Fit and Female

Welcome To The Fit Female Blog!

My name is Geralyn Coopersmith.  I'm the author of Fit + Female, an exercise physiologist and a certified personal trainer. 

I'm also the creator of a complete weight loss system, The Best Me Ever.  I've been helping women get in the best shape of their lives for the past seventeen years.  So I know what works -- and what doesn't.

One thing that I've learned is that most women (most people in general, for that matter) have the same issues that prevent them from getting fit.

• They are fed up with workout programs that are boring -- or painful
• They don't have any (or enough) time to exercise
• They find it difficult (if not impossible) to get to the gym on a regular basis
• They aren't motivated to workout at home
• They can't find a "diet" that really works in the real world -- with real food!

This blog, and The Best Me Ever are all about breaking down all the barriers that keep us from getting in shape and staying that way.  Ultimately, it boils down to three critical factors.  You have to change:

• The Way You Think - This can mean everything from having realistic expectations about what YOUR body is supposed to look like at its most fit -- to making your fitness a daily priority.
• The Way You Move - You need to exercise almost every day.  But you don't need to beat yourself up.  The secret is balanced, time-efficient exercises that give you some muscle toning, some fat-burning cardio and some flexibility.
• The Way You Eat - Healthy food, is for the most part, non-fattening food.  You can eat a heck of a lot of fruits, veggies and lean proteins without gaining weight.  Sure portion control definitely plays a role, but learning to focus on nutrient-rich, high fiber foods makes daily weight loss very easy!

If you continue to read this blog you'll see that these are on-going themes that I like to address. 

With The Best Me Ever, I've developed a step-by-step system that teaches you how to workout to get the best gains in the shortest period of time, what to eat to lose weight and keep it off and how to think about the importance of fitness in your life.  The beauty of it is the simplicity...if you follow this system, it works -- plain and simple.  In fact, I'm so proud of it -- and so convinced that it will work for anyone, that I back it up with a 90-day full money-back guarantee!!

I was recently interviewed by celebrated fitness podcast host, Anthony Renna of The Better Golf With Fitness Podcast and The Strength Coach Podcast.  Anthony asked me about some of my training philosophies, female fitness myths and misconceptions and the reasons that I developed The Best Me Ever.  Click on the player below to listen.

Fat Loss Secrets

If you are trying to lose weight and having some challenges you are probably missing at least one of the three secrets to fat loss.  Despite what many people believe, no one thing alone will help you burn body fat and keep it off.  Body fat comes off as the result of the interplay of three primary things:

1. Eating only as many calories as your body needs, so that you do not end up storing excess calories as body fat.   Evolution has made us masters at storing up the extra food that we ingest beyond what we need so that we won't starve to death.  Great for the survival of the species...not so great for bathing suit season ;-).
2. Engaging in regular "metabolic training" (3-5 times per week).  Metabolic training is the Y2K term for what we use to refer to as "cardio".  The difference is that there is now a lot more evidence to suggest that it is important to also include interval training in your program to  challenge not only the "aerobic system" but also the "anaerobic systems" (active when you are working out at a pace you can't maintain for very long).  When you interval train you alternate between easier "active rest" periods and harder "work" intervals.  This trains the entire spectrum of your energy systems so you become more fit -- it also helps you burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time.

3. Doing regular resistance training (2-3 times per week) so that you can increase (and maintain) lean body tissue.  Lifting "light weights" won't do it.  If they are "light" for you, your body won't have to get stronger to move the weight.   People with good muscle tone have a reduce appearance (and presence for that matter) of cellulite, their bodies look more toned and it is easier for them to maintain their weight because muscle tissue is more metabolically active.

 For more please check out this short video blog (vlog):

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

The Holiday Survival Guide To Avoiding Weight Gain

If you're like most of us you pack on a few LBS over the holiday.  

 All those holiday goodies, all those parties, blustery cold that makes you want to hang by the fireplace -- all of it add up to weight gain. 

According to The National Institutes of Health most people do gain weight during the season.  The good news is it's not that much...about a pound on average.  The bad news is that most of us don't take it off so we ring in the New Year heavier than the year before....year after year.  

The good news is that there is a lot that you can do to stay in control and not put on extra weight.  Check out these tried and true tips to help you sail through the season while staying slim.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Essential Exercises: The Squat

I personally believe that the squat is such a great exercise and so adaptable to every fitness level that is should be an essential exercise in virtually everyone's fitness program. 

Done properly squats can improve muscular strength, endurance and hip and ankle mobility. From the body weight squat with a towel to the front squat with heavy weight, to single leg squats...there's a squat variation for virtually every fitness level and every goal.  

Check out this vlog for some ideas on how virtually everyone can learn to squat.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Essential Exercises: The Push-Up

You just can't beat the basic push-up for a great upper body exercise (chest, shoulders, triceps) that also challenges your core.  No equipment needed.  Just your own body weight, so you can do them just about anywhere.  Best of all, there are almost endless ways to continue to progress the push-up and make it more challenging as you become more fit. 

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Not By Crunches Alone: Alternate Training For Your Abs

Core training is all the rage these days.  But core training has undergone some fundamental changes in the last few years.  Now more and more experts are recommending that you focus on stabilizing the core when you work the abs and lower back, rather than doing moves such as crunches or sit-ups.  The reason is that the primary job of these muscles is to help keep the lumbar spine in position so that the spine remains intact and pain-free.  These two essential exercises that can be done as part of your core training -- or even at the beginning of a workout to help wake up the abs and lower back muscles.  Check them out and consider adding them to your program.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Essential Exercises: Gotta Love The Lunge

I love the lunge.  It's a simple exercise to learn, a difficult exercise to master.  It tones the entire leg and requires only your body weight -- and maybe some dumbbells.  Do them right and you'll start to see results in just a few weeks. 

Please check out my video blog with tips for adding this essential exercise to your program.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Fast and Effective: Five Minute Total Body Workout II

If you have five minutes -- you have time to do a full body workout. 

Yep, it's true.  Just a simple push, pull and squat...and you've targeted most of the muscles in the body.  Best of all you don't need to travel to a gym or buy any fancy equipment.  This workout uses your own body weight and a stationary bar, the kind you're likely to find at your local playground.  

Remember working out doesn't have to be a 2 hour affair, something is always better than nothing.  So give this rapid-fire routine a try the next time you're short on time.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Essential Exercises: Stand Up Straight!!

It's a fact -- most people have terrible posture.  Very few people have enough strength, flexibility and body awareness to stand tall most of the time.   That's a shame, because poor posture not only looks bad -- it also sets us up for injuries by causing misalignments with the joints that contribute to pain and dysfunction.

Here are two simple exercise you can do to help improve your posture, particularly if you have a rounded upper back/forward head posture.  These essential moves only take a few minutes and help strengthen the midback and stretch the front of the chest and the rotator cuff.  Do them as part of your exercise program, as a warm-up before -- or just for a few minutes during the day.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Stress Less - A Meditation Guide For The Rest Of Us

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If you're like most folks you're probably stressing a bit more these days than usual.  And for some of us that's really saying something! 

 

Meditation is a proven way to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and bring more sanity to your everyday.  Fortunately, meditation isn't difficult to learn (maybe to "master", but not to learn).  Best of all "a little dab will do ya".  You don't need to spend hours meditating, even 5 minutes a day can really help improve your sense of peace and well being.  Check out this short video I created to find out how to add mediation to your stress management program.

 

 

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Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Essential Exercises: Moves For Better Mobility

Mobility is the ability to move your joints through their entire range of motion.  Babies are born with tons of mobility and have to learn to become more stable to move around.  But adults lose mobility unless they work on it on a regular basis.  Lack of mobility is responsible for: pain, injuries, reduced athletic performance and poorer joint (and soft tissue) health. 

That's why it's important to do little things on a regular basis to work on opening up these areas.  Before a workout is an ideal time, but some of these things are so simple (like the three below) that you can do them just about anywhere. 

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains, NY

Exercise Essentials: Basic Lower Body Stretches

We all know we should stretch, it's good for us...blah, blah, blah...but most of us don't do as much of it as we know we should.  I'm as guilty of it as the next person. Sometimes when I'm racing to get my workout done, I'll skip the stretching to save time only to wake up the next day feeling tight at a drum.  Invariably I regret that I didn't take those five extra minutes to do something.

Stretching is so important because it:

• Improves your ability to move

• Improves your posture

• Improves circulation speeding recovery after exercise

• Relieves stress

• Can help improve or prevent injuries
  

 Best of all it doesn't have to take a lot of time.  You don't need to stretch all 656 muscles in the body every single time.  Just a few minutes spent on the areas where you tend to be the tightest will pay HUGE dividends.  Check out this video I did on some of the key lower body stretches that most of us should be doing on a regular basis.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains

Your Vote is Your Voice!!!

Folks, the deadline for voter registration is rapidly approaching!!!!  Speak now or forever hold your peace!!  Not inspired?  Check out this celebrity video -- then take action.  The future is in your hands!!!

Essential Exercises: Got Knots? SMR with Foam Rollers

Would you like to get a massage every week?  Who wouldn't?  How about every single day? 

Well, with self-myofascial release (SMR) techniques using foam rollers you don't need to marry a massage therapist.  You can have a daily "poor man's massage" using foam rollers.  Just a few minutes before or after your workout (or on off days) using these inexpensive foam rollers -- will help break down adhesions and trigger points in the muscles. 

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains

Essential Exercises: Mountain Climbers

For many years, abdominal exercise meant things like crunches and sit-ups -- movements that challenged the core by bending the trunk.  However, today's abdominal exercises are increasingly about holding your core stable against the movement of your limbs.  Many experts believe that this type of core training is more effective because it replicates the way that abdominals REALLY function in sports and the activities of daily life.

Two of my favorite fun and effective core exercises are The Mountain Climber and The Reverse Mountain Climber.  The idea is to move your legs while holding your upper body and core very still.  Safe, effective and they don't take a lot of time.   

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains

Essential Exercises: Ys, Ts, Ws

In the 80s and 90s exercise was mostly about appearance...flat abs, big biceps, toned thighs.  But today we know that exercise can not only improve the way that you look, but also the way that you feel.  Best of all the two are not mutually exclusive... you can feel better and look better at the same time.

The fact is that all of us have areas that are weaker, more imbalanced or genetically predisposed to injury.  By doing certain simple things a few times a week you can often "pre-hab" an injury before it even becomes an issue.

That's why I'm including a series on what I consider to be "essential exercises".  These simple exercises address some of the most common problems that often result in pain, dysfunction or sidelining injury.

Today I've posted a video blog on a great exercise to improve shoulder function (by strengthening the shoulder girdle that helps give the shoulder strength, stability and proper alignment).  These deceptively simple looking exercise really pack a punch...so much so that most people shouldn't do them with any weight.  The idea is to focus on doing them with proper form and technique.  Just a few minutes of these exercises (ideally before or even after your workout) and you'll move better, feel better -- and look better!

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Special thanks to Five Iron Fitness in White Plains