Take a Moment

Happy Thanksgiving! May your heart be full of love and gratitude.

I would like you to remember what this day is really about.

Take a moment to be grateful.

Whether your life is rocking for you or you’ve had some struggles this year, I’m sure there are things that make your heart sing!

A new friendship, your doggie’s face when you come home, or achieving a fitness or personal goal you’re proud of – take a brief moment now to think of one (or three!) … and just drink it in.

Just pause for two minutes while you do this.

…….

Did you do it?

If you’re anything like me, you already have a smile on your face.

While I’m so grateful for many things, here are the first three that came to mind.

1. Cody & Lexi

These animals never fail to cheer me up!

I love them so much!

I know you love your babies and I love when you share pics so please always feel free (and encouraged) to share them on my Facebook!

2. My Red Carpet Ready Girls

The weekend of September 23rd, we celebrated the 4 Year Reunion of the Ready Carpet Ready Club. It was an amazing weekend of friendship, fitness & laughter.

I’m so grateful for this group and the ones who couldn’t make the trip. (I know they were there in spirit.)

It’s such a privilidge to have brought together such an amazing group.

3. Tom Morley & Steve Ross’s Kauai Yoga Retreat

I am so incredibly grateful for this gift I received from two very special clients.

They sent me to Kauai on this amazing retreat. I’ve struggled lately to make time for my own renewal even though I know how important it is.

Bless them for getting me there – because not only is my body and soul renewed, I made some new friendships AND I have some amazing take-aways that I’ll be sharing over the next week.

For now, just write down (or think about) 3 things you’re grateful for and carry that with you today.

I would love for you to share in the comments below.

Have a happy thanks giving and come back soon to see what I learned on Kauai!

Love & Lunges,
Val

Before You Achieve, You Must Believe.

A few months ago, someone had posted an image with some of Audrey Hepburn’s beliefs.  You know the one… I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.  I believe in being strong when everything seems to be wrong, etc.

I loved the idea of getting to know this iconic actress through her belief statements and with the launch of my new pink Valslides around the corner, was tickled (pun intended) that she too, believed in pink!

I started to think about “beliefs” and how empowering they can be to drive and motivate us towards great accomplishments.  It has been said that beliefs shape our reality.  They are ideas that we think are true, and therefore strongly influence what we do. I believe they live in our hearts as well as our heads and one’s beliefs are an important part of getting results in any of my fitness programs.  We need to believe that we can succeed, to succeed.

I have found at times that putting pen to paper is the first step toward adopting beliefs that fully supports and compliments the actions needed to achieve results.  I have also seen with my Red Carpet Ready Club that having a community gives these women a forum to share, be heard and feel supported.

I thought how could I get people to share their beliefs, support and inspire each other and do it in a public forum?  Hence, the I Believe Contest was born.

Today, the I believe contest site serves as a source of inspiration for me.

For that I would like to thank each and every one of you for participating.

Your words are heart warming, thought provoking, full of encouragement and strength.

Here are a few I would like to share with you:

“I believe a good laugh, a hard cry, a quiet meditation or a tough workout can mend ones spirit.” -Jen Hardy

“I believe strength and beauty come from within, and it’s something you earn – not something you’re given.” -Chenay Schroeder

“I believe when you change your thoughts, you change your mind, and ultimately your life.” -Kendra Blanchette

“I believe you can always reach your goals if you have the right state of mind and motivation to keep going!” -Chelsea Sowers

“I believe that an online community can be just as important & supportive as the people I’ve known for years.” -Laura Rush

“I believe that a cute outfit makes me run faster!” – Grainne Murphy.

(Note to those that are mentioned here:  I’m working on a final follow-up post to announce the winners – there is lots more love coming your way!)

And a few that made me chuckle:

Gee, I wonder how Ryan’s photo ended up in this post.  I’m sure it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he’s the one adding the graphics.

I would also like to thank everyone who voted in the contest.

Whether you voted for yourself, a friend, family member or a stranger.  Your vote represents support, engagement and is an expression of your beliefs and I really appreciate that.

Today being election day, is a day when you are being asked to cast a vote.  A day we all have beliefs about… strong beliefs! In continuing with the idea of sharing our beliefs, I would like to share some of my beliefs about this day.

I believe we all have a voice.

I believe our choices matter.

I believe our votes count and not just at the polls.

I believe the decisions we make can change the world.

I believe we cast our vote everyday with the choices we make.

I am going to leave you with what I think is a brilliant speech called The Power of Four, about choice given by Tom Hanks at Vassar College.

This is amazing.

“Even the simplest choice can make a jaw-dropping difference in our world”- Tom Hanks

Love and Lunges,

Val

Derrick Rose BELIEVES He’ll Be a Better Player When He Returns.

Hey it’s Val!

This is pretty cool….

One of my favorite people, Alwyn Cosgrove, emailed me last night telling me that the Valslides are being used in a YouTube training montage with Derrick Rose. Rose plays basketball with the Chicago Bulls and is considered one of the top players in the game…

I’m not going to pretend to be an expert on basketball, but a quick google search on “D Rose” paints a very interesting picture of a very, very talented athlete.

I can’t do his story justice but here is a quick summary:

He grew up in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Chicago, and his older brothers taught him the game on local courts… After college, he was a drafted in the first round by the Bulls and has been called “Michael Jordan for this generation.”

He signed a $95 million dollar contract (OMG), and shortly after, hurt his knee in the first game of the 2011 playoffs.

As you can imagine, this is pretty much the worst thing ever for the Bulls organization and the fans in Chicago.

[[queue superhero music!]]

But never fear, because The Valslide is here!!

It turns out, they’re using the Valslide as part of his rehab program to get him healthy and back in shape to play!

In this video, you see Derrick doing Valslide Side Lunges at the :44 second marker.

Here is a video that demonstrates the new “Turbo 1.5″ technique I’ve been using to take an already awesome exercise to the next level!

The Valslides are a great solution for people with knee, back or hip issues because the gliding motion allows you to do the most effective exercises (like reverse lunges) without the impact.

I love stories like D Rose’s – because it shows a wide range of applications for the Valslide. It can help the world’s premier athletes safely recover from injuries and people like us (who are athletes in our own right) tone up and look better naked!

So, if you want a simple way to boost the effectiveness of your workout, get out of a fitness rut, or add more intensity to everything you do… grab a pair of Valslides!

GOOD FOR YOU. GOOD FOR THE GIRLS.

For a limited time, get the new slipperier Pink Valslides and turn up the heat on the effectiveness and fun factor.

For every pair of Pink Valslides sold during the month of October, $1 will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® for the fight against breast cancer.

Make sure to ENTER the I BELIEVE CONTEST for a chance to win awesome prizes.  Including the “Get Hot in a Hurry” Hollywood Workout Experience with me and my celebrity client Rachel Nichols, in LA! www.IBelieveContest.com

Hope your having a great week!

As always, Love & Lunges,
Val

Tyler Durden Got Me Back in the Ocean

Back in 1999, I got a call from Edward Norton about the possibility of using my Muscle Truck during the production of a little movie called “Fight Club.

Ultimately, that didn’t work out.

But it did put the movie on my radar.  And the funny thing is, the first time I saw it, I didn’t love it. I didn’t get what all the hoopla was about other than the fact that Brad Pitt got in wicked shape. The movie was just too dark (both the theme and the style) for my taste.

Cut to August 2012:

I now see I originally missed the point and have since become a huge fan.

So what does this have to do with me getting back in the ocean after a year and half?

Well it goes something like this:

I love to surf.

I love it in spite of the fact that I’m not very good.   I’m afraid of big waves, other surfers, seaweed getting tangled on me, the thought of being held under water and probably a half a dozen other things.

But for the last ten years, I would surf most weekends in the summer (unless the waves were too big or the water was too crowded). Then suddently, last summer, I didn’t surf at all. I was under a lot of stress and I spent most weekends working or at least acting busy.

Then I hurt my back.

Then winter came and it was too cold and besides, I was working too much… BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!

Pretty soon, I became a person that didn’t surf. I just stopped thinking about it.

If I did think about it, I knew I was not conditionied enough to paddle well and that makes me really afraid… I’d tell myself that I might get caught in the “impact zone,” and get held under.

So now, this activity that used to bring me so much joy creates panic instead.

This is where Tyler Durden got involved.

I read a blog post of quotes from “Fight Club” on minimalists.com, one of my favorite websites.

I love the quotes so much, I bought the book.

Reading the book allowed the characters to come alive for me. I understood them so much more.

As Joshua said in his blog post: Fight Club is not a film about fighting. It’s a narrative about life and about getting rid of the corporate and cultural influences (or perhaps the confluence of the two) that control our lives.

Next, I watched the movie. Twice. Now, I can say that I’m slightly obsessed. I highly, highly recommend it.

The quotes that got me back in the water:

I can’t get back of the missed opportunities for surfing but I CAN get in the water now. If my back hurts or I’m afraid to surf, I can boogie board.

Just being in the ocean is what’s important. Riding a wave, however you do it, is pure bliss… which is why you’ll see me out there, with the same big smile on my face, as all of the 12 year olds.

I am so blessed to love my job. I train some of Hollywood’s hottest actors and I definitely don’t want to give it up. I also created and brought to market, one of the single-most effective pieces of exercise equipment, The Valslide, and it’s needs my love and attention to grow.

That being said, I definitely took on a bit too much and didn’t carve out enough time to play.

(All work and no play makes Val a grumpy girl.)

This created additional stress and a couple bouts of depression. I had to get out from under. I had to clear my path and re-align my priorities. I needed to reclaim a sense of joy and I needed new peak experiences. Getting back in the ocean is that first step for me.

I have too much stuff. When I don’t make time for play, I find myself seeking an outlet for pent up energy by ordering things on Amazon.

While I do believe in reading and I love my books, when I’m ordering new ones before the last have even shipped, let alone read, it’s time to stop. When I’m working too hard to pay for things (or a lifestyle) I don’t need, it’s time to stop.

When I shop more than I laugh, it’s time to stop.

Thank you Tyler Durden for my wake up call.

Thank you Joshua & Ryan from The Minimalists for the blog post.

I am now seeking new experiences, relationships, opportunities and laughter.

Who’s with me?  Leave a comment below and let me know!  I’ll be reading and responding to all of them!

After all, this is your life, and it’s ending one minute at a time. Take some action now.