Tip #3

Math: 2000 steps = mile 3500 cals= lb
@20 min mile = 10 min 1/2 mile. ~ 100 (+EPOC) cals/ 10 min. 100×31 days = 3100+ cals
4000 steps = 40 min = 400 cals/ day x 9 days =3600+ cals.

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Everyone wants to have a travel workout plan.  It can be so difficult to achieve ‘travel fitness’. You’re in a hotel with no equipment, what kind of exercises can you do?  I’ve made a full 12 exercise Hotel Workout series that will be available in Amy Mac’s Fit System this summer. This is one of the upper body exercises that is part of those exercise videos.  This is great for your posture, will help you relieve stress, build muscle strength and burn a few calories before you head to that big business meeting! There are NO weights required! Everything you need,  you will find in a hotel room or anywhere else you might stay.

This is the upright row that works your arms, shoulders, back and even your abs!

<< Watch Upright Row Exercise Video Now! >>

Trainer Tips:

• Keep shoulders back
• Don’t let elbows rise above shoulders
• Squeeze stomach
• Breathe!

Fit Links:
Travel Workout – About.com
Travel Fitness – TravelFitness.com
Amy Mac’s Fit System

Discount running shoes: Eastbay Discount Code: AFLIFE20 to save 20% off of orders $75+

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It seems that restaurants cook everything with butter and too much oil. Not to mention all the creamy sauces, cheese and other high-calorie foods that are mixed into even the healthiest dish.  Oh, and then the bread that they put right in front of you when you are sooo hungry.  That darn dessert cart always looks so scrumptious too!  Put 1 or all of these situations in front of anyone and they are bound to crack! Well, fear no more, I’ve got 3 tips to help you conquer these ridiculous restaurant sabotages!

<< Watch Video: Dieting and Dining Out! >>

Fit Links:
How to eat out without getting fat – Health.com
Tips for eating out – American Heart Association

WithAmyMac.com

Work your core without doing a crunch! Research shows that abdominal exercises done on the stability ball activate twice as many core muscles as classic belly busters like the crunch and the sit-up. All you need is a stability ball to work your abs, back, butt, arms and balance! Grab a balance ball and roll out onto it, making sure to keep your balance.  Hold the pushup position for 30 seconds and don’t forget to breathe!

Trainer Tips:

Beginners - Only roll out as far as you can without losing your balance, it’s ok to back up!  You want to be challenged but don’t want to come crashing down!

Advanced – Roll all the way out to your tiptoes and then do pushups!  Talk about a kickbutt workout move!

<< Stability Ball Exercise Move: Targets Full Body and Core ! Video >>

Step by Step Slide Show of Stability Ball Balance and Pushup

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Common knowledge tells you that pesticides and chemicals in your food is bad news.  But you wonder what all the hype is really about when it comes to organic foods.  In this Fit Life, I give you all the info you need to decide:

1) If you need organic foods
2) Best organic foods to buy
3) Overall benefits of organic foods

<< Watch “Organic Food Benefits” Video Now! >>

Still have questions?  Check out the Fit Links below to find out more about organic foods.

Fit Links:
Cost of Organic Food, Worth It?
Benefits of Organic Foods – WeightLossandTraining.com
Organic Food: Behind the hype – Forbes.com

Discount Codes

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Get ready for spring break, summer vacation or just for the warm weather with this ab workout exercise! Using a swiss ball/ balance ball/ stability ball for this ab exercise helps you to obtain a bigger range of motion and also helps to support your back. Quality is more important than quantity on this exercise.

You want to make sure your core is engaged, you are looking and crunching toward the ceiling and make sure to never strain the neck. Breathe throughout this exercise and never pull your head upward.  Keeping your back centered on the ball helps to engage your ab muscles instead of your hip flexors.  In the beginning, you might really struggle with keeping your balance both getting into position and staying laid back on the ball.  If you are unstable, hold onto a partner or just practice balancing before actually crunching.  Keep the crunch slow and controlled and double check that you are feeling the stomach muscles working.  Never get the shoulders too far over the ball, because this will lead to too much spinal movement and can cause injury. If you have mastered this exercise, make it more difficult by holding a dumbbell over your head (not directly over it, obviously) while you crunch. You can also work on lifting 1 leg and balancing as you crunch- (prepare to lose your balance!).

<< Learn how to do a stability ball crunch! >>

Fit Links:
Step-by-step ball crunch
Stability Ball Size Chart
Tips to tone your abs

WithAmyMac.com

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<< Watch Video: Should you workout when sick? >>

There are different degrees of being sick.  You can be stuffy, headache, scratchy throat, coughing or runny nose so you might wonder if maybe you should still fit in a workout.  You may have heard that you can sweat out a cold.  You may feel too awful to even think about exercising when sick.  In this Fit Life, I’m going give you a rule that will help you decide if you fitting in that workout is the right thing for you.

Fit Links:
Workout when sick? – WithAmyMac.com
Should I Exercise While Sick – Prevention.com

Discount Codes and Coupons

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<< Watch Now! Stability Ball Wall Squat Video >>

I demand you to tone up your butt and thighs with this stability ball wall squat! Spring is just around the corner, which means shorts, dresses and swimsuits will all be wanting to show off your assets and soon! This squat is a great beginner squat and also works great for those who struggle with knee problems.  By placing the weight in your heels, you take some of the pressure off the shins and knees, allowing you to squat and sculpt your tight end without irritating your knees. Make sure you keep your shoulders back and your stomach squeezed.  If you want to up the difficulty – you can hold dumbbells while you squat!

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Fit Links:

Love Your Lower Body – Prevention

Stability Wall Ball Squats – ACE Fitness

Promo Codes:

Dollar Rental Car Coupon Code

Chemistry.com Discount

<< Fiber Facts Video – Watch Now! >>

The food trend of the moment is fiber!  They are putting it in everything! What does dietary fiber do? How much fiber should you eat?  Fiber high foods? We’ve got a quick overview for you and some links below to fill you in on all the dietary fiber facts!

Chart from National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine

Fit Links:
Dietary Fiber: Essential for a healthy diet- Mayo Clinic
High Fiber Foods – Mayo Clinic
Fiber: Start Roughing It – Harvard

WithAmyMac.com

Discount Codes:

Get some new workout shoes at Eastbay!  Use the Eastbay.com promo code: AFFITL15 and save 15% off your order!

Get all your pet supplies at Petco!  Use the Petco coupon code: FIT and save 10% off any order and get FREE SHIPPING on orders over $65.

<< Watch Video: Flu Fighting Foods! >>

Everyone around you is coughing, sneezing and blowing their noses, so how do you stay healthy?  Getting rid of germs is one thing but boosting your immunity with foods is an extra line of defense in staying healthy.  This episode gives you some of those flu-fighting foods that are full of antioxidants, vitamin C and zinc.

Read about those other flu fighters!

Fit Links:
10 Best Cold and Flu Fighters – MarthaStewart.com
Feel-Good Foods: 10 Cold and Flu Fighters

Discount Codes:
Nutrisystem Coupon – Save $25 off your 1st 28- day auto delivery order.
Petco Discount Code – Save 10% off and FREE SHIPPING on orders over $55.

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<< Play Fitness Video: Lunge with a Twist >>

This is the last video in the Lunge Series.  This one not only works your lower body but also focuses on strengthening the core and improving your balance.  Really remember that the lunging action comes from the back leg, not the front.  You also want to keep your chest tall, shoulders back and of course, breathe! Be careful when twisting, you want a challenge but don’t want to lose your balance and come crashing down!

<< Health and fitness tips and exercise videos: WithAmyMac.com! >>

Discount Codes:

Nutrisystem Coupon: Save 25% off your 1st 28-day auto delivery order by going to Nutrisystem.com/FLTV

Thrifty Rental Car Discount: Save 10% off your rental with the promo code: FIT10

Video: How to do Walking Lunges!

If you are doing the same lunges week after week, then fret no more. Changing up your workout is great for your muscles as well as keeping you from getting bored. Last week, I showed the basic standing lunge but if you are ready for the next level, try this walking lunge. It is still great for your butt and thighs but also challenges your core and balance! For added intensity, hold dumbbells or a medicine ball. Next week, walking lunges with a twist!

WithAmyMac.com fitness exercise videos

Fit Links:
Exercise.About.com – Lunges
Lunge Videos at Fitness Magazine

Discount Codes in this episode:
Godaddy.com – Fitness8 to save 10% off your order.
eHarmony – EHFIT to get the 4th month free when you buy 3!

Thanks to Mevio for hosting!

<< Click here to play! >>

This is the first exercise of 3 in this lunge series. Lunges are a great way to sculpt your butt and thighs. You don’t need any equipment (unless you want to add a weight) and you can easily do it your hallway at home! No excuses! Get that booty in shape!

WithAmyMac.com for other healthy and fitness tips and videos!

Fit Links:
Strengthen Legs Without Knee Pain – HealthLine.com
Stroller Standing Lunge – ParentsConnect.com

Discount Codes

<< Easy Full Body Warm Up Fitness Video! >>

In this Fit Life, I have 3 easy full body exercises that will get your muscles warmed up and your heart pumping so you can get the maximum benefit out of your workout.  Warming up is also a big part of injury prevention so make sure you take the time before and after you workout to stretch and properly take care of those muscles.  These exercises can be done with a dumbbell or medicine ball.  Start off with light weight and then you can up the intensity as you advance.  Yes, this will work your muscles but I favor it as a workout warm up.

Fit Links:

How to Warm Up Before Exercise – About.com
Reference Guide to Warming Up – Sparkpeople.com

Discount Codes:
CCS coupon code: AFLifeFS and you’ll get FREE Shipping on your $30+ purchase!
Petco Coupon Code: Fit – Save 10% off and FREE shipping on orders over $65.
LifeLock promo code: Fit10 – Save 10% off your membership and get a FREE month trial
Match.com Discount – Save 25% off your subscription – go to Match.com/Fit

The Fine Print:
You can find the rest of my shows at Mevio .
Subscribe to Fit Life RSS!

Audio Shows:
Assercize – 1 move a week to a better butt! RSS
Fitness Attack – Over 500 health, fitness, workout tips in a fun, short format show! RSS

Best Option! (so you don’t miss anything!)
Full WithAmyMac package including easy recipes, exercises and workouts, sponsor discounts and more!

<< Healthy Happy Vacation Video! >>

Last week I was on a cruise and there was food and drink everywhere!  I was on vacation and let myself enjoy both the food on the ship as well as in the ports, but didn’t want to have major damage to repair when I returned.  I made sure to do lots of swimming in Mexico, walking on the ship and in all the ports, snuba in Grand Cayman and even some hiking in Belize.  It turns out, I didn’t gain a single pound the entire week and trust me, there was lots of Warm Chocolate Melting Cake that had to be burned off!

**Keep yourself moving on vacation by scheduling adventures that force you to burn calories!**

Fit Links:
Avoid Vacation Weight Gain: 5 Simple Rules – Medicinenet.com
5 Ways to Avoid Weight Gain on Vacation – RoadandTravel.com

Affiliate Codes:

Need some help dropping weight before or after your vacation?  Look into Nutrisystem and save money with our Nutrisystem coupon link!

By the way, I edited this myself, so don’t hold The Nik responsible for its video and editing integrity! ;)

<< Watch Resistance Band Workout Fitness Video- Lunges Now! >>

This is the 6th exercise in this Resistance Band Workout Series.  How many of us have been doing lunges for years and are just so bored with them?  Yes, these are still lunges but adding the workout band helps to spice it up!  You can tone your entire body with these bands and you can never outgrow them because they come in so many levels.  Throw these in your suitcase, keep them by the TV for a quick set or grab them at the gym for something different to do!

Other Fit Life Resistance Band Exercises:

Resistance Band Bicep Curls
Resistance Band Basic Squats
Resistance Band Tricep Extensions
Resistance Band Squat Walks
Resistance Band Lateral Raises

Fit Links:

Resistance Band Exercises – Sport-Fitness-Advisor.com

Discount Codes & Online Coupons:
Dollar Rental Car Coupon Code: Fit10 – Save 10% off any car rental
GoDaddy coupon code: Fitness8 - Saves 10% off your GoDaddy.com Order

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