*************** OXYCHAT! ***************
April 6, 2004
*** Happy Easter, Happy Spring! ***
Welcome to the Oxycise! Newsletter, a weekly publication to help you in
your quest for the body you want and deserve!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Are you Breathing? (Right?)
*B* Oxycise! Progress Report
*C* Q & A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Breathing is unquestionably the single most important thing you do in
your life. And breathing RIGHT is unquestionably the single most
important thing you can do to IMPROVE your life. If you're interested in
preventing illness, proper breathing may help you protect against
angina, heart disease, respiratory infections, and fibromyalgia. It will
also help you live a longer, more energetic, and stress-free life." ~
Sheldon Saul Hendler, M.D., Ph.D., specialist in internal medicine, "The
Oxygen Breakthrough"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Are you Breathing Right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just received an email from a customer who talked about the struggle
she has had trying to do Oxycise! successfully. I want to share parts of
her email, in the hope that it might help others who may be having the
same kind of difficulty. As you read her comments below, see if you can
identify any problems.
"About 2 years ago (or more) I got your Oxycise! startup kit and
followed it religiously for quite a while. I always had trouble making
my abdomen suck in during the breath intake. After a while, I just
quit....I feel so awkward doing the Oxycise! My abdomen is hard, but I
can't get it to go in... I just can't get my abdomen to go in on the
uptake of breath, even when I push on it."
I replied to this customer, pointing out that she is tightening her
abdominal muscles at the wrong time.
I want to reiterate for all of us, how important it is to RELAX your
abdominal muscles when you inhale. If you tighten up your abdominal
muscles during the inhale, you simply can't take in much air. One of the
main purposes of Oxycise! is to get lots of oxygen into your lungs -- so
by tightening your abs at the wrong time, you defeat one of the main
objectives of Oxycise! and you won't get your best possible results.
Here are some important reminders:
* Please take the time to watch the Oxycise! introductory tape (or read
the written instructions) carefully. Then re-watch them as many times as
necessary to make sure you understand Jill's directions, including when
to relax and when to tighten your abdominal muscles.
* Remember that breathing is the most important part of Oxycise! The
more effective your breathing, the more effective your workout will be.
* Practice the breathing a lot -- without any body positions. You may
want to practice doing the Basic Breath for a week or more before you
add any body positions. (If you add the body positions before you feel
comfortable with the breathing, you will be giving even less attention
to your breathing technique.) Here's a comment from a customer who found
that practicing the breathing by itself helped her Oxycise! technique --
and her results.
"Just in the first few days of the 'breathing only', I felt a difference
in the way my clothes fit. I think it is so important for people when
they first start Oxycise! to really get the breathing right before they
add the positions. It will make a huge difference." ~ Tina from West
Virginia
Nancy, another customer, said, "When I did the videos I sometimes found
myself NOT breathing right because I was trying to keep up. I like the
commuter tape because it seems a bit slower than the videos. Being a
little slower allows me to really concentrate on breathing the right way
and with gusto!"
* Slowing things down can help a lot. The "Easy Does It" workouts, by
design, move at a slower pace. But you can also slow down your breathing
speed when you practice any other workout on your own. It's not how fast
you breathe that makes the workout effective.... but how effectively you
do the breathing. Get the most from Oxycise! by making the most of every
breath!
"I have multiple sclerosis and find that Oxycise! is the only exercise
program I can follow. My benefits are like the others, better sleep, but
also more flexibility (I have spasticity in my right hip and leg), much
more energy, better moods, clearer thinking, better concentration and
better control of other parts of my body that my MS affects. It also
seems to keep my appetite down to a more normal range and greatly
decreases my insane cravings for sweets. I got these tapes over a year
ago and never did them right or consistently. Then in late Sept. I made
up my mind to give them another try and to make it count. That's when I
figured out that I wasn't doing the breathing right. The other benefits
I mentioned became apparent immediately and were enough to keep me
hooked for life. Now on top of all the other great stuff, I've lost 13
pounds in about 13 weeks and several inches!"
Kathy Abbott
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We'd love to hear about your Oxycise! results!
mailto:julie@oxycise.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*C* Q & A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How do you know if you're breathing right? Is there a special feeling
or some way I can tell?"
The inhale should feel deep and peaceful and relaxed... like taking a
drink of cool, refreshing water. The air should enter deep into your
lungs and your abdominal muscles (your tummy) should be totally relaxed.
As you inhale deeply and fully, let your tummy expand freely. The air
doesn't actually enter your stomach -- it's just pushing down on the
abdominal cavity a little as it fills your lungs. If you put your hands
on the sides of your waist, just under your ribcage, you should be able
to feel the expansion as your lungs fill.
Right after the inhale you should tighten and "Lift" your abs. This is
very similar to the muscle contraction in your abdomen that happens
automatically when you cough or sneeze. The difference with Oxycise! is
that we want you to learn to control it and be able to maintain it. You
might try "faking" a cough and see if you can identify the muscles that
contract. Doing this several times may help you discover how to relax
and then tighten these muscles. You should work to maintain the muscle
contraction throughout the 3 sniffs, exhale and 3 extra puffs. Then
relax the contraction for the next inhale.
"I'm having problems taking in 3 sniffs while my abdominal muscles are
tight."
This is totally normal -- and it's supposed to be difficult! It's hard
to take in extra air when your abdominal muscle are tight -- that's why
you don't want to tighten up during your inhales. But after the inhale
you don't need a lot of extra air because your lungs should already be
full. What you are doing is just trying to "top them off" a tiny bit.
Your abdominal muscles are actually working against the power of your
diaphragm as you try to take in some extra sniffs. That's what makes
this step a great toning exercise for the abs!
"I don't have any air left after the exhale to do 3 extra puffs...
should I take in a little more air before the puffs?"
No, don't take in extra air at this time. The whole purpose of this step
is to TRY to do 3 more puffs, even if your lungs feel totally empty. In
fact you should try to completely empty your lungs on the exhale --
don't try to "save" air for the 3 puffs. When you feel like you don't
have any air left after the exhale, then try to do just 3 little tiny
puffs. This makes your abdominal muscles have to tighten to try to
squeeze a little more air out. Another great ab toner!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REMEMBER: You have a magnificent body. Treat it right!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jill Johnson
Oxycise! International, Inc.
PO Box 262022
Littleton, CO 80163
*************** OXYCHAT! ***************
April 13, 2004
Welcome to the Oxycise! Newsletter, a weekly publication to help you in
your quest for the body you want and deserve!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Yes, You CAN Exercise!
*B* Oxycise! Progress Report
*C* OxyTIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I have used Oxycise! now for about 3 years and have lost over 60
pounds. I have back trouble and have found it to be one of few exercise
programs I can consistently utilize." ~ Mary from Rock Island, Illinois
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Yes, You CAN Exercise!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bad knees? Bad back? Arthritis? Recent surgery? Asthma? Fibromyalgia?
Pregnancy?
You don't need to let any of these conditions stop you from getting
quality exercise!
If you think exercise is only for those who are already "fit and
healthy", think again! Oxycise! is a an exercise program for people of
all ages and fitness levels -- including those who don't like to
exercise, or haven't been able to exercise in the past.
If you have a health problem be sure to check with your doctor before
beginning an exercise program. But there's a good possibility that
Oxycise! will be the perfect solution for you. We have received many
emails and letters from Oxycise! customers who have achieved great
results in spite of various health problems. (See www.oxycise.com/Success/index.htm#Health
)
We have ten different workouts, from beginning levels to more
challenging.
( www.oxycise.com/store/catalog.htm )
Can't get down on the floor? Our "Easy Does It" workouts have no floor
positions. They're also great for those with knee problems -- no
kneeling positions! And if you think you're too old to get in shape,
think again! Many of our customers are in their sixties and seventies --
and older! Our "Easy Does It" workouts are perfect for seniors! (
www.oxycise.com/EasyDoesIt.htm )
"Thanks so much for the Oxychat newsletter further clarifying the
breathing technique. I had wondered, myself, about some of the same
details. I'm now better equipped to get the most out of my Oxycise!
sessions. These first three months have already yielded better health,
sharper mental processes and a small loss of overall inches and pounds.
Not bad for someone who really didn't change her eating habits at all.
Guess that proves that metabolism really is affected by Oxycise! Who can
beat a program that produces that kind of results out of a 15 minute
investment each day, when I don't have to go anywhere or even change
clothes to accomplish the workout?"
Becky Alderman
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** THERESA ***
(Theresa, THEN and NOW)
July, 2002
"Hi. My name is Theresa and I've been Oxycising for about 2 months now.
I love it. I am noticing quite a difference in muscle definition in my
legs and arms. Also, in my neck and sides of my face. Yippee!!!!!!!!!
"I'm 46 (soon to be 47) and am happy to say that this is the very first
thing I've tried that I've maintained enthusiasm about beyond the first
month.
"I am at the point in my life where I am taking hormone replacement for
early menopause--and even with the 'puffiness' during the hormone 12
days, I still see results. So, thanks a million!!!
"After reading your 'helpful hints' on your email--I realize that I HAVE
been breathing kinda backwards-- my belly was going IN when I breathed
IN. I'm gonna work on that. Thanks for the tips. Isn't it great, though,
that I'm still getting the results otherwise. It's terrific.
"Thanks Jill Johnson--for giving me something I enjoy doing and more
importantly, something that works."
Theresa Poprocky
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
~~~~~~~~~~
February 13, 2004
"Hi Julie:
I just wanted to put in my 2 cents regarding the benefits I have
experienced---other than the obvious firming and inch loss.
"I have chronic sinusitus---have had it for years. Usually I dread the
Winter season in Pittsburgh, because of all of the damp, cold days from
December through May. And, until I read that comment I hadn't made the
observation. While all of my family and fellow employees were
down-and-out with a horendous flu, bad cold, sinus problems, allergy
flare-ups, etc this year....I have had nothing....not one symptom this
winter...zero!!!!
"I was also doing Oxycise! last year from Summer through Fall, and
stopped around the Thanksgiving holiday. Almost simultaneously I
contracted a bad cold. Then got a sinus infection and stopped oxycising,
for fear of breathing that "gunk" too deeply into my system. Well, that
was dumb, because I've been doing it ever since I got over that dreadful
cold, and have not had any problems since then.
"Even if I didn't experience the firming-up, and inch loss, and energy
gain, etc....the sinus/allergy relief is enough for me to keep on
breathing! Thanks so much for the education and help in achieving this
"bliss!"
p.s. My menopausal hot flashes have subsided significantly too. Amen!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We'd love to hear about YOUR Oxycise! results! Please write!
mailto:julie@oxycise.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*C* OxyTIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having problems mastering the breathing technique? Go BACK to basics!
QUESTION:
I just got the latest weekly newsletter about doing the Oxycise! breath
properly. I was wondering if it would be OK or even beneficial to learn
and practice the OxyBreath while lying on my back on a carpeted floor. I
have a hip problem that doesn't allow me to balance easily or equally
(bilateral) when standing, and I don't feel like I can expand the breath
as fully as I would like when sitting. So I thought that lying down
might be the best and most relaxing way to learn proper technique. What
are your thoughts about this? Thank you. ~ Cindy, Minneapolis
ANSWER:
Hi Cindy, Yes, that's a great way to practice the breathing! It actually
forces you to breathe correctly, by using your diaphragm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liz writes:
April 7, 2004
"I was helping my neighbor learn how to breathe right during her
Oxycise! workouts. She lifted her shoulders and could not get her
diaphragm to do the work. As a professional singer I finally told her
about a technique I learned to sing properly. If you lay on your back
you automatically breathe correctly. I had her lay on her back and
breathe, concentrating on what her body did naturally and it worked
wonders with her ability to breathe correctly during the exercise."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REMEMBER: You have a magnificent body. Treat it right!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jill Johnson
Oxycise! International, Inc.
PO Box 262022
Littleton, CO 80163
*************** OXYCHAT! ***************
April 20, 2004
Welcome to the Oxycise! Newsletter, a weekly publication to help you in
your quest for the body you want and deserve!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Oxycise! Can Help with the Ups and Downs of Life
*B* Oxycise! Progress Reports
*C* OxyTIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When I Oxycise consistently, my moods are much more consistent and I
become a much more optimistic person. I also find it easier to tackle
hard emotionally-grounded issues for myself when I am Oxycising." ~
Sarah
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Oxycise! Can Help with the Ups and Downs of Life
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you take time to read through the "Success Stories" on our website
(
www.oxycise.com/Success/index.htm ) you will see many
testimonials that mention improvement in mental outlook and feelings of
well-being. Many people have said that Oxycise! makes them FEEL better
emotionally....less moody, less stressed, more happy. Some of them don't
notice this effect, though, until they QUIT doing Oxycise! for a period
of time -- and notice that something is suddenly missing!
Several customers have commented that Oxycise! has helped them through
PMS and depression.
But we must add a caution here: True depression is a serious illness,
caused by an imbalance in the delicate chemistry of the brain. And
untreated, depression can have fatal consequences. The good news is that
it IS treatable! So if you or a loved one are suffering from chronic
feelings of worthlessness, sadness, or "blues" that just don't go away,
please see your doctor. And if you are currently taking antidepressant
medications, be sure to follow your doctor's advice exactly. Even if you
start to feel better, do not change your dosage or stop taking your
medication without first talking to your doctor.
Oxycise! can be a great way to help you feel more energetic and alive,
and to combat the day-to-day stresses of life. It can also be part of a
healthy lifestyle as you recover from clinical depression. But don't
rely on Oxycise! alone to "cure" true depression... be sure to combine
it with professional medical care.
"I last E-mailed you I think in August or September of 2003, but it will
be a year April 22, 2004 since I discovered and started Oxycise! So yes
you can use this in any your newsletters if you wish.
"My mom and I did very well last year. We both lost 15 pounds and some
inches. We didn't change our diet that much, other than cut back on some
sweets and tried not to each anything after 7:00 pm.
"Mom went for her physical and for a stress test at her heart doctors
just recently, and all tests came back great. She credits a lot of it to
Oxycise! Normally the doctors find something to complain about but not
this time, so we were excited. My physical doesn't come up until
September so hopefully mine will come back good to.
During the holidays, yes we got busy, and of course didn't Oxycise! like
we should have, plus all those goodies that appear out of nowhere. So we
both did gain 3 pounds back, which wasn't too bad considering.
"January came, we got back with the program, Mom has lost the 3 pounds
plus 2 so she has lost 5 pounds since January 1st. I have only lost 2
pounds of the 3 but I have lost about 4-1/2 inches since January. So we
are back on track.
"We both still have 10-15 pounds to lose, or if the inches come off that
would be great too.
"We have all the Oxycise! tapes, the Easy Does It Series 1-3 and all the
regular levels 1-4, Buns and Thighs 1 and 2, Abs and Upper Body. So we
switch off each day, so that we have a different exercise workout each
day...
"Thanks Jill and Julie for a wonderful program that isn't that hard to
do and it works. There are a lot of people I am sure could benefit from
Oxycise! if they only knew about it. We try to spread the word where we
can...
Take care and as Jill says, "KEEP ON BREATHING".
Debbie & (Mom) June
Lakewood, CA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*** DOTTIE ***
April 14, 2004
"Hi Julie,
This is my first week working with my Oxycise! workout. Right now I am
concentrating only on the breathing part so when I really get into it I
will have no doubt that I am breathing right. I am one of those who has
just about everything wrong with them, but already I am breathing much
better only after one week. I am 68 years old and I am still trying to
bowl and I am happy to say that already I can bowl three games now
without getting tired on the third game I am so glad I found you on my
computer, and I can honestly say I will be during this excise program
until I can no longer manage to do it. I am also diabetic and already I
can see a difference in my blood sugar reading and it is in my favor.
LUV IT, LUV IT LUV IT!!!!!!!"
"It is worth every penny and then some."
Dottie
Toledo, OH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We'd love to hear about YOUR Oxycise! results! Please write!
mailto:julie@oxycise.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*C* OxyTIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As mentioned in previous newsletters, the "Pelvic Tilt" position, taught
in Level 1, is a great way to practice doing the breathing correctly. In
this position you simply lay on your back, with your knees bent and feet
on the floor. As you exhale you should "scoop" in with your abdominal
muscles and think of pressing your lower back toward the floor. (Be sure
to relax your abdominal muscles when you inhale!)
Velda from Utah writes:
"I just wanted to say I find the laying down basic tilt the best
position (for me) to really feel the Lift and work on it. I do the Level
II workout and after its over, I just lay there, breathing in the Basic
Tilt while reviewing the positions. This trains me to "Lift" properly,
reminds me of good form for the positions, and gets me several minutes
of extra Oxycise breathing!"
:) Velda
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FLEX THOSE MUSCLES!!!
When you do a workout, don't just stand there and copy the body
positions --
Stretch, flex and really FEEL your muscles working!
The more energy you add -- to the breathing AND the positions -- the
better
your results will be!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REMEMBER: You have a magnificent body. Treat it right!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jill Johnson
Oxycise! International, Inc.
PO Box 262022
Littleton, CO 80163
"No gym, no contraptions-- just me, air and my breathing" ~ Kacey
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*A* Athletes Who Oxycise!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How does Oxycise! measure up against traditional exercise?
Just ask some of our athletic customers who have tested Oxycise!
for themselves:
Meet Debbie, a 10k runner,
Craig, a champion body builder,
Lisa, a personal trainer,
Megan, a retired dancer,
Sue, a certified fitness trainer...
and others!
I thought it would be fun to feature some candid comments from our
website message board this week. (Names have been withheld to protect
the "victims")
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"In 9 weeks of Oxycising, I've lost 6 percentage points from my body
fat."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I was getting in a few Oxycise! workouts over about a month, but it was
just in the past week that I got down to business and did it every day.
Thanks to all your encouragement!! I lost 1/2-inch from thigh and 1-
3/4 inches from my stomach."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I am into clothes I didn't think I would wear again, not sure why I
kept them but glad I did. Thanks Jill"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I just found my old fitness journal from 2 years ago. At that time, I
had lost about 35 pounds (all of which I eventually gained back and then
some) by doing a pretty radical diet, doing aerobics 5 days a week and 3
days a week of strength training. According to the measurements I kept
in that journal, my waist measurement now, after 8 weeks of Oxycising
(and eating somewhat sensibly) is the same as it was when I was 30
pounds lighter and doing the diet/traditional exercise. My other
measurements (bust, hips, etc.) now are the equivalent of when I was 15
- 20 pounds lighter at that time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Over the last several weeks I have been perplexed because I have been
gaining, not losing. I have not let up on Oxycising, and tried to be
careful about eating most of the time. I feared measuring, so I haven't
in a long time. Today I decided to face the truth and measure. I looked
back over my records and to my surprise, My measurements are exactly the
same as when I weighed 7 lbs less! I had increased my Oxycise! sessions
to prepare for my volcano climb, plus other vigorous exercises. Then
after the climb I went up 2 more lbs. It's muscle mass! I guess my fat
has not decreased lately, but I have gained muscle. Whoooo Hoooo!
"So from this I learned the importance of keeping records. As Jill says,
"Keep the score, Know the score...."
"Instead of discouraged, I am more excited than ever!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I knew my hubby had done Oxycise! a few times, but he told me yesterday
that he'd been Oxycising quite a bit on the sly for the last couple
weeks. Yesterday morning, he put on a suit coat he hasn't been able to
fit into for quite a while. Not only did it fit, but there was room to
spare!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My oldest son does O! while he's working, especially when he's driving
a truck or tractor by the hour and not getting enough physical exercise.
He loves Oxycise!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"My mother whom I bought the East Does It series for, she has lost about
40 pound in about 6 months. This is the only form of exercise we've
found that she can do. I know she is much happier and her doctors are
too. She is still O!ing hoping to tighten and firm up skin."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Two of my friends have been inspired by the results I've had. They both
ordered O!, and one has lost 16 pounds in 1-1/2 months doing Oxycise!
and Weight Watchers."
We'd love to hear about YOUR Oxycise! results! Please write and share
with us!
mailto:julie@oxycise.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*C* OxyTIPS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When you do your exhales, try "aiming" the air flow at your chin so you
can feel the air on your skin. This serves as instant feedback as to
whether or not you are putting power behind your exhales. Remember to
work your abdominal muscles!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REMEMBER: You have a magnificent body. Treat it right!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jill Johnson
Oxycise! International, Inc.
PO Box 262022
Littleton, CO 80163