Tag: Yoga

Beachbody’s PiYo Starts Today!

Piyo-2

**CRACK!**

That’s the sound my lower back decided to make when I was washing my face last week. You read that right: Washing. My. Face! I mean, I knew once I turned 30 that things would start to fall apart. Limbs would hurt more. Running would require lots of stretching afterwards. My body would require more TLC. But for heaven’s sake, washing my face is not a strenuous activity! In truth, I think the intensity of a weekend filled with hiking put some strain on my lower back, and washing my face was just the straw that broke my back… *sigh*. Of course, my right knee has been a nuisance and my upper back has tweaked more than I’d like. The status quo for me these days includes an injured [insert injury location here]. Clearly something had to be done! But what?? Continue reading “Beachbody’s PiYo Starts Today!”

Yoga: 40 is the new 30

90XScreen-4Isn’t Orange the New Black or something like that, according to the hit TV show? If that wasn’t enough, 40 is the new 30. And this post has everything to do with yoga. Random!

Yesterday was the last day of my self-imposed yoga challenge. The deal I had with myself was that I would do 30 yoga or stretch sessions of at least 25 minutes each in 30 days. If I missed a day, then I could double up. This task will be simple, I thought.

I failed at the task. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and I can say I’m disappointed with how it went. Once I started missing days, it was excruciatingly hard to double up! In the end, the 30 day yoga challenge turned into 40 days. Stretching is so important to prevent injury, help recovery and increase mobility and flexibility. I definitely have noticed a difference over the course of the last 40 days, so am I glad I took on the task? Absolutely.

But did it feel like a chore? Absolutely! Difficult in the sense that although I enjoy yoga, once or twice a week is good for me. To schedule stretching or yoga each day tested my ability to just push play. What I’ve learned over the many rounds of P90X and the different Beachbody programs is that variety in the workouts is key, and it’s so important to be able to remain engaged in the fitness journey. I did not feel engaged with my yoga challenge, so it’ll be quite some time before I take on another one.

I noticed, however, that the half-hour-or-less mark seemed perfect, which is why T25 Stretch and Yoga Meltdown 1 had the highest frequencies of plays. I’m even more excited now about P90X3, where all the workouts are 30 minutes long, and the workouts are highly varied.

So lesson learned: days upon days of yoga- maybe not so much for me. But if I have a program in which I can fully engage myself, like P90X (and hopefully P90X3)- then I’m a machine! So stoked.

For posterity, here are the numbers by workout. There’s a reason that P90X’s yoga is at the bottom with the lowest frequency… and full disclosure, I only completed the first half of it. At 90 minutes and many rounds of P90X, I just can’t seem to sit through it anymore. It’s still an amazing DVD though!

  • Focus T25 Stretch: 15
  • Yoga Meltdown 1: 6
  • Stretch X (P90X) or equivalent stretch: 5
  • Yoga (P90X2), at least 45 minutes: 2
  • Yoga Meltdown 2: 1
  • Yoga (P90X), at least 45 minutes: 1

 

My 30-Day Yoga and Stretch Challenge

Yoga-1One of the items on my list for quite some time has been to complete a 30-day yoga challenge. I always assumed that I would join a yoga studio and dedicate myself to 30 days of Bikram or Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in the company of other yogis where I, too, would be wearing my yoga gear and drinking coconut water. But alas, yoga is expensive. I’m not saying it’s not worth it, but it’s very pricey. And since I let my Bikram yoga passes expire *gasp*, I figured it would be best that I didn’t purchase another block of classes.

With that said, I realize that I am most committed when I have a fitness routine going at home. Ever since I discovered P90X, at-home workouts have kept me on track, and my living room has been the venue of choice. So why should my 30-day yoga and stretch challenge be any different? I’m equipped with an arsenal of fitness videos: P90X yoga, P90X stretch, Jillian Michaels’ Yoga Meltdown, and Focus T25 Stretch. And there are also many online yoga instructional videos if need be. So yesterday was Day 1 of my newest challenge, and I already know that it’s going to make a difference to my fitness once it’s all done.