Tag: working out

End of Summer Fitness

Since I have been slacking of posting lately I thought I would update the blog on my fitness for this past summer.  I have been working out regularly – just not posting about it.  Things have been busy this past summer with my oldest son graduating high school in June and then my twins sons taking drivers education classes and learning to drive.  I did find time to workout at least five days a week though, which is important to me.

The workouts I have done this past summer are a combination of different things.  I think summer time is a time for variety since you can get outside more and do things like walk, ride a bike or swim.  So, in addition to doing some of my workout dvd’s and some home yoga sequences from Yoga Journal magazine I did a few days a week of walking and a couple of swimming since we have a pool.  I have also been riding my bike to the store or just riding it early some mornings instead of walking.

I was really enjoying my early, 6:30 am, morning walks for a few weeks but have recently stopped doing that.  The reason being that there are these two loose dogs that seem kind of feral and they have actually bit a couple of my neighbors in the past few months.  The animal control people are having a hard time tracking these dogs and catching them – it was even on our local TV news a couple of weeks ago.  So, I decided to go back to riding my bike in the morning since I could probably out bike them but I am definitely in trouble if I am walking and alone.Workout Equipment, Pilates Ring and Foam Roller - Kimberlees Korner

The beginning of the summer I also bought a pilates ring and I have been using that some as well with some pilates workouts I do at home.  I also like using my foam roller that I bought a couple of years ago when I get back from biking or walking.

Workout dvd and Yoga magazine for Summer Workouts - Kimberlees Korner

The workout dvd’s I used this past summer were mainly from Cathe Friedrich – I love her workouts!  I primarily used the Low Impact Series dvd’s about twice a week – alternating them between walking, biking or yoga days.  Cathe has a new workout series called Strong and Sweaty that is coming out later this Fall.  I will probably end up ordering it since all of her workouts are always good.  I believe it is around $50.00 for 5 dvd workouts with free shipping if you order now.  I am not affiliated with her workouts or blog I just like her workouts and wanted to share.

So, have you been exercising this summer?  I would love to hear about what you have been doing in the comments.

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

-Kimberlee

Fitness for April 2016

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This month sure went by fast.  It seems like it was just the end of March.  I actually missed doing a post on fitness for the month of March because I was pretty busy.  I did workout – even when we went out of town for Spring Break – but I just didn’t have time for a post that month.

Cathe Friedrich Xtrain dvd workout for April 2016 from Kimberlees Korner

In the past month of April I followed my Cathe Friedrich Xtrain program for most of the month along with yoga every other day.  I actually started the month just doing Cathe workouts but then the past two weeks I decided to get back into yoga more so I have been doing a schedule of cardio or weights one day and then yoga the next.  So the past couple of weeks my schedule was:

Mondays –  Xtrain, cardio or weights

Tuesdays – yoga

Wednesdays –  Xtrain, cardio or weights

Thursdays – yoga

Friday – Xtrain, cardio or weights

Saturday – yoga

Sunday – off

The yoga workouts varied for me.  I either used my Shiva Rea dvd’s or checked out some Yoga Journal magazines from my local library and used some of the sequences in those.  I enjoy doing the Yoga Journal sequences and the variety they offer.  I also like that I can check out the magazines at the library and not have to buy them.  The library keeps up to the past two years so there is a variety to choose from.

I also found a new book at the library about the Vitamix blender.  I was looking for a book about using a blender for more than just smoothies and came across the Vitamix cookbook.  At the time of checking this out a few weeks ago I did not own a Vitamix blender – I just had my older model Ninja Ultima blender that I bought about three years ago.The Vitamix Cookbook

Well, after getting this book and seeing the great recipes and then watching some videos on YouTube about the Vitamix I was convinced I needed one.  There are many things you can do with the Vitamix that the Ninja will not do, believe me, I tried.  Thankfully my husband was agreeable to me getting one as they are not cheap.  I ended up getting the Deluxe Complete Kitchen set that comes with the 5200 blender, the smaller blending container and also the dry grinding container that you can grind your own flours in.  There were also some other bonuses like cutting mats, spatulas and the Whole Foods cookbook-binder with lots of great recipes.  This set was on sale through Vitamix  for Mother’s Day so I told my husband this could be my Mother’s Day gift.Vitamix 5200 Blender - Kimberlees Korner

So far I love this new blender.  I have been using it daily – at least twice or more a day – since I received it.  The smoothies are really good and the green ones turn out super smooth.  I have even gotten my oldest son to start drinking one daily and he likes them.

I have also used the Vitamix to dry chop some vegetables and to wet chop vegetables.  I have made a frozen dessert, nut butter, salsa and soup.  The soup was not a big hit with the family – it was okay.  I made it directly in the blender – it was tomato soup.  It seemed kind of foamy which is what my family disliked.  I think next time I would just blend it in the blender for about a minute and then cook – heat it on the stove.  The strawberry frozen dessert I made was a big hit and I love how it only had 3 simple ingredients and very low sugar.  I have also tried out the dry grinding container and made my own oat flour to use in my homemade bread and rolls that I bake each week.

Vitamix Blender - Kimberlees Korner

Well, tomorrow is the first of May and I will continue my Cathe and yoga workout rotation for at least the beginning of May.  I may change it up to something different by the middle of the month, we’ll see.  I hope you are having a great Spring so far and getting in some workouts.

-Kimberlee

Working Out January 2016

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The month of January is almost over – it seems like this month went by very fast to me.  I have now completed three full weeks of the Hammer and Chisel workout program and started week 4 yesterday.  So far I am really liking the program and seeing good results.

Hammer and Chisel dvd's, booklet and containers

The workouts are classified as Hammer workouts or Chisel workouts.  Basically you alternate one day of a Hammer workout with Sagi and the next day a Chisel workout with Autumn.  I am not sure which workout I like the best so far.  I do know that Total Body Hammer, Hammer Conditioning and Total Body Chisel are probably my top three picks as of now.  Most of the workouts involve heavy weights at some point in the workout but there are a couple that do not require any weights.  I also bought the Deluxe workout dvd’s and this week, week 4, some of those are being incorporated into the workout as an option if you have them.  It is nice to change it up a bit.

Total Body Chisel Workout Week 3 Kimberlees Korner

Hammer Conditioning Workout Week 2 Kimberlees Korner

The workouts are all pretty much an intermediate level form of exercise.  They range in time from 26 minutes to 45 minutes, depending on the workout.  Some days you add on one of the 10 minute ab workouts after completing the workout for that day – there is a 10 minute Ab Hammer and a 10 minute Ab Chisel workout on each dvd.

There are some great motivational quotes and sayings throughout all the workouts from Autumn and Sagi.    One of them from Hammer Plyo workout from Sagi is “Pain is Temporary.”  Hammer Plyo is a very intense workout and the quote fits the workout – it is tough but the pain is temporary and the results are worth the effort.  Another one from Sagi and Total Body Hammer is “Never Ever Give Up.”  A quote from Autumn that I really like is “No one ever got chiseled by sitting on their butt.”  This is so true – if you want to get in shape and feel better about yourself you are going to have to put in the effort and time and workout – do something every day to become a healthier person.  She also talks in one of the workouts how you have to choose your “hard.”  Working out every day is hard but so is being overweight and unhappy about your health – you pick your “hard.”

Grapefruit Sharp Juice
Grapefruit Sharp Juice – juice 3 grapefruits, 2 lemons, 2 limes

I have also been trying to use my juicer at least once or twice a week to help me get more fruits and vegetables in my diet.  With Hammer and Chisel there is an eating plan you follow and for my plan, plan B, I need to have 4 vegetables a day and 3 fruits.  The program comes with the containers to measure your food – as seen in the photo above at the beginning of the post.  You really begin to understand portion control and see how much you should be eating per serving whether it is protein, carbs, vegetables, fruits or condiments and dressings.  I think that by using the containers and following the eating plan pretty closely the past month plus using the workouts six days a week I have been able to lose inches around my hips and thighs – so far I have lost one inch from each area (hips and thighs) in just one month.

One of the other benefits of the workouts is how much stronger I am getting and I notice I am starting to be able to go up in my weights for some of the exercises.  I am looking forward to another month of Hammer and Chisel for February and to see my end results.

What workout are you currently doing?  Let me know by leaving a reply.

-Kimberlee

Fitness for September 2015

For the past month I took a break from my normal routine of using fitness videos and used some of my book and fitness magazine routines.  I have a collection of workout and yoga books and lots of fitness routines from magazines that I have clipped out and saved.  So, the first couple of weeks of September I used the magazine routines alternating in some yoga.  It was fun to put on some good workout music and do those sets of exercises for 20 to 30 minutes.

The second half of the month I chose to use some of my workout books and alternate those with yoga from my yoga magazine.  I also got a new Pilates book from Sams at the end of August so I mixed that in this month as well.

pilates book

I really like this Pilates book.  It is a full color book with step by step photos of the exercises.  At the end of the book there  are several different Pilates routines that you can do – like one is classic Pilates, another called spinal call and  working the leg-core connection.  There are twelve total routines at the back of the book.

cat and pilates workout

As you can see my other cat likes the Pilates book, too.  She has been out more lately since I have started this new routine.  She is usually more shy and quiet than my other cat who loves to join me for my daily workouts.  I guess she is a Pilates fan.

Some of the other books I used for my workouts this month were some that I have had for a while.  They are books that use an exercise ball and some of the exercises use weights.  So a lot of these workout are more for toning and strength training.

ways to workout on the ball book

workout books for daily exercise

As you can see I own a few fitness books that are about working out on the ball.  The exercise ball is probably one of my favorite fitness tools.  I know it is not exactly convenient for storing but there are so many things you can do on the ball and so many areas you can tone up much better than just doing traditional exercises.  I think working out with weights on the ball is a lot of fun as well as some of the abdominal work.

So, for this past month I enjoyed creating my own routines or using some from the books.  Most of them were about 20 to 30 minutes long.  On my yoga days I usually did about a 20 or 25 minute yoga sequence from my Yoga Journal magazine that I bought several months ago.  It is a great magazine and I never get tired of the routines in there.

yoga journal magazine with great yoga practices and other info
Yoga Journal Magazine with lots of great workouts

For the coming month of October I have decided to go back to using my Cathe workout dvd’s and alternating yoga or the Pilates book in between video days.  I find I do best with variety which is why I am constantly changing my workouts each month.  I also think it helps your body stay in shape to do different things.

What kinds of workouts have you done lately?  Let me know by leaving a reply.

Kimberlee

Fitness for August 2015

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This month I have been working out using my P90X3 workout again.  I think this is my third time doing the program.  I am not actually doing the whole entire 13 week schedule like I did back in Jan to April 2014 but I am using P90X3 about four times a week and doing my own yoga routines a couple other days of the week.  I have found it to be a great schedule for August.

cat workout buddy using the bands

 

As you can see from the above photo my faithful workout buddy – my cat – is really into P90X3 and using the bands.

workout cat - loves weights

On another workout day he was into snuggling with my weights.  At one point he was actually laying over the top of them stretched out but he moved before I could get his picture.  He never misses a morning workout with me.

One of the things I love about P90X3 is that all the workouts are 30 minutes long and there is a lot of variety.  There is cardio, cardio with weights, weight training, isometric exercises, kickboxing, yoga and even pilates.  You do not get bored with these dvd’s.

The reason I chose to only do them four days a week instead of six like on the program is because I wanted to either ride my bike or do yoga on off days which is what i did.

I have also been making my own bread a lot lately.  One of my sons wanted me to make cinnamon rolls so I found a cinnamon bread recipe instead from my Make Ahead Bread book and it turned out really well.  My son really likes it too and I have made it two or three times now – it makes a large loaf.  cinnamon bread from make ahead bread book

As I mentioned in a previous post on baking homemade bread  this book has a neat concept that makes baking homemade bread very simple.  You make your dough ahead of time, like the night before, and refrigerate the loaf, get it out in the morning and bake it for like an hour and you have the best loaf of bread ever.  I have used many recipes from the book, a lot of them are whole grain types of recipes, and they have turned out well.  This cinnamon roll bread was another success.

water line redone, photos of trench

We had some homeowner issues this past month.  We discovered back at the end of July that we had a water line leak since we had a terribly high water bill.  We had to do a lot of investigating and my husband had to do a lot of digging around but we discovered two leaks in our front yard – one up by the house, the shut off box and one by the water main by the street.

Well, lots of money later we now have a whole new water line installed thanks to Legacy Plumbing.  It was about a four day process though to get the leak accessed and a temporary fix, get the permit, have a professional digging company come and hand dig the trench you see in the above photo and then another day for the plumber to come and do the whole line.

There was one day when this first happened that we did not have water for about 24 hours.  You don’t realize how much you need and use water.  I went to the store and bought gallon jugs for us to use to brush teeth, wash hands and dishes and we bought bottled drinking water.  It makes you really appreciate having running water in the house.

I will say that Legacy Plumbing was a great company to use and if you live in my area of Plano, Texas and need a plumber call them.  They are very fast to respond and do a very professional job and their plumbers are friendly and knowledgeable.  We also used them back in May to get a new hot water heater – lots of plumbing issues for us this year.

Well, my boys are back in school now -this was their first week so things are busy around here again – actually they are always busy but now there is more of a routine to things.  I was kind of sad to see their summer break end but it is nice to have the house be a little quieter during the day again.

I hope you are able to get some workouts in for the fall.  I am planning to use some of my workout books for the month of September.

Have a great weekend!

– Kimberlee

 

 

EOM Fitness for June 2015

The end of June is now here – I can hardly believe it!  I continued this past month with a four day a week workout schedule mainly doing cardio, weights and yoga – not all on the same day though.  The workouts I used were mainly Cathe Friedrich and yoga sequences from my Yoga Journal magazine that I mentioned in my May post.

Cathe Ripped With Hiit

weight lifting cat

As you can see in the above photo my cat is present as usual and ready to lift some heavy  weights.  He was actually laying on the 20 pound dumbbells just before I got my camera and took this photo.  I guess that is his version of lifting the weights – to lay on them.

I have also been able to ride my bike a couple of times this past month and do some swimming in our pool now that the rainy weather has subsided for us.  We still get a shower about once a week but nothing like we had in May.

kitchen aid ice cream attachment

I have been making my own ice cream for the past couple of months and really like this new attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer that makes awesome ice cream with just a few ingredients.  I basically mix together 2 cups of half and half, 2 cups heavy cream, 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon vanilla, chill it for a couple hours, then add it to the freezer bowl attachment while it is running and in 20 minutes you have made ice cream – or actually the attachment has made it for you – you do have to put it in a container and put it in the freezer and let it sit for a couple more hours to firm up.  It is the best ice cream ever and all three of my sons love it.

I realize ice cream is not really a health food but in my opinion all things in moderation are fine.  I have been enjoying my new homemade ice cream – in small portions – about three times a week this summer.

cherries and cherry pitter

Another thing I have been enjoying this summer is fresh cherries.  I really like them but hate pitting them.  I was doing the pitting by hand so I could use the cherries in recipes and then read about a cherry pit removing tool.  I decided to get one last week and I am so glad I did – it removes the cherry pits quickly and leaves the cherries basically whole.  The other way I was doing it was more or less by cutting them in half to get the pits out so I had cherry halves.

I hope your June was a successful month for exercising and making healthy choices.

Take care,

-Kimberlee

 

 

EOM Fitness for May 2015

May 2015 has come to an end and June will be here in a couple of days.  I don’t know if it is because of all the end of school year stuff going on with my kids or what but this month flew by, in my opinion.  My workout schedule for the past month was down to four days per week instead of five or six.  I decided to dial it back a little and do like a Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday schedule this past month.  workout cat with band

 

yoga journal magazine with great yoga practices and other info

This past month I also decided to change things up by using my Core workout book along with a new Yoga Journal Magazine I bought back in April.  I did do a couple of my Cathe workouts from an older dvd set X-train.  I love my Cathe workouts and usually include at least a couple each month.

Core workout book

I think I bought the Core workout book many years ago either at Half Price Books or Sams.  I really like this book and how there are routines at the end to do like the one shown above, the Power Workout routine.  The book uses an exercise ball, medicine ball, some weights and an exercise band for some of the exercises.  I like that there is minimal equipment.  It was nice to do these routines and put on some good music to workout to while doing them.  As you can see by the top photo the cat likes the book and workouts in there as well.  He was usually sitting by the band or on the book when I had it opened up.

Core Strength Training book

The other book I used this month along with the Core book was the one above, Core Strength Training.  I checked this one out from my local library.  I like how this book is set up and explains the exercises and there are detailed color photos, too.  I was trying to do at least four of the exercises on the days I was using my Core book.  There are lots of great exercises to increase your mobility and strengthen your abs and back for everyday activities as well as sports like golf.  I pointed this out to my husband since he golfs a lot and he frequently gets out my weights or bands to do a few exercises the day before he goes golfing.

This past month I have also been using a couple of other new books I recently bought at Barnes and Noble.  The first book I bought a couple of months ago, it is called Raw Energy by Stephanie Tourles.  I just stumbled across this book while actually trying to find another book and loved all the recipes in there.  Everything is made with healthy and wholesome ingredients and most of them are pretty simple to make.  The concept is that everything is made with raw natural ingredients and nothing is cooked at a high temperature so the food retains the natural occurring enzymes.  There are a few recipes that use a food dehydrator but nothing is cooked over 175 degrees.  This interested me since my husband bought a dehydrator about eight months ago to dehydrate the hot peppers we grow every year.  I wanted to be able to use the dehydrator for more than that and apples which is about all we had tried.

Raw Energy book by Stephanie Tourles

This book contains recipes for cereals, dips, fruit and vegetable juices, nut milks, smoothies and a variety of snacks.  I have already made several recipes from this book and they were all good.  At the front of the book she explains the raw concept in detail and lists the equipment and ingredients you will need to make things in the book.  The author, Stephanie Tourles, has also written a few aromatherapy and body care books and I own two of those as well.  I knew when I saw this book it would be good and I have not been disappointed with it.

Power Hungry book

The other book I just bought a few weeks ago is called Power Hungry by Camilla V. Saulsbury.  Again this was a book I just stumbled upon at Barnes and Noble while searching for another book that I never found.  This book is all about making your own Cereal, Energy and Protein Bars with lots of variations within each recipe to create a different type of bar.  So far I have tried a few and liked them.  There are some recipes that require cooking some of the ingredients on the stove top or even baking some of them in the oven for a few minutes but there are also some raw recipes that do not require baking or cooking.  I also like how she classifies some of them as knock off recipes for things like Fiber One bars, Kind Bars and Larabars.  I know I have found, and even tried, some of these types of recipes from pinterest but they have not been as good as the ones in this book.  This book is worth the money if you are interested in making your own good quality bars with natural ingredients.  Also, there are tips in the book on storing the bars and how long they keep or can be frozen for, etc.

Well, so far it has been very rainy here so I have not been able to get out and ride my bike or swim like I normally do in May.  Maybe June will bring some sunshine so I can start biking to the store again and start swimming some for some exercise.  As far as my planned activities go I will probably stay with a 4 day a week schedule and plan to do weight training and yoga for this coming month.  What are your workout plans for June?

Have a good weekend!

-Kimberlee

 

EOM Fitness for April 2015

This month certainly went by fast!  I cannot believe that tomorrow is the first of May.  As far as my workouts go I kept up with a schedule of working out five days a week, alternating cardio and weight workouts with yoga.

The workouts I used this month were from two different dvd sets I own.  The one is the newer Cathe Friedrich Ripped with Hiit and the other was an older Cathe workout series that I have had for a few years called Low Impact Series.  Both of these sets are great and if you are looking for low impact workouts that give you an excellent workout without too much jumping and impact I would check out her Low Impact Series.  It is a set of nine dvd’s and a couple of them are yoga workouts.cathe dvd's used for April 2015 workouts from KImberlees Korner

On days I did not do a cardio or weight workout I did yoga using my Shiva Rea dvd’s, Exhale Core Fusion, or Yoga Journal magazine sequences.  Did you know that you can get some workout and yoga dvd’s on netflix?  I recently checked out Shiva Rea’s Sun Salutations from netflix and used it for a few of my yoga workouts.  I think I own most of her other ones except that one.  Checking out a dvd from netflix or the library is a good way to try it out and see if you will like it and want to buy it.

I have also been reading some other health and dietary books this past month that I have checked out from the library.  One of them is an older book but still has useful information called the Prescription for Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A. Balch.  I really like the format of this book as well as the useful information on how to eat properly for optimal health.  There are lots of recipes in this book as well, that I have tried and liked.

Some of the other books I have checked out from the library are more about cleansing and dietary plans for your health to overcome health problems and feel great.  To be honest with you the more I read some of these books the more confused I get on how to eat or what to eat.  It seems that if you compare some of these “plans” that are out there they are somewhat conflicting in what they tell you you should or shouldn’t eat and drink for better health.  I am reading them but using my own judgement with things.

I have been making more smoothies lately and not really using my juicer too much this past month.  I think I got burned out on juicing so I am taking a break from that for a little while.  I also notice that smoothies fill me up more.  I have even gotten two of my three sons drinking some healthy smoothies for breakfast at least a few times a week.

maca mango and raspberry smoothie

The above photo is a smoothie I recently made and I thought it was really good – it is kind of thick and super creamy.

Maca Mango Raspberry Smoothie

1/2 c. fresh or frozen raspberries (I used fresh)

3/4 c. frozen mango

1 container raspberry greek yogurt

2 bee pollen capsules opened

1 tsp manuka honey

1 tsp maca powder

1/2 c. vanilla soy milk

-Combine all the above ingredients in a high speed blender and blend 1 to 2 minutes.

For the month of May I will probably start out the month doing some Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s along with my exercise ball book and yoga.  I have decided to get some of my fitness books out and use them this coming month instead of just my dvd’s.  I will also be going to a 4 day workout week schedule since I am now getting outside more to do some gardening and plan to start riding my bike to the store again.

I hope you had a great month!

-Kimberlee

EOM Fitness for March 2015

Well, I have taken a couple of weeks off blogging but I have still been working out in the mornings.    I am finding that as the weather is getting nicer here I have so many other things that are taking up my time as well as three kids, a husband and a household to run so I am just not finding the time to get all the blogging posts in I had planned for the past month.  Well, there is always another month to get those in.

For the past month I have stuck to a workout schedule of doing cardio or weights one day and then yoga the next – pretty much five or six days a week.  I used some of my older and newer Cathe Friedrich workout dvd’s for cardio or weights and then yoga books, dvd’s or magazines that I have for my yoga routines.  Below are a couple of photos from the Cathe Cross Fire workout that the cat and I really like.

Cathe Cross Fire workout

Working out to Cathe Cross Fire workout

As always the cat is ready and waiting to workout.  Even this morning when I did a different Cathe workout with weights he was sitting by the weights.

Cat waiting to do Cathe Cross Fire workout

In addition to working out regularly I have still continued to do my juicing or smoothies daily.  I have been doing one or the other.  I like my juices but getting that juicer out and doing all the juicing takes a lot of time so I have gone to doing that once or twice a week.  I usually make up a few and store them in mason jars and label them.  They keep well for at least two or three days.

I have bought a couple of new juicing books in the last couple of months and have been using them for some of my juicing recipes.  One of them is the book below – The Big Book of Juices.  I think I got this at Sams Club.  There are lots of great recipes in this book and even some smoothies and refreshing fruit and tea drinks for summer.  I really like this book and the format of it.

Juicing Book

I have been using some of the juice recipes and incorporating them into my smoothies.  This is a good way to use up any of the juice before it goes bad since I tend to make up a few ahead of time.   One of my creations is this awesome Apricot Orange Smoothie.  I have made it a few times and love it.

Apricot Orange Smoothie

 

Apricot Orange Smoothie Recipe

  • 5 dried apricots soaked in water for about 20 minutes
  • half of a peeled orange – seeds removed
  • 1 Tbls chia gel – this is chia seeds soaked in water
  • 1/2 c. orange carrot juice – from juicer
  • 1/2 tsp maca powder – good for energy and hormones
  • 1 nectarine cut up, stone removed

Blend all of the above ingredients in a high speed blender for about 1 to 2 minutes.  Serves one.

Well, I hope everyone is doing well and starting to enjoy the nicer spring weather.  I have gotten my gardens ready and ordered some plants so I will probably be spending more time outside and less time on the computer for a while.  I am finding that to get things done I have to unplug more and start doing – like right now I am off to make some healthy chocolate chip muffins for my family.

Have a great week!

-Kimberlee

 

EOM Fitness for February 2015

This past month my fitness routine was a combination of P90X3 and yoga.  I had completed the entire schedule of P90X3 last year and the whole thing takes about three months of working out six days a week.  I did not want to do the entire thing so I started out my first two weeks of February doing just P90X3 and making up my own schedule with the workouts.  Well, by the third week of February I decided to do P90X3 along with a yoga book I own, Slim Calm Sexy Yoga by Tara Stiles.  So, I alternated P90X3 then the yoga book every other day for the last two weeks of this month.

Total Synergistics P90X3

The above photos are of the Total Synergistics workout from P90X3.  I really like this workout and did it a couple of times this month.

cat waiting to workout

Here is the cat – my faithful workout buddy sitting by the weights waiting to workout.  He too seemed to like the Total Synergistics workout.

There are yoga and pilates workouts in the P90X3 series and I did some of those along with the cardio and weight training workouts.  I decided to use my yoga book though because I was getting tired of doing a dvd workout every day.  There are lots of great routines in the Slim Calm Sexy yoga book by Tara Stiles, too.  I had not used it in a while and I am glad I decided to incorporate some of those yoga routines into my schedule for February.   Check your library for the book – that is where I first learned about it a few years ago and I liked it so well that I bought it at Barnes and Noble.

I didn’t watch any health documentaries this past month like I did back in January but I did read an interesting book on health called Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.  He is a doctor and I first learned about him and his books by watching the health documentaries last month on Netfilx.  This book is filled with lots of great information for taking charge of your health and learning to eat better to feel and look better and not following some crazy fad diet that is the latest rage.  His concept is focused on more of a plant based diet.  The acronym for his eating plan is G-BOMBS which stands for greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds.  These are the foods that you should be focused on consuming daily.  I really learned a lot from this book and there are some interesting recipes at the end of the book that I will be trying out.

I also have another book checked out from the library by Dr. Fuhrman called Eat To Live.  I will be reading that next.

For March I think I will go back to my Cathe Friedrich workouts.  She has some of the best workouts on dvd in my opinion and I always look forward to using them.  I have not decided yet which series or sets I will use but I will probably mix in yoga every other day since yoga makes my body happy and I love doing yoga at least a few times a week.  I have also found that doing yoga the day after a hard cardio or weight workout really helps my body and my mental focus.

I hope everyone had a great month and you were able to find some time for fitness.  Remember even 15 minutes a day of doing something is better than nothing at all.

-Kimberlee