Collage Video Blog

Can Anyone Do Yoga?

by Sarah Starr

Can anyone do yoga? Short answer is yes. Yoga, at its core, is a breath practice. If you can breathe, you can do a form of yoga. The next question you may ask is what if I have limited mobility? If you can’t get up or down off the ground for whatever reason, inflexibility, injuries, arthritis, problems with balance, even a lifelong situation, accessible yoga is always an option. Most people believe they have to be flexible before they begin a yoga practice but the opposite is true.

People from all walks of life continue to demonstrate to me multiple ways yoga has changed their lives. From a retired F8 pilot who gave up on ever skydiving again and is now pain free, to a viewer who was feeling hopeless after twisting her ankle badly but persevered by implementing yoga in bed and is now able to walk again. These are just two examples out of the many which we receive every day due to our accessible yoga series. No matter what your physical condition or abilities, the key is to start where you are at and go from there.

By using a chair for support we can modify a traditional yoga practice to make it more accessible. This gives everyone of every ability the opportunity to do yoga and experience its life enhancing benefits. Below are a few stretches to help you increase flexibility, improve balance, and create a toned, relaxed body. 

Tree Pose

1. Stand with your right hip closest to the chair, using the chair for support. Shift your weight into your right foot. 
2. Cross your left ankle over your right, keeping your left heel raised and your left knee pointing open to the left.
3. Continue here or place your left foot to your right calf muscle below your knee.
4. For more of a challenge, use your left hand to place your left foot to the top of your right thigh. To increase this stretch reach your left arm to the sky.

Release and repeat on the opposite side, holding for the same amount of time.

Tips

• Place your foot above or below your knee rather than pressing into your knee joint.
• Lengthen your tailbone towards the earth.
• Lightly firm your lower ribs in.
• Press the sole of your left foot into your inner right thigh, equally pressing your thigh back into your foot, pointing your left knee open to the left.
• Keep your pelvis in a neutral position. 
• Lightly lift through your lower belly, using your core to stabilize. 

Benefits

• Improves balance, focus and concentration
• Stretches legs, hips and torso
• Strengthens legs, ankles, calves and core

Warrior 2 Pose

1. Walk your feet over to the right side of your chair.
2. Keep your right thigh to the chair as you extend through your left leg. Align your right heel with your left heel, turning your left toes inward at a 45 degree angle. Extend strongly through your left leg as you root down through the outer edge of your left foot. 
3. Raise your arms parallel to the earth, reaching energetically through your fingertips. Turn your gaze to look over the right hand.

Release and repeat on the opposite side, holding for the same amount of time.

Tips

• Keep your right knee over your right ankle.
• Lengthen your tailbone towards the earth, keeping your pelvis in a neutral position.
• Rather than leaning forward over your front leg, align your shoulders over your hips, keeping the sides of your torso equally long.
• Lightly lift through your lower belly. 
• Stretch your arms from the space between your shoulder blades, keeping your shoulders relaxed.
• Broaden across your collar bones and lengthen the space between your shoulder blades.

Benefits

• Strengthens your legs, glutes, abdomen and ankles
• Stretches your hips, legs, groins and chest
• Improves focus and concentration

Figure Four Stretch

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.
2. Place your right outer ankle to the top of your left thigh, keeping your right foot lightly flexed and in line with your right knee.
3. Reach your right hand under your right calf muscle, using your hands to draw your left leg towards you, pausing when your feel a gentle stretch in your right outer hip and glute. 

Release and repeat on the opposite side, holding for the same amount of time.

Tips

• Keep your right foot flexed, pointing your right knee open to the right, stretching through your right outer hip.
• Maintain your sacrum to the earth as you draw your legs towards you.
• Keep your spine and back of neck long.
• To intensify this stretch, try adding resistance by pressing your leg against your hands.

Benefits

Increased mobility and flexibility in your hips, glutes, hamstrings and low back

If you enjoyed this accessible yoga segment and are interested in more Happy Yoga, please visit our streaming site for 3 free full length videos at https://www.happyyogaondemand.com/

Note: If you have any physical impairments or limitations, please be sure to check with your physician before using this or any of Sarah's programs.

Important Announcement: Change in Email Address

Hi everyone. Important announcement:

As of today (11-22-2019), please contact us at customercare@collagevideo.com if you'd like to reach us via email.

We are also available by phone: 1-800-819-7111

and on Facebook messenger: https://www.facebook.com/CollageVideo

Thank you!

Vacationing Without Neglecting Your Fitness Routine

Hello Fitness Family! Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Kate and I am an employee at Collage Video. I am passionate about maintaining a healthy lifestyle; however, my body has had its struggles keeping up with the level of physical fitness it used to handle with ease. I’ve realized that it is far more difficult to get back on a fitness regimen after stopping, than it is to push through when you just don’t want to. I recently went away to Florida and I tried to implement a (reasonable) fitness plan that could work with - not against - my vacation. I am here to tell you some of my takeaways – the do’s and don’ts that I learned along with some tips so that you can plan for your vacation with the peace of mind knowing you aren’t giving up fun in the sun or your thighs and buns!  You’ll also find these takeaways & tips applicable to your everyday life!

Firstly, plan ahead! I took the time before my trip to plan out my vacation days and I highly recommend doing this. I made sure to know what days I was doing what, and plan both the amount of time spent on working out as well as which zones on my body I would be targeting, based on the activities of that day. For example – I spent a day at the beach and a day at an amusement park. I made sure to allow more time to do intense cardio on my beach days since most of those days were spent laying out relaxing. On the day we visited an amusement park, I knew I would be walking around all day – so I focused more on upper body exercises and stretching.

(Disclaimer: Not me..but I wish!)

I brought along a couple workout DVDs to play in the condo we rented (I am a Collage employee after all!).  However, I really wanted to take advantage of my surroundings, especially when we stayed at the beach. I normally watch my yoga or stretch videos in the morning, so I got up and performed some poses to the early morning sun on the beach. Admittedly, I only got to my DVDs once... but I found success using my phone and watching workout ideas on YouTube.  If you have a phone or tablet, they can be immensely useful for working out while away from home.

One of the things that I had to accept was that I would not be able to exercise the same amount of hours as I would on my normal schedule. If for no other reason, because I wanted to spend as much time relaxing on this vacation as possible, while still maintaining a certain level of physical activity to keep up with my routine. It’s all about a reasonable balance.  I also knew it wasn’t realistic to bring my dumbbells or weights with me, so I brought a resistance band and used it sporadically.  As a side note, you can utilize home objects to sub-in for exercise equipment too - like an (unopened) gallon of water to supplement a kettlebell (within reason!). Being resourceful can be fun when supplementing away-from-home versions of your workouts!

I certainly hope my tips help you plan a strategy to fit in your fitness activities with your vacation time!  Remember you can always make time to have fun, relax, and stay fit! You can do it all!

American Flag Caprese Salad

Photo By: Matt Armendariz

We find the Food Network's American Flag Caprese Salad to be the perfect compliment to any 4th of July party!  Although it's a bit time-consuming, the salad is easy to prepare, yields 12 servings, and will WOW your family and friends!

Ingredients:

• 18 Small Purple Tomatoes (About 1 Pound)
• Kosher Salt
• 1 Pound Herbed Cheese Spread (Room Temperature)
• 1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 1/3 Cup Fresh Basil Leaves, Roughly Chopped
• 26 Cherry Tomatoes, Halved (About 2 Pounds)
• 24 1-Inch Mozzarella Balls In Brine, Drained Well & Halved 

Directions:

Before you start, gather a large wooden cutting board and a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip.  (If you want precision - follow this link for exact dimensions).

Step 1 - Cook the potatoes in generously salted boiling water until fork-tender but not falling apart (~ 20 minutes). Drain well and allow to cool completely. Cut in half crosswise.

Step 2 - Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a small star tip, with the herbed cheese spread. Grab your cutting board and cut a piece of parchment large enough to fit it.  Squeeze a dab of cheese spread on the underside of each corner of the parchment to help it adhere to the cutting board. 

Step 3 - Spread a thin rectangular layer of cheese in the upper left corner of the parchment. Arrange the potatoes in rows, cut-side-up, on top of the cheese. Using your pastry bag, pipe the remaining cheese in between the potatoes to make stars for the flag. 

Step 4 - Drizzle the remaining empty portion of parchment with half of the oil then sprinkle all over with the basil. Starting from the top, make a line of tomato halves, cut-side-up, followed by a line of mozzarella halves, cut-side-down. Repeat with the remaining tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle everything with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

If you would like a video as a visual aid for this recipe, click this link!

And if you like this one - checkout another Food Network Recipe: Flag Cake courtesy of Ina Garden!

Ingredients and Directions by Food Network. 

Important: Notice Regarding Our Shipping Policy

To all our Customers,

Please take a moment to review the following change in our return policy.

We currently accept any DVD, opened or unopened, to be returned within a 15-day window after delivery.  Effective July 1^st, we will continue to accept DVDs that are both opened and unopened, but our return window will now be 7-days following delivery.  All other elements of our return policy will remain the same at this time.  You can find our full return policy here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us via phone (1-800-819-7111) or email (collage@collagevideo.com).

We appreciate your business and are thankful for your understanding.

Thank You,

Collage Video

Green Salad with Brown Butter Walnut Vinaigrette

3 Tips To Get Rid of Stubborn Back Fat

By Jari Love & Collage Video

Ever hear the slang term Muffin Top? Or Spare Tire? These terms refer to fat above the waistline, a common weight distribution problem that torments both men and women. To make matters worse, it’s usually the last of our fat to finally go away. Women have the added struggle of dealing with fat around the bra area as well.  Back fat is considered visually unpleasing to most, but more importantly it's not healthy in excess amounts. It’s important to remember that our health is not determined by how many pounds we weigh, but it is influenced by how many pounds of fat we store. 

Advertisers know how common fat accumulation is at the waistline and exploit the concept of "spot-reduction" to sell their exercise-related products. For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept, spot-reduction is the claim that fat in specific areas can be targeted and reduced through exercises around the desired area(s). This is a myth.  Do not fall into the persuasive trap that convinces people who are trying to lose weight (which, is most of us) that spot reduction products like pills or special contraptions work.  However, there are ways you can reduce fat in these areas and feel more confident in your own skin! The solution just requires a little extra effort and determination.  These healthy tips can help you achieve the results you’re after!

Tip #1: When Muffin-Top Strikes, HIIT Back with Cardio! 

If you’re serious about weight loss and health, you’ve got to get serious about cardio. Performing cardio exercise five times a week can help your body lose weight noticeably.  For even more-intense cardio, opt for interval training (HIIT) that alternates between periods of pushing your body and recovery, since it offers the after-burn effect. After-burn means once you’ve exercised, your body can continue to burn calories — an extra 200 calories throughout the day.

Tip #2: Tighten Your Posture & Sculpt Your Muscles!  

Your body’s silhouette can greatly improve simply through adding moves that sculpt your back, shoulders, and obliques to reveal the strong muscles that lie beneath. Toning up your body can do wonders when paired with cardio. Posture-improving exercises can also help muffin top areas!

Tip #3: A Lean Diet Leads to a Lean Physique

To lose fat you must eat in a caloric deficit. Think lean protein, low sugar, and high in vitamins and minerals. Weight loss occurs when the number of calories burned throughout the day through walking, working, and exercising exceed the calorie intake that day. Keep this in mind when choosing what food to consume.  Food journals can help immensely.

 Comment your thoughts below!

Jari Love – original creator of Get RIPPED! DVD series and group exercise classes. The hot-selling and critically acclaimed Get RIPPED! series enables individuals of any fitness level to burn up to three times more calories than the traditional weight-training program and has received rave reviews from fitness critics throughout North America since the first title debuted in late 2005.

Can't Find The Time To Workout?

There’s a long list of excuses we can make as to why we “can’t” workout.  For many, time restriction earns a spot at the top of the list.  Our busy schedules are resulting in consecutive days of inactivity, despite setting intentions to exercise.  Inactivity is recognized as a serious problem as it significantly increases the risk of numerous diseases/disorders, including several forms of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, coronary and cerebrovascular diseases, overweight/obesity, and all-cause mortality, among others (according to PubMed).

So, have YOU ever planned to exercise but failed to follow through due to time restriction?  Perhaps you had time but didn’t feel it was enough time to endure a meaningful workout.  Hopefully we can offer some valuable input here.

Reflect on your day for a moment.  Although you may be swamped with typical “stuff,” most of us can identify incremental periods of free time- and I’m talking no more than 10 minutes.  Getting fit does not have to be synonymous with a long, hard and energy draining task.  Instead, look at physical activity as something that can flow throughout your day in the times that we have available.  Getting to the gym and exercising for an hour is not necessary to get on track with being fit and living a healthier, more fulfilling life (although it is encouraged!).  And here’s a tip: if you find it difficult to pick out 10 minutes of free time, wake up 10 minutes earlier in the morning than you normally would.  Problem solved.

Main takeaway– utilize the smaller, incremental time slots available during your day for exercise.  Additionally, if you can do this more than once a day, they’ll certainly add up.  Exercise supplies the body with endorphins (or, feel-good hormones!) and the lowers the risk for all the nasty diseases/disorders listed earlier.  So, stop using “not having the time” as an excuse and get moving!

Vitamin EX: The Magic Pill

It seems we are all looking for the magic pill, an easy-to-swallow drug that would help us lose weight, lower our blood pressure and cholesterol, put us at lower risk for diabetes, heart attack and stroke. And make it something to help our mental health too – decrease depression, eliminate insomnia, improve memory and protect us from developing Alzheimer’s. If there were a pill that could do all that, can you imagine the cost? And there would have to be troubling side effects, right? And of course, there is always that warning not to take a certain drug if you are allergic to it.

There is indeed a magic pill that will do all the good things mentioned about, with no side effects, and no possibility anyone would be allergic to it. This pill is actually a vitamin -- Vitamin Ex, its generic name is Exercise, and it’s been proven to be effective for years of trials and studies.

Did you know that lack of exercise is a bigger risk factor than smoking, obesity and high blood pressure? It is the number one cause of disease and death. But we often hear about exercise only when it relates to losing weight. And many of us only get motivated around the beginning of the year (when gyms run their membership specials.) The benefits of daily exercise go far beyond weight loss and affect all of our body functions.

But, you say, exercise is hard work! You don’t have time to start going to a gym every day. You may be surprised at how much (or little) exercise it takes to make a difference in your life. And you can stay close to home to do it.

How much exercise? Physical Activities Guidelines for Americans Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends adults participate in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity -- PER WEEK. That is just one 30-min walk or yoga session five out of seven days! The guidelines say that spreading out your activity over several days has better results than trying to do it all at once. If walking or yoga isn’t your thing, try kick boxing, strength training using resistance tubing or your own body weight. There are hundreds of exercise DVDs that will lead you through any length workout.

Any amount of Vitamin Ex is helpful. If you don’t have 30 minutes to walk, take a few 5-minute walks each day. Park in a space further away than usual to add a few steps to your day.  Reduce sitting and instead stand to do every day activities like reading the newspaper or talking on the phone.

Diabetes, insomnia, heart attack, stroke, Alzheimer’s and so many other risks can be taken care of with the same remedy – Exercise. 

Important Notice Regarding Free Shipping

To Our Valued Customers,

We regret to inform you that we must increase the minimum price required to qualify for free shipping.  The postal service has raised their prices, which we must coincide with if we wish to offer you a free shipping option.  Currently, orders totaling $18.99 or higher ship free, but this threshold will soon be adjusted to $25.00.  We’d like to give you advanced notice prior to the implementation of this change, therefore, it will not take effect until Tuesday, February 19^th, the day after President’s Day.

These changes will impact orders being shipped to the USA and via our standard shipping method (First Class Mail or Media Mail).  International orders and expedited shipping options, which do not qualify for free shipping, may also be adjusted.  You can find more information here: USPS Press Release & 2019 Price Changes.

We appreciate your open-mindedness regarding this matter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail us at collage@collagevideo.com.

Thank you,

Collage Video