LS 42 - Debbie Siebers - BeachBody, Body Insurance & Slim in 6

This show is produced by the Hartman Media Company. For more information and links to all our great podcasts, visit hartmanmedia.com.

Welcome to the Longevity Show, Informing listeners on the important aspects of health, wealth and happiness to ensure you live life to its fullest. With fascinating interviews with top authors and gurus in the field, along with the latest news in the science and technology of longevity, we're going to reveal expert advice and amazing secrets of living a longer, happier life. And now, here's your host, Jason Hartman.

It's my pleasure to welcome Debbie Siebers to the show. She is the creator of Slim in six and Body Insurance, llc. Debbie, welcome. How are you?

I'm fantastic, Jason. How are you?

Good. And you're coming to us from beautiful Denver, Colorado, right?

I am. And the trees are at full bloom.

Good, good stuff. Well, you know, as we talk about longevity, as we talk about how to get quick, solid results with our biology, with our bodies so that we can feel better, we can live longer, we can increase not only our lifespan, but our health span so we can enjoy that longer lifespan. What are some of the things that you really feel are very critical to this, Debbie? You've got some, some good range of motion, things that you work on with your followers and so forth. Dive in wherever you want?

Well, that's such a good question. And there's a couple things right off the top of my head that I'll say for me are the most important as far as longevity goes, is proper breathing as well as meditation. And I do do deep stretching with my breath work. And also what you're referring to is my body insurance really consists of mobility drills to warm up your body and your joints properly before you do any kind of exercise. And it also helps to address any limitations you might be having.

Losing mobility is just terrible. I mean, whenever my shoulder hurts, I, you know, I sleep on my side, so I have shoulder problems. I try to sleep on the other side to even out the pain. It's terrible thing, right? But, you know, I do lots of exercise, lots of yoga. Pretty fit. But, boy, just, you know, mobility is a, is a major issue when you can't turn your head around or bend down easily. We've all suffered that at one point or another, probably where we've, you know, thrown out our back or something, even if we're very young, it happens. What kind of body insurance? What can people do to get body insurance?

Well, you know, this is the thing, boy, I hear you loud and clear about, you know, the stiffness, and I've thrown My back out so many times. And that's why, you know, out of frustration really, body insurance was born because, you know, you can't really ignore and just avoid movement because you have a sore shoulder or your back is stuck stiff or you might have had a strain or something. You really have to learn how to empower yourself by consistently addressing those limitations. And it doesn't have to be a long, drawn out thing. I mean, my program, you know, really could be 15 minutes of just doing the proper drills to get the blood circulating, to get the joints lubricated, to really increase, increase that mobility, especially in your core and your low back, your knees and your shoulders as you spoke about. For me personally, it's my neck and my low back. And so with my neck it's just been a long, drawn out, you know, thing. But finally in addressing the problem and you know, avoiding certain exercises also, you know, and that's another thing, you know, we've got to get pretty aware and conscious, don't we, and mindful and you know, everybody's got this mentality of like pushing through the pain or you know, they just ignore that their knees are, you know, bothering them and, or whatever they're experiencing. And I feel like, you know, now more than ever we have to really pay attention and you have to be consistent with, you know, re strengthening and doing the proper exercises and drills to, you know, help you lead a more quality pain free life.

Yes, very good. Well, give us some examples. Obviously we don't have a visual show here, but you know, do what you can to give the listeners some, some real feedback here and some ideas as to what they can do each day to, to increase mobility.

Sure. Okay. Just for the low back, for instance, one of the first drills that I do is just in standing. You cross your hands over your chest and you're going to hinge from your waist to a flat back position. So you know, the long line from the nape of your neck all the way down to your tailbone, your shoulder blades are drawn back so you hit that flat back position and then you come right back up to standing. Now you want to work into about 15 reps and then on that last rep you're going to hold it. And if you're, if you are able to hold that position for, for a minute, you're in good shape. But most people cannot do that, you know, and so that's a good way to kind of gauge where you're at. And I always tell people to really listen in, of course, and only do as many reps as feels okay for your body. And then I pop up to standing, and I bring my arms out to my side, and I do an alternating kick. So I'm alternating arm, alternating leg kick. And that's a really great low back release after the drill you just did. So what I like to do is a drill and then a stretch or a back release. So another example, if you're on your back and your arms are at your sides, your knees up, your feet are flat, you inhale. On an exhale, you bridge your hips up just as far as you can. You're squeezing those glutes tight, and then you hold that for about three deep breaths. You're trying to get your chin closer to your chest to lengthen your neck. And this is strengthening and building endurance in your low back and your glutes and your hamstrings. And then I release it all the way down to the floor. Make sure your back is fully flat. You pull your knees in with your hands, and you just do nice, easy circles to the right for yet another low back release. So that's kind of the idea is, you know, even when I'm on all fours and I'm doing another drill, that is another strengthening drill for the low back. So if you're on all fours and your hands are directly under the shoulders, your knees are directly under your hips, you're in a flat back position. Again, your head is neutral. You inhale down. On an exhale, you lift the right arm and the left leg at the same time, keeping a very long line without altering your hip position position. And then you drop, you inhale, and you switch again. You want to work into about 15 reps. And then after that, I like to open my knees a little wider, bring the feet together, and sit all the way back into child's pose for a low back release for three breaths. So those are just a few examples. Just for the low back.

Sure. Okay. Okay, good. Those sound like they overcome the problem we all face of sitting too much.

Yes.

Right? Yeah.

Yes.

How do we know? I remember a time just a couple of years ago where I was just doing a lot of yoga, and I was probably going five times a week, and I think I was actually hurting myself doing it. I kind of, after a while, realized this is not achievement. It felt like this was actually bad for me. It was. It was hurting me. How do we know? You mentioned earlier, Debbie, about pushing through the pain and how a lot of people have that belief when it comes to fitness and exercise. The good old no pain, no Gain. Right, what, how do we know what is progress and what is actually hurting us in the long run? You know, you got to push through to some extent, right? Or you're not going to make any progress, I assume.

Yes, but I'm glad you're addressing this actually, because yoga is good, but nothing is great if.

If you're feeling any kind of pain while doing it. And I feel like a lot of yoga, there's so many different kinds of yoga. By the way, I personally cannot do all the up dog, down dog, all those different things that put so much stress on your wrists because I've got carpal tunnel and you know, so when I do my yoga flows and poses for healing and restorative only. And so in my mind it should be a healing thing. And a lot of yoga these days is pretty hardcore. I mean, there's different kinds, there's vinyasa, there's, you know, the hot, hot yoga. That is pretty grueling workout. I mean, you have to really have a strong foundation and don't kid yourself because if you don't have a strong core, you are going to really potentially injure yourself trying to hit some of these poses and force your body into unnatural positions that you're not used to. So what I do is as one of my routines for body insurance is simply do in pretty easy flows. Like for instance, you know, I have my feet wide apart, my arms are by my sides, and I initiate the flow with just doing an airplane kind of move side to side, always using the deep breathing through the nose. And then I go into a triangle pose from there. And when I hit that pose, I hold it for three deep breaths. But I don't exaggerate my body position. I listen to what my body is telling me and then I breathe into any place that might have some extra tightness. So I use yoga as another form of a warm up, as a standalone wake up your body in the morning or as a.

You know, before you go to bed to kind of help you get a better night's sleep and not wake up so stiff and sore. That's what I use it for. So, you know, in answer to that, pushing through the pain is never a good idea. You want to challenge yourself as far as cardio and light resistance. And you know, I always say if you feel a burn in the belly of the muscle, that's okay. You know, push it a couple reps past that because you can build muscular strength and endurance that way. But if you feel any kind of pain in your joints, then you must stop or you must modify the move.

Okay, so that's not totally a judgment call then, right? There are some actual rules. And so what you're saying is feeling a burn in the belly of the muscle that you're working is. Okay, that's. That's progress, right? That's pushing it, which you need to push it. But some of the other things you mentioned, that would be pushing it too far, and that would be counterproductive.

And I also believe, in my opinion, that there are some of these poses that are very bad for your body. Like, for instance, you know, when you're on your back and you. And you pull your legs all the way over your head.

That'S pretty hard on your neck. You know, there's a couple of things that I just don't agree with, you know, So I always take from each thing what I feel is most beneficial, and I kind of taken those things and put them together into the routines that I have created.

Okay. Okay, good. What other tips do you want to give people in in terms of, you know, longevity, health span, and making more progress on this kind of stuff?

Gosh, for me, there's. There's some essential things, really, for longevity and better quality of life.

And that is certainly being in the present moment and practicing gratitude.

You have to be consistent with whatever you're doing. You can't dabble at anything and expect to get results.

I think being positive and following passion in your life and doing things that you love and not forcing yourself, you know, because if you're doing any kind of exercise or health and wellness program, if you really hate what you're doing, I don't think that you're gonna benefit. I think nature is a great healer. I took Barney, my little dog, you know, for over an hour walk in the park here. And with all the color and it's just. You just appreciate and it does something for your soul, doesn't it, when you're out in nature?

Oh, no question about it.

Yeah. And that's the kind of exercise I love. And then, you know, just stretching in the park and. And again, I'm going to come back to the importance of learning how to breathe properly. Everybody takes these shallow breaths. I am always continually shocked and amazed, no matter how many times I've taught classes at how few people know how to take even a cleansing breath, period. They don't know how to take enough breath in to increase their lung capacity. And it's pretty amazing because it's one of the most healthful things you can do to Reduce stress to get a better night's sleep, to calm your nervous system. And if you can just learn how to do some basic breathwork exercises, then you're in a position where you're pretty calm and you can easily or more easily go into a meditation. And meditation is another very healing thing you can do for your mind and body.

Again, just being present and calling into that higher self. Right. You know, tapping into who you truly are. And I think that's, as I've gotten older and hopefully a little wiser, you know, you realize in those quiet moments, in those still moments, is when you can really appreciate and.

Harmonize. And I like to say, you know, it's coming home, really, and then finding an exercise that you love, like I said, and consistently doing it. So you're taking care of your body. You're respectful of what you're eating. You're mindful about how you're fueling your body. That's obviously key, you know, because if you're feeding yourself with junk, how can you then expect to lead a quality, productive life? You know?

Any tips on meditation, on how to do it and how to be effective at it?

Yes, because it took me a long time. You know, like most people, it's impossible to turn off that mind chatter. You can't just sit down and go, okay, I'm going to meditate now.

Boom.

And that's it. But what I've learned is there's some music that I have found that certainly helps to calm your mind. And it's meditation music, really, and you can find it all over the Internet. I just youtubed some stuff, and there was one, and I believe it's called HRZ Repair. And it just does something with the brain waves. I can't even explain it. It just helps you go into such a deep Zen place. But even before I try to launch into meditation with that music again, I do my breathing exercises. And, you know, I'm hoping to have my own CD at one point, but until I do, I want to recommend highly Dr. Weil. You know, he's the spiritual healer with the long beard. And, you know, he's pretty prevalent. He's got a million books out, and he's been on every talk show. And he's got an amazing CD that takes you through guided breathing exercises.

How do you spell his last name, though?

It's W, E, I, L. And if you just go to Amazon and type in breathing exercises by Dr. Weil, it should pop right up and you just lay there in a comfortable position or you can Sit long as your back is supported. I have one of those yoga chairs, you know, that supports your back. And I just sit with my legs crossed. But if you're on your back, you want to make sure you have a pillow underneath your knees and you're in a relaxed place. You're away from distractions, hopefully. And, you know, you've dedicated, you know, hopefully 15 to 20 minutes here. And then you go through the breath work, and by that time you're so calm and it's so then he even has music that comes in that you can easily. And the tip is simply this. You close your eyes, you look at that third eye in between your eyebrows. I like to visualize I'm surrounded by a white light, a white healing light. And you simply follow your breath. And now, of course, thoughts are going to come on in and you let them float on by. And you always just come back to your breath. And, you know, you can repeat, you know, a word like release on the inhale and relax on the exhale. You don't have to. It's helpful to a lot of people just to, you know. Brendan Bouchard has a bunch of videos on meditation on YouTube and one he calls release. So for 20 minutes, you just quietly repeat the word release as you're focusing on your breath. And it's nothing more than that as far as clearing out your mind and something, you know, listen, it might not happen right away for you, but again, it's with consistency. It's like working that muscle.

Yeah, you get better at it, no question about it.

And I have gotten better at it. Another thing I like to do is I like to set an intention before I start my meditation. And I kind of ask my guardian angels if you believe in that. And I do, in my spirit guides to share their wisdom with me. You know, guide me and show me the highest vision for my life. Tell me anything I need to know for my highest good. And then I just say, I surrender now. And I go into my meditation. And when you really go into a deep meditation, something amazing happens. You really feel the universe expanding. And it's. That's when my best ideas have come. Sometimes they don't come right, then maybe they come a couple days later. But I find when I'm consistent with the meditation, the breath work, reciting my positive affirmations on a daily basis, doing my goal setting and my journaling, that life flows easily. When I'm not doing these things consistently, it does feel that things are.

More challenging. You know, when you feel like you're just kind of beating your head against the wall and nothing's really connecting. And you're allowing yourself to get worked up over things. And.

These are great stress relievers. And with our stress, incredible society now and the amount of dis. Ease we have, I think it's really critical more than ever with the technology, etcetera, to just take this time, get into nature, tap into these things. You'll really, really benefit.

Yeah, I don't know if we were really designed for looking at screens all day, were we? Especially little tiny ones.

Yeah, shoulders. And I even say when you're. If somebody is unfortunately having to sit at a computer all day, I highly recommend they set their little alarm for like every 30 minutes and get up and do a couple of these drills. You can even do them sitting down.

Like there are some great apps that just go right onto your operating system and. And then they. One's called Health. I don't know, I took it off, it kept annoying me. I hate to admit it, but it was called Health something and it was in the Apple app store for the computer, for the Mac. And so that's great. You know, I want to ask you about two more things before we wrap up. Number one is Beachbody and your involvement in that giant product, I mean, and your own infomercial. And just kind of get a little feedback on that. I mean, you have one of the longest running infomercials, right.

I can't even believe it. Sometimes I just pinch myself because, you know, back in 1998, when Carl Daikler started Beachbody, he. He enlisted Tony Horton, you know, the creator of P90X and myself to create the very first program. There were little 10 minute workouts, you know, no big deal. Tony was in the background of mine and I was in the background of his and it was called the Great Body Body Collection. And you know, this is back in the VHS days and they were very successful. So he had Tony create Power90, which was their first big infomercial success. With that success, he came to me to create this six week structured weight loss exercise program called Slim in six. So it is a six week structured program where I take you from a beginning level to an advanced level in that six weeks. But you are working out with me six days a week for six weeks. It's a full body workout. I believe in low impact, high reps, light resistance. So my program is about shrinking, you know, getting nice long, lean muscles. But again, no nonsense, no weird choreography and things like that, just straightforward. And I believe that's why it's been so successful and it's helped hundreds of thousands of people. I feel blessed hearing from them every day. And now, you know, my 14th infomercial is currently international. I just, you know, got somebody tweeted out a screen grab of my infomercial in Australia, and I had a resurgence in the uk I believe it was the number two fitness program and still is, I believe. And now Beachbody finally has gone digital, so they have their Beachbody on Demand platform. So if you go to my website, which is debbie siebers.com you just click on Beachbody On Demand in the toolbar, and for $38 only for three months, you have access to my program and every single one of the many, many, many extraordinary programs with Beachbody.

Yeah, excellent. And I also want to ask you about the kind of a interesting part of longevity and that is, And I noticed on your website, that's why I'm bringing it up. And that's the concept of beauty. Does this matter? I mean, I think it does. I think our self perception is kind of a big deal. And I, you know, I, you know, obviously psychosomatic medicine has been proven to be true back, you know, from the days of Norman Cousins and Anatomy of an Illness and, and forward and how we view ourselves. Do we view ourselves as youthful or do we view ourselves as aging? And I'll tell you, my. My late grandmother, I mean, she'd live to be, I don't know what she about 96. So, you know, pretty, pretty good for that. You know, for being born so long ago. Of course now, hopefully, I think everyone listening would be 96 at least. But, you know, she, she. She was planning to die for half of her life. And she was always talking about how her friends were passing away and getting ill. And I'm like, oh, my gosh, Grandma, stop talking like this. You know, even she couldn't end her life faster with her negative thinking, you know, And I love my late grandmother. She's wonderful person. But, you know, it's really kind of a lesson of like, you know, you're as old as you think you are. It's. That's not complete bs. And when you look in the mirror, do you see a young person or an old person? And you know that that's a feedback loop, isn't it?

Oh, absolutely. I mean, we're talking about. We're living in the age of the selfie. I mean, everybody is just obsessed and self absorbed.

I'm not saying that's good, but no.

And I feel like, honestly, for me, the beauty comes from the inside. So when I talk about beauty and the fountain of youth and all those things, you know, if people don't think that I look my age, which I'm always so appreciative to hear that, but I feel it's because when you tap into that inner light, that inner beauty, I think that shines through. And again, if you're taking better care of yourself by drinking enough water and eating those fruits and vegetables and making sure that you're getting the right supplements.

And those are the water rich foods. So yeah.

Yes, correct. I mean that's gonna, you know, make a big difference in your appearance, in your skin, in your hair. You know, how again, how can people expect, I always am amazed by this, to, to eat like deep fried food and junk food and sugar 247 and have a good self image because that's not what's going to be reflected back. A because you're not feeling good about yourself. There's no way you can be confident and feel, you know, like you're in integrity with yourself. Like your ethics are in, you can be in denial certainly. But I feel like when all those things are addressed and you are living with self respect and integrity and, and treating your body well, that you do live a happier, healthy life. And plus you're motivated in inspiring others really without even your knowledge, just by your own actions and the way you live your life can spill out and affect so many people around you. So I say, you know, embrace this life. We only have one and you can definitely lead a better quality life.

Doing all these things that we're talking about and just by being more aware. And I do think self beauty or just the whole image like you said, is important because you feel better when you look better. But when people do my program, I make it very clear this isn't about trying to get to some Perfect idealized size 4. You know, this is about exercising to be healthy and fit and it clears your head and increases your energy and you just feel better. And when you feel better, I think you do better and everybody in your life benefits from it. So that's my philosophy is kind of accept yourself the way you are now and then just knowing that every day you're just striving to be the best you that you can be. Because all listen, we're all unique, special individuals and we all have something to give and to offer and, and just being grateful for our blessings and for the people that love us and, and put your focus on giving back and being compassionate and kind with each other and I think this world would be a better place, don't you?

Well Debbie, thank you so much for joining us. Go ahead and give our your website and then you know any just quick final thought you have.

Okay. Well it's been a pleasure, Jason. I've really enjoyed it. My website is www.debbie siebers.com. my last name is spelled S as in SAM, I E B as in boy, E R S as in Sam. And you can also check out my blog and check out the recent trip I took to South Africa. I developed a grassroots program that's going to be integrated into the schools there to help impoverished young women and I'm very proud of it. And there's going to be a link soon to the entire program which will be available for charitable contribution. And if you know of anybody or a school or a neglect and abuse shelter that you might see it benefiting from, that would be wonderful.

Excellent. Debbie Siebers, thanks so much for joining us.

Thank you. Have a wonderful day.

This show is produced by the Hartman Media Company. All rights reserved. For distribution or publication rights and media interviews. Please visit www.hartmanmedia.com or email media artmanmedia.com Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own and the host is acting on behalf of Platinum Properties Investor Network, Inc. Exclusively.