Yesterday I promised I would reveal my total weight loss and explain how core fusion has changed my life (for the better, of course!). Maybe it was because I've always played competitive sports, or maybe it was because I never paid such close attention to each specific muscle group. But core fusion has made me respect my body and want to take care of it. With sports, it seemed to be about prepping the body to perform in competitive situations. With core fusion, it was about understanding my body and doing what felt good on that specific day. Knees hurt today? Take it easy and work within your limits. Tight hamstrings? Do what you can today, and maybe you can do a bit more tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I never had a soccer coach tell me 'You should sit out the uphill sprints today if you don't feel up to it'. Being aware of my strengths and weaknesses (strength: a flexible back. weakness: TIGHT hamstrings!) helped me understand what I needed to improve and what I should be grateful for.
This awareness also spilled over into being more aware of what I put into my body. I'm not talking drastic changes - I know such things don't work for me. As a sidenote, I tried going vegetarian a few years ago, and all seemed to be going pretty well until the night I dreamt I was at a meat buffet, standing in line waiting for a few slices of prime rib! You get the point, I don't have the discipline nor the desire to cut out certain foods entirely. But I started drinking more water because it made me feel better. I began to eat more fruits and veggies and less heavy food because I discovered that heavy foods tended to weigh down my body. I consumed less alcohol. And I gave up coffee! All this somehow translated to 15 lbs shed in ~1 year!
For those of you who haven't tried core fusion or any of the similar methods (Bar Method, Physique 57, etc.), I would encourage you to try it. If you find it isn't your thing, no problem, stick to what works for you! I personally found core fusion helped me find balance in my life. I'd love to hear about what workouts are a must for you!
Tomorrow, I'll be sharing with you how I gave up coffee (mostly). I promise I will start uploading pictures too. Picture-less posts just aren't as much fun. Anyone agree???
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
First official BLOG!
I moved to a new city over a year ago to be with my now husband, and to kill time, surfed many many blogs. I'm so excited to finally have my own, and hope you will enjoy it! I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of my postings!
Photo source: exhale spa
While on the subject of moving to a new city, last year I moved from Manhattan to a slightly smaller city, and needed a way to meet new people and more importantly, escape the confines of my apartment. I had always been a gym-goer (or as some like to say, 'gym rat'), but was tired of my same old routine. I found that my weekly workouts with my trainer, running on the treadmill, and lifting weights just weren't so exciting anymore. Moreover, I stopped seeing any progression in terms of fitness and weight loss. I was discussing this with a friend in Chicago, who is one of those fabulous moms (you know what I'm talking about, the ones who always know about the latest and greatest of anything!), and she told me about Exhale's Core Fusion classes. I knew there was an Exhale where I lived, and when I returned home, I immediately signed up for a week of unlimited classes for $40.
My first day at Exhale, I remember walking into the classroom quite confident that I was fit enough to keep up. Those thoughts disappeared within the first five minutes of class when we 'warmed up' with planks, push-ups, and 2-lb weights. I mean, really, who thought 2 lb weights could be such torturous instruments?! Then we transitioned to thigh work, where my legs shook like 2 crazy leaves in the wind. The funniest part about all this was that as I looked around to find someone to commiserate with, none of my classmates seemed phased. Apparently this was a walk in the park for everyone but me. Or so I felt at that moment. I left my first class embarrassed yet intrigued.
I continued to go, though I will admit that there were many classes where I seriously considered up and leaving. At one point it became such a feasible option in my head that I placed myself in the area of the room furthest from the door to ensure I would do no such thing. As the months went on, I found myself making progress, albeit in baby steps. My flexibility improved in leaps and bounds (anyone else have TIGHT hamstrings?), I graduated on to heavier weights, and I started doing push-ups with straight legs for the first time EVER. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces in class and getting to know the different teachers and their respective styles. And on top of all that, I said goodbye to many stubborn pounds, but in all honesty, my weight loss concerns paled in comparison to the excitement of feeling so strong!
Stay tuned...tomorrow I will reveal my total weight loss to date and tell you about how core fusion has changed my life!
Photo source: exhale spa
While on the subject of moving to a new city, last year I moved from Manhattan to a slightly smaller city, and needed a way to meet new people and more importantly, escape the confines of my apartment. I had always been a gym-goer (or as some like to say, 'gym rat'), but was tired of my same old routine. I found that my weekly workouts with my trainer, running on the treadmill, and lifting weights just weren't so exciting anymore. Moreover, I stopped seeing any progression in terms of fitness and weight loss. I was discussing this with a friend in Chicago, who is one of those fabulous moms (you know what I'm talking about, the ones who always know about the latest and greatest of anything!), and she told me about Exhale's Core Fusion classes. I knew there was an Exhale where I lived, and when I returned home, I immediately signed up for a week of unlimited classes for $40.
My first day at Exhale, I remember walking into the classroom quite confident that I was fit enough to keep up. Those thoughts disappeared within the first five minutes of class when we 'warmed up' with planks, push-ups, and 2-lb weights. I mean, really, who thought 2 lb weights could be such torturous instruments?! Then we transitioned to thigh work, where my legs shook like 2 crazy leaves in the wind. The funniest part about all this was that as I looked around to find someone to commiserate with, none of my classmates seemed phased. Apparently this was a walk in the park for everyone but me. Or so I felt at that moment. I left my first class embarrassed yet intrigued.
I continued to go, though I will admit that there were many classes where I seriously considered up and leaving. At one point it became such a feasible option in my head that I placed myself in the area of the room furthest from the door to ensure I would do no such thing. As the months went on, I found myself making progress, albeit in baby steps. My flexibility improved in leaps and bounds (anyone else have TIGHT hamstrings?), I graduated on to heavier weights, and I started doing push-ups with straight legs for the first time EVER. I enjoyed seeing familiar faces in class and getting to know the different teachers and their respective styles. And on top of all that, I said goodbye to many stubborn pounds, but in all honesty, my weight loss concerns paled in comparison to the excitement of feeling so strong!
Stay tuned...tomorrow I will reveal my total weight loss to date and tell you about how core fusion has changed my life!
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