Happy Pi Day all!!!

The last two days have been a crazy whirlwind of activity for this gal! Between happy news on the work front and some craziness in the personal life, I’m starting to feel my grip on reality getting tighter again.

But, most importantly, my activity update! I know you’ve all been waiting patiently, so here it is:

Day 9

Monday was a pretty crazy day at work and the weather here was all over the place. So, I decided to keep it simple and just head to the gym for a run. 45 minutes on the elliptical machine. It felt good.

Day 10

Hatha Yoga Day! One of the best days of the week. I admit, yesterday my partner and I snuck out a few minutes early to grab some patio time at the wine bar across the street. I only had a glass with a few hours to kill before yoga, but it sure made the class even more relaxing. i don’t advocate drinking and working out…but this spring fever had me in its grips and I just couldn’t say no! Class was really nice too, we did a lot of restorative yoga poses. It gave my body a chance to relax and release the tension in my body.

NJTGND

I’m sorry, I’ve been a told slacker on posting. Unfortunately, I’m dealing with some personal issues that are taking up my time. I’m sure I’ll be sharing them with you once things get straightened out. But for now, here’s how the last few days have played out…activity-wise.

Day 5 (Thursday)

This was another semi-nice day, so I spent more time outdoors with the dogs. My flat-coat retriever LOVES playing fetch with the football, so I spent a lot of time doing that and running around with my Golden/Hound mix. For the record, I love big dogs. I have two big babies now. I recently lost my black lab to cancer. But enough of that tangent, I’ll share more about them later. After, spending some time with them, I decided to do a little at home workout. Basically, squats on the Bosu, push-ups (on the ground & with my feet on a balance ball), and a series of crunches. I kept it pretty simple, but I definitely felt sore the next day!

Day 6 (Friday)

Friday I decided a trip to the gym was a necessity. I headed to the gym to take on the 30-minute circuit. I love the circuit, it’s 20 stations that include 10 cardio and 10 weight machines, they alternate, starting with weight machine. It’s a great workout, gets my heart rate up and is a nice weight workout. Each station is timed for 1-minute with 30-second in-between. For the weight stations, I do a slow set of 15 reps. I do the circuit a lot, so, I have a cardio set that I like to do, it is as follows:

Cardio Station 1 – Step up and down starting with my left foot

Cardio Station 2 – Step up and down starting with my right foot

Cardio Station 3 – Uneven squats – right foot on step box

Cardio Station 4 – Calf raises (stand on edge of step box)

Cardio Station 5 – Uneven squats – left foot on step box

Cardio Station 6 – Squats- both feet on the floor

Cardio Station 7 – Calf raises (stand on edge of step box)

Cardio Station 8 – Step up and down starting with my left foot

Cardio Station 9 – Calf raises (stand on edge of step box)

Cardio Station 10 – Step up and down starting with my right foot

Day 7 (Saturday)

Saturday was the same as Friday. I know, not too exciting, but I was feeling pretty blah and it’s an easy workout to do, not much thinking involved. I also cleaned the house, which is a pretty good activity too. You burn calories when you are cleaning!

Day 8 (Sunday)

And back to Sunday! It’s been one week since I started! Plus, Sunday is ATS belly dancing day! Another great class learning new moves and a kick butt conditioning class. In fact, my booty is sore today from staying in “dance posture” for so long yesterday. I love feeling a bit sore, it means I worked hard.

Now that I’m all caught up, I’ll do my best to make sure I update you every day! I’m usually pretty good about it.

Tonight is going to be a gym night, I think I’ll be running.

I hope all is well with you all and I’ll be back in full swing soon!

NJTGND

After work, I got home and spent some time in the yard playing with my furbabies. They were so happy to have a nice day to play for an extended time in the yard. I threw the ball and frisbee plenty for them yesterday.

Not quite sure what my plan of attack for today’s activity will be. I’m thinking maybe a trip to the gym for the 30-minute circuit. It’s a quick and intense workout.

And I know, I still owe you a post about the 5-step hip opener. Just wasn’t in the cards yesterday.

TTFN!

NJTGND

If you haven’t read my, “A Note on Being Bendy” post yet, it’s about my love of hatha yoga and its benefits.

Last night was a pretty typical yoga class. I was surprised that we didn’t do the Full Moon Salute, especially since it’s almost upon us. However, we did do one of my most favorite yoga exercises/poses, the 5-step hip opener. It’s a great exercise that, you guessed it, opens the hip and helps increase hip flexibility. That a huge benefit as we get older, it keeps us moving around better.

And, well, it helps in the bedroom too. Having flexibility in your hips allows you to get into and hold more positions! Just sayin’!

If I get a chance later today, I’ll post a basic overview of the 5-step hip opener.

Love ya!

NJTGND

Full disclosure: I’m not a full time vegetarian…I like bacon way too much. But I do enjoy vegetarian and vegan food from time-to-time. Actually, I try to eat meatless at least one day a week. I’ve come across fun and healthy ways to do it. The Savvy Vegetarian site is one of my favorites, the sweet potato lentil soup is also very yummy.

Here’s the link for the quinoa chili:

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/quinoa-chili.php

If you try it, let me know if you like it!

NJTGND

I’ve been feeling like a sloth lately, I’m sure the weather has played into that some, but it’s time for me to start moving again! My goal is to do some type of activity for 31 days straight. It doesn’t always have to be some huge trip to the gym or a fitness class. It can be as simple as taking a walk or playing in the yard with my dogs.

Day One

My 31 days started on Sunday March 4th. I am taking American Tribal belly dancing with a conditioning component on Sundays. This past Sunday was the first in the new session. Class starts at 10am and runs for an hour followed by the conditioning class at 11am for 30 minutes. This class is amazing. Not only am I taking it with one of my nearest & dearests, but it’s a fun way to exercise. I get my heart rate up, learn moves that focus on muscles that don’t get used that often, and it gives me the opportunity to examine how my body moves creating a great deal of self- and body-awareness. I always end up with the good sore feeling the next day.

Day Two

Monday March 5th was just a simple trip to the gym. I purchased new running shoes on Saturday, so I was excited to break them in. I spent about a hour doing interval training on the elliptical. I start by setting a good pace for the first 5 minutes, my goal is half a mile in 5 minutes. Then I start adding in intervals with sprints, running backwards, and running forward with slow down down minute in between. By the time I reached the 45 minute market, I had run 3.5 miles. Not my best time, but it’s been awhile and I’m happy with that given it wasn’t just a straight run. My goal is to move to the treadmill and then outside once it warms up a bit. Eventually, I’d like to do a 5k.

I’ve also started back to the healthier diet again. I made quinoa chili Sunday in the slow cooker to have for the week, dinners and lunmches. Last night I baked some chicken to go in a fun salad that is mixed greens, green apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, nuts (optional & whatever nuts you like), craisins (I got the cherry ones), a small crumble of feta, and raspberry walnut dressing. Plus, lots of water!

I’ll try to find the link for the quinoa chili and share it. It’s really good!

NJTGND

It really amazes me how many people still think the only reason I do yoga is to maintain flexibility for sexual reasons. Let me reassure you, it is not completely true.

I’ve been taking Hatha Yoga for about 10 years now and it’s one of the best things that I’ve ever decided to start and continue. I love that it’s 90 minutes once a week that I focus on me. I clear my mind, turn off the distractions, and relax. The focus on breathing and poses that allow you to stretch and release muscle tension has taught me how to be a calmer person. Don’t get me wrong, I still get angry, and when I do, you better go to church, light a candle and pray. But I’m not nearly as quick to anger, I keep a level head during “crisis” situations (personal and professional) and have a much more positive outlook on life.

Recently, I started spending a lot more time at the gym. I’m in my early 30′s and decided that I need to be healthier. I’m not necessarily concerned about losing x pounds or building tons of muscle mass, just want to live a long, healthy life. That being said, I’ve dropped about 10 pant sizes in the last year and have toned up. Yoga has helped keep that new muscle tone long, lean, and flexible. It also helps after those long sessions at the gym.

I encourage everyone to try yoga. There are many different styles and you have to find the one that suits you and your needs best. I found the one I love, and I’ve tried others (hot yoga like Bikram is super intense). Despite my many reasons for loving yoga, I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t help in the bedroom too!

NJTGND

Love you all,
NJTGND