Closed

There is this website http://www.hunch.com/. You ask it a question, and then it asks you a couple questions, and then gives you a response to your inital question. That sounded a little confusing, but it isn't I promise. I am also not sure how much I trust this site to make decisions for me, but it can be entertaining when even your bills are blocked on your company computers. So knowing that my gym is closing for 9 days I asked what my ideal workout is:
1. Spinning
2. Step Aerobics
3. Bikram Yoga
Wild Card:Pilates
They all sound great to me! So I am still trying to get a step on ebay or some equivalant. I am going to shop and walk home from work tomorrow, so maybeee I can find one for cheap. My gym has them, but I need a DVD to show me how to use it! I might just splurge while my gym is closed and try out some classes at surrounding studios.

My 7 miles went pretty well yesterday. According to http://www.mapmyrun.com/, I ran 7.46 miles (which could be off by some) and according to just glancing at my phone to check my start/end time I ran it in 69 minutes (again accuracy?). Anyway I am not running for speed, just trying something new out.

Finally, I want to do some spring/summer cleaning and get rid of a bunch of stuff I don't use/need. I was thinking of selling some of it on e-bay, but I got burned pretty bad with my e-bay addiction last summer. I ended up buying 3 counterfeit copies of the Sex In The City Series before quitting and going to Best Buy. If anybody have some e-bay tips I would love to hear them! If not, I think I might just go to The Salvation Army and donate to those in need.

P.S. The Victoria's Secret Semi-Annual Sale starts today! H&M is having a sale. Banana Republic is giving 20% off purchases over $175. Gap has added Athleta to their stores which offers yoga clothes, swim attire, and dresses. J. Crew is having a summer sale. You get it right? It's shopping season! :-)

Pickup Lines and Pole Dancing

I did the elliptical for 23 minutes yesterday. During those 23 minutes, I learned 2 very interesting things that I would like to share today.

Did you know that not only are cheesy pick up lines still being used, but they are working?!?! A group of guys at the gym yesterday were standing behind the ellipticals talking and laughing when one breaks away from the crowd and grabs an open elliptical next to a girl. He turns and looks at her and says, "Hey whats your sign?" Really guy? You think that is going to work? I can't wait until she responds "Get a life". Nope. She says , "Sagittarius. What's yours?" UM. Wow. They then proceeded to have a 5 minute conversation about nothing before he returned to his laughing and howling friends. If we keep letting these lines work, when will they stop using them? Never.

Now for the All-American pass time of pole dancing. I am sorry; "Pole Dance Fitness" as the co founder of the Pole Fitness Association prefers it to be called. This "sport" is being petitioned to be a part of the 2012 Olympics in London. The PFA has 110,000 signatures and counting on the petition so far and they meet the international criteria as "Pole Dance Fitness" is practiced in over 50 countries. The judging would be based on flexibility, strength, height and some other categories similar to figure skating and gymnastics according to PFA. If you would like to try this "Olympic Sport" out check out the Vital Juice FREE Wellness Retreat in New York next weekend for free exercise classes such as:
Strip Bar
Welcome to the happy hour of sexy, hot cardio. This class takes Striptease to the next level with the body bar as your prop. Oh yeah, we’ll make you sweat.

Move over Carmen Electra.

Breathe

AHHHH OK so WORK thought it would be beneficial to offer a stress releving and breathing class today. I had a deadline that I had to make so I rushed (added stress) then went to the class and "released" it. Except now I am stressing out even more. Apparently I eat "dirty" not "clean" because I eat man made products not only natural stuff. I also have "stale" air in my lungs because I do not practice deep breathing on a regular basis. AND did you know that you only breathe through one nostril at a time? The nostril you breathe out of indicated the hemisphere of your brain that you are using. I only use the "left hemisphere" AKA logic, analysis, STRESS. "Right hemisphere" channels creativity, arts, relaxation. By telling me this... my stupid "left brained" self over analyzed it and is stressing out... go figure.

According to this "Harvard Mental Health Letter" I recieved at the meeting/class thing, taking two 90 minute yoga classes a week for 3 moths can minimize emotional distress by at least half of the level before yoga. "At the end of the three months, women in the yoga group reported improvements in percieved stress, depression, anxiety, energy, fatigue, and well being. Depression scores improved by 50%, anxiety scores by 30%, and overall well-being scores by 65%." The claimed benefits of controlled breathing are very bold, such as pulling hositalized depression patients into remission after 4 weeks of 30 min. of deep breathing 6 times a week.

I can really only get myself to focus on yoga when I am in a studio. Bikram yoga is great because I love being in a sauna and bikram yoga is in a 90 degree (or hotter) room so I LOVE IT and you get deeper into poses. The only problem is it is expensive and hard to get yourself to go into a crazy hot room for 90 minutes, but if you can get there you will feel good after.

I tend to set all these goals and never follow through with anything which is why this blog is beneficial to me because I can pledge these goals here and feel like a failure if I do not follow through. Now I am trying to find my way in the world of exercise. I love dance so I am debating purchasing the following DVDs. Please let me know if you have tried/heard of anything about them to help me narrow down my choices.

Graceful:
Patricia Moreno's Yoga Dance Fusion
New York City Ballet (Two Workouts)
Balocity: Cardio with a Classic Twist
10 Minute Solution Pilates Perfect Body
AM Yoga for Your Week with Rodney Yee

Ass Kicking:
Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred
Results: 10 Days to a Better Body
The Firm: The 500 Calorie Workout
10 Minute Solution: Knockout Body! Kit
Kelly Coffey's 30 Min. to Fitness: Bootcamp

So I will find my inner exercise lover by changing up my routines. I need to make sure I do not stick to one type of excercise because this is when I fall into a slump, quit working for a year, hate myself, start back up. Time to take a step back, BREATHE, and figure out a brand new routine for after my race (about 3 weeks away)!

New Bikini Bod

Cheryl Burke from ABC's Dancing With The Stars can finally stop being called fat by the press and producers. She looks GREAT!

According to People.com: "I gained a few pounds and everybody was talking about it last year," the two-time Dancing champ says. "But taking it off was simply a matter of doing a bit more cardio to supplement my dancing. I'm also making sure I eat clean foods and healthy snacks."

Not that I thoughted she looked fat before:

But she does look more toned and it sounds like she's being healthy so good for her :-)

This Week's Workout Overview

Fitness magazine had me take this quiz to find what workout is right for me. The results? and Indo Board. Unsure of what that is? Take a look below:
http://www.indoboard.com/pages/index.php?page_id=training_indoflo_exercises

Clearly Fitness Mag does not care that I have minimal coordination skills and cannot balance when walking on the sidewalk, nevermind this flat board on a tube thing they call a workout.

Since it does not look like I am in the mood to get a replacement hip just yet, I will stay away from the Indo Board and fill you in on what I have actually been doing for workouts this week.

Monday- Walk on an incline for 30 min./Bike for 10 min./Run a mile (to yoga)/Take Yogaburn (60 min)/Run a mile home

Tuesday- Run 3 miles (26 min 15 sec)/ Walk for 20 min./ Left side plank, Right side plank, Front plank (3 sets of 30 sec. each)/ 30 push ups (in a row)

Wednesday- Elliptical 30 min. (interval setting)/ 30 push ups (in a row)/ 60 sec. plank

Thursday- Today I am running 2 miles and then doing my lean legz workout!

Friday- Meeting up with Julie after work to get some gym education from a Certified Personal Trainer pal

Sat- 4 Miles

Sun- REST!! YAY!

Please go check out Mrs. Newlywed's Giveaway! http://misadventuresofanewlywed.blogspot.com/2009/05/basically-im-jealous-of-my-own-giveaway.html