"No pain, no gain"

 Source: Flickr (user godsemerald)

OK, did you read yesterday's entry? That Tracy Anderson workout you were supposed to look at?  Well, if you haven't yet, please do yourself a favour and go check it out!  I did the exercises yesterday, and my abs are STILL burning.  This, blog world, is a good sign that the exercises are working!  You know that saying, "No pain, no gain"?  It definitely rings true!

Another plus?  It didn't end up raining last night (stayed dry until tonight), so I was able to walk almost 2 more miles with my younger brother, B.  Oh, sweet success!

I will leave you with some fitness and dietary tips from Tracy:

• Watch yourself exercise. “Look at yourself in the mirror and critique yourself and your movements as you would a piece of artwork. Have an opinion about how you are moving.”  (and, I'd like to interject, pay attention to proper form!  You can really hurt yourself, damage future efforts, and completely set yourself back if you are lazy about this.)
• Think high reps, low weights. “For me, fitness is all about high repetitions and low resistance. I mean 60 reps with 10 different exercises using weights of three pounds or below.”
• Don’t just switch off while you’re working out. “I have done research about people who think they’re doing movements and people - like Madonna and professional dancers - who are actually ‘performing’ movements. The people who can connect and perform during their workout get results way above and beyond the people who are just going through the motions.”
• Unless you need to lose weight, eat what you want, but sensibly. “I like for people to be not in their heads about eating [i.e. they should not get stressed about it]. Food restriction can become a real mental game and I’m not a fan.”
• If you do need to lose weight, be strict with yourself, however. “I’m not a fan of dairy for women and I don’t like processed foods. Every day I drink a juice with parsley, kale, ginger and apple. I eat lean proteins like fish and chicken as well as quinoa and brown rice.”

Inspired?  Fantastic!  Now, off to work with you!

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry...

Uh oh, it would appear my plans to go walking might not work out tonight... Looking out my window to a Nimbo-Stratus cloud-covered sky that threatens dangerously of a downpour isn't very encouraging!

Maybe the rain will kindly hold off until I'm safely back inside my warm, dry home. What do you think?

Thankfully, I managed to take in some vitamin-D and walk/jog almost 2 miles earlier!

Practical abs and yoga exercises

Here are some simple abdominal exercises from Tracy Anderson; another trainer I like to keep up with.  All you need for this workout are a mat, and some sort of stable resistance prop, such as a wall (like me, if you're inside) or tree (which Tracy uses in the video).

With any type of core work, it's really important to make sure you stretch equally the other way by working your back muscles; so, I followed Tracy's exercises up with at least 40+ reps of 'Superman', then did a good amount of stretching (Upward facing dog, into Downward facing dog, into Cat & Cow, and then Child's pose).

Variations of the Superman pose

 

Dhanurasana - Bow pose

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - Upward Facing Dog pose

 Ushtrasana - Camel/Backbend pose

Urdhvadhanurasana - Upward Bow Pose

Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward Facing Dog pose

 Source of above B&W images: Flickr (user Loratliff)

and finish with Balasana - Child's pose Source: Flickr (user purlingplans)

The many benefits of walking

Walking is a fabulous all-around workout, because it uses your whole body!  It's one of my favourite ways to exercise, since: it can be as light or strenuous as you decide, and you have the choice of going solo or with friends, pets, and portable music (although, I sometimes prefer nothing other than street noise so that I can use it for prayer and thinking/quiet time). :)

"Walking, still one of the easiest, most accessible and least expensive forms of exercise in a world of Aqua Zumba, Kangoo jumps and aerial fitness classes. Most people can do it. If you're physically able, all you need are a good pair of shoes and a safe place to go", says The Washington Post.

 Source: Stock.Xchng (user a2td)

"According to studies done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and many others, a daily walk can cut your risk of death - from all diseases - in half.

People who walk at a moderate 3-mph pace for at least 3 to 4 hours a week (30 minutes a day) have been shown to dramatically reduce their risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, hip fractures, glaucoma, depression and much more.

Plus, a recent Harvard study shows that you can get the same extraordinary health benefits from a moderate walk as you can from high-impact jogging or aerobics." - Excerpt from Bella Online

Today, I managed to track roughly 7 miles (walked with my mum earlier on in the day, and just now, with my younger brother).  A few evenings ago, we found ourselves alternately jogging-running in the rain, but tonight was crisp and clear (and much easier to see, I might add!).

Challenge: Even if you can only get out and enjoy the outdoors for 15 minutes, that's a start.  You will be so glad you did!

Workout for a rainy day

Two-time Olympic Beach Volleyball medalist, Kerri Walsh-Jennings, is a regular contributor to one of my favourite daily sites to follow, called FitSugar.  I was pretty excited when she first signed on as one of their columnists, because she always shares great fitness tips, and even though exercise is her life, Kerri has had to work back into shape after recently giving birth to her second child.
She is also a major advocate for KT Tape (Kinesiology Therapeutic Tape), which is a life-saver when you're hurting and you still have to give your all!

Her latest entry is all about ways to work out inside when it's just not going to happen outside.  Go check it out!

Humble beginnings

Today is a perfect day to start this; I really couldn't have chosen a better one!  The weather around here is crisp and cool; ideal for leaving the doors and windows open while working out (unless, of course, you're doing Bikram Yoga!).  The rainy season hasn't quite begun yet, so I'm still able to alternate between exercising both in and out of doors.

Preface:

Two of the goals of this blog are to challenge myself to stick to exercising consistently (with some amount of daily activity, but concentrated workouts at least 3-5 times weekly), and to frequently try out and review a new fitness DVD.  Since my own DVD library has quite a lot in it, that will be a good place to start.  Your favourite recommendations are as much welcomed as I desire to share mine!

This week's selection is Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism.

In this workout, Jillian packs her usual "punch" (pun intended!).  She incorporates some of her signature moves; using some old favourites, while focusing on her kickboxing past.  The 40-minute DVD is broken down into seven 6-minute circuits;  each circuit is repeated twice before moving on.

I appreciate Jillian's explanation of the different exercises, and how each one correlates to another section of the workout.  She also usually takes the proper amount of time to focus on each repetition, and doesn't move through things too quickly (which would be a major injury risk, for one).

I'll be honest... While I would consider myself a pretty fit person (always w/ room for improvement), this workout is tough (granted, this was my first go at it)!  I'd challenge the fittest people alive to get through this without breaking a sweat -- not happening, when you work out with Jillian!

If you're new or just getting back into regularly exercising, you should take this DVD very slowly.  When Jillian recommends an easier version of each exercise, please take her advice (because she never messes around).  Start small, don't get discouraged, and let any frustration over limitation fuel you to do better next time.  Before you know it, you'll be achieving higher than you ever thought you could!

A brief elaboration on indoor/outdoor workouts mentioned at the beginning of this entry:  Seeing as we're coming into the colder Winter months (meaning much more of a chance of becoming sick!), the tendency is to keep everything closed up to ensure that warmth stays inside.  However, this is why so many people come down with something... The lack of time out in the sun, and fresh air-flow.
Ergo, as long as it isn't precipitating (rain, sleet, hail, snow :)) outside, challenge yourself to still get some much-needed Vitamin-D, and try to keep your windows at least partially open for some of the day.  This lets the air circulate, so that germs and anything else have less of a chance of staying in one place.  Your body will thank you, and you'll be combating illnesses at the same time!

I'll leave you with a totally inspiring quote of the week, from this entry's featured fitness instructor:

"Small investments add up to BIG results."

P.S. It's seven hours after finishing the workout, and my insides are still burning (the good kind of burn, mind you :))!  I'll take this as a positive sign, and see how the rest of this week goes with 'Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism'.