Okay! *brisk clap* New exercise goal! The new plan is to continue to exercise three times a week for about half an hour–but to gather a selection of choices so I will be less bored/discouraged. I’ve got jogging/walking as one possibility (not “to 5K” anymore, but just jogging and walking for half an hour), and then I added a Tae Bo DVD, and this morning I tried a new DVD: Crunch Super SlimDown Pilates Yoga Blend With Ellen Barrett. Sounds like a cereal, doesn’t it? Or a trail mix, maybe.
I’d never tried pilates, and in fact I was saying it “pie-LAY-tees,” so saying “pih-LAH-tees” feels like saying vahz instead of vase. I’d tried yoga only once, and quit after about 5 minutes of irritating music and irritating spacey white chick who was clearly under the mistaken impression that getting in touch with her ancient spiritual side made her less of an irritating spacey white chick. Um, no offense, irritating spacey white chicks!
This DVD was way better. The instructor is nice, and she didn’t irritate me, and her instructions were clear and had to do with the exercises rather than anything I was supposed to be doing with my mind or anything I was supposed to be “becoming one” with. You know how some instructors seem as if what they’re saying and doing represents the entire contents of their brains? Ellen Barrett seems more like this is her job and even her life’s work, but that she could probably participate in other activities or say other words.
The difficulty level was perfect: I couldn’t do all of the exercises, but I felt reasonable hope that I’d be able to if I kept working on it–and I could do enough of them that I didn’t feel like I’d wasted 30 minutes squinting at the screen trying to figure things out without getting any actual exercise.
I would like to point out that I am awesome for persevering with this, especially since my weight! it continues to climb! This is so wrong! I am clinging to what Black Sheep said in the comments section of the post on weight–that exercise is still good, and that it is still making my heart and lungs happy, even if it is making me spit death at the scale. Fie on you, scale! Pistols at dawn, you bastard!
Still good! Still good!
I used to do a yoga/pilates DVD that would totally kick my ass, and also my tummy got hotter. I agree that some yoga people are awesome and some are ridiculous. I went to a class with my best friend in college and we practically had to leave for our giggling, but other classes I’ve been to were so awesome and strengthening and helpful. I just rented a yoga thing from Netflix, in hopes that I can help myself relax and ease some carpal tunnel (it worked before!).
Yoga is awesome. Exercise is awesome. You are awesome!
Yay for you!
I’ve never done yoga but I’m looking into a prenatal yoga class.
I think this is really smart–and they say that varying the type of exercise you do is also good for you. I have also abandoned the concept of ever actually being able to run a 5K, and have been more or less sticking with the Week Three workout combined with weight lifting, as the workout continues to remain difficult but not deadly for me.
Maybe I’ll look into a DVD like yours, too. I’ve never actually worked out in my apartment before. How much space do you need to do it?
I love pilates, it has really done wonders for my core strength which has made a difference in pretty much every activity that I do. Plus, it has improved my posture and, now, maybe I won’t look like a humped-over old woman before my time. Maybe.
Please keep us posted on what you think of your new exercise variety. I’d love to try different DVDs but I hate wasting money when the hosts end up bugging the shit out of me. I have low tolerance, I realize, but some of those people cannot be human!
We have a lot of different exercise DVDs, including 2 sets of The Firm, several prenatal yoga/pilates/other stuff, and a few TaeBo/Crunch DVDs. By far the TaeBo (or other Crunch workouts) is my favorite. I’ve never really done pilates though, so I’ll be interested in seeing how you like it after a while. It is a good idea to change it up a bit. I have to do that or I get completely bored and stop exercising all together.
You show that scale who’s boss.
Pistols at dawn. Ha!
I was going to form a New Exercise Plan this week, but then the holiday fell on a Monday, and everyone knows that you have to start on a Monday. So I’ll have to wait until next week. It’s out of my hands.
As heard in Adam Sandler movies: “YOU CAN DOOO EEEET!!!”
Hey, we must be on the same wavelength. I just posted about how I convinced my husband to join a gym so I don’t have to go to all those women ones alone anymore! Woot. Go me!
Back in shape I go. Kicking, screaming, cursing, and spitting.
i wish i coulda heard you say pielaytees i would have pissed myself. thats awesome..only you would find a way to reference pie and exercise at the same time mmmm pie……dammit now i want pie
I’m with Tessie – you have to start new excercising plans on a Monday. So I’ll be starting over (for about the thirteenth time) on Monday.
Jess- I’ve never been good at estimating space, but the Tao Bo one needs enough so that if you stand in one place and kick your leg out as far as you can, you won’t break anything, plus enough room to take a couple of little steps and then punch. The pilates/yoga one, you need enough room to be totally stretched out on the floor, and I kept running into trouble with that, having to turn different ways to try to fit.
Shelly Overlook- Also, pretty soon I have Every Single Thing they say memorized, and I start wincing before each stammer and mistake. Urg.
Tessie- I agree: there’s nothing you can do about that. It’s not YOUR fault there was a holiday Monday.
my sister SWEARS my pilates. she used to be a hardcore classical ballet dancer and actually got stress fractures on her spine (!!!!) from all the dancing she was doing (FRACTURES! on her SPINE!!). they sent to her pilates for treatment because it’s so good at strengthening your core muscles. like, around fractured spines, for example. but she LOVED them, and has been doing pilates on and off ever since. i swear she had an 8pack when she was doing pilates hard core. (note: you have to be skinny enough that one could see an 8-pack if one were to have one, which is my problem. i like to convince myself that i totally have ab muscles… uh… under there.)
Good for you, sticking with it, mixing it up. I do NOT have the patience for yoga or pilates, which is too bad because they can really work. Plus you can do those when the weather is bad. I got dressed and all ready to run with the boys this morning, and it was drizzling. So we went back inside, ate breakfast, then went out again. I loaded them up in the jogger and DAMN, it started raining again. Then I said Fuck This and changed back into my pjs. Which is how I am spending the rest of the day.
Pistols at dawn! Awesome. I laughed out loud.
Erin- It was clearly a Sign From Above that today was a pjs-and-no-exercise daY.
I used to do workout videos daily (mostly The Firm series) and they really did work. All my videos were on VHS and when our machine died, I got rid of them. I bought a pilates DVD about 2 years ago and have not opened it. It’s still in its original wrapper, sitting beside the Nike yoga “kit”. Good for you for persevering with the exercise. I’m keeping up with the walking and the stairs, but nothing else.
TOtally awesome! I was trying to work out every day. I got to where I resented the workout as a requirement, even one set by myself. So I am trying every other day, or so. The scales are not showing rapid weight loss, but they are showing a little. Now I need to work on my eating habits. (note: they’re not too good.)
And yes, love AND a Leatherman, of course.
As a Pilates teacher (I think we’re officially supposed to capitalize it since it was Joseph Pilates’ last name and all…), I have to say YAY Pilates! If you stick with it, you really will see results.
And even though I’m a teacher, I’m also a harried mom so I do videos as well. As soon as I start saying the words along with the overly perky instructor, I turn the volume wayyyyy down and put on some of my favorite music. I’ll usually be a bit out of sync with the video but it doesn’t matter b/c I know the moves and just need the reminder and motivation of the video being on.
It’s great to mix it all up! Good for you! And Pilates is really awesome, and does work quick, too!
I agree. It’s still good. Put that damn scale away! HIDE IT!!! It will just piss you off. Take it back out in a couple of weeks to see your progress and then PUT IT AWAY again. ;)
I love Pilates, not so much with the yoga.
It is good for you! And good on you for adjusting your routine so that you’ll be more likely to continue! I think that’s why most people quit their exercise programs: they choose something they don’t like to do and force themselves to do it until they hate it so bad they quit. Of course, this comes from someone who enjoys running and swimming and crazy stuff like that.
But I digress. Way to keep at it! You can do it! I’m rootin’ for ya! And thanks for the tip on the DVD. I think it would be fun to try pilates but hand’t figured out whose DVD to try. I’ll give hers a shot.
Dude, the exercise is still good for you. I swear, even with the weight loss and other benefits, the biggest thrill I got from exercise was going to the doctor and hearing them pronounce that my blood pressure and dropped, and that my resting heart rate was “astonishing.”
That felt better than any number on the scale, I promise you.
Ok, I have to admit, I’m a little sad that you are dropping the C25K thing, because man, you were my brotha, and we were in it together, sort of… and I thought I’d be dropping out first, so now I wonder if I should drop out now… But NO! I MUST! KEEP! RUNNING! And, as I’ve said before, a “program” is a better way to go for me than doing something on my own.
That said, I think your new plan is good! And I haven’t done Pilates, but I do like yoga. I’ll even admit to liking the “mind/body/spirit” bullshit that goes with it.
And, as others have said, varying exercise types is best. So Great job!
Swistle,
First of all, amen to doing what works for you in the exercise department. Ultimately you’ll stick with it longer if you are enjoying yourself (or at least not hating every moment), but then again, I’m about the last person who ought to be giving any kind of fitness advice!
Secondly, referring to your comment about dreaming that Elizabeth and Harper were playing together. . . just let me know the next time you and Elizabeth are driving through Ohio and we’ll make it happen! :-)
I cannot agree with you more – I have revised my workout “schedule” 5,678 times to no avail. There is never enough time, energy or motivation to get me going. You mean I cannot lose weight by sitting like a slug on a couch watching reality TV?
It is good to read others struggles but SO much better to read about your triumphs because that is what really motivates! I want to lose 12 lbs before I get prego with babe #2…
I am also “trying” Weight Watchers VERY unsuccessfully… You mean to tell me that eating an entire ream of ORGANIC peanut butter cookies actually counts toward my points?! But… but they’re organic!
I cannot agree with you more – I have revised my workout “schedule” 5,678 times to no avail. There is never enough time, energy or motivation to get me going. You mean I cannot lose weight by sitting like a slug on a couch watching reality TV?
It is good to read others struggles but SO much better to read about your triumphs because that is what really motivates! I want to lose 12 lbs before I get prego with babe #2…
I am also “trying” Weight Watchers VERY unsuccessfully… You mean to tell me that eating an entire ream of ORGANIC peanut butter cookies actually counts toward my points?! But… but they’re organic!
I cannot agree with you more – I have revised my workout “schedule” 5,678 times to no avail. There is never enough time, energy or motivation to get me going. You mean I cannot lose weight by sitting like a slug on a couch watching reality TV?
It is good to read others struggles but SO much better to read about your triumphs because that is what really motivates! I want to lose 12 lbs before I get prego with babe #2…
I am also “trying” Weight Watchers VERY unsuccessfully… You mean to tell me that eating an entire ream of ORGANIC peanut butter cookies actually counts toward my points?! But… but they’re organic!
Marie- Let’s not call it “dropping out,” let’s call it “customizing”!
I am going to have to try Pilates. Sounds like what I need to be able to stand up straight now that my back is totally giving out every other day.
Keep up with the exercise, soon you’ll be strong enough to launch that pesky scale all the way to south jersey where it will never be seen or heard from again.
p.s. baby names are up. :)