Fitness
Fitness Should Be Fun
0April 10, 2013
After several months of debating whether to join the gym at work I finally did it. Other than when I joined the YMCA for the sole purpose of having a place to swim laps, I have never joined the gym. With just 3 days into my membership I’m pretty stoked at what it all has to offer. At only $19 (yes, you read that right, $19) a month it’s a steal. Quite frankly it’s pretty small but it has all the right things that are needed including a locker room with all the amenities as well.
So far I have only used the gym during my lunch hour and have yet to use any of the machines, but it doesn’t seem overly busy as well. I’m sure over time I’ll get a feel for things, but if I want to run and am unable to secure a treadmill at lunchtime I can always head to work early to get in my workout before starting my workday. I usually read during my lunch hour, which I truly do enjoy, but with my new job being more sedentary than I’m used to it’s nice to get up and moving in the middle of the day.
Get me outta my cubicle!
So if I haven’t used the machines what have I been doing at the gym? Classes! Fact: prior to this week I have never joined in a group workout class….ever. I’m a solo athlete. Even when it comes to my runs I tend to head out on my own. But with classes included in my membership fee, I couldn’t pass that up.
The first day I joined in the Total Body workout. Basically it was 40 minutes of HIIT type workout. It was rough but I’m proud to say that I decently held my own. I didn’t make a total fool of myself either. I’ll definitely do it again.
The second day I tried out a yoga session. I’ve been practicing yoga since December. I’ve even been to The Sedona Yoga Festival and Yoga Rocks The Park, but never a real class per se. One where they’ll make adjustments and all. After the session I introduced myself to the instructor and gave her a bit of my history. She provided an ego boost when she said she was impressed how solid my basics were. High five! The only “downside” to the yoga classes is there is an extra charge, but at under $4 a class that’s not an issue. The biggest reasons I haven’t been able to venture into classes was due to money and my schedule. This is absolutely perfect!
From my trip to Sedona a couple weekends ago
Today I debated on whether to head back to another Total Body session or try out Zumba….I went for the Zumba! I love to dance and people rave about Zumba, so I just had to give it a shot. Another winning class! My moves may not be as smooth as I’d like but I’ve got rhythm a solid dancing background (from many moons ago), and a passion for dance, so you bet your butt I busted a move and had a blast.
There are even more choices when it comes to the class options…cycling, cardio mix, muscle conditioning. I love it! After being in such a running rut I turned to yoga but missed the cardio high. Running will always have a place among my workouts but just like everything else in my life, fitness should be about fun, trying new things, and adventure.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
If Fitness Is About Health Then Why Hurt Yourself?
20
There once was a time when I didn’t care if I hurt my body while exercising. I just figured somehow my body would bounce back. Yes, I’ve gone down that road of pushing, pushing, pushing only to realize I was doing more harm than good. For instance, as I increased in mileage I found inflammation and pain in my bad knee. Then one day I thought, “WTF are you doing Heidi?” There was nothing that triggered this thought per se, it just happened….thankfully before I had done permanent damage.
This is what I believe: Fitness and physical activity should be challenging. There are times it should leave us tired and sore. Trust me when I say that allowing myself to fall deeper in an asana is not easy nor is it comfortable. However, barring the freak accident, fitness shouldn’t cause us pain, agony, or compromise our health and well-being. Yes, Exercise should make us push our limits, but not our breaking points.
As I scroll through my social media feeds so often I see fellow friends/athletes that are sharing their fitness injuries through photos. Torn hands from cross fit. Busted up runner’s knees being iced with peas. Bodies taped to the limit. I cringe at the sight of these photos. I don’t cringe because I feel their pain but at the thought of people voluntarily hurting their body.
Seeing these photos makes me realize that I’m in the minority when it comes to my beliefs. Then again, maybe people don’t really realize what they’re doing to their bodies? Or maybe they think it’s “proof” that they’re a bad ass? Or is it a one-upping type of thing? This all in turn begs the question, if instagram/social media didn’t exist would people be doing this to their bodies? Don’t get me wrong a little healthy competition or seeing other people out there pushing themselves may encourage others to get out there and move. It it can also have the opposite effect as well.
I’m no super athlete nor do I make a living off of my physical activities, which is the case for the majority of my friends. No doubt, the pros are out there pushing themselves, but most are in tune to their bodies more than the average Joe and are also in a different realm of physical capacity than most of us, right?
As always, the point of this isn’t to criticize anyone but more to share my recent thoughts and provide some food for thought. Physical activity/exercise is a commitment I’ve made to myself, but so is my health and well-being. From physical activity, to what food I eat, or even my everyday actions and choices, nowadays I ask myself, “Will this help me or hurt me?” and it makes my decisions much easier.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
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There are only a couple days left to enter my Road Runner Sports Giveaway. Don’t forget to enter!
Meet Ellie: Fitness Apparel Review
10
I’m sure a week after last week’s post on having my blog be more personal you didn’t expect to see a review. Alas, I have several posts that I promised to deliver and I don’t break a promise. Not to mention, as I stated, I will continue to bring insight on products that I use and/or find helpful.
It seems as though monthly subscriptions boxes of stuff are popping up everywhere. I even did a review on NatureBox awhile back who offers healthy snack foods right to your door step. It should come as no surprise that one that delivers fitness apparel would pop up at some point. Enter Ellie.
Several months ago I was introduced to PV.Body through social media channels and blog posts about a company that delivers high quality apparel to your mailbox on a monthly basis for a set fee. I was intrigued. Lucky for me they contacted me wanting to know if I wanted to try their services at no charge to me. I jumped at the chance. Who wouldn’t? I took their Style Profile Quiz which would help them choose my outfit and I patiently awaited the arrival of what I’d receive.
Soon after I received my bright pink package of two items that I loved I started reading some bad reports from fellow bloggers. Their complaints ranged from ill-fitting items, lack of quality or high-end brands they expected, and bad customer service. A few days later I began hearing “rumors” of changes that were happening within PV.Body. They were going to continue their service but under a different name and only provide their brand new, personal line of clothing. Many felt they were bait switched by having signed up under a different premise only to have the rug pulled out from underneath them. I didn’t want to pass judgement or jump to conclusions and wanted to await their formal announcement of what their actual plans were with the company.
Staying true to my promise of only presenting products I use and/or believe in, I spoke with my contact for PV.Body stating that I didn’t want to review their service based on the items I received because basically I’d be saying, ” Hey. Here’s PV.Body and this is the concept…but now it’s different…because the concept is different and this isn’t the product you’re going to get…you’re going to get their line of clothing.” Make sense? They were 100% understanding and told me to sit tight.
I don’t know the ins and outs of all of the details or whether this was their plan all along but as things began to unfold my own personal opinion developed. What I do know is that what I was seeing was a newer company growing at an exponential rate. Any company has growing pains, whether change in product or vision, but when it is thrust into motion at such a high speed it makes it that much more challenging. Most companies aren’t that well known yet for them to be noticed or criticized. With its popularity it was that much more in the limelight and placed under a microscope.
A formal announcement was finally made about all of the rumors that were swirling. Yes, it’s true PV.Body was now going to be known as Ellie and their monthly subscription would only include items from their yet-to-be released fitness apparel line. They also provided a few more details. Here they are along with my thoughts are in italics:
-Every month, Ellie will launch a new collection of 16 tops and 8 bottoms. <- Different choices each month.
-Your choice of two pieces from that months Look Book for $49.95 per month. You can choose two tops, two bottoms or a top and a bottom and the price is always the same. <- You know what you’re getting.
-You have until the 7th of each month to select your own pieces. Otherwise, Ellie will select and ship an outfit (top and bottom) to you, depending on your selected style profile.
-Ellie offers free shipping on all orders, exchanged, and return to Fit Fashionista program members - If you are not satisfied with the quality of Ellie, you can ship it back for free both ways and you will receive another free piece from Ellie’s collection. <- Doesn’t fit or don’t like it? Send it back.
-Ellie offers exclusive access to pieces available only to Fit Fasionista members. <- Want more of the pieces released this month? You can buy them.
-You can still cancel your membership at any point in time. <-Not locked into a commitment.
More from the brand:
-Ellie created their own TruFit technogology. According to Ellie, “TruFit begins with the fabric. Each piece is pre-shrunk to make sure it never shrinks again. We guarantee that our clothing will fit the same the first time you try it and the 30th time you hit the gym. We carefully design very piece to make sure it fits you in all the right places.”
-The waistband on all bottoms will be the exact same. <- once you find out what size works for you, you’re golden.
-Every piece of every collection is washer and dryer-friendly.
-All products are manufactured in the USA. <- That puts the cherry on top. Pretty rad.
Personally I think this is better than the PV.Body deal on so many levels. Upon seeing the February Look Book and making my choice of 2 pieces I was pretty pumped for them to arrive. When they arrived I immediately fell in love. The Catch Me If You Can top was so buttery soft.
I was nervous when it came to choosing the Electric Love Capris. I love bright colors but didn’t know if they’d be too bright or make me feel uncomfortable. I’m glad I took the chance because they are the perfect fit and beyond comfortable.
I loved both the look and feel of the pieces so much that I actually felt inspired to go for a run. Seriously. And they performed beautifully.
Final thoughts: I know people lost a lot of faith in the PV.Body/Ellie with all that’s gone down in the past month. Fingers crossed that they’ve pulled it together or can do so really fast, because I think they have a great concept and product. I can’t wait to see what this months choice brings.
Interested in trying out some of their stuff? Click to receive 20% off coupon off of your first order and feel free to pass along to any friends that may be interested.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
I’m A @MizunoRunning Maniac
11
At a young age I attached feelings to inanimate objects. I blame most of these feelings from watching Susie the Little Blue Coupe and also The Brave Little Toaster. Through the years I’ve gotten better at purging items I have no need for. If anything, I am now at the opposite end of the spectrum. Unlike most people, I go through household items and clothing every month or so and purge where I can.
Even with my purging habits it’s amazing what you can collect over 10 years of marriage. Yikes. Prior to our big move we sold and donated about 50% of our belongings. If I had my way I’d somehow get our belongings down to what can fit into a car. Seriously. Someday…
If you couldn’t tell from my 2 different giveaways and being a member of the Mezamashii project, I’m a Mizuno Maniac. With that being said, one place I struggle with my purging habits is my running shoes. I can’t seem to get rid of them. Knowing how much blood, sweat, tears, and miles I experienced in them, I can’t seem to give them up. I have no problem getting new shoes and “retiring” them to work shoes or lawn shoes. But let’s be honest, I don’t need that many old pair of shoes. I will admit that I tossed 2 pair prior to our move due to how trashed they were. But the rest? Yep, they made the trip to Arizona. 
My first pair of Mizuno Wave Riders. I remember slipping these on and feeling like Cinderella. They fit like a glove. Shoes are supposed to feel this way? I spent many miles pounded ice packed pavement in these as I trained for my first half marathon and then went on to run the race in them.
From left to right Mizuno Wave Rider 13, 10, 12 also known as my 4th, 2nd, and 3rd pair. I was able to snag the 10s on the bargain table at Dick’s Sporting Goods, hence why I had them after the 11s above. Clearly they went on to be yard shoes. The 13s were my first pair of “pretty” Mizumos being pink instead of the regular ol’ blue. For some reason Spencer also took a liking to this pair. I would often find them near his bed having been chewed on. Those teeth marks provided character.
As for the 13s, they’ve been through a bit with me as well. After being retired from running they went on to be my work shoes and were with me during my “shark attack” AKA the light bulb accident. With a little bit of peroxide and a run through the washing machine they were good as new. Do you think I’d let a little blood keep me from wearing them again?
Ah, my life changing 14s. After much debate on what shoes to wear for our hike into the Grand Canyon, I went with my 14s. Within minutes they were covered in red rock dust but I knew I made the right choice. That experience was truly life changing and is what ultimately lead to our Arizona Adventure. It took me months to finally wash them. To this day, you can still see faint red rock marks on the soles and if you wear them you can still feel the grit of remaining dirt/dust between your toes.
As crazy as it sounds, I actually have 3 pair of 14s. The ones above and then 2 pair of pink (below). I found an excellent deal at TJ Maxx of the pink and snapped up both of them. I’m figuring they were there due to the changes they had made with this edition that many found unfavorable, hence why they didn’t sell. Who knows, but I took advantage of the opportunity. These were my first pair of running shoes I ran in after we arrived in Arizona.
My Limited Edition 15s AKA My Ruby Slippers. These were sent to me by Mizuno and I immediately fell in love with them. They are absolutely gorgeous. Although nothing real lucky has occurred while wearing them per se, I still see them as my “lucky” running shoe because they are so pretty…and a Limited Edition, of course. These are the shoes I trained in and ran the Fiesta Bowl Half Marathon.
My Banana Buzzbomb 15s! I received these as my welcome to the Mezamashii Project. Although I love the Ruby Slippers I think these are the most rad shoes I’ve ever had. It’s hard to beat bold, bright colors. Absolutely perfect for a Banana Buzzbomb.
So, there you have it. My collection of Mizuno Wave Riders.
I’ve done well downsizing the rest of my life, but I really need to work on downsizing my old shoe collection in order to make room for more. Does anyone else have a hard time parting with their running shoes….or is it just me?
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Love Yourself: Your Body Project with @AngieGooding – Body Image Specialist
3
Last week I stated that I was going to begin blogging with no set plan but promised to still write about products, services, and events that I thought were worth sharing with ya’ll. Today is one such day.
If you remember back to October I had the fantastic opportunity to attend Inspiration and Perspiration in Las Vegas. Not only was I able to meet and get to know the fellow attendees but I was able to spend some time getting to know the presenters: Danny J, Bex, and Angie. The cool thing about the experience was that although the presenters were there to present ideas and instill wisdom, they were still accessible. Since then I have gotten to know them all a bit better and am grateful to call them my friends. When Angie approached me about checking out a new program she recently launched, called Your Body Project, I jumped at the chance.
I have since been digging through Your Body Project to see what it all has to offer and must say I am beyond impressed. Angie breaks down the 16 week program into 4 sections or phases: Enjoy Exercise, Peace With Food, Love Your Body, and Manage Stress. Although these topics sound basic I know most anyone, myself included, could benefit from digging a little deeper into these parts of our lives. The project isn’t about creating a healthy woman solely on the outside, but the inside too.
From assignments, questionnaires, and weekly Skpe or phone call sessions, the entire experience is interactive. Not only do participants interact with Angie, but an invite is extended to everyone to join in a private community of fellow participants on Facebook. This provides a safe zone to speak about personal experiences throughout the project. In addition to one-on-one interaction, Angie also provides tasty recipes, videos that show proper fitness techniques (specifically lifting), and mini-circuit workouts to help you along the journey.
Having met Angie and having the opportunity to delve into her program I have no doubt in my mind that those that participate in the Your Body Project will have life altering experiences. Angie is passionate about health and fitness and is sure to provide direction and encouragement to those that need a little boost in their life. If you’re interested in speaking to Angie she can easily be found on her site, Facebook, or Twitter. I encourage you to contact her….You won’t be disappointed.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Weighty Issues
28
Like 99.9% of women I have issues with the scale.
Our janky scale. Nothing fancy for us.
My sister and I are separated by two years. I’m the youngest. Growing up I was always the “chunky” sister and most often people thought I was older due to this. I wasn’t in denial of my weight, I just accepted that I was the chunky one. I was an active child, always on the go, but will readily admit that I had poor eating habits and was quite stubborn. My mom and dad beat their heads against the wall when it came to feeding me. I went through the “only peanut butter and jelly stage” followed by the “only hot dog stage”. No matter what they tried I wouldn’t budge. It’s really no surprise that I was diagnosed with high cholesterol at a young age.
My horse showing days.
6th Grade. Quite obvious that I was responsible for doing my hair. Needless to say my hair styling skills have yet to develop to this day, hence why I have short hair.
It was then that I started reading packaging labels on all foods. As I entered the 7th grade my baby fat started to fall off. I attribute this to the controlled diet I had while spending a month in the hospital when I fractured my femur and my body working overdrive to heal itself.
Me and my seester as I head into my freshman year of high school.
Although thinner, I was still the larger sister but didn’t pay much attention to what I was eating and really had no worries. As I went through high school and on into college I still didn’t worry about my weight. When I married D in 2002 I weighed 115 pounds without even trying.
Like so many, within a year of marriage I started packing on pounds. Within 3 years time I gained 20 pounds. D also struggled with his weight.
Happiest place on Earth. Also, us at our unhealthiest.
In 2005 I started to unhealthily limit my carbohydrates and lost some weight. By 2007 I started running. Initially I didn’t start running to necessarily lose weight but to be healthier. However, once I started to see the weight melt off I started paying attention to what I was eating. I didn’t count calories per se but I limited my food intake and I’d weigh myself 10 or so times a day. That’s not a typo. It was at this time that I became obsessed with the scale. With my obsessive tendencies this is no surprise. In no way did I have a eating disorder but I did have issues.
I used this photo in a recent post and received a comment from Heather on how great I looked. Little did she know that this was when I was severely watching my food intake and exercise.
Soon enough I was down to my wedding weight and yet I never felt thin or fit. At that time I flirted with the idea of going vegetarian and decided to give it a go. This had nothing to do with my weight. Unfortunately complex carbohydrates tend to be a staple for vegetarians, specifically those just starting out, and I gained a little weight. Not tremendous, but some. After more research I decided to try living a low fat raw vegan lifestyle in hopes of reducing my weight gain and living the healthiest lifestyle I could attain. I gave up the scale without looking back.
Initially I did fantastic and felt great. I didn’t lose weight but I wasn’t gaining. However, as I stated previously, it was tough for me to maintain. I continued on with the lifestyle even if I could only maintain it part time. Fast forward to now. I’ve noticed my body changing and not for the better. I’ve decently maintained my running and activities so I can only guess this is from my body going into a tailspin trying to figure out what and how much I’m feeding myself (remember, low fat raw veganism calls for large amounts of calories).
I’ve avoided the scale knowing that it could open a can of worms for me…and then something occurred last week.
Long story short I had to step on the scale last week at work and I was not happy with the number. I knew I wouldn’t be. What’s more frustrating for me is that I tout the idea that “It’s not about the number but if the pants fit” and here I am focusing on a number. But I gotta be honest with myself, my pants aren’t fitting as well as they should.
Do I love low fat raw veganism? Yes, I love it. The problem is I can’t be 100% and obviously that’s causing problems. Will I totally give up raw veganism? No, but it’s time for me to move forward in my life journey of finding what works for me and take with me many aspects of what I’ve learned. My hope is to tweak them to my needs. My biggest fear? Relapsing to basically starving myself and returning to my scale obsession. I can’t let that happen. Thankfully at this point in my life I think I’ve realized that thin doesn’t mean healthy.
Why am I writing this? I’m not real sure. I think it just proves that although I pride myself on being a person that is health-minded, I’m still human. It’s also a reminder that we all need to find out what works best for us and that just because it worked before doesn’t mean it will work now. And lastly, our health is an ongoing process. One that must be revisited and assessed often.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
What Inspires Me To Sweat #InspireLV12
16September 2, 2012
Here’s the deal. Bex from BexLife, Danny-J from SweatyBetties, and Angie Gooding are heading up a workshop called Inspiration & Perspiration in Las Vegas October 20 & 21st. (Do you realize how close I am to Las Vegas now?!)
Not only do I want to meet up with Bex again, but I’d absolutely love to meet Danny-J and Angie too. (Hello, powerful women!) Not to mention, the topics they are covering….wow!
I pulled this off of the website….
You will leave this weekend with
-a renewed sense of self-confidence and self-love
-ways to deal/cope with stress and anxiety
- knowing how to balance work, family, life AND fitness
-knowing how and what kind of food to prep
-what diets are complete CRAP
-why calorie counting is complete BS
…and some great affirmations, meditations and yoga poses for healing.
The way I look at it, there’s always room for improvement in my life. Most people who read my blog or watch my videos would probably think I’m quite confident. Although I have my moments I will be the first to admit I need work on my self-confidence and image. In addition, although I’ve overcome stress and anxiety, they still try to rear their ugly heads at me on a regular basis. Most importantly I’m always looking to surround myself with positive, uplifting people. What better way to do so than to join in this workshop?
Fact: Smiley face sunglasses make you happy.
Unfortunately for me, with our Arizona Adventure money is beyond tight. Although the workshop is realistically and affordably priced, I cannot afford to partake in the workshop. Not cool.
The excellent news? I noticed on Sweaty Betties last week that they are giving away free registrations to FIVE bloggers and fan pages. That’s me!! I have a blog and fan page!!
The rules to enter?
#1. Publish a 50-100 word blog about “What Inspires you to sweat”
— include link in the blog to registration page: http://www.bexlife.com/shop/inspiration-perspiration-oct-20-21/
#2. Post Blog on FB and Twitter using the hashtag #inspireLV12
#3. EMAIL the link to the blog to InspireLV12@gmail.com BY midnight SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
**WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON OR BY SEPTEMBER 14th**
I am on it! Without further ado….
Here’s what inspires me to sweat.
Working out is not something I’ve ever excelled at. No matter how hard I try I recognize that I will never be a world-class athlete. I don’t do it for the medals or to be the best of the best. I’m inspired to sweat because every step I take in my run, every circuit I complete, every mile I ride, and every length I swim makes me a better, healthier, and happier person than I was yesterday.
There you have it! Want to help me earn an entry? Simply click this link to tweet. You’ll be my best friend for life.
What inspires you to sweat? Since they are giving away FIVE free registrations ya’ll better get on it too. Check out the details and get on it!
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
1st Boot Camp Experience
0August 18, 2012
in Fitness
This morning I headed to Scottsdale to take part in my first ever boot camp experience at Road Runner Sports.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
Boobs, Bras, and Running
0Oh yes, I went there.
Bras are essential for running. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Keep Smiling and Be Grateful =)
