Sleep. After a long, stressful week, I'm already looking forward to it; laying my head to the pillow and drifting off, only to wake-up tomorrow revived and alert. And based on a great deal of research, much healthier, too.

The amount of sleep a person gets on average has bee linked to weight gain/loss. Scientists from the University of Michigan studied the relationship between sleeping and eating, creating a formula to calculate how many calories a person can cut from their diet by sleeping 8 hours a night instead of 7. It was discovered through the use of their formula that replacing a mere one hour of idle activity with sleep can result in a calorie reduction of 6 percent. Why is this? Because people tend to eat when they are bored, plain and simple.

So, if someones hanging around the house, maybe watching a late-night broadcast of Flash Gordon or An Uzi at the Alamo ;), chances are, they will reach for a bag of this or a bowl of that. By instead putting head to pillow a little earlier, you can save yourself some unwanted calories -- and even burn some more while you sleep.

By the way, I know a 6 percent reduction in calorie consumption may not seem like a lot. But, over year's time, that means losing about 12 pounds!!

Finding time to work out is just one of the many daily hurdles we face in our quest to remain healthy. Another is finding the motivation. For some, this is just something they are able to muster up on a moment's notice. For others, it takes some sort of outside stimulus, be it a tangible goal (such as wanting to be a healthy role model for your kids) or something more abstract (like a song you listen to that amps you up). Whatever it is that stokes your inner fire, even if it seems stupid or foolish, do it.

For me, music works well, but movies are what really seem to keep me motivated. Maybe that's because I'm a filmmaker myself, or maybe it's just because I feel inspired by certain films. Whatever the case may be, the end result is that I become mentally prepared and excited to work out after watching the following four flicks:

Rocky. The soundtrack, the training sequence, and even the promotional tag line ("His Whole Life Was a Million to One Shot") are enough to make me want to run the stairs of the Philadelphia Museum of Art ... starting from California.

Hoosiers. Such a great, great film. Even though it takes place in the 1950s in Indiana, it definitely brings me back to those grueling after-school practices with my high school basketball team. Stepping on the court and running a few games is easy after watching Coach Dale lead Jimmy Chitwood and their small-town Hickories to the state championship.

An Uzi at the Alamo. This film probably won't inspire anyone other than me, because it's a comedy that has absolutely nothing to do with fitness. But, since I'm the one who made the film, it serves as tangible proof of my hard work paying off in the end - something I am then able to apply to my efforts to make it to the gym. For my first film, and having made it on such a small budget, it's amazingly not half bad.

300. I can't think of any other film that features so many people in such great physical shape. If any of you guys out there are looking for a fitness role model, you have a full 300 to choose from in this movie. It's personally inspired me to try the Spartan 300 workout, which turned out to be a brutal assault on my body. Felt great.

Well, those are my four. What about you? Which movies really get you pumped up?

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