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Healthy Tips Blog 

a Fitness Reloaded publication.

Maria Brilaki, the founder of Fitness Reloaded, writes about living a gratifying life with a vibrant body & an open heart. She has been featured in MindBodyGreen, Chicago Tribune, Star Tribune, Women 2.0, and Think Traffic.


She is a Stanford Engineering graduate, an MBA, and a certified personal trainer. Learn more.

Category Archives: Workout Tips

Episode 90 – The two major exercise breathing techniques & the one rule you should never break.

[Shh...There is a dirty secret below. But I cannot tell right now.] “Inhale through the nose, expand your lungs, exhale as you push your body back in the starting position….Now repeat again. Inhale though the nose…” I could never understand the emphasis on breathing during exercise. Why all those different breathing techniques? Wasn’t it enoughRead More

Exercise during long-term travel: The ultimate guide

Exercise during long-term travel: The ultimate guide

You are packing your bags ready to travel the world. You leave most of your stuff behind. Along with stuff, you leave your friends, family, and…your gym membership. At least for a while. You put on your backpack, check you have your airplane tickets with you, and shut the door behind you. There is oneRead More

The BIG FAT MYTH that fitness experts wish they knew earlier.

The BIG FAT MYTH that fitness experts wish they knew earlier.

I asked the professional fitness community what they wish they knew earlier…The tip that really stood out was that the conventional wisdom of “No pain, no gain” is a BIG FAT myth. A myth that deters people from moving forward, and a big fat lie that has become an obstacle in their own training asRead More

Are you accidentally ruining your posture by exercising?

Are you accidentally ruining your posture by exercising?

I recently had a conversation with a friend. She was asking for some exercise tips in order to make her body appear more proportional: She wanted to help her upper body grow a little bit to balance her lower body. Through our little chat, I discovered that her gym workout plan was not helping herRead More

Need a flat belly? 3 reasons why you should AVOID ab exercises.

Need a flat belly? 3 reasons why you should AVOID ab exercises.

Meet Tony. I recently had a chat with him. I asked if he exercised… “No, but I know I should…” patting his (beer?) belly at the same time. You see, having a nice physique is almost equal to having a flat belly! That’s what people want! Yet, they approach it the wrong way. They goRead More

Expert Interview: How to get lean in 8 weeks with Marc Perry from BuiltLean.com

Expert Interview: How to get lean in 8 weeks with Marc Perry from BuiltLean.com

Are you struggling with exercise? Would you just love it if you had a specific program to follow that would guarantee you results in a few weeks? Well, this is what Marc Perry from BuiltLean.com will talk to us about today. Marc used to be in super-shape when he was a college athlete. However, heRead More

Episode 61: How to lose fat – The unconventional approach.

Episode 61: How to lose fat – The unconventional approach.

Ok guys.. It’s time to be honest. I know you want to lose that fat from your thighs or that fat from your belly…Or, if only you could re-arrange it? E.g., take some fat from your belly and spread it throughout the body? Oh that would be great. Except it’s impossible. Unfortunately losing fat isRead More

Episode 58: How to workout when you don’t have enough time to exercise.

Episode 58: How to workout when you don’t have enough time to exercise.

Most of us have a weekly workout schedule. We are at least “supposed” to follow it….You see, life is quite unpredictable and it’s just natural that sometimes we won’t be able to make it and stick to our schedule. Like that time when you had to stay longer at work… Like that time when youRead More

Efficient exercise routines: Just 16 min workouts – 3 times a week

Efficient exercise routines: Just 16 min workouts – 3 times a week

Hello Fitness Reloaders! I am happy today to present you Samy Peyret, the author of one of my favorite fitness books “Max Capacity Training“! Samy advocates working out in high intensity for 16 min, just 2 or 3 times a week. That’s all! Just 48 min every week and you are done! Plus, his systemRead More

Episode 44: How to warm up and cool down

Episode 44: How to warm up and cool down

Hey Fitness Reloaders! Today’s episode explains how to warm up and cool down. In short, my advice is to do the activity that you plan to do in a lower intensity. Example: If you plan to go out running, then start by walking for 2-5 minutes. See the Episode for more! Cheers!Read More