A motto can be effective for anyone trying to get in shape.

Angela Staab uses one you’ve heard of before or seen on T-shirts.

But she also has come up with her bit of advice and encouragement:

“You can’t be a slug.”

Now almost 80, she has used it to motivate her through life as a “senior athlete,” working out with a trainer regularly, enjoying time with family, and improving her quality of life.

It’s GREAT advice for anyone at any age, regardless of your current physical condition.

Here’s the story of how she came to it.

No Time to Exercise, She Thought

At age 55, Angela was a busy healthcare executive with a family who didn’t have time to exercise.

At least, that’s what she thought until one 5K race changed everything for her.

Angela had a goal of finishing in 45 minutes so her team would get the points for her run. But with just two weeks to train, she didn’t know if she could do it.

With her daughter’s encouragement, she won her age division, finishing in 36 minutes.

That was 24 years ago.

She hasn’t stopped exercising since.

Now, Angela is proof that you don’t have to be in shape to start exercising – and that you can start later in life and still gain all the benefits of regular physical activity.

“My running gave me peace of mind, so I kept doing it,” she says.

Angela has been recognized as a national champion by USA Track & Field 14 times in an array of running and throwing events from the middle distance to discuss, to hammer, to shot put, to the javelin, and super weight.

She will go to Pittsburgh, where she was born and raised, for the 2023 National Senior Games and compete in at least nine events. She will be 80. She has competed in previous national and international senior track meets.

How She Keeps Going

She was advised to start using a personal trainer when training verged on becoming too much. So, she does this to prevent injury and maximize her time and effort.

She does a range of exercises twice a week, including weightlifting, bicycling, and using the elliptical machine. On other days, she also runs and cross-trains with pickleball and swimming.

She has arthritis and had a hip replaced four years ago, but she has no plans to slow down.

Her motto is, It’s not how old you are but how you are old.

You’ve seen that one before.

But she stumbled upon a new way to put it, about advice she has for other people over 50 and enjoying a high quality of life.

“You can’t be a slug,” Angela explains. “If you are a slug, you’re not going to make it.”

>We love Angela’s inspiring story and attitude. See us; we’ll also help you on your fitness journey. Click the link to learn more about our 21-Day Strength and Longevity Program and start aging actively today. 

The holidays are upon us! It’s that time of year again when people tend to have the least amount of energy, overeat and gain the most body fat.

Who is your support group to help you remove as many excuses as possible toward getting through the holiday healthily? We all need support, motivation and most of all, workouts that are effective and only 30min long!

At 57, Carla Villarreal is committed to her fitness and loves working out in a small group of like-minded peers.

“It’s so easy to talk yourself out of working out but it’s not easy to talk yourself out of working out thirty minutes.” – Carla V.
Carla has a lot of energy, always positive, and has grown to love the people who exercise with her. The results she has gained since having found her exercise groove have been HUGE to her confidence as well.

“I’ve noticed a lot of firming up, my energy level is higher, and I’m not running short of breath.”
The truth is, you can get great results in just 30 min and have fun while doing it. We know that during the holidays it’s challenging to stay active and that getting in, getting it done is essential to you so that you can quickly go on about your day. It’s that simple!

Hear Carla’s full testimonial here –
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The majority of the people like to wait until the start of the New Year to get started on a fitness program.  You should start now, and you know this is true.

Didn’t you wait until after the holidays last year and now it’s already November? Just saying what you don’t want to hear because it’s the truth for many.

Ask your most fit friend their opinion of when you should get started, and they will say, “The day you start!” You don’t have to take it from us, many of you reading this don’t live in our area anyway.

Take it from Carla, a real-life person looking to move better, feel better and have more not less energy for the holidays.

“It can help you physically, mentally, and I encourage all my friends and family to just at least give it a try because it will help you.”

If you decide you might be interested in visiting with a functional aging specialist near you, then follow this link for more information. 

With holiday parties and gatherings quickly approaching, most of us are now thinking about looking our best while dressed in our finest. Too bad that losing body fat is a slow and steady process, rather than an instantaneous fix.

However…I do have an extremely effective 2-step method for losing belly fat faster than ever, and I’d like to share it with you today so that you can utilize it to look and feel your best this holiday season.

Look Your Best for the Holidays.

This deadly, fat-incinerating method fights fat simultaneously on two separate fronts for maximum effectiveness: your sugar intake and your high intensity workouts.

First:

This step requires zero extra effort on your part! In fact all you have to do is NOT do something that you’re currently doing! You stop consuming refined sugar, in all its forms. This means no sodas, no desserts, no packaged snacks, no candy, no mocha lattes, NO SUGAR AT ALL!

When you stop to evaluate your diet, it may be shocking to find out how much refined sugar has crept in. Nothing will contribute to fat gains as swiftly as consuming sugar, so it makes sense that cutting sugar out is the top must-do for shedding those unwanted pounds.

It’s not necessary, or beneficial, to starve yourself during this time of rapid fat loss – you should fill in your diet with lean meats, vegetables, nuts and seeds as you cut out the refined sugar. Keep your metabolism high by fueling up on high protein, high fiber, low carb, and zero sugar foods whenever hunger strikes.

Second:

Here’s the step that requires some effort, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. You crank up the intensity of your workouts to a whole new level.

Most people take exercise on with the slow and steady mentality – moving, pushing and pulling as little as possible while still “getting the job done”. I’ve got some news for you…if you still have belly fat to lose; the job is not getting done.

If you can comfortably hold a conversation, hardly break a sweat, or feel the same when it’s over as you did when it began, then you’re simply not pushing yourself hard enough while you exercise.

Increasing the intensity of your workouts requires focused intent. You must into the session with the goal of pushing your body (in the ways that it can be pushed) to the limit. Remember, it’s a contained time frame that will be over shortly; so bear down and deal with the muscle discomfort. With practice you will learn to embrace the muscle burn.

The safest and most effective way to crank up the intensity and effectiveness of your exercise time is to work with a qualified fitness professional, or (if you’re over 50) a functional aging specialist, such as myself. I would love to hear from you!

3 Week Extras –

Perform 100 rope jumps during 2 minutes of your usual “rest” time.  Add a penalty of 3 rope jumps for each rope jump shorted (if any) – AFTER the workout. IOW (In Other Words), if you only get 50 of the prescribed 100, you are to add 150 rope jumps after the workout.

General Thoughts for November:

We’ve only a few weeks until the holiday season tries to take over our life. From this moment until about the week of Thanksgiving you’ll have a chance to off-set some of your “cheat” eating. But you MUST focus.

We challenge you to give some deliberate effort to your nutrition and exercise for the next 3 weeks. We’ll help you! Starts to focus today!

TODAY, we challenge you to:

1. Clean up your worst meal. If you “cheat” eat at dinner – STOP cheating! Stop it NOW! Choose a “healthy meal” that you know will serve you. Here are some ideas on meals (from breakfast to dinner selections). Plan your meals ahead. If you blow it and don’t eat the “healthy meal” you intended to eat, make a rule right now that you can only eat a single protein bar or shake for that meal NEXT time. That’s it, NOTHING else!  Drink all the water you need.

2. Do the 3 week extras. For the next 3 weeks we’ll post some extras on our Facebook site for you to do. These will be aimed toward increasing your over-all fitness.

3. POST your comments! Let’s try this. We are more successful with community support. Community cannot happen without communication. If you accept our challenges, please indicate that you are out there daily. Just add a little comment of accountability, or of encouragement, or of whatever you feel would add to the collective community in positive ways.

We’ll see you at the studio and/or in the comments!

Don’t Make Excuses

Don’t use the holidays as an excuse to overeat. Choose to be full, not stuffed. Listen to your body, and stop eating and drinking when you’ve had enough.

Check out this Healthy Muffin Recipe!

Delightful Dark Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350, then mix:
•    2 eggs (I used equivalent in egg substitute)
•    1 c. Mootopia skim milk
•    1 c. shredded zucchini (peeled before shredding)
•    1 tsp. vanilla
•    3 tbsp. agave syrup
Whisk well then add:
•    1/2 c.  Quinoa (uncooked, dry; preferably red)
•    1 tsp. baking soda
•    1/2 c. gluten free pancake mix
•    1 tsp cocoa powder
•    1 1/2 scoop Chocolate PROPOWER, Pro Whey Protein Powder

Blend more till smooth.  If desired, add 1/2-3/4 c. dark chocolate chips or chunks.

Note: Your batter will be very wet.  Pour the batter into muffin tins; bake ’till they spring when you touch them, about 15-20 minutes.  Let them rest on a counter for 10-15 minutes to cool. The quinoa becomes nutty and delicious within the muffins.  These are best served cooled.

Makes 1 Dozen.
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 muffin)
Calories: 86
Protein: 4 gms
Carbohydrates: 13 gms
Fat: 2 gms

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