Fitness Friday

Fitness Friday: Stuck In Rut

1 Comment

Here is the weekly wrap up of my workouts:

  • Friday: Flow Yoga Class; 60 min (counted last week)
  • Saturday: C25k Week 3 Day 2 plus walk 36 min
  • Sunday: off
  • Monday: C25k- stair master-10 minutes; weights 30 minutes
  • Tuesday: C25k Week 3 Day 3 plus walking 35min
  • Wednesday: Day Off
  • Thursday: C25k Week 4 Day 1- 32min; weights and abs-30min

Days: 15/25 Days  14 hours & 57 minutes/15.5 Hours

 

Readers Request:

Lately I have been more on a fitness roll than in a fitness rut and it feels great! I attribute the success and motivation to the incentive program that the Hubz and I started a few months ago and my new gym membership.  However I have surely experienced times of fitness ruts over the years; here are my favorite go to activities:

  1. Walking with the Hubz- Walking is a relaxing low impact workout that can gets your body moving.  I love to go with Neil because we can walk and talk, so it turns from a designated workout to quality time with him.  Honestly some of our walks have been my favorite times with him because we always have the best conversations when we get ourselves outside and walking around. So next time you’re in a rut find a walking buddy!
  2. Workout Videos- I love to do fitness videos when I am in a rut.  There are a number of great videos that are shorter and can help to jump start  (restart) your workout routine.  One of my favorites is Skinny Bitch Body because there are four 15 minute workouts that are dedicated to abs, butt, legs and abs. Other great quick video workouts is Rodney Yee’s A.M. Yoga; it has five 20-minute yoga workouts that target different parts of the body.  Another short video is Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred this is a great high impact workout video that gets you hot and sweaty in only 20-minutes.  I also love Insanity for something a little longer and intense; I don’t do this everyday but incorporate the workouts into my routine.
  3. Try something new- I love to pick a new class, try a new cardio machine or lately it’s been doing laps at the pool. The more variety you have you in your fitness routine the less likely you are to get in a rut.  So next time you are feel in a rut try something new.

What are your go-to activities?

Fitness Friday

Leave a Comment

Good Morning! Happy Friday! This morning the Hubz and I scrambled out of bed this morning to make it to the 6am Flow Yoga class at the Y. It was our first yoga class since joining the Y and honestly we were a little skeptical. We are used to doing classes at a studio which has a different feeling and flow to it. At the Y the class is held in an old gym with a loud air conditioner running and our mats set up in a circle. We went with it though.

Today’s class was particularly hard for me because I’ve been doing so much running and gardening and not nearly enough stretching. At first I was cursing all of the downward dogs in my head because my body was so tight and I eventually had to drop down to childs pose but as the class went on my body became looser, the fan became more soothing than a distraction and I really began to enjoy the experience. After class the Hubz and I had Friday breakfast at the Co-op and discussed the class; both of us agreed we’d like to make it part of our Friday routine.

In other fitness news the Hubz and I have joined the Y and we are loving the ability to run, swim, use other cardio equipment and all of the other great features that the Y has. It isn’t your fancy gym but it works and our needs are met. I also was fitted for new running shoes this week and they are working out great. I highly recommend going to a shop where the staff is knowledgeable and can get you fitted to the right shoe for your feet and body.

Here is the weekly wrap up of my workouts:

  • Friday: 2.5 mile run in 30 minutes
  • Saturday: 500 yard swim (30 minutes), 2 mile walk (40 minutes), Hardcore Gardening (90 minutes), Vigorous Gardening (180 minutes)
  • Sunday: off- so sore!
  • Monday: C25k- 30min; walk 40min
  • Tuesday: walk 30 min
  • Wednesday: C25k 30 min; lap swimming 20 min
  • Thursday: Stair Master and Cybex 35 min
  • Friday: Flow Yoga Class; 60 min

Days: 11/25 Days  12 hours & 15 minutes/15.5 Hours (it’s crazy I’m almost to my goal for hours and it’s not even half way through the month- WIN!!)

Q: Do you have a gym membership? Do you find that it makes you more motivated to workout?  If not what does motivate you?


 

Fitness Friday: What’s Your Favorite Yoga…..

Leave a Comment

It’s Fitness Friday! What have you been doing this week to stay fit?  This week the Hubz and I started a mind body and soul cleanse to help get our bodies ready for a busy summer.  Part of the cleanse is to stay active, here is what I did this week:

  • Friday: 20 cardio workout
  • Saturday: nothing- I spent Saturday cooking, cleaning, demoing chocolate, preparing for a birthday party and hosting a birthday party with only about 30 minutes to sit down and relax. This resulted in my fail of not completing this months challenge.
  • Sunday: 2.5 mile 60 minute walk
  • Monday: off
  • Tuesday: 30 minute yoga burn
  • Wednesday: 30 minute abs & legs Skinny Bitch
  • Thursday: off…..b/c girl reasons had me curled in a ball. TMI.

Days: 4/25 Days  2/15.5 Hours

What’s Your Favorite Yoga….

Mat:

I am honestly a yoga mat hoarder.  My friend came over the other day and walked into our workout room and saw the basket full of yoga mats and stared in shock – asking why do we need so many mats? Well honestly a few are samples that I have received, a few are the Hubz and a few are mine.

  • I have my super old Winsor Pilates Mat which is a thicker spongy mat that I don’t really use for yoga but more for mat workouts.
  • Then I have a Jade Yoga mat that is my favorite however it slips a lot so using it at home is not ideal because we have carpet and when I do use it I always end up at least a foot back from where I started.
  • The next mat I have which I like for power yoga and on carpets is my pRana Mat; it is super heavy, long and is good for more vigorous yoga sessions.  The downfall with this mat is that it weighs a ton and there is no way I could (or would) lug it to and from yoga classes.
  • I also have an Aurorae yoga mat which I don’t really like that much, although many people love it and honestly the Hubz is the one who uses it consistently.  I do however love my Aurorae yoga sport sweat towel and sleep free rosin bag.
  • My favorite mat because it is thin, naturally sticky, light weight and it doesn’t slip is my Gaiam Wisdom Yoga Mat; created from all-natural rubber that’s non-toxic, eco-friendly and biodegradable.   My husband also has  a Gaiam Mat, I’m not sure which one but it is a thicker one and he has a super cheap one he got at Target which is really pretty awful and slippery.

So as you can see I am a yoga mat hoarder; I like each mat for different reasons and use them all for different types of yoga, different floors and depending on my mood. What type of yoga mat do you have?

Type of Yoga:


I have tried Power Yoga, Anusara, Ashtanga, Groove Yoga, Restorative Yoga and community classes which are usually a Vinyasa class. My favorite yoga class to take is  Anusara which is a system based on Hatha Yoga founded by John Friend. I recently just took a Groove Yoga class and it was really an amazing experience.  It incorporates dance and yoga into one class and it gives you a great cardio workout and just lifts your spirit.  Ashtanga is more regimented than I like and after my six week workshop I  have never returned to another class. Restorative Yoga is all about being slow, relaxing, concentrating on the breath and you stay in poses for several minutes.  For me Restorative yoga is my favorite way to unwind, relax and it leaves me feeling like I just had an hour massage.  At home I usually do Rodney Yee Power Yoga, A.M. Yoga, Yoga for Abs and Yoga Burn at home along with some podcasts from yogadownload.com. What is your favorite type of yoga?

Other Posts You Might Like:


Fitness Friday & Nathan Sports Giveaway

42 Comments

This month has flown by, I can’t believe there are only two days left for this months incentive program.  Unfortunately I took too many days of in the last few weeks that I will have workout today and tomorrow to complete the 80% for the month or I will have to do over three hours to complete the 70%….I think I’ll be going with 2 more days of working out. I had taken a break from Couch to 5k due to the fact our weather has been rain, rain and more rain which makes it difficult to get out and run.  The Hubz on the other hand has a beautiful gym at work so he has been doing his C25K on the treadmill at work and is a week ahead of me.  Also in new and exciting news the Hubz an I signed up for our first 5K you can read more about it here. With that being said I am back on the C25K wagon and am taking advantage of the sunny days to get out and prepare for my first 5K.  Okay so lets get to the break down of the past week April 22-28:

  • Friday OFF
  • Saturday 1.5 mile walk and power yoga 1hr 35min
  • Sunday 2 miles hike – 1 hour
  • Monday 20 minute Yoga/Abs/Legs workout
  • Tuesday OFF
  • Wednesday C25K Day 2 Week 1 plus walking- total 4 miles in 58 minutes
  • Thursday- 20 minute Ab workout

Totals: 22/24 days and 14hrs 23minutes/15hours

Friday- TBD

Saturday- TBD

 

Nathan REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

Now that we have discussed the updates lets get down to the good stuff- the giveaway.  I think that this giveaway is perfect for this post and in honor of my first 5k. Nathan Sports just sent me one of their Speed 2 Hydration Belts and Zebra steel 700 mL to try out. The details about the Speed 2 Hydration Belt :

I have been wearing it for running and on our first hike of the season.  I have used other hydration belts before for hiking specifically and they have been uncomfortable and floppy but this one fit perfectly.  It fit snug on the hips to prevent any flopping and it was great because the storage pocket allowed me to carry my ID, car keys and digital camera.  I loved the water bottles; they were easy to access and drink from.  For our short day hike it held the perfect amount of water for one person.  I really am looking forward to using this more on afternoon hikes.  In addition to using it for hiking I also used it yesterday on my run because it was nearly 80F here and water was necessary for my 3 mile run/walk. Again I loved how it fit and didn’t shift while I was running.  I was able to carry my keys, ID and my iPhone which I use for C25K and music.  My only complaint is that I have to place my iPhone in the back pocket which makes it hard to use my headphones because the cord isn’t long enough.  Since  I don’t have another place to hold my iPhone unless I carry it in my hand or wear my SPIbelt (which seams silly)  I guess I will have to get a headphone cord extender.

The second item that I have been trying out is the Zebra steel 700 mL to try out. The details about the Zebra steel 700 mL :

I have tried my fair share of reusable water bottles including Nalgene, Sigg, Clean Canteen, and EarthLust however none of the models of these that I have tried compare to this style of water bottle.  This bottle is perfect for the elliptical because a) it fits in my water bottle holder (my other ones don’t) b) it has a great stray feature which means I don’t pour water all over myself or fall of the elliptical trying to drink oh and c) it looks pretty and has a fun design.  The mouth piece is different too it is very soft and flexible and perfect for to sip through.  I also love that it comes with 2 extra straws so you can switch them out while you are cleaning them or if you need to replace one. The other feature I love is the clip on the top; I haven’t used it yet but I imagine it will be great for hooking on things when traveling or even hiking.

Now that you have fallen in love with both of these items (you have right?) Nathan Sports is going to give one lucky reader both of these items.   Now here is how you enter, oh and this is open to US and Canadian residence and you can enter until May 2nd 10th at 8pm EST.

THE WINNER IS LAUREN!

Mandatory: 

1. Visit the Nathan Sports website and tell me something you learned. (leave a comment below)

Additional Chances to Win (you must leave a separate comment for each)

  • Follow Nathan Performance Gear on Twitter
  • Follow me on Twitter
  • Follow my health counseling on Twitter
  • Tweet “I want to win the@NathanPerfGear giveaway on @cookveganlover http://wp.me/pFVWo-21j”
  • “Like” Nathan Performance Gear on Facebook
  • “Like” Cook.Vegan.Lover on Facebook
  • “Like” Get Healthy With Lindsay on Facebook
  • Leave a Facebook Comment on Nathan Performance Gear saying that you want to win and include http://wp.me/pFVWo-21j


 

Fitness Friday: Staying Active Update

1 Comment

I am happy to say that this week went much better on the workout front than last week.  I was able to get in (most) of the types of workouts that I wanted to and I am feeling good today.  So lets see the results (April 15-21)

– Friday Elliptical; 40 minutes

– Saturday Off

-Sunday Elliptical; 30 minutes

– Monday Elliptical; 30 minutes

– Tuesday Elliptical and Ab/Butt/Leg workout ; 45 minutes

-Wednesday Approx one mile quick paced walk with Hubz; 15 minutes

-Thursday- Elliptical and Core Workout; 35 minutes

 

Totals: 17/24 days and 10hrs 10 minutes/15hours

So it looks like things are on track and to accomplish the 80%Goal I need to do 7 more days (out of 9 -includes today) and 4 hours and 50 minutes (about an average of 42 minutes per day).  It looks like this month is totally do-able for the 80% Goal versus the 70%.

What did you do this week to stay active?

 

Fitness Friday: Staying Active Update

9 Comments

I honestly have been dreading writing this post because it was an off week for me.  Since I last posted this is what my “workouts” looked like:

So here is the break down of April 8-14:

– Friday C25K & Walk 2.8 miles in 35 minutes

– Saturday Walk downtown 1.2 miles in 20 minutes

-Sunday Walk on bike path 1.7 miles in 35 minutes

– Monday OFF

– Tuesday walk with hubz 2.2 miles 45 minutes

-Wednesday OFF

-Thursday- pilates 30 minutes

Totals: 11/24 days and 6hrs 55minutes/15hours

Honestly this week was horrible for me; I feel like I didn’t do any intense workouts which has made me feel a little sluggish and tired today.  I have decided with some encouragement from Twitter that starting tomorrow I am going to be working out in the mornings because it’s too easy to have “something come up” in the evenings.

This evening the plan is to do my Rodney Yee Yoga for Abs because my abs need a good workout and then C25K & a walk with the Hubz.  I also am going to try out my new Nathan Sports Speed 2 Hydration system (p.s. giveaway to come for this!)

Do you like working out in the a.m. or p.m.? What are you doing for a workout this week?