Work It Out!

I said that I would let you all know what I've been up to as far as exercise...

I decided to follow Whole Family Strong's example and do a 2 days on/1 day off rotation. I've almost always done 5-6 days straight and then one day off. I've almost always gotten burnt out or really did not look forward to my workouts. I think that the new rotation, with 2 days exercise followed by 1 day of rest and repeat, is so much easier for many reasons. I no longer feel like I have to brace myself for a week's worth of workouts before I get a day off. I have more flexibility during the week to get things done and don't have to wait until the weekend for a day off. I am no longer forcing myself to do hour-long workouts each day for those 6 days. Sometimes I do an hour workout, but sometimes I do a 15 minute workout. It depends on how I'm feeling that day and what I have time for. I am working on just being active and not focusing on max calorie burn to make up for whatever I ate that day. And I can tell that I am much less stressed with this process.

So for the actual programs/workouts that I'm doing... 

I've been rotating between different things. I have got a collection of all different kinds of workouts from many different companies: Zumba, Zuzka Light, Insanity, P90x, Hip Hop Abs... and then I also do workouts online from Zuzka Light, Daily HIIT, and Fitness Blender. I do have to say that Fitness Blender is probably my favorite right now though. They've got a super easy web site where you can actually search for a workout based on what kind of exercise you want to do (cardio, strength, toning, etc.) or where you want to focus (back, legs, biceps, etc.) or how long you want to work out (15 minutes, 30 minutes, etc.) or which level of difficulty you'd prefer (1 - 5) and then finally there is the option for calorie burn where you choose a calorie burn range. So it really is perfect for people with busy lives to go in,find what they want, then do it! You can also save your favorite workouts so you can just hop back on another time and find it easily. I love it! 

The first week on the Whole30 program I did two Zuzka workouts, 2 Fitness Blender workouts, and 1 Jillian Michaels yoga workout. So far this week I've done 2 Fitness Blender workouts and 1 Zuzka workout. I really love the variety and being able to choose what I want to do each day. It makes it seem much less rigid and seems more palatable when I think about doing this as a lifestyle choice.

Eventually I'd like to try the Fitness Blender 8-Week Challenge again ... just to see what I can do with it, but right now I'm working on forming habits instead of trying to make myself do things a certain way. So, I think it's important not to push for too much all at the beginning and gradually work my way up to certain things. I can't comment much on the progress I've made so far since we're only 12 days into the program, we're not allowed to weigh ourselves, and I've been wearing yoga pants and dresses every day so far! But I feel so much better, I have more flexibility, and I know I'm doing good things for my body. And that's good enough for me for now!

Zumba Review

"Zumba Fitness^® is the only Latin-inspired dance-fitness program that blends red-hot international music, created by Grammy Award-winning producers, and contagious steps to form a "fitness-party" that is downright addictive. Since its inception in 2001, the Zumba program has grown to become the world's largest – and most successful – dance-fitness program with more than 14 million people of all shapes, sizes and ages taking weekly Zumba classes in over 140,000 locations across more than 150 countries." (Zumba.com/about)


Zumba was created by Alberto "Beto" Perez through what he considers a "happy accident". On his way to teach a fitness class, he forgot to bring his music and ended up using the music tapes that he had in his backpack (salsa and merengue). His students responded to it very positively and he turned it into what is now one of the most popular forms of dance fitness worldwide.

There are two ways to do Zumba. You can either take a class, Zumba Class (click to watch the video), held either in a gym or in their own locations, or you can buy the DVD and do it in your own home. I haven't tried any of the Zumba classes, although I have heard many positive reviews of them, but I received the Zumba DVDs a couple of years ago.

I quickly learned that I have 2 left feet, but even so, this workout is FUN! Fun AND challenging. You can choose between an introductory DVD which shows you how to do the dance moves one step at a time, then there are several different options between a long type of workout or a short type workout. They even have a DVD to dance along to a Zumba concert. Yes, they even hold concerts, where people gather to work out together, with Beto and his dancers on the stage. Pretty exciting huh?

The DVDs, no matter which length you choose, are so much fun that they go by very quickly. It is a great DVD if you love to dance, or even if you just enjoy it slightly. They go through a wide variety of different types of Latin dances, and even a few outside of that genre. They are constantly switching it up, so that you don't do a single version for too long and get bored. It moves along quickly, but if you do the introductory DVD you should have minimal trouble keeping up.

Another interesting note to the Zumba DVDs is that you have the option to work out in English or Spanish.

If you aren't into dancing, then this workout is probably not for you. Also, if you're looking to tone specific areas, then you probably should move towards a HIIT workout or a strength training workout. Zumba will slim you down, and is a great cardio workout, but it won't add much as far as tone to your upper body... or not as much as targeting those areas specifically.

Pros:

• Fun
• Workout goes by quickly
• Cardio workout to improve stamina
• Lots of variety in the workouts
• English or Spanish option
• Can do the workout in a class or on a DVD
• Price of the DVDs falls between the expensive Beach Body products and the more affordable Jillian Michael's or Body Rock workouts

Cons:

• Not going to get you as toned, specifically upper body
• Not great for the uncoordinated person
• Need a bit more space to do the workout than other DVDs

Overall, I say Zumba is a great addition to your other workout DVDs as a fun cardio workout when you want a good burn and/or you don't have a lot of time to get your heart rate up!
Buy Zumba.