What do you do for exercise?
 

:confuse2: My usual workout (when I remember to make myself do it) is an hour long combination of aerobics/yoga/kick boxing, which has me sweating like crazy before it's all over, or if it's nice I go for a 2 mile walk/jog with my dogs, or ride horses. I thought these were the perfect workouts, but yesterday I tried pilates for the first time and now I've got muscles that I didn't even know I had that are KILLING me! :eek: I'll have to keep it up now...I'm a person that needs a nice mix of workouts or I get bored really fast. So...do any of you do pilates? How about yoga?

i have pilates but havnt done it in a while n id like to try yoga just never have

:eyetearss :eyetearss :eyetearss :eyetearss :eyetearss

I carry Roxy (5lbs) and TJ (7lbs) up and down the stairs - everyday -
all day and all night long....

I walk or run two miles or use the elliptical for 30 minutes about 4 days a week.

I'd like to lift weights and stuff like that but doing that is so boring so I just do cardio.

I do strength training with bands, balls and weights.

exercise
 

I go to water arobic's 3 times a week...and spinning once..an hour of spinning at 61 is a killer, but I love it.

Belly Dancing and I've taken a few classes in Pole Dancing that were VERY challenging but totally fun :)

Shannon - I am a yoga and pilates instructor. Where did you take pilates? You SHOULD NOT be sore from a well instructed pilates class. You will feel muscles you didn't know existed, but you shouldn't hurt. In fact, you should be energized following a class, and go to bed thinking you will be sore, but feel great in the morning. If you hurt, either your instructor isn't teaching correctly, you aren't doing the moves correctly or a combination of the two. Please make sure your instructors are always certified in pilates, not just a fitness instructor thinking they understand the principles of pilates.

I teach twelve classes a week, plus teach private clients on the pilates reformer and wunda chair. So, I really don't work out beyond teaching, though I should really be doing my own yoga daily....

Me again....

If you are using a video for pilates and you are truly sore, you are definitely not doing the moves correctly. IMO, most of the videos out there do a lousy job at cueing and instruction, particularly for those people who have never taken a class with an instructor.

The only video I recommend is The Method, Pilates Precision Toning and Sculpting with Jennifer Kreis. Very good, detailed instruction throughout.

You're an instructor? Awesome! I didn't go anywhere to do the pilates - it's actually a DVD I bought. I would LOVE to go to classes with a real instructor, but with school, a business, and a toddler I never seem to get enough time to go to town and do it. I did feel great and energized right afterward, but today I'm really sore. It might be that I wasn't doing the moves correctly. It could also be that this video feels like it jumps right into doing things fast (is that normal for pilates?). I do yoga a lot, and I don't get sore at all with that, or any of my other workouts. I have two pilates books that I haven't had time to read yet...but maybe I should to make sure I'm doing everything right. Any other advice or resources you might have would be very much appreciated, and thanks for the tips! :)

:) You posted as I was typing my previous reply. Yes, it is a video, and it goes very fast without much explanation. I'll definitely look into the one you recommend.

Are you serious??? I have wanted to get the Carmen Electra's Pole Dancing DVD for a while now.....but, I am just afraid of what some friends might say when they see a pole in our house! :eek: I heard that it was an excellent workout though!

And Belly Dancing.....I worked w/ a girl (long ago) that took classes and she had a blast....lost some weight and had fun! I have never tried it though!

I run/walk on the treadmill and on warmer days, it is walking outside (we have our own hiking trail).

I also have several workout videos that we switch back and forth with - keeps us from getting bored.

I've heard that the Carmen Electra pole dancing one is fun! I don't have it, but a friend of mine does. I'm going to try to borrow it from her, just to mix things up a bit. :)

i do high intensity interval training for 20 minutes 4 times aweek...and 3 days a week full body workouts w/ heavy weights.

I don't have stairs but I do, at times, carry Gabby (16 pounds) and Gage (9 pounds) through the house - mostly Gage. I also get mine from carrying laundry baskets, pushing/pulling a vacuum cleaner, walking to my car each day (to work, home from work, etc), and all the "running" I do at work. My hands are my strongest - from all the lurking and typing I do at YT!

Luvmysissy....What do you think of the Winsor Pilates?

Not my favorite. I think she does things way too fast and even the models she is using are not exercising control (if you know what to look for). If you pick up the DVD I recommended and compare the two, you'll see a big difference. Mari is a fabulous instructor in person (I had the honor to take a class with her at a Pilates Conference in NYC) and she has a gold mine in her DVD collection, but they are not for someone inexperienced - regardless of the advertisements!!

Most of the videos jump right in and do the moves quickly. Speeding up the movements is only for those who are experienced and know that they have "control" over the movements.

In a nutshell - here is what makes pilates different:
1. All movements are done with a specific breath pattern. NEVER hold your breath - the breath needs to be integrated with the movement to work the muscles as effectively as possible. Don't worry if you are exhaling when being instructed to inhale, just keep the breaths long and smooth.
2. You are doing every exercise with the naval drawn inward and upward toward the spine, and the ribcage moving together and toward the spine as well. As soon as you don't think about this, you will be letting go. Watch your abdomen as you do the exercises. If you are "bulging" at the abs, you are not drawing inward.
3. All movements (regardless of what they are) are to be done with complete control of the body. Nothing (hips, shoulders, etc) should be wobbling, wiggling or moving to and fro.
4. All movements are precise and specific. There is no momentum taking you from one place to another. If you are using the legs, you are to reach all the way through the toes, yet sink the hip downward. If you are using the arms, reach all the way through the fingers, yet keep the shoulder blades moving down toward the hips with the shoulders relaxed.
5. You need to be completely focused on each movement. Every repetition should be PERFECT. When you lose control, stop doing the exercise. This means very few repetitions (of everything other than "the Hundreds").
6. Your neck will get stronger as you continue to curl upward. Not only is th head lifted for most exercises, but the shoulders should also be off the ground. Keep the chin tilted inward toward the throat and always keep your eyes on your abs or thigh area - never toward the ceiling.

Hope this helps everyone.....

I do full body workout with medium/heavy weights, combat and body pump...:cool:

What's Pole Dance??:confused: Hope it's not what I'm thinking it is...:eek: :D

Katiuscia & Maggie...:aimeeyork :aimeeyork

Thanks for the tips! What you're saying makes a lot of sense, and the instructor on the DVD does mention a lot of those things but goes so fast there's no time to think about everything at once, and by the time I think I have the move just right she's right on to the next one. I could definitely benefit from learning slower and getting the moves and technique down, then I could see this video being a lot of fun.

Yes, it's what you think it is, but in your living room instead of in front a bunch of slobbering men. ;) :D I've heard it's a pretty good workout, but I've never tried it.

I can even imagine hubby's face watching me working out in a pole in our living room... 1st he would be like this: :shocked7q ... and then: :dribble:

Katiuscia & Maggie... :sidesplt: :yelrotflm

We have a total gym that until yesterday has been collecting dust. My husband had to fly to New York Sunday and won't be home until late Friday night soooo I decided to try to loose a couple of pounds while he's gone. He's a big snacker and I always cave when he's around taunting me. Last year I lost about 7 inches from using my total gym. It makes you feel so much better to get your body moving. I figure if I start now maybe by summer I will get into a swim suit. We have a pool soooo everyone likes to come to our house. Bad Idea :(

For cardio I go for a very brisk walk... on the verge of jogging for 30 minutes... (I can't run or jog because I have scoliosis and it's very high impact). Then I come home and do pilates which I love. I use the ball, weights, and resistance bands with my pilates because just doing cardio isn't going to do much for toning.

Before I moved away from Oregon I used to go to the gym every single day... sometimes twice a day. But I really don't have time to do that anymore.

LMAO, that's SO true!!!

Pole dancing can be something dangerous... :eek: it unleashs hubby's inner beast...:D :D

These are awesome tips. Thanks for sharing!! I'd like to go to an in-person pilates class every once in a while. I'm sure it's a totally different experience.

Carmen Electras work out is SO much and you don't even have to have a pole to do it! I have the whole series and love all her videos, you will probably be laughing so hard the first time you are doing it you'll get a great abb workout too!

I used to be a dancer and we would train about 3 hours a day everyday, I only workout for 2 - 2 and half hours a day now, 6 days a week.
My normal routine is:

Morning:

Everyday, Go to the gym and take my 20 minute pilates class
Everyday, After my pilates class I go for a 5 mile run
On my circuit days (every other day, I take a class that does a combination of light cardio with weight lifting and band work)

Afternoons:
I take 3 pole dancing classes a week (on my circuit days) and 3 belly dancing classes a week (on my cardio days)they are so much fun and I have a blast doing them! If I can't get to the gym due to bad weather or time I have belly dancing and pole dancing videos that I do at home.

Evenings:
I have a 20 minute ab routine that involves different ab moves, some on a yoga ball, some flat, (I have a small gym set up in my house with my treadmill, yoga ball, eliptical, pull up bar, and stationary bike) I do every other day which does a total of 1,000 crunches and every other day I do 50 "man style" push ups.

Besides my workout routine, I also am a part time certified personal trainer (I also do legal filing at a law firm) and I train 4 people in my home throughout the week and aslo have personal workouts and diet programs I set up for some of my clients online. Jaden, Jewelina and I also go on two 30 minute walks a day...I consider those my "cool downs" LOL

I love working out, it gives you such a great feeling to be toned and in shape. I like the fact that I can wear a size 2 and I don't look like a bag of bones, I try to remind my female clients that being healthy and being "thin" is possible and by loosing weight the healthy one you'll be able to stay looking great and not have to starve yourself to do it!:thumbup:

Since I've been staying down with my grandmother I haven't been able to take my classes or use my home gym so I've just been running 5 miles in the mornings and 5 miles in the evenings. I used to run marathons so this is a good reason to get my but back in long term running shape!

I LOVE yoga and my lateral thigh trainer!!!