Since I cut out nearly all formal cardio since November, I can’t say that I miss it too terribly! I do, however, know that my cardiovascular system has certainly taken a hit and hope to get back in cardio shape in the near future (whenever I get the doctor’s OK), but gone are the days of “needing” to do cardio daily.  It’s not all that necessary in my opinion.

For the past few months most of my workouts have been comprised of strength training, Yoga (I finally managed to do a headstand!), and Pilates.  I feel like I have gained incredible strength from taking Power/Vinyasa Yoga classes each week and my core strength also feels stronger since I incorporate more Pilates (This DVD is a favorite!) into my weekly routine.

I’ve really enjoyed putting my focus on strength – it feels really empowering to be strong and I definitely feel more self confident when my focus for my workouts is strength rather than simply burning as many calories as I can doing cardio.

Stability Ball Circuit

On Tuesdays and Thursdays before work, I wake up earlier to get in a quick 30-minute workout in our guest room. I have very little equipment, but you really don’t need much to get in a good workout.

One piece of equipment I do love having though is my stability ball:

Stability balls range in price, but are generally inexpensive. I’ve seen them at TJ Max for $12.99 which is not bad at all. I actually got my ball for free from work since it had a scratch on it and we were going to get rid of it – luckily the scratch has been pretty harmless and the ball is still in great shape!

For my morning workout I put together a quick circuit workout the night before and it turned out to be a pretty good one – simple yet effective:

I performed each exercise back to back and repeated it 3 times, which took 25 minutes (which included a quick warm up with some band exercises).  For the pull overs I used 20lbs of weight and I didn’t use any for the reverse flies (just range of motion, really focusing on form and feeling it in the right muscles), but you can certainly add some. I find with that exercise it doesn’t take much and it’s easy to let momentum kick in – hence why I don’t use any or use very light weight.

The push ups followed by the roll-ins were tough! My shoulders were screaming! Also, the forearm plank on the ball was pretty brutal and I couldn’t wait for that third one to be over!

I will definitely incorporate this circuit again and come up with some different ones.  There’s so much you can do on the ball!

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Life Updates:

I mentioned in my last post about an offer Andy and I put on a house and it was…accepted! We’re so excited! But…it’s a short sale and we still need bank approval. Luckily we’re not in any hurry and can wait it out. I just hope they accept it.

Other than house hunting (which had become like a part time job!), I’ve been busy at my real job with running our annual health incentive program. It’s a fun time of year and I really enjoy this aspect of working in corporate wellness.

As far as the weekend goes, we are celebrating a birthday. This weekend is Andy’s niece Claire’s 1st birthday. His brother and sister-in-law are having a family get together tomorrow. I’m excited to celebrate with everyone and to see little Claire. She’s gotten so big! I can’t believe it’s been a year since we first met the little one.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Since I spend the majority of my week teaching others about exercise and designing programs for them, it’s nice to go to a class and have someone else lead me through a workout.  It feels like such a treat!  Plus, after years of wondering how to do a headstand, I have finally mastered it:

In college, my boss at the recreation center where I worked tried to teach me how to do a headstand. But I couldn’t quite grasp it! I literally thought you just balanced on your head (which would make sense from the name). It didn’t even cross my mind that other muscles play an important roll in this pose.

Since college, I had been scared to attempt the pose for fear that I would fall or collapse my head and neck while my feet were in the air. However, since taking numerous classes at a Yoga studio (and practicing at home in my living room!), I finally understood how to do it. You really don’t put all of your weight on your head – imagine that! Plus, it’s not as scary as it looks and it’s actually a fun and invigorating pose to do.

How to do a Supported Headstand

Here are some great cues that I have picked up during class that have helped me understand what my body is supposed to be doing and feeling to get into a headstand.

*Note: If you are completely new to Yoga or are unfamiliar with inversions, I would not attempt this pose without the help of a professional. I would recommend taking Yoga classes at a studio to build your base before adding any inversions.

To get into headstand:

• From a kneeling position, lace your fingers together and place your forearms on the floor in front of you (I like my arms closer to my head and neck, but I’ve seen the elbows shoulder width. I would suggest playing around with placement of the arms, but I wouldn’t go wider than shoulder width as you need a good base of support).
• Place your head against your laced hands – it makes a nice “cradle” to support your head and neck.
• Lift “up” out of your shoulders – this provides the shoulder stability that is required for balance.
• Curl your toes under and lift your hips up, coming into dolphin pose (downward dog on your forearms).
• Walk your feet as close as you can to your arms. This brings your hips up and makes coming into the headstand easier.
• Engage your abdominal muscles as you lift one leg at a time up to the ceiling (I’ve seen people do both legs, and that’s fine too. It requires a lot more core strength. I find one leg at a time is a nice place to start though).
• Don’t jump into a headstand or kick hard to get up.  It should be slow and steady.
• Remember to breath. Hold the pose anywhere from just a few seconds, or breaths, to a few minutes (depending on experience).
• To come down – slowly lower one leg at a time and take a Child’s Pose stretch for a few breaths.

Please note:

*Almost no weight is on my head – it’s more in my shoulders and core.  Supported headstand is not so much about upper body strength, but rather balance and stability from the shoulders and core being engaged. I also find it helpful to keep my legs actively engaged throughout the pose.

*Be mindful of your head and neck placement.  You should be strong through the neck, not allowing it to collapse.

*Read more details about headstand, including the benefits, variations, contraindications, and more from Yoga Journal.

Have you ever mastered a Yoga pose or a form of exercise that you originally thought you couldn’t do? Headstand is definitely something I was afraid of until I tried it and got the hang of it. I love Yoga, I feel like it teaches me something new each time I go to class!

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Life Updates:

My injury is still present – though it’s manageable. I saw a podiatrist last week and she is recommending I get an MRI.  Based on my symptoms – lateral foot pain, especially with high impact movement – she thinks it may be tendinitis in the peroneal tendon.

The X-Ray was normal and did not show signs of fracture or anything like that.  I was feeling fine until I taught Turbo Kick last Friday and did more than I should have. My foot pain returned. Total bummer!

It’s been a hard journey trying to figure this out, but I’m still trucking along hoping to get definitive answers as to what is wrong. However, the good news is that the annoying plantar fasciitis symptoms I had are gone – I’m thinking I must have something else that maybe caused the plantar symptoms to arise.

Besides the nagging foot, I’ve been busy with Andy house hunting for our first home.  We put yet another offer on a house (this marks #4!) but there were two offers already on it, so I’m unsure if we’ll get this one.  Plus it’s a short sale, which makes it more complicated.  I’m not going to get my hopes up, but it certainly is a great house.  We gave our best offer and that’s all you can do in these instances!

House hunting has become like a part time job and I haven’t had too much free time, but I did manage to have a nice dinner out with some girlfriends on Friday which was fun:

We went to Wine Bar in Rocky River, OH, which is a favorite of ours. They have great food and a nice atmosphere and tons of wine options.  I went with a riesling, which was delicious – just the right amount of sweetness. We shared a vegan platter as an appetizer and I went with the scallops for my entree, which were good, but can never compete with seafood from Emerald Isle, NC! I still ate them all, nonetheless.

I’m off to have some left over buffalo chicken dip that I made yesterday (following this recipe but used ranch) for Andy and I during the super bowl.  Yum!

Have a great week everyone!