Fitness Rx for Frigid Weather

I was jonesing to go to the pool yesterday and I even took a survey of some folks at work and asked if they had been to the pool and, if so, how was the water. They were, like, well I didn't get in the pool but people were swimming.

Alas, I didn't go swimming because it was just so freaking cold outside and if the water was going to be even a little chilly, it just wasn't going to work. I can't exchange cold for cold right now.

I felt the same today. Since I had a day off from work, I had absolutely no incentive to trek to the gym. I pulled out my workout DVDs and decided to do Walk Your Way Slim; only, I put in another DVD by mistake and I ended up doing Walking Pilates (Calorie Burning Workout).

I struggle with doing workouts at home because I feel like I'm not doing enough if I can't ramp up an incline or level but I need to remember that some movement is better than none at all. Plus, I needed a lighter workout today because my abs, arms and thighs are still tender from Tuesday's Boot Camp class. It's times like today when I tell myself to chill out and breathe. Relax, 'Drea. Breathe.

On The Calorie Lab website, I saw that there's a new show on TLC called One Big Happy Family. I went to check out a preview and was surprised when the mother, who weighs 380 pounds, thought she was going to work off a generous portion of pancakes and butter in addition to some funnel cake by frolicking at a water park. With the number one resolution being weight loss, I should not be surprised.

Tameka Coles should check out this feature in Fitness magazine, an eye opener regarding what it takes to work off indulgences. I'm assuming that this family will get educational support à la The Biggest Loser contestants.


Hopefully, I can catch One Big... at the gym where my cable subscription resides. ;)

This blip in TV Guide still inspires me.


Over at My Good Cents, I saw that you can get a Biggest Loser and Subway Workout Mix for free.

The Biggest Loser and SUBWAY® Workout Mix

Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis

American Boy, Estelle

Umbrella, Rihanna

Stronger, Kanye West

4 Minutes, Madonna

Love Story, Taylor Swift

No Surprise, Daughtry

Sugar, Flo Rida

Paparazzi, Lady GaGa

When I Grow Up, The Pussycat Dolls

Second Chance, Shinedown

Damaged, Danity Kane

Vive La Différence

I got quite the Groupon deal about a week ago so I was looking through The Heights' brochure to see what time I could lap swim when I saw that The Heights was also offering free fitness classes this week.

Free Fitness Week
So many fitness classes, but which ones are
right for you? This is your opportunity to try some
classes with no strings attached. January 4-10,
all land-based and water-based fitness classes
are FREE! You don’t need to register, but come
early; classes can fill quickly. All classes during
the free week meet on their regularly scheduled
day and time.

On tap at The Heights at 6:00 p.m. was Boot Camp class or I could go to my regular Tuesday class, Step and Muscle.

Did I have the stamina for Boot Camp class? See, with other classes, you might not know exactly what you're in for but with boot camp, you know that you're going to get your butt kicked.

I decided that I can always go to my gym for a class but The Heights would only have free classes this week. So, Boot Camp it was...Plus, I could go to REI and Whole Foods afterwards. How's that for incentive?

It's a little daunting to go to a class when you don't know anyone and you don't know what to expect because every instructor conducts class differently. I was standing a little bit off to the side when the instructor, Joy, beckoned. She explained to everyone what was going on. She had about 30 or 35 stations set up with an orange card that designated an exercise to be done for one minute but, first, we warmed up -- stretching while walking then we took a couple of jogging laps around half of the gymnasium. I was already feeling it.

When we finished warming up, Joy played like a preacher at church who tries to get people to move to the front rows. Initially, I was at the step station then the wall squat then the Superman and, as we filled in the gaps, I ended up being at a front raise station with eight pound weights. Other stations included:

Bicycle
Burpees (new nemesis)
Calf Raises with Side Lifts (with weights, eight pounds)
Chest Fly (on fitness ball)
Crunches
Dead Lift (with weights)
Fast Feet (on/off straddling of the step)
Ham Curls with Fitness Ball
High Knees (higher, higher)
Jump Squats
Jumping Jacks
Jumping Over The Line
Plank (on hands -- butt too high at first)
Plank (on forearms)
Scissor Legs
Side Plank (right, alignment issue initially)
Side Plank (left)
Ski Hop Move (my wording)
Squats
Step (heel touches, four risers)
Step (right, four risers)
Step (left, four risers)
Triceps Dips
Waddle-like move with resistance band
Walking Plank with Step Platform

I'm not going to lie. I took a time-out at, at least, two stations. There's no ifs ands or buts about it, I got worked out in an old-fashion manner and girlfriend said that she is always mixing things up. I hope to see you all on Thursday, said the Boot Camp instructor. Vive la différence, I guess.

Month-End Review, November

10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix (Simple Slimmer), 1 x

10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts (Upper Body), 3 x's

Adaptive Motion Trainer, 4 x's

Bicycling, 2 x's

Boot Camp Class, 2 x's

Raking Leaves, 2 x's

Rock Climbing, 2 x's

Rowing Machine, 2 x's

Shooting Hoops, 3 x's

Spinning Bike, 2 x's

Sport Wall, 1 x

StairMaster, 2 x's

Step Class, 2 x's

Swimming, 6 x's

Treadmill (with bouts of jogging), 7 x's

Tread Wall, 1 x

Turbo Kick Class, 1 x

Walking Outdoors or on Indoor Track, 3 x's

Water Aerobics, 1 x

I had a whole lot of fun this month and I pushed myself, possibly, harder than I've ever pushed myself before.

I delved into classes, a form of exercise that I've previously shunned and I actually went to a step class this afternoon. There was a substitute teacher but I had no comparison because I'd never been to the original teacher's class. She (never caught her name) apologized for her lack of step instruction. We ended up doing quite a few jumping jacks as well as working with weights and a resistance band and we worked out so hard that we fogged up the windows. ;) I definitely dug the waddle move with the resistance band; we all looked like penguins, for sure.

If I only learned one thing this month, it's that class instructors love jumping jacks. And my other valuable lesson? Always keep Epsom salt on hand.

Check Your Body

The Thanksgiving Day boot camp at the Carondelt Rec Plex was packed but, by the end of the class, at least 20 people had dropped out.

Check your body. I didn't really hear why we were checking our bodies because the music was kind of loud but I assumed that the instructor meant it in the mind/body connection way and not check your body because San just wrecked it way.

Oh my, San was all about the jumping jacks and squats. I think we did 100 plus jacks and just as many squats. We also did burpees and I'm going to go ahead and say that burpees are not my favorite form of calisthenics.

The 50 minutes of San's boot camp seemed to last forever and the camp class was the last one to leave the Y. It was weird to see all of the cardio equipment at rest.


I swung by Jay International because I had everything that I needed for sweet potato puree except for a lime. I used olive oil instead of butter and agave nectar instead of honey. Calories-wise, agave and honey are alike but, supposedly, agave's glycemic index is lower than honey's.

Love this little two pound bag of sweet potatoes that I got from Trader Joe's -- not too big and not too small.






I oogled the gingerbread cookies at Jay International because it doesn't hurt to look.

Boot Camp: The Aftermath

I was planning on going swimming this morning until I woke up and tried to sit upright and found that my upper body (pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi and teres major or something like that) was on fire with soreness. I immediately nixed the swimming plans.

When I sneezed today, I felt it my abs and braced myself since I usually sneeze in threes. When I laughed, you guessed it; I felt it all in my abs.

When I raised my arms to dress myself, ouch.

Looking over my shoulder while parking caused a whole new awareness of my mid-section.

The treadmill was my friend today.

I guess Tracy didn't lie when she said that she was dishing out a whole body workout.

Do You Know Where Your Core Is?

That was the question posed to the boot camp class by the instructor Tracy.

I'm not one for group exercise but I went to check out the new Carondelet Park Recreation Complex or, as I like to call it, the city-funded YMCA and, since I've been curious about boot camp style classes and one was being offered on Saturday, I didn't think that a better opportunity would present itself. It was really good timing because only eleven people were in class.

Not only did Tracy help locate our cores, she also showed us à la Diana Ross who was the boss.

Tracy, who is a great instructor, struck all the right notes. The class was challenging yet fun.

We tossed around a three pound weight while moving rather rapidly in a circle. My friend Lori was not crazy about the tossing of the ball; I think she might have had a flashback from her dodgeball playing days.

We did that football-jogging-in-place-crouch then sprawled on the floor. We did planks, push-ups, burpees, squatted with our backs against the wall and, at one point, we compressed ourselves ball-like and rolled on the mat. Lori's squat form was excellent according to Tracy who also made the rounds to check our jabbing intensity level with a punching mitt. I love props almost as much as I loved the sensation and echo emitted when I connected with the punching mitt.

I've been rocking steady with exercise for about two and half years now and I almost felt as if I had never done one moment of cardio. I was worn out but definitely in a good way.



Update: After taking the boot camp class, I took a few laps around the track and it seems that another blogger caught me in stride with my new blue Danskin Now top on. It really is a small world after all.