November 29, 2009
Couch potato no more!
Yesterday, Bailey and I did our first workout of the couch to 5K program – yay!! It’s been a long time since I worked out regularly, but I’m now committed to getting back in shape. The fact that I’m going to gain weight anyways (hello IF-meds?) is no longer an excuse – I need to be healthy in preparation for our upcoming pregnancy! The couch to 5K program is a great way to slowly get to where I want to be (running a 3K, 5K, and maybe even a 10K someday)! So yesterday’s first workout started out with a 5-minute “brisk” walk, at which point I was like, puh-lease, this is so easy, I should just run for the 20 minutes.
Good thing I didn’t, lol! The whole point of the program is to gradually increase your stamina so that it is not such a shock to your body. So yesterday’s workout consisted of the 5-minute walk, then 20 minutes of alternating a minute of jogging and a minute and a half of walking. By the 15-minute mark, I was really feeling the pain. It didn’t help that it was FREEZING and GUSTING wind. So, I ended up walking the last 5 minutes, but all in all, I felt like it was a pretty successful first workout.
One question though, for any of you fitness buffs out there (Jess? ;-)) – what does it mean when the skin on my legs (thighs mostly, even up on my hips) gets crazy ITCHY? Am I not getting enough oxygen or something? I used to have exercise-induced asthma (hence the reason I just don’t run), and I noticed it again yesterday. I’m not going to use that as an excuse this time around though…calling the doctor on Monday for an inhaler! But besides my wheezing and thighs-on-fire legs, it went great! 😉
April 9, 2009
The man-handle
We’ve recently started a new program at work – HR has negotiated an agreement with a local yoga studio to provide classes in the office, at a discount. I signed up, along with one of my coworkers, and we’ve been doing it for the past few weeks, every Wednesday at noon. The first few weeks were what you expect from a yoga class – calm, peaceful, and a lot of stretching. Then, this Wednesday, we got a new instructor.
He was a total riot, cracking jokes the whole time, and distracting us enough that we didn’t realize that we were actually working, and HARD. All was well until we started doing back-bends… Mr. Comic-Yogi begins by explaining that back bends shouldn’t actually put all of the pressure in the back, and tells us to sit and watch him for a minute.
So he lays down on his back, bends his knees and asks “What’s the highest point on my body?” “Your knees…” Right.
Then he lifts his hips off the floor (just a bit, not high) – “And now?” “Still knees…” Yes.
Next he pushes into a back bend with his belly in the air, and all together the class says “Stomach.”
Then he says “Now if I shift my weight towards my hands, now what’s the highest point?” “Your chest?…” Yes, chest and shoulders.
“Now, if I shift my weight towards my feet, what’s the highest point?”
I’ll leave to your imagination what was the highest part at that point…! The room went dead, everyone refused to state the obvious. Seriously, I know we’re all adults, but that was almost more than any of us could stand. I think he finally realized what he had done and quickly says “Yup, my hips – now you try!” LOL!!
Priceless.
Life by the Day 