Joey Rubino

How Affirmations Can Improve Your Life and Relationships

People use affirmations for different purposes. Some of us use them to program our subconscious mind to believe certain things, in order to attract and create the reality we desire. For example, some of us tell ourselves, “Every day and in every way I am getting better and better,” or, ” I love myself and attract to myself all the blessings and abundance of the universe.”

There is value in affirmations of this nature. Our subconscious mind plays a major role in the actualization of our lives and the manifestation of our desires. What we believe about ourselves at a subconscious level can have a significant impact on the outcome of events.

When we feel good about ourselves and have a positive attitude, our lives tend to run more smoothly, with fewer obstacles, less chaos and drama and greater cooperation and support from others.

When we feel bad about ourselves and have a negative attitude, we tend to resist healthy choices, engage in more risky and impulsive behaviors, behave in a variety of self-sabotaging ways and put up walls between ourselves and others.

Consequently, affirmations, which program our subconscious mind to aid us in manifesting the destiny we desire, can be very helpful. If we pick two or three and repeat each of them 10 times to ourselves (or write them down) prior to going to sleep, it can’t hurt. It can only help.

Affirmations can also be used throughout the day as reminders, in order to keep our consciousness focused on empowering messages so that we don’t derail ourselves from accomplishing our goals.

For example, if we have a problem with anger, we might affirm and remind ourselves throughout the day that we don’t need to take everything so personally, be so reactive or sweat the small stuff.

If we tend to let the external world define our happiness, we might affirm and remind ourselves throughout the day that happiness is a choice and that despite what’s going wrong in our lives, we can choose to be happy.

If we tend to be self-centered, selfish and withholding toward others, the end result being relationships that are unsatisfying and unsustainable, we might affirm and remind ourselves throughout the day to be generous in spirit, to be of service to others and to share our blessings as best we can.

Every day we are bombarded with negative messages of fear, stress and violence. Is it any wonder that we are angry, confused, depressed and demoralized? Is it any wonder that we regress to less enlightened aspects of our nature?

The point is that we don’t have to let this happen. We can neutralize the negativity that’s swirling around us and within us. We can stay empowered and not react as victims. We can keep our mind’s eye focused on right actions and worthy goals.

Consequently, we take a few moments throughout the day to affirm our ideals, to remind ourselves to stay calm and centered and to communicate effectively and compassionately with others, and to remind ourselves that negativity and fear are ideas that we need not let rule us.

When it come to fitness, when you feel your motivation start to suffer from a slump, positive affirmations will get you back on track. I find that affirmations are the fuel to get me going each and every day. I believe in these and begin each day by saying my own. Positive self-talk is vital to a healthy mind and body. To get you started, I’ve gathered 30 affirmations geared for fitness. Start today – go ahead and pick those that resinate within you.

1. I am fit, healthy and attractive.
2. I love and appreciate my body.
3. I love to exercise.
4. I am fit and healthy.
5. I am strong and can handle anything that challenges me today.
6. I am fit and active.
7. I am burning fat whenever I workout.
8. I can feel the fat burning when I jog.
9. I enjoy my workouts.
10. I am the greatest.
11. I am slender.
12. I look wonderful.
13. I am getting stronger every day.
14. I am flexible because I exercise.
15. I am excited to exercise.
16. I like the way exercise makes me feel.
17. I am energetic.
18. I am beautiful.
19. I like to workout.
20. I am healthy and fit.
21. I am healthy and sexy.
22. I choose to work out every day for a beautiful body.
23. I maintain a healthy weight.
24. I am stronger because I exercise.
25. I take good care of myself.
26. I am healthy and energetic.
27. I am physically fit.
28. I am exercising for an extra 15 minutes today.
29. I am happy with the way exercise makes me look and feel.
30. I am accomplishing great feats every day.

Remember to say these with conviction. You must believe they are true in order for them to work, and I know they work. Once you have reinforced yourself with positive affirmations, chart the results of that day in your journa and let me know how you get on. Cant wait to hear your stories.

Joey :0)

After Many technical problems with emailing to the masses and people not receiving the challenge via email – I have decided to just upload them onto my website. If you havent started yet, it doesnt matter – just start now with day 1 and work your way through. For thos of you still on track – congratulations and just come here to my website each day and you will be sure to find the next challenge. Good Luck and God bless. You guys are the best – Joey :0)

Monday January 3rd 2011            Day1

Tuesday January 4th 2011            Day2

Wednesday January 5th 2011       Day3

Thursday January 6th 2011          Day4

Friday January 7th 2011               Day5

Saturday and Sunday – Your days to get creative and pick some things you have learnt this week and put them into action. Have a blessed weekend.

Monday January 10th 2011         Day6

Tuesday January 11th 2011          Day7

Wednesday January 12th 2011   Day8

Thursday January 13th 2011       Day9

Friday January 14th 2011

Saturday and Sunday – Your days to get creative and pick some things you have learnt this week and put them into action. Have a blessed weekend.

Monday January 17th 2011         Day10

Tuesday January 18th 2011         Day11

Wednesday January 19th 2011   Day12

Thursday January 20th 2011      Day13

Friday January 21st 2011             Day14

Saturday and Sunday – Your days to get creative and pick some things you have learnt this week and put them into action. Have a blessed weekend. Are you ready for your final week ????

This week is about simply picking 5 of your favorite days and repeating them this week – however look back at your notes for each of the days you have chosen and see where you can improve them in any way. Get out of your comfort zone and try beating your times, taking less rests, increase weight or repetitions. Making meditations longer, being strict with food challenges.

This week is all about seeing improvements and gaining more confidence with workouts that you are now familiar with.

Have fun with this last week of challenge – January is almost over and you have already accomplished so much.

Love to you all  -  Joey

It doesn’t matter whether your goal for the new year is a weight loss goal or a goal to run a marathon — anything that gives you reason to exercise is amazing. And don’t think about setting yourself just one big goal. You should set yourself a ton of small goals that will ultimately contribute to that bigger goal, and these can be set as often as you like. 

Daily Goal Example (I will go walking for 10 minutes today)
Weekly Goal Example (I will do a minimum of 3 workouts this week)
Hourly Goal Example (I will get up every hour and do 30 push ups)

Always having something to work for, big or small will keep you motivated on a daily basis and takes the enthesis away from the odd goal you might not be able to complete with out completely giving up on the big picture.
Part of doing what we do each day has to do with routine and habits. If you can make exercise a habit, you’re that much closer to making it easier to do. It helps to have a regular day and time you workout so that, once that time comes, you know it’s time to get busy. Find ways to make your workout just another part of your life, like brushing your teeth.

Joey’s January Fitness Challenge

My January program isn’t about losing weight, but more about learning to
focus on making healthy choices each day which by the end of the month
should become habits. My daily challenges are designed
to keep you active and conscious of making better food choices.
I would love you to join me for my 20 challenges over the next 30-days
This isn’t a weight loss program, although you will lose weight during the next 30 days. In fact, I encourage you not to weigh yourself throughout this entire process. As I want you to focus on the journey, not the destination. Here’s how it works:

Every week day I will be sending an email detailing your challenges for the day. That’s 20 challenges for the new years 1st month. These challenges will include:

An Active Challenge – these challenges will require you to be more active throughout the day with a variety of ideas.
An Exercise Challenge – these challenges offer more structured cardio and strength routines. You’ll have many choices for your workout, but always feel free to do your own routine if you like.
A Flexibility Challenge – these challenges will help you increase your flexibility with stretching, yoga type exercises.
A Nutrition Challenge – these challenges vary and will help you become more aware of your own eating habits (this isn’t a diet)
A Mind/Body Challenge – here you’ll find a number of challenges that help you relax, regroup and enjoy some quiet moments throughout the day.

Each email will also include a checklist which you can fill out at the end of each day.
Not all challenges will work for you. Always feel free to substitute or create your own challenges. Each checklist contains blanks where you can enter your own personal goals and accomplishments.
If you’re ready to join me, simply sign up and get ready for your first of the 20 Fitness Challenges. First email goes out the day of January 2nd and you should start your 1st challenge on the morning of Monday January 3rd 2011.

Send your email to joeyrubino@gmail.com

in the Subject Line type : Joey’s 30 Day Challenge

In the email include :
Name,
Gender,
Age,
Date of Birth,
Country you are from.

Here’s to a great 2011 !!
Much Love to you all Joey :0)

JOEY RUBINO’S QUICK 10 MINUTE WORKOUT
October 11, 2010

Do you find yourself strapped for time in between work or school and social time? Is it hard to fit a long workout into your day? Have no fear! If you have just 10 minutes, you make it count.

Find out how from our health & fitness expert Joey Rubino.

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Ten minutes isn’t a long time, but it is long enough to quickly tone your body and do just enough exercise to jump-start your metabolism. Here is a quick ten-minute workout that can accomplish a mini fitness-goal: burn a few extra calories and strengthen your body. The best part of all is that you can do this quick workout right in your home. Use them as a compliment to your regular workout or when you can’t fit in a trip to the gym.

Quick 10 Minute Cardio Blast: Burn around 150 calories

Minutes one to two: High-intensity cardio, jump rope or run up and down stairs or jumping jacks.
Minutes three to four: Do as many push-ups as you can. Don’t just give up when it gets tough – the results happen when you work through those tough moments.
Minutes five and six: Jump Squats. Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart and your fingers laced behind your head. Bend at the knees to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then jump up as high as you can. Sink directly into the next squat without pausing.
Minutes seven and eight: Do squats by standing with your back against a wall and squatting as low as you can. Focus on form rather than speed.
Minutes nine and ten: Zig Zag Bound Skipping. Think about lengthening your stride as much as possible. Drive one leg into the ground to push off forcefully and lift your opposite knee high in the air as you surge forward. Propel yourself upward, forward, and slightly laterally so that you bound forward.
For more great health and fitness tips, check out Joey’s artist page & blog.

If you don’t live in the U.S. and can’t get hold of this months issue of Seventeen Magazine click on the link below.

Seventeen Magazine

The anatomic term for them is “obliques” and unfortunately this area of the body is often neglected when it comes to exercising the stomach and ab areas.

I cannot stress enough that you have to start with long-duration aerobic exercise if you want to trim any part of your stomach.

Spot toning will prove ineffective because you need to raise your metabolism enough to burn that extra love handle fat. Remember, it’s all about total body fitness and losing weight all over.
If you’ve been following me for some time, you’re probably tired of me mentioning that, but that is the number 1 misconception about stomach toning. You have to get your entire body into shape before you start seeing results.

Start a cardio exercise program at your home. Either buy a set of aerobics or bootcamp DVDs or check out a local fitness class.

While doing basic crunches will help eliminate some of the fat around the obliques, here are some other exercises that focus more on what I like to call the love handle area.

Leg Flutters
A lot of people don’t realize that in order to tone your middle and love handle area you also need to strengthen your back. This creates a balance in your torso and reduces the fat on your back.
1. Lie on your stomach and lift your head up slightly
2. You can keep your arms straight out at your sides or bend them with your elbows resting beside you.
3. Lift your feet and knees off the floor and flutter your legs rapidly back and forth. Do this for 20 seconds. Take a 20 second break and then repeat again.

Bicycle Crunches
This exercise will work your internal and external obliques as well as the abdominals. These are the two muscle groups that live around your waist. Fat is generally stored on top of these muscles, thus creating the love handle effect.
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
2. Carefully lift your head up and place your hands behind your head without locking your fingers together.
3. Twist to the right bringing your left elbow to your right knee. Extend your left leg out.
4. Now twist back to the left bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Extend your right leg out.
5. Repeat 25 times.

Standing Trunk Twists
This is a good aerobic-type exercise that will help get your heart rate up as well as burn some calories in your middle.
1. Stand with your feet about a foot apart and knees relaxed.
2. Twist your torso to the left while keeping your hips and legs as stable as possible. As you twist to the left, cross your right arm in front of your body in a punching motion.
3. Twist back to the right and cross your left arm over your body in a punching motion.
4. Do 100 reps.

The Bottom Line
Just like getting rid of belly fat, love handles will only firm up if you start increasing your body’s metabolism by exercising 4-5 times per week for at least 30 minutes. This does not only include crunches, sit ups, etc.. but cardio exercises that will get your heart rate up – like swimming/running/stairs.

Best Lunges for Firm Glutes & Toned Legs

Lunges that sculpt a firm butt and lean legs are challenging, require big full body movement that burn loads of calories, and target all the little problem areas like the inner things, the saddle bags, the crease between the leg and the glutes, inside the knees, behind the knees, etc. Ordinary lunges are great but the targeted lunges below really deliver big time results fast.

Walking Lateral DB Lunge
1. Holding one dumbell between your legs take left foot and step 2-3 feet out to the left side (or the 3 o’clock position). Lean torso forward and sit the right glute back. DO NOT allow lunging knee to extend past the big toe – may cause injury.
3) Pushing off lunging foot, return to start position.
4) Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Reaching forward should be performed at the hips and not the low back. Shoulders, hips, and front foot should point forward at all times.
5) Watch for proper knee alignment – do not let lunging knee extend past big toe or deviate laterally or medially. Opposite leg should remain straight during lunging phase as shown.

Slideboard Bodyweight Reverse Lunge
1. Start by placing your hands on top of your head and placing one foot on the slideboard or a “val slide”.
2. Proceed to lunge by sliding your foot back until you reach full range of motion. Your front leg should be bent to about 90 degrees.
3. Return to the starting position by standing up using the front leg.
4. Repeat for the desired repetitions and then repeat with the other leg.

Walking is a low-impact exercise with numerous health benefits. Here’s how to get started.
Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking is one of your body’s most natural forms of exercise. It’s safe, simple, doesn’t require practice, and the health benefits are many. Here’s more about why walking is good for you, and how to get started with a walking program.

Benefits of walking