Mandy Ingber’s Strong and Slim Yoga Sequence

I am subscribed to get Women's Health Magazine emails every so often.  (No I can't afford to be getting the subscription every month.)  :)  Anyway, I saw this routine for yoga and I thought that I would share. 

Now I am not big into yoga.  Don't get me wrong, I want to be.  I think that it would be a nice addition to my workout routine.  (That admittingly has been a bit spotty lately.)  I have just never done yoga soI am not sure the mechanics of it and how to do it so that it is the most effective. 

Back to the topic:

Mandy Ingber’s Strong and Slim Yoga Sequence

Temple Pose

This is Mandy, BTW!!!

Stand with your feet three to four feet apart, toes and knees turned out, palms together in front of your chest, elbows out. Bend your knees to lower your body until both knees are bent at least 90 degrees Hold for 30 seconds.

Return to start, then complete 10 reps at a quick tempo, holding the lowered position after your last rep. From that position, pulse up one inch and down one inch 10 times.

Without coming out of the pose, press your knees open 10 times. Return to standing. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.


Chair Squat


Chair Squat


Stand with your feet together, palms together at your chest, elbows bent (a). Sit your hips back and bend your knees, lowering your body like you’re sitting into a chair, while raising your arms overhead (b). Hold for 30 seconds. Return to start, then complete 10 reps at a quick tempo, holding the down position after your last rep. From that position, pulse up one inch and down one inch 10 times. Hold for a final 30 to 60 seconds. Return to standing. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Boat Pose 


Boat Pose

 


Sit on the floor with your legs together, knees bent and feet flat on floor. Lean back slightly and straighten your legs to raise them off the floor, until your body forms a V. Extend your arms straight out in front of you at shoulder height, palms facing each other (a). Hold for 30 seconds, keeping your core braced. Return to start, then complete 10 reps at a quick tempo. Then bend your knees so your shins are parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Forearm Plank


Forearm Plank



Starting at the top of a pushup position, bend your elbows and lower yourself down until you can shift your weight from your hands to your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Brace your abs and hold for 30 seconds. Then lift your left foot one inch off the ground, hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the right side. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.


Side Plank



Side Plank



Start in a pushup position, then shift your weight onto your left hand and rotate your chest to the right as you raise your right arm toward the ceiling, feet stacked together. Hold for 30 seconds. Shift back to pushup position, do 10 pushups, then repeat on the other side. Return to start and raise your right leg toward the ceiling and hold for 30 seconds. (You can make it easier by bringing your left knee down to the floor, as shown.) Repeat on the other side. Complete the entire sequence two to three times.

Mandy's Top Tips

1. Do yoga...and then some. It's hard to drop pounds with just yoga. You also need a cardio challenge like spinning to get a huge calorie burn in a short period of time. That's what I did with Jennifer. We added bursts of pedaling and running to peel away the layers, and then did yoga to get her more defined all over.



2. Cycle smarter. Get the most out of every spin class with these simple adjustments. Keep your weight back and down (hover about an inch or two above the seat), chest up, and shoulders back and down. This ensures that you're targeting the stubborn area where the tops of the hamstrings meet your rear and keeps you from fatiguing your upper body.



3. Embrace the burn. Strive to feel your muscles working. Don't immediately moan at the sensation; relish it and see it as a sign of change.



4. Aim to plie. This is my favorite move for making legs look long and lean. Stand with your toes turned out slightly, palms pressed together in front of your chest. Bend your knees and lower your butt until it's in line with your knees. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, then plie deeply eight times, followed by eight quick, shallow pulses.

 
 
So, I think that this looks like a good and simple way to start out in yoga.  If you do yoga already, what are your thoughts?  Do you love it?  And if you are new to yoga, does this look like some thing that you would try?

Success!!!

So, it seems that I have finally busted through my slump and made just a TINY bit more progress!! The last time that I posted anything about my weight loss I was at 175, and then for about 2 months I was at a dead stand still!!! Not budging!! But to my surprise, when I went to the doctor today, I stepped on the scale and as I looked in fright and dispair, I was pleasantly surprised to see the number 171 looking back at me!!!! Oh my GOSH!!! Now I know that it isn't a HUGE leap and it's only 4 lbs...but my point is you have to embrace those 4 pounds!!!







So, now to focus on setting myself up for more success!! As you have read, I did undergo so very minor surgery last week. The surgeon felt optimistic with the results and my one week wound check up proved that I was healing splendidly!! Yay!! So now it's time to get back on the exercising and getting it going!! I still have to take it easy for a couple of weeks but I can get back in the gym. Do some light cardio, but I think that I am going to focus a bit more on strength training and toning up. I will start my workout with a brisk paced walk, then move on into my arms,core and legs on alternating days. Not sure how I have decided to make it work yet, but I will try to remember to let you know when I figure that out. So, I know that this post is short and sweet, but remember to stay focused on your goals and how much you have already accomplished. It is so easy to focus on shortcomings and what you feel is a failure in the gym, but as long as you keep going, no matter how slow you think you are going, you are lapping everyone that is vegging out on the couch!!!



So, happy fitness and I will see you on the flipside!!!!

Medical Break

Ok, now that I am back to blogger, I have to be honest and tell you that I am not going to be able to be 100% on my fitness regimine right away.  I had some minor surgery yesterday and I will not be able to get back to my workout for the next week, and then unfortunately, I will have to take it easy for a bit.  This will give me time to research some different workouts.  My doctor told me about an exercise program called SloBurn.  I am not totally sure yet what it is about.  I will have to research it and figure out how to incorporate it into my workout schedule.  I do know that my doctor warm me against always doing cardio, because when trying to get pregnant, you can not keep accelerating your heart rate.  Then your body just goes into freak out mode and thinks that it doesn't have time to get pregnant and become a mother.  So now my challenge is to research what workout I start once I am healed that will effective get me into shape without stressing my body out enough to go into survival mode and not allow me to become a mother.  Stay tuned.  It might take a while.  And please, I am open to any suggestions of what would be good additions to my blog!!  PLEASE feel free to give me some constructive criticism!!!  Should i put tabs along with my blog?  If so, then what should they consist of? 

Fun and Fit!!!!

I know that lacing up your sneakers and hitting the pavement or treadmill belt doesn’t always sound like a good time. Believe me, there have been time where I have thought, “Oh, not today!” But maybe if wasn’t such a pinpoint on “running a mile and a half to lose that weight”, then it wouldn’t have such a stigma. Here are some things that you can do that doesn’t seem so much like a workout!!!!




1. Walk Fido every day. Dog owners walk more than people without dogs. Not surprisingly, they also tend to be healthier, with less body fat, according to a new study from the University of California, San Diego. But not every pooch “parent” takes advantage of these exercise opportunities. And those who don’t walk their four-legged friends don’t get the health perks. If you don’t own a dog, offer to take the neighbor’s dog for a walk, or join your neighbor in his or her daily jaunt.







2. Volunteer at a local animal shelter to walk a pooch several times a week. Most shelters will let you participate with a little bit of training. Have a favorite breed? You can find rescue centers for labs, retrievers, even Schnoodles (Schnauzer/poodle mixes) by asking at your local humane society, animal shelter, or veterinary hospital. You can also try searching online by typing in the name of the breed, “rescue center,” and your town.



3. Sweep and weed your sidewalk once a week. Making a habit of keeping a tidy path in front of your house will make it more inviting to others, give you a chance to say hello to your fellow citizens while you’re weeding — and burn off 100 calories in just 20 minutes of vigorous work.








4. Stroll to your neighborhood mailbox. Instead of leaving outgoing mail in your home mailbox, walk your bill, magazine subscription, or birthday card to the government mailbox a few blocks away, or even to the post office if it’s within a mile or so from your home. Not only will you benefit from the blood-sugar-stabilizing activity, your check will be safer than it would be sitting in front of your house.



5. Return misdelivered mail to its rightful home on foot. It happens to everyone: You get a letter that should have gone to the house one or two blocks over. Instead of marking it “wrong address” and clipping it to your mailbox, look at the post as an opportunity to get a few minutes of activity, some fresh air, and a chance to meet a neighbor. 6. Take your newspaper on a daily walk. When you step outside for your morning paper, take the opportunity to go around your block one time. The fresh morning air will help wake you up — sans caffeine — and you’ll start your day off right with a few extra steps. You’ll knock off five minutes of exercise from your 30-minutes-a-day goal before you even sit down to have breakfast.



6. Take advantage of your sidewalk. It’s there, it’s free, and all you need is a good pair of walking shoes to use it. Begin gradually, with a 15- to 20-minute walk. Start strolling slowly for about three to five minutes, then pick up your pace for 10 minutes and cool down for another three to five minutes. Each week, add two to three minutes to the faster portion of your walk. Within a few weeks, you’ll be up to walking briskly for 30 minutes most days a week.




7. Try out a pair of walking poles. You’ll burn far more calories on your neighborhood walks with these poles, which you use like a cross-country skier. Called fitness trekking or Nordic walking, walking with these poles can boost your calorie burn 20 to 50 percent over regular strolling because the poles recruit the muscles in your upper body. Poles can also be helpful if you need a little extra stability or want to take some impact off of your legs. Follow the instructions that come with the poles. You might also be able to find a lesson through your local health club, community center, or YMCA. You can order poles and get instructional tips at www.exerstrider.com or http://www.nordicwalking.com/.



8. Say your ABCs out loud. When you’re out walking for exercise, your pace shouldn’t be so tough that you’re gasping for air, or so easy that you can babble nonstop to your exercise buddy without breaking a sweat. If you’re by yourself, recite the alphabet. If it’s no problem, pick up your pace. If you start huffing by the letter F, slow down.


10. Rate your exercise intensity. Another good rule of thumb: On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being running as fast as you can, and 1 being sitting on the couch, you want to aim for about a 6 or 7. At that intensity, you should be breathing harder than normal but still able to carry on a simple conversation.







11. Clip on a pedometer in the morning. The little gadget will keep track of how many steps you take that day — and subtly encourage you to take even more. Try to take 500 additional steps each week, aiming -­ ultimately for as many as 10,000 steps a day. In case you’re curious, 1,000 steps equal one-half mile.



12. Keep a step log. It takes approximately six months for a new behavior to become habit. To help you lock in your walking habit, write down your steps after you take off your pedometer every night. Recording your progress helps you stay focused.



13. Crummy weather? Take a mall walk. Check your mall to see if they offer a mall-walking program or early morning hours for walkers. If it doesn’t, you can still get there first thing in the morning — hours before the teens get out of bed — do a few laps, and then treat yourself to a skim milk latte. Invite a friend along, and agree to do one quick lap for some harder exercise, and then one moderate lap for a little bit of window shopping — then repeat, one fast lap/one relaxed, on the upper level.







14. Promote your own mall-walking program. If your mall doesn’t have a walking program, consider talking to the mall management. Some malls don’t want to be responsible for possible injuries, and if this is the case, suggest that the staff develop a consent form that walkers must sign before joining the program. If you have friends, neighbors, and coworkers who want to mall walk, ask them to call the public relations department of the mall to express their interest. You may even want to volunteer your time to get the program under way.

My Workout Today!!

So, I am posting this because I actually worked really hard today.  But I hope to motivate you with it!!


Today :


I ran 4.24 miles in 63 minutes.  I know that it isn't something to write the presses about it, but it is progress in the right direction.  I also did a total of 100 decline situps with a 3 lbs medicine ball. (That one really hurt.)  But I did learn something though.  This is what a friend of mine sent me, and I am going to try it out. 

Try doing some light weights to tone up where you can catch a sweat and than run or elliptical with a little more level to challenge yourself...once your weight training runs off of energy off of carve it will than use fat cells for your run...try it(: 

...limit your carbohydrates....carbs are for energy!! If you trying to gain muscle weight eat more than your daily caloric intake if your trying to loose weight go under your caloric intake...don't starve yourself eat small meals within the day never to be stuffed just to satisfy and watch what you eat...if you go under your caloric limit within the end of the week you'll notice weightloss....

Now I don't know from experience yet, but I am definitely going to try it out!!!!  Maybe you should too if you are able to!  This will be a learn experience for me.  If any of you know any pointers on working out to lose weight more than I have already found, please do share!!!!

Updates

Ok so I have some good news!! 

Yesterday I went to a doctor's appointment, and like every other appointment that you go to, they weighed me.  And guess what!!!  I weighed in at 175 pounds!!!  Yay!!  So three more lbs down!!  GREAT!!  However I did miss going to the gym today.  :(  But on the plus side, I have the day off tomorrow and on Monday I only have to go into work for an hour!  So that leaves time to workout and make up for missed time.  I will let you know how it goes!!  How is everyone else doing on their workouts???

Nifty Apps for Your Phone That Can Help You Stay On Track

Nowadays, I know nearly everyone has some sort of smartphone and if you are like me, it is slam packed full of rockstar applications that help you track stuff and games to keep you occupied whenever you are waiting around for a meeting or appointment. 

Today I would like to share some of the applications that I have either seen or that I use on my Iphone.  Now before I start, I don't want to get too techy and nerdy but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Iphone.  Alright, alright...  I get it.  get on with it right?  :)  Here are some of the applications that I have on my Iphone:



This application from Everyday Health is a marvelous tool that you can use to choose more healthy snacks in the 50, 100, and 200 calorie ranges.  I alos gives you ideas on activities that you can do to burn those same calories.



Lose It! is another great application that I use quite frequently.  Here you can set up a daily calorie budget, your goals, and compare with other friends that use this application.  I started with the Lose It! application.  You can click on the goal button and configure your starting weight, current weight, and goal weight.  It will show it in a graph and suggest a healthy daily calorie budget according to you goal. 



Everyone know America's toughest trainer!!!  Jillian Micheals has an application for Iphone called Jillian Micheals Slim Down.  This application gives you daily tips to keep you on track, exercises for specific areas that you might want to improve, circuit workouts, recipes, and Jillian herself giving you motivation and advice.  If you have any of this woman's DVDs, then you know she knows what she is talking about!!!



This is a fairly new application for me.  In fact my good friend from  Taylor Made Home introduced me to this application today. (*pst...go check her blog out for wonderful home decorating and organizing tips!!!!)  This application allows you to track your food and exercises in a log and alos link up with friends to help you stay on track.

I hope that you try some of these out and tell me what you think of them!!!  Do you think that a program such as one of these would be beneficial to you when they are available at your fingertips?  What other applications have you come across that you like to help you with your diet and exercise?