Shaun White winning the gold in Vancouver.

Who is Shaun White? For those that don’t know, Shaun White is an Olympic snowboarder. He was born in the San Diego area in 1986 and has been skateboarding and snowboarding since he was six-years old. He overcame two major surgeries to correct a heart defect before the age of one, and he’s been proving himself as a champion ever since.

Shaun’s parents would take him to the local mountain range as often as possible (Mammoth Mountain). At the age of seven, Shaun entered his first amateur snowboard contest and won. This win earned him a bid to the nationals where he finished just outside of tenth place. His mom, Cathy, then sent a homemade video of Shaun’s snowboarding ability to Burton; who in-turn offered him a seven-year sponsor. He then turned pro at the ripe old age of 13. Shaun then went on to capture a gold medal in the halfpipe at the 2006 and more recently 2010 Winter Olympics.

Exercise is the best and safest way to improve the appearance of the body. Exercise not only improves your appearance, it reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It has also been proven to improve energy levels, sleep, and reduce stress. I definitely recommend implementing exercise into your daily routine, even as much as 30 minutes most days of the week is a great place to get started.

If you’re one of the many people considering plastic surgery, then you need to know exercise is imperative before doing so. By implementing cardiovascular and weight training along with proper stretching into your daily routine, your body will be well prepared for the surgery. This type of conditioning will strengthen your heart, firm your body, and will help quicken the post-surgery recovery. I recommend performing 30 to 60 minutes of cardiovascular training four to five days a week, at least 30 minutes of weight training three days a week, and stretching five to six days a week. Rest is also an important pre-surgery recommendation. Proper rest will ensure safety and success!

Slide boards have been used by speed skaters and hockey players for years and years now and are becoming ever more popular in fitness facilities today. A slide board is a super slick mat that has blocks on each side used as stoppers and to push off. Cotton-like material booties should be placed over your shoes in order to allow movement across the mat (socks can be used as well).  Slide boards are intended to improve the strength, endurance, and stability of the hip and hip stabilizers. This type of cross-training is a great way to get your cardiovascular training done all while reducing the risk of hip injuries.

Pictured here, J.R. Celski, a U.S. Olympic Team short track speed skater, appeared on Biggest Loser 9.6 to demonstrate the slide board for the contestants and lead them in a challenge.

The stability or fitness ball is one of my favorite pieces of equipment in the gym. I use it on a normal basis during training sessions as well as in my own personal workouts. The stability ball offers a plethora of modifications and progressions to almost every exercise in the book. A dumbbell bench press can become a dumbbell ball press and a standard crunch can become a muscle burning ball crunch.

The stability ball not only can be used as a chair while you spend countless hours in front of the computer or television, but a great exercise tool during pregnancy. The stability ball helps pregnant women maintain balance and stability as well as a strong core. A strong core is vital during the pushing phase of labor. The shape and give of the ball molds to the shape of your back/body thus relieving any pressure or tension created during other normal movements. Therefore, this allows pregnant women the opportunity to exercise longer throughout the pregnancy (which will help prepare your muscles and body for labor and post-delivery).

Kettlebells are all the buzz in the fitness world right now. Kettlebells have been around for centuries, but have become popular among athletes and fitness enthusiasts in recent years.

They are mainly used for ballistic or swinging movements or used in press and pull movements similar to those associated with normal weight training. Kettlebell exercises engage the entire body, thus making each movement maximize core stabilization and total-body muscle recruitment. In other words, kettlebells are a great total body workout that improve muscle tone and reduce body fat.

I understand that the majority of the female population is intimidated by weight training, but kettlebells are a great way to reach your fitness goals and have a blast doing so. I recommend integrating a kettlebell exercise routine or two into your weekly workout regimen. The benefits are completely worth it.