Thursday, August 27, 2009 by Dea.

We haven’t been using our gym membership at all much lately, so we decided to put it on hiatus for a while and try to do a whole home gym sort of thing.  I already own a spin bike, so with that and martial arts for cardio, we’re set on that front for now.

We need more toning equipment.  With that in mind, I hit the Target fitness aisle.  They had a wobble board and stability disk on clearance ($15 for both, yay!), so I bought them and took them home right away to try them.

I should say right here that although I can spin like a pro, I have absolutely no really bad core strength.  I’ve used both these pieces of equipment before, but let’s just say we need to catch up.

Just getting onto the wobble board left me huffing and puffing.  I was pitching every direction, and though I’m embarrassed to admit it, I broke a sweat within 10 seconds.  I tried concentrating on tightening my core - nothing.  I tried holding onto the wall - no help!  I was amazed at how little balance I have.

Good thing I bought that one - I will get my ten dollars worth if I try to improve my balance.  Thankfully, I don’t feel defeated, only determined to do better.

I’ll have to get back to everyone with regards to my stability disk.  I can barely do yoga flat on the floor, let alone with a partially-deflated ball beneath one foot.  Baby steps.

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Wednesday, August 5, 2009 by Dea.

It can be pretty confusing to head down the fitness aisle at the local mega-store.  There are so many fad fitness movements, it’s hard to know what works and what is just an empty promise.  Getting fit at home can be done, though.

The most important things for getting fit are raising heart rate and strengthening muscles.  If you think about it, you can even do this in your home without any equipment at all.  Run in place, do squats and pushups, lift cans of soup - these are all good ways of starting out on the path to better physical fitness.

If you’re looking for a bit more challenge, here’s the best way to get a good workout at home - without breaking the bank.

1. Invest in an Exercise Ball.  You can train core, legs, and arms using these.  They aren’t just for crunches anymore, and trainers swear by them.
2. Invest in some resistance bands.  They’re easy to find, easy to use, and they don’t take up much room.  Another bonus?  They’re affordable - Target even has a set as low as $10.  Not bad, considering how expensive dumbbells and weight sets can be.
3. Invest in an exercise mat.  They’re great for crunches, floor work, and stretching.  I keep mine by the tv so that I do crunches and leg lifts while watching my favorite shows.

Those are the basics you need to do a full body workout in the home.  Aerobic work outs are as simple as walking down the street, climbing your stairs, jogging in place, or putting on some music and doing grapevines.  If you want more variety, many cable and satellite providers have fitness channels and on-demand type shows.  Or you can buy a video.  Anything that keeps you interested will help keep you motivated.

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Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by Dea.

It is so frustrating being a female trying to stick to a healthy eating plan.  If you’re also trying to lose weight, it can be downright torture.  Every month we get a nice glitch in the works.  The period.  I think we need a new name, because “period” doesn’t sound evil enough.

First, you get the lovely water retention.  I don’t know about everyone else, but I can gain up to 9 pounds of water weight in the course of a day.  Then you get the drive to eat.  And eat.  And eat.  For the first day, I’m completely ravenous.  I can’t figure that part out, because, really, what is the benefit of eating incessantly?  Finally, there’s all of the physical aspects of this time of the month.

It’s hard to drum up the energy to get on exercise equipment, or even to leave the house for fear of embarrassment!   I’m not trying to be gross, but I’m sure a lot of women can relate to that day or two where you don’t want to be further than 20 steps away from a bathroom.

It’s unfair.

I’m trying not to let myself give in to the urge to lay and eat, though.  I have weights, a swiss ball, and a spin bike at home.  I  am going to work out here, where even if the embarrassing does occur, I’m home and no one will be around to witness.  I am also trying to ignore all those nasty cravings.  It helps that I don’t really have much junk in the house right now.  I didn’t plan on that, but I’m glad it happened this way.  I think I will try to remember to set the house up this way for next month.

I guess my advice, then, is to prepare your house for days like these.  Have some hand weights and bands in the house.  Get a video or piece of aerobic equipment.  Be prepared and have some things on hand so that you have no excuses for not getting in even the quickest work out.  You don’t have to go to the gym to burn some calories.  And you’ll feel better after moving, both mentally and physically.  Working out releases endorphins, which help with cramps and headaches.  Getting your blood moving will help with blood flow and make the whole ordeal move along faster and easier.  Burning calories will help offset any cravings that win, and working out helps curb appetite.  So it is a win-win situation.

So with that advice, I should get off the computer and get on my bike.  What are your tips and tricks for dealing with that time of the month?

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Monday, August 3, 2009 by Dea.

They aren’t the “bee’s knees,” either.  I had to take a week off from exercising because I sprained my knee.  And unfortunately, the story isn’t exactly exciting.  I was sitting in a chair.  Yeah, that’s right, apparently sitting in a chair is now dangerous activity for me.  People with osteo-arthritis are prone to weird strains and sprains like this.  Lovely.

After a week off from exercise, I’ve been eager to get back into motion.  Eating healthier is only half the plan for me.  I need to move more so that I will be able to move at all, if that makes sense.  Keeping my knees healthy may help me avoid surgery for a nice long while.

Today I tried  some deep water aerobics.  Basically, it’s the same sorts of moves as normal water aerobics, but in the deep end of the pool with a floatie to keep your head above water.  It’s zero impact, which is great news for anyone with joint problems, arthritis, or who want to start exercising but feel clumsy or too heavy to do anything with impact on the joints.  I love it.  If you can find a class, I highly recommend it.  I’ve taught water aerobics, so I was winging this on my own while my five year old played shark beside me.

It felt very, very good.  Moving, tiring out the muscles, and bringing up the heart rate was a nice change.  I don’t hurt either.  I know it’s not as much of a calorie burner as tomorrow morning’s spin class will be, but this is a good change of pace.  It has a lot of benefit for toning, and for core muscles.  It also has the huge plus of being in the pool, and I love the water.

My physical therapist said that was a really good thing to have done.  He worked on my traitorous knees, and I left feeling stronger and more relaxed.

Next up, I’m thinking of trying Pilates.  Stay tuned!

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