Readers’ Random Fitness FAQ’s

January 8, 2010

Ask Penny’s Workout World

Since this is the first blog post of 2010 (and of the decade!)  I’ve decided to answer some of the most-interesting/most-asked Qs!

So here they are, in no particular order…

1. Dr Oz recently reported on a study suggesting that there is no genetic basis for the G-spot and that environmental or psychological factors may contribute to whether a woman believes that she has a G-spot. As a fitness expert and a woman, what are your thoughts?

I could have told Dr. Oz 20 years ago. There’s no G-Spot.

2. Do you get paid anything for sending out your weekly emails?

Noooo. I absolutely do not accept money (or favors, or free snacks…) in exchange for editorial coverage. So anything you see in my emails — whether it’s a link or editorial content — is PWW-approved. 100%.

3. Do you work out like all the time for hours and hours at a stretch?

Kind of. If you consider 45 minutes of cardio and and an hour of yoga 5 days a week  “all the time”. It does help that I get paid to do it and don’t have the option of agonizing whether I want to or not. My peeps are waiting. Thank God. Although I always take two days off (although on one of them I write this newsletter so you have an idea of what I consider a pasttime) and I’ve been known to take a quick nap before the kids get home from school if I am tired.

4. How do you do all those yoga poses with two artificial hips?

I am lucky to be both flexible and fairly strong. At one point, six years ago I could do some very advanced poses but I do believe that some of the crazy poses (like my feet behind the head) contributed to the breakdown of the cartilage in my hips which were already too shallow (dysplasia). Many ballerinas in today’s ballet world have experienced the same type of deterioration in their hips (as well as Prince, Jane Fonda and Bebe Neuwirth). What made them good ballerinas/dancers also contributed to later hip problems. We are lucky to have a wonderful way to fix the problem. That’s why I NOW always go at the speed of my body and never go beyond what feels like my bodily limit. Plus in the photos it usually took me about 20 minutes to get into the final pose!

5. Do you really believe all the hype about how the foam roller alleviates muscle aches, eliminates tightness and can even get rid of cellulite?

Not only do I believe it, I live it! I roll on my roller almost every day and feel noticeably better every time. I think this kind of muscular release will enable me to keep living my active life long into my 90′s. But it won’t “get rid of” cellulite. It WILL reduce the appearance of cellulite though, which will make you look better. It’s a nice bonus to feeling better.

6. What do you say to New Year’s Resolutionists who show up at the gym this week?

Good for you- You’re HERE! The first few workouts are miserable. Don’t listen to your head, which remembers how fit you used to be. Just DO IT. Even when you don’t FEEL like working out, go get your sneakers on, get your ipod and GO. Everyone must start somewhere.

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Limiting Beliefs & Self Sabotage

January 8, 2010

I wonder if Tiger Woods lies in bed at night and marvels to himself at some of his own headline-making conduct. Who knows? Maybe he is as baffled as us. I’d wager that he might even be MORE  baffled at his acting out than we are.
After all, people will do crazy things to get their needs met.
Especially if these needs are subconscious. Dr. Phil, one of my non-fitness idols, summed it up by saying that every repetitive behavior has SOME payoff.
Otherwise,  we wouldn’t keep doing it.
If your fitness level never improves and you feel like you’re stuck at the same weight, maybe you are self-sabotaging even the  best workout regime by late night snacking, for example.
Many of the regulars (that I love) at my gym remain (usually) 8 to 20 pounds heavier than they’d like, in spite of the fact that they exercise every day.  I’d guess that it is some type of self-sabotaging behavior (like waiting until you are TOO hungry to eat or late night UNPLANNED eating) that is keeping them from getting to their goal weight.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever gone to the gym, worked out for an hour, then drove around running errands and crossing things off your list, (because you are busybusybusy) then when you finally get home, four hours and 600 calories later, you are starving so you undo all your hard work at the gym by eating more than you planned. Rather, if you bring a banana or a protein drink with you in the car and have it as soon as you leave the gym, you will not have to deal with the (20 pound) weight that will be, just like Tiger, the result of unmet needs.
This is technically called a conflict between your conscious desires and your subconscious beliefs. This kind of conflict shows up in relationships (in Mr. Wood’s case), self-esteem, spirituality, but especially, in health and body issues including weight loss.
If you are facing challenges in any of these areas, check out this kooky, ingenious technique called PSYCH-K , which can can help you to rewrite the software of your mind in order to change the printout of your life! To find out more, click on
this link
It could help you find out where you may be self-sabotaging your goals in fitness and in life.

Posted by Penny | Filed Under Blog | 1 Comment