Despite major time constraints, TMJ/dental issues, and family drama I managed to still workout 6 days this week, following all of JV's book workouts and Planet Motion Dance Your Journey. Part of me feels I need to do more and I will gradually build up my workouts, but I feel really good about establishing a habit of working out 6 days a week and sticking with it no matter what.
There is something that feels so good in doing Planet Motion. I guess it appeals to the part of me that enjoys qi gong, yoga, reiki, dance, and NIA. She does call it moving meditation. I like the music (tribal, middle eastern, new age), that I can do it barefoot, there is no impact so it is kind to the joints, it doesn't require alot of room, and it just brings me joy. I know some people are turned off by Kendra's singing, chanting, and headband. I like that she incorporates qi gong moves and talk of energy & chakras, but I can totally understand how odd it may come across to someone unfamiliar with mind-body & energy work. You can view a clip of it here.
Monday through Saturday I did the daily workouts from Joyce Vedral's 12 Minute Total Body Workout (book). Although she says it is only 12 minutes a day, it always takes me at least 25 minutes to complete. I'm skipping Sunday beacuse I want a day off and I've been sick.
I highly recommend this workout for anyone in bad shape, new to working out, or just someone who doesn't have a lot of time. It really is non-intimidating and I love that I can do it in my PJs without shoes, I don't have to follow an instructor on TV, listen to any music, and there is zero impact. You work each major muscle group twice a week (abs & butt 3 times if you do Sundays), with 6 exercises a day, 3 sets of 10 reps. You never use higher than 3lb weights. Instead you use isometric & dynamic tension - squeezing each muscle as hard as you can while you work it. Trust me, this can still give you DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Your muscles quickly become firm and tight, without any bulk and you start to burn fat around those muscles. I lost 50 pounds in the past doing this workout.
I remember I first saw Joyce Vedral on The Phil Donahue Show. OMG does that show my age? LOL! She was so funny & quirky with her NY accent, jokes, and silly antics. She made it seem like getting fit was easily obtainable, so I bought this book and followed the routine. I have since bought many of her other books and DVDs, but this one was the one I stuck to longest and had great results with. And I much prefer the book to the DVD - she moves way to fast in the DVD and doesn't do the reps evenly for each side. I can easily convince myself no matter how cruddy I feel that it is only 12 minutes (even though it takes at least 25). I also like that if I work a muscle one day, I don't do that one again for a couple days, so each muscle group has ample time to rest & repair.
Next week I am going to continue to do JV's workout, but will add in walking or other cardio.
I read a new fitness book this week. Tracy Anderson's 30 Day Method, which comes with a DVD that demos the moves. Hmmm, not sure what to think on this one, will have to try it out sometime. I keep reading about all these amazing results with her programs, but frankly her cardio turns me off since it is so high impact.
I also bought her mat workout since it received rave reviews and seems like a great way to try her method without spending alot of money. I've previewed it and it looks quite different than anything out there. I'll report back after I try it out.
