Pump Your Body!

ooo...this is my first Donut post, and I'm terribly excited--and terribly rusty!  It's been a while since I blogged, so, y'all be gentle with me, m'kay? Hi, I'm Wendy, former Couch Potato.   On January 4, I declared 2010 to be the Year of Getting Off My Fat Ass and Doing Something About It.  I joined Weight Watchers that day (Joelle TOLD me I'd love it--how could I have ever doubted?), and I became a happy, happy points counter. (WW 4EVA!)  The results have been pretty good so far--I'm down 42 pounds and around 23 from my goal.  My cholesterol is down 25 points and I no longer get winded when I walk to my mailbox (victory!).  Not that I don't still love my couch (because I dooo!  I love my couch!), but the ass-groove is much smaller than it used to be. 

Our local gym offers both BodyPump™and BodyFlow™classes, and the night before last was my first BodyPump.  I was super nervous about this class, because while I do an hour of cardio every day, my strength routine has been somewhat lacking--I have zero upper body strength, but I've learned a great deal about what I can and cannot do this last year--and the "Can Do" list is far greater than I ever realized.

Trying Something New: My Spinning Experience

My fitness routine is somewhat consistent but very very tame in terms of changing things up.  I get into a groove and do my usual treadmill walk and go on with my day.  But I really think I do myself a disservice by not taking advantage of all the other options available at my gym.  Not to mention the fitness and weigh loss benefits of shaking things up. Typically, I am a loner and don't join in on things unless encouraged by a friend.  The one time I really got into a class was when a friend encouraged me to try it out (and then I was addicted to it).  The same thing happened this week and I kind of snapped out of my workout humdrum.

A friend talked me into trying a spinning class.  Now, I have to preface this by saying I am not, in general, considered to be athletic.  In fact my mother once told me I looked like a gazelle in a field of bulls on the field hockey team.  I guess I am just a little more girly and less "lets train for a marathon".  So when it comes to workouts I tend to stick to the stuff I know I can do.  Treadmill, elliptical, yoga... ho hum.  So when my friend badgered me into a Group Ride spinning class at my World Gym I was pretty nervous  that I would wimp out and embarrassingly have to sneak out 20 mintues in.

I hopped on the bike, the instructor helped me set it up and I started the class.  The music is loud, no one is really paying much attention to what you're doing and oddly enough, I actually enjoyed myself.  Sure it was tough but it wasn't so hard or exhausting that I felt I couldn't stick out the whole class.  The nice thing about spinning is you can actually go at your own pace.  The instructor is there as a guide to help you reach and maintain varying levels of heart rates.  So when she instructs you to "pump up the resistance" you can, but you can adjust it to your own level of fitness.  You don't have to ride the bike at the hardest resistance to participate.

By the time the class was over I had gone 15 miles.  15 miles! I was thoroughly impressed with my fitness level through the class considering I thought it would be much tougher.  But most importantly, I was really proud of myself.  A few tips when starting a new class like this that requires equipment that really helped me get started:

• Talk to the instructor before you start  - he or she can help you figure out the bike and show you how to adjust the seat and handle grips.  I thought this would be easy but there are about 4 adjustments that need to be made.  You might want to try out the bike in general to get a feel for it.  So a quick prep on how that works was insanely helpful. 
• Also, don't be afraid to tell the instructor it's your first class.  There is nothing wrong with admitting that and it might help you to not feel so pressured to keep up with the regulars.
• Respect the resistance: Using the resistance makes standing up on the bike easier, so don't be afraid to use it.
• Bring a small towel and a water bottle that fits in the bikes holder.  You might want to sneak into the spinning room to test yours out before class (I did this the day before when i was there doing regular work out type stuff).

My point or moral here is that sometimes we need someone or something to push us to try something new.  Just like I needed to be pushed into trying spinning.  I go to my second class tomorrow and I'll probably continue weekly classes.  I was proud of myself and I think that pride in feeling like you accomplished something is better for our fitness and mentality than actually burning the calories.

My challenge to you: Try something new this week you think you might not be capable of.  You might surprise yourself!
 

Zumba! Or How to Not Look Like Shakira

Last night, I decided to try Zumba® for the first time. I was super nervous because I am, as I've said before, not really a "joiner". I don't really do classes, I don't join many groups, I don't even like Weight Watchers meetings. Not that I'm not social -- anyone who knows me can attest I'm the Grand Poobah of Extroversion -- but, that usually doesn't involve sweat and stretch pants.

For those who don't know what Zumba is (I didn't, really!), it's kind of like a latin dance fusion... there was salsa, merengue, some brazilian booty shakin', all set to really high energy latin dance music. Think cha-cha meets step class without the step. The official description from 24 Hour Fitness is:

This workout combines high energy and motivating music with synchronized dance movements designed for any fitness level. The routines feature aerobic fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body. Want to burn some calories and have fun? Then Zumba is for you!

I got to the class early because I'd heard that some classes have lines for Zumba... like, long, long lines.  Like you're auditioning for American Idol-type lines.  That was not the case at my gym fortunately, so I had some time to kill before class, which I used chatting up other class-goers lingering outside the door like me.  I was encouraged and saw there were a couple other girls my size... bigger, actually and I thought, if they can do it, so can I!  Of course, then I found out it was there first time, too and they were just as nervous than I was. So I figured we were all in this together and I was going to follow-through with it even if I looked like a total buffoon.

The Show’s Called Goddess, It Ain’t Called Classes

I'm considering taking some classes at my local 24 Hour Fitness (or one of them, anyway).  I'm not really a 'joiner', per se, and I'm loathe to even consider myself trotting around a glass room in clingy pants, but I need some variety.

I've always been interested in taking a dance-type class, but all the hip-hop ones seemed a bit intimidating. I'm not all that interested in learning "the hottest floor-slammin' moves of the club!"... I'm just not the "drop it like it's hot" type. But some of the others look promising... classes like Salsa Moves and Hustle™. But the latest ones that interest me are Hot Hula™ and Zumba®.