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life is like riding a bicycle

leak

Hello, remember me?

It feels like forever since I’ve been here. For the past two weeks ago, I’ve been feeling out of sorts, out of sync with myself. I attribute this to putting my hand through a window pane and hosting an out-of-state family member, among other things.

Because of the stitches in my thumb I wasn’t able to lift weights with my trainer, so I’ve missed four gym sessions so far. Of course, I could have gone to the gym to do just cardio, for which you don’t need your hands, but I didn’t. It never seems worth it to get myself to the gym for just 30 minutes of elliptical-ing.

When my workout schedule is irregular, I find that my emotional state is a bit irregular, too. Does that happen to you? Yoga often helps me find that missing balance, but, again, I couldn’t practice because of my hand.

Then, shortly after my injury, my mother-in-law came to visit for five days. I didn’t get much “me” time during those days, as we were busy eating, drinking, shopping and socializing. There never seemed to be a good moment to excuse myself to my office to blog, especially because we see my husband’s mom so infrequently, and I really wanted to make the most out of her visit. Not that I’m complaining! We had tons of fun, but you know what happens when you have company… your daily routine gets completely thrown out of whack.

By the time my MIL left, I had been out of my exercising and blogging (and working!) routine for long enough that it’s been hard to get myself back on track. It’s like I’ve forgotten how to live my life. But life is like riding a bicycle. First, you never really forget how to live. (Duh!) Second, like Albert Einstein said, to keep your balance you must to keep moving. And that sums up my problem right there: I stopped moving.

How do you get back to “normal” after set backs and distractions? How do you start moving again after being physically or emotionally sedentary for an extended period of time?

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PJ 9 November 2010 musings , , 2 Comments

are toning sneakers just a gimmick?

I’ve never been interested in jumping on the toning sneaker bandwagon. For the longest time, Sketchers Shape-ups were the only option, and, honestly, they were not what I’d consider stylish footwear. Plus, I had serious doubts that they even worked.

New Balance Toning Sneakers

But then I came across the New Balance TrueBalance 1100 in the September issue of Whole Living. Without the rounded wedge sole of the Shape-ups or the bulbous balance ball bottoms of the Reebok EasyTone, the sleek TrueBalance did not look as obvious as their counterparts, despite claiming similar toning results. They almost appeared — dare I say it? — cool. (I’m referring to the black and grey ones, not the pair in the image above.)

Still not convinced that, on their own, a pair of sneakers could magically tone my muscles and burn additional calories, I checked in with my trainer to see if wearing them while lifting weights and doing cardio could enhance the benefits of those activities. (Yes, I have a personal trainer. Trainers in Omaha cost WAY less than trainers in major metropolitan areas). His response, in a nutshell: No. He called all of those types of sneakers gimmicky.

However, if I was looking for added benefits from a sneaker, he recommended I check out the Nike Free Run+. Their design helps strengthen your foot and required your body to work harder for balance stabilization.

What do you think about toning sneakers? Would you wear them?

(image source)

PJ 28 September 2010 extracurricular activities , 2 Comments

lotus house of sweat

Saturday morning I took Basic Flow at Lotus House of Yoga, a new yoga studio in Omaha. The class description on their website reads:

Basic Flow
A class built for the beginners and brand new yogis! Learn the foundations of a healthy yoga practice that will energize the body and vitalize the mind.

The one thing they conveniently omitted from their website is that their classes are done in extremely warm rooms. I wasn’t prepared for how hot it was going to be.

How hot was it?

It was so hot, the thermostat in the hallway read 82 degrees — but the studio must have been in the triple digits.

It was so hot, my antiperspirant clumped into tiny white balls in my armpits, rendering itself ineffective.

It was so hot, my yoga mat felt like a Slip and Slide.

It was so hot, my eyelids were sweating.

It was so hot, my arm hair was frizzing.

Did I at least have a good workout? I don’t know. I was preoccupied with how hot I felt, worrying that I may pass out or — even worse — throw up. I had trouble keeping my balance because my hands and feet were slippery. I was concerned that the instructor would be grossed out by my slimy skin and foul body odor the two times she came over to adjust my positioning. Basically I was focusing on everything but being in the moment, which is one of the primary goals of yoga.

Thankfully, my body temperature began to return to normal during Savasana. I was not able to totally relax, but I did enjoy listening to the sounds of waves crashing and recalling a day I spent on Fire Island a couple of years ago when my feet were buried in the cool sand and a breeze filled my nostrils with the smell of salt water. Then I realized I was actually tasting the salt of my sweat as it dripped into my mouth.

Will I try another class at Lotus House of Yoga? Probably. I loved how clean and modern — yet simple — the studio looked and that they offered you a cup of cold cucumber-infused water before you left. And the owner, Mary Clare Sweet, with whom I spoke for a couple of minutes after the class, seems lovely. She even offered to email me with a list of guided meditation CDs that she recommends. But next time I attend a class I will be equipped with a towel (or two) and the knowledge that I am going to sweat my ass off.

(image source)

PJ 28 June 2010 extracurricular activities 3 Comments

say om!

One of my goals for the summer to start practicing yoga regularly. Currently I do sun salutations and other pretzel-like poses… never. I have a couple of 10-year-old yoga DVDs gathering dust in my basement; I’m not disciplined enough to workout at home. I prefer working out with an instructor or trainer who can interact with me and adjust my posture or push me through my last set of reps. There’s also something to be said for making the commitment to getting dressed, starting your car and driving to the gym.

That’s why I’m currently in the market for a yoga studio in Omaha. I’ve been perusing the schedules at Lotus House of Yoga, One Tree Yoga, Omaha Yoga School and Omaha Yoga & Bodywork Center to see what classes look interesting. Although my schedule is pretty open (I only work out of the house three days a week), I’ve been having a hard time finding an appropriate level class at a time that is good for me. Plus, there are some classes that I refuse to take, like Bikram. I hate being sweaty.

Have any of my Omaha-based readers taken a class at any of the above-mentioned studios? I would love some recommendations. How about the rest of you? Where do you practice yoga?

(image source)

PJ 24 June 2010 extracurricular activities No Comments

we can work it out

JB and I are signing up to share a personal trainer at the JCC because we both have wedding dresses to fit into. Our first session, a free one, is on Saturday. After that we’ll pay $250 each for 10 sessions. We decided to work out together not for the competition, as described in this New York Times article, but because it costs less for a pair to work out with a trainer than it does an individual and because we’ll be able to motivate each other to show up, especially when the temperature is hovering in the teens.

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