Anyway, the workout is from a friend’s blog – an awesome San Diego related blog –

Here is the workout:   http://solvision.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/my-new-favorite-workout/

I love these kinds of workouts where you’re doing different exercises, remain moving the whole time, and burn LOADS of calories.  It keeps your muscles guessing – you will get sore muscles where you didn’t even know you had muscles.

Enjoy!

To your health,

Kimberly

One of the staff writers for the newspaper won a one month pass to the Bikram Yoga Tempe and on her first day she found out that they were doing a 30 day yoga challenge – yes, that means 30 days in a row of Bikram yoga.  Yikes.  That would scare me.

If you haven’t heard of bikram yoga, it is yoga done in a room with 105F temperature and it lasts an hour and a half.  Some people call it “hot” yoga.  I would say that’s an understatement.  Bikram yoga takes you through 26 specific postures, always done in the same order.  It was created by someone called Bikram Choudhury.

Here are a few excerpts from the staff writer’s 30 day diary:

Day 1: Class was so hard, I had to leave in the middle of it to get vitamin water because I felt like I was dying!  I stayed through the whole class even though I wanted to leave.  I cried!  Not sure why, but I couldn’t stop.  It was so hard!  Got bursts of anxiety and thought I couldn’t breathe.   After class, I had such a bad headache I couldn’t even talk on the phone.  Just went home to rest and take care of myself.

Day 4: This was my first day taking electrolyte tablets and it was the best day yet!  Bought a sweat yoga towel today, super expensive for a towel ($55), but I get why people use them.  Regular towels get all bunched up on your mat throughout class, but these towels are made to stay put and soak up sweat.

Day 11: Great day, feeling amazing, even though I got drunk last night and stayed up until 3am.  I feel happier and more centered.  Started “that time of the month”.  Yay!  Class was so hard, it felt hotter than usual and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it, but I did.  Glad it’s over, probably hard because period/drinking/not enough sleep and because I ate really badly and smoked.

Day 19: Heater wasn’t working right, so it wasn’t as hot in there at the beginning, but it kicked on and felt hotter than usual.  I’m getting much better at bending tree pose; I kept my foot on my hip as I stood back up!  Also getting better at rabbit.  Teacher was kind of rude, he made fun of me twice.  Once for fixing my hair.  I think positive feedback would be more helpful for us.

Day 23:  Bad day!  Very hungover, I’m stupid!  Drank too much vodka last night.  I was able to do the first hour, but when we had to lay on our stomachs, I felt so nauseous…Threw up after class.  So mad at myself for drinking that much after all the hard work I’ve done to cleanse my body.

Day 30:  Yay, I did it!  They congratulated me in class and clapped.  I got a certificate and a flashlight!…I’m so happy and proud of myself!

The staff writer went on to say that she lost 3 pounds, which I was surprised of.  She should have lost more than that, although maybe it was all the vodka   Pretty funny stuff.

To your health,

Kimberly

It was pretty hard the first couple of days, just because it was early!!  There have even been a couple of times that I’ve hit the snooze button and not gone…we’re all human

However, I was thinking about this the other morning when my alarm went off and my head was having a wrestling match with either getting up or sleeping for a little bit longer:  On the mornings that I got up and did my exercise, did I ever regret my decision?  NO WAY.  On the mornings that I slept in, did I ever regret my decision?  YES WAY.

Based on these answers, it only makes sense to get up and do the exercise, even if I’m feeling like a snooze would be better.  I’m sure the same applies to most people out there, even if it’s not a first-thing-in-the-morning decision, but maybe a lunch time or evening workout.  If you’ve said you’re going to exercise, just do it!  (The Nike slogan totally makes sense now.)

I’m saying that the #1 reason to get to the gym (or go for a bike ride, jog, etc) is because it makes you feel great about yourself.  It gets your blood flowing, your metabolism up, and clears your mind for whatever else the day has to offer you.   Who knows, it might be the best 30/60/90 minutes of your day.

To your health,

Kimberly

A friend just sent me a link to some free info about how to lose weight naturally.  Most weight-loss methods don’t even make me blink anymore…they are a dime a dozen…but as this method is totally natural, I feel more comfortable mentioning it to you.

I know January is a time when people get renewed enthusiasm for being healthier and losing weight, so maybe this can help you with your New Year goals.

Free weight-loss information

Stay tuned for some great information coming in 2011.

Happy New Year!

To your health
Kimberly

I’ve been back in San Diego now for about three weeks.  The sun has been shining (most days), the ocean glistening, and the coffee flowing!  (I forgot how obsessed America is with coffee – it is in demand at all hours of the day – in really big cups. I even saw a personal trainer with a huge mug, drinking it while he was training someone.)

I’ve been hitting the gym, going for walks and jogs, or at least doing something active everyday.  You know what I’ve noticed?  A lot of people are in GREAT shape.  Men and women alike, people are seriously in shape here.  There are people jogging everywhere.  People in the gym are doing crazy amounts of exercise.  People are working up a proper sweat while working out.

I know America has this image of being really fat, but that is definitely a geographical thing.  San Diego still has overweight people and lots of unhealthy food to eat, but it also have a great choice of organic products, specialty grocery stores, foods suitable for different food allergies, and lots of active people.

Anyway, my whole point is that I have a new found motivation for working out.  I hate to admit that my attitude to working out was a lot lazier in the UK, but it was.  It’s time to get more serious again.

Peer influence

It’s actually amazing how much peer influence encourages you to follow through with things.  This applies both to good habits and bad habits.  I’ve blogged about this before, but I’ll repeat myself.  If you surround yourself with people who are into healthy, natural eating and who like to be active, work out, cycle, etc you are more likely to do the same.  If you surround yourself with people who eat fast food/junk food a lot and don’t get any exercise, you are also more likely to do the same.  (I know these are the two extremes, but I’m just trying to show a point.)

If you have fitness goals, natural weight loss goals, or other health goals, it’s a good idea to get at least a few people in your friend circle who have similar goals, or will at least support you as you work toward your goals.

Now that I’m back in a place where being active is more common and where being serious about exercise is more common, I’m motivated to be the same!

Off to the gym…

To your health,

Kimberly

Enjoying the Balancing Act – Eating well while traveling

I’d like to think my two passions in life are conflicting and that I have it particularly hard. You see, I am an athlete (well ex-athlete and current avid worker-outer) who is pretty passionate about eating whole and well. But I am also a travel and culture junkie. And this means that I must eat, drink and experience local specialties till my heart’s content.

I am joking about having it hard. In truth it’s not hard at all – but it does require some thinking.

I have had an exceptional year that has taken me traveling through many countries and cultures. At the same time I trained for and completed my first half marathon, at under 2 hours, and plan to run another. While at times this balance can be a challenge, I have a routine down. This routine I picked up while traveling for work and not wanting to fall out of shape despite my busy schedule.

I will say that I don’t believe you should sacrifice the joys of ‘experiencing’ for the sake of health and fitness. These are not clashing things – they often can live quite harmoniously side-by-side. Here are my tips to balancing yourself while on the road.

Firstly and very simply – “all things in moderation”. Just because you’re in the land of chocolate or brie doesn’t mean you have to eat it by the kilo.

Here are a couple other every day tips for you on the road;

* Bring snacks – my purse may weigh 10 lbs more because of the usual banana or apple and bag of nuts I keep on hand but its worth it

* Carry water! And drink it – lots of it.

* Eat a big breakfast – you’ll see you have more energy from the get go

* Bring workout clothes (1-2 pairs and wash on long trips) – I always enjoy first noticing where the locals are running and then joining in. Or in places like Copenhagen or Amsterdam, rent a bike and join in with the masses

* Pack a resistance band in your luggage and if need be a workout plan on paper with hotel room exercises like sit ups, wall squats, lunges…etc. (see sample workout below)

* Plan for AM workouts – you’ll find yourself cutting back on ‘indulgences’ the night before

* If possible, avoid public transportation and just walk

* Take the stairs

* But remember to enjoy! Experience what your new location has to offer, even if its alcohol filled or cream laden. There is a major difference between tasting and gorging. Being in great shape doesn’t mean you have to suffer.

I have found this workout and often like to follow it when on the road because I don’t need anything but myself. P.S. Don’t be alarmed by this girl’s body! After a few times doing this rough workout, you’ll look like this too.

On the road Workout

1. Half burpees with calf raises – 60 reps

2. One leg raised push-ups – 30 reps each leg

3. Jump lunges – 60 reps

4. One leg dead lifts – 30 reps each leg

5. Crunches with leg extensions – 60 reps

6. Prisoner squats with forward kick – 30 reps each leg

7. One leg raised tricep dips – 30 reps each leg

8. One leg jump knees – 30 reps each leg

9. Chest lifts (hyper extensions) – 60 reps

10. Over the chair leg lifts (in and out) – 30 reps each leg

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWgPldBACa0

Happy healthy travels to you!

Courtney is currently living in Madrid while her husband gets his MBA.  She and two business partners have a fantastic site for anyone wanting information about Madrid.  Check it out here: http://guiriguidetomadrid.com/.

Thanks again for your contribution Courtney.

To your health,

Kimberly

Most of my recent posts have been more nutrition related than fitness related, but fitness is equally important in a natural weight loss plan.

I spotted this great workout video through a colleague’s site http://foxfitness.com and thought it was worth sharing.

What I like about it is that it works several muscle groups all at once, therefore maximizing your calorie burn during each minute of your workout.  I also like that it doesn’t require a lot of equipment or a gym.  You can do this at home pretty easily or in your own backyard or a local park.  So, there is no excuse not to work out because the weather is miserable   I’ve certainly used that excuse at least once.

Check out the video and give it a try.

To your health,

Kimberly

So, here is #2 in my “real people” series.  Today is an interview with a yoga teacher.

Melanie Herbert is a qualified ashtanga yoga teacher (and she is my yoga instructor!) with classes in and around St Albans. For more details visit www.melanieherbert.com

Q: What made you start learning yoga?

A:  I actually wanted to learn Pilates but that class was full so I signed up for yoga instead. I had no idea what to expect but was hooked from the first class – I considered myself reasonably fit as I did a bit of running, cycling and swimming, but I can honestly say I’d never found any exercise as difficult as that first class! I was intrigued and surprised by my body’s limitations. The teacher made each posture look so effortless, but I was completely stiff and inflexible.

I went to that class every week for about 6 months and started noticing very subtle improvements – I could (just about) touch my toes without bending my knees, but I still found sitting cross-legged completely uncomfortable and needed to sit on a block. This was due to inflexibility in my hips. My hamstrings were also incredibly tight from all the running and cycling I had done.

So I signed up for a second weekly class and from there my flexibility and overall ability to do the postures improved as I began to feel the benefits of more regular practice. I bought my own mat and tried practising at home, but found it difficult to remember how to get into the postures and coordinate the breathing.

Those early classes were held in a small local studio which was the perfect place for a beginner like me to get all the personal attention and adjustments my body needed to practise safely. My teachers were very supportive and encouraged me to try other classes, one of which was an ashtanga vinyasa class. I turned up having no idea what to expect and was, once again, blown away by how difficult I found it compared to the elegant poise and serenity of the teacher. Not only that, I started working up a sweat, so I really felt like I was having a good workout.

I was desperate to progress with my practice so I persuaded the teacher to give me private lessons. It is a common tradition in yoga that the student finds their teacher (by some cosmic force!) but the teacher initially refuses to take on the student. This is exactly what happened in my case. My teacher observed me attending the group class over several weeks before deciding that I had the dedication to merit individual lessons. I am eternally grateful to her for passing on her knowledge to me – over the course of these lessons, not only did my physical practice develop, but I began to learn about the history and philosophy of yoga, more advanced breathing and meditation techniques, basic Sanskrit, mantras and chanting.

This was nearly 10 years ago and I have had many wonderful teachers since then. I have found that there is always something new to discover with yoga – always somewhere further you can go in the physical postures, always a more deeper level of awareness of ourselves. For me, yoga is a voyage of discovery and I feel blessed by the accidental circumstances which brought me to that first class.

Q: So how often do you practise?

A: I try to do a physical practice or meditation 6 times a week – this can vary from just a few sun salutations to a full practice which takes an hour and a half. It’s important to distinguish between practising and teaching – whilst I may be physically doing the postures when I teach, I don’t consider this to be practising yoga since I am not breathing correctly or focused as I need to be.

A lot of students ask me how often they “should” practise. I really dislike this word as it puts so much pressure on us. My answer is to practise as often as you can – you will feel the benefits if you can only manage 5 minutes a day, or one hour a week. But obviously the more you practise, the more you will progress.

Q: What other exercise do you do?

A: I continued to do the odd run or cycle, no more than once a week, up until around 3 years ago. My teacher at the time used to nag me to stop as these forms of exercise (like many) shorten the hamstrings which counters the effects of yoga. At first, I was scared that if I stopped doing other forms of exercise I wouldn’t be able to stay “fit” or that I’d put on weight. So at first, I increased the amount of swimming I did instead – swimming between 3km and 4km a week. Then one day when I was swimming I had a thought that I would rather be at home doing yoga so I got out of the pool and haven’t been back!

Now the only form of exercise I do is ashtanga vinyasa yoga and I firmly believe that I don’t need to do anything else to be fit and healthy. In fact, I have never been leaner or stronger than I am right now.

Q: That’s interesting. So how does yoga keep you fit?

A: There are many styles of yoga and it would be wrong to suggest that by doing one hour per week of gentle hatha yoga you will increase and maintain your fitness, although it should improve your flexibility, overall well-being and maybe increase your core strength.

Using yoga for fitness depends, not just on the style, but on the intensity of your practice, and of course the frequency. If you practise the physical postures with integrity, working at (which means slightly pushing) your body’s limits, you will be fitter than practising at a more gentle pace.

However, for anyone who is already physically fit, I would recommend ashtanga vinyasa yoga which builds strength and stamina, along with flexibility and core stability.

Q: You talk about different styles of yoga – what are the differences?

A: All yoga is hatha yoga but this term is generally used to describe more relaxing styles where the emphasis is on gradually increasing flexibility. It is the foundation for pregnancy yoga and restorative yoga.

However, the postures in all forms of yoga are principally the same. What changes is the way you come into or out of the postures, how long you hold them for, the order in which they are done and how they are linked (and in the case of “hot yoga” the temperature of the room!).

For example, in a general hatha yoga class, the teacher will prepare a class choosing any postures and putting them in their own order. In between postures, students will tend to relax before beginning the next. There may be little emphasis on breathing techniques although the teacher should tell you when to inhale and exhale.

At the other extreme, in an ashtanga vinyasa class, the order of the postures does not change and students perform dynamic linking movements in between to maintain heat and energy. Breathing techniques are vital in these classes, as is the development of internal energy locks, known as “bandhas”. These can be compared to muscles deep within the body which can take years of practise to engage.

Even within the same style of yoga, two different teachers may teach the same posture differently – one may focus on correct alignment, another may focus on breathing. As long as the student is practising safely, and without danger of injury, there is no right or wrong way which is why it’s important for each student to find the style and the teacher which suits them. Although it’s also good to try different teachers to avoid becoming too rigidly attached to doing the postures a certain way. Through yoga, we want to develop flexibility of mind as well as body!

Q: What else do you do to stay fit and healthy?

A: I’ve been a vegetarian for over 15 years, far longer in fact than I’ve been practising yoga and I consider this to be the most influential thing I’ve done to lose weight. I used to eat very unhealthily and whilst I wasn’t fat, I had a few excess pounds in certain areas which I could never seem to shift. Restricting my intake of animal fat (including dairy products) has really helped me maintain a healthy weight. I still eat fish and eggs but my diet is predominantly vegetable based. I don’t count calories or restrict the amount I eat.

I think it’s important not to make any drastic changes to your diet overnight though. If you’re interested in giving up meat, try cutting out red meat first, say for 3 months. Then progress to cutting out white meat. You could also try switching from cow’s milk to soya or rice milk (I prefer the latter) or switching from standard tea and coffee to green or herbal teas.

Yoga naturally detoxifies the body by massaging the internal organs and allowing the release of toxins through the skin (via sweat). It’s actually important when practising yoga not to wipe the sweat away, but to let it fall from you naturally. A towel will simply push the toxins back into the body.

Q: Does yoga offer any other benefits?

A:  Yes, but there are so many they would be the subject of another interview! If you would like more information or have any questions, please email info@melanieherbert.com.

Thank you Melanie for your input!  And thank you for getting me started in yoga.  I have found it to be an amazing workout and super challenging.  It is a great thing to add to any natural weight loss plan.

To your health

Kimberly

I am starting a series today that I’m SO excited about.  I’ve gathered some stories from friends, family, and colleagues about their real life experiences with health, diet, exercise, natural weight loss, disease, and all sorts of health related things.  I always love reading stories from “real” people who have overcome being overweight, have started a successful new exercise routine, or who have always been really healthy and just can share with the rest of us some of their natural weight loss tips or “keeping healthy” tips or anything similar.

So, today is the first in the series.  I’ll aim to put one new story up each week (and yours could be included if you feel like writing something to me!)

Today is about a friend of mine who, despite a hatred for running, did her first marathon this year.  It is amazing, funny, and inspiring!

I hope you really enjoy reading these and I want to extend a huge thank you to all the people who have been willing to contribute!

To your health,

Kimberly

Marathon Diary of the Anti-Runner

My journey started on August 23, 2009.  I was a running neophyte.  I received a Nike + Ipod for my birthday. I decided to start running.  Number of miles I had run prior to this for the sole purpose of running?  ZERO.  In fact, prior to this I would use the word “hate” to describe how I felt about running, and “never” to describe when I would be running a marathon.

While my goal was to run a ½ marathon by March 2010 and a full marathon by October 2010, ultimately I decided to go for the full in March (LA Marathon).  I posted my intention on facebook and the immediate feedback I got made me realize there was no going back!

My first run was for 3.4 miles and I ran at a 12:37 pace.  I knew it would get better.  Between August 23 – March 20th I had gone on 78 runs, for a total of 454.74 miles and 57,872 calories burned.   My last long run before the marathon: 10 miles in 88 minutes.  I dropped about 15 pounds, but definitely noticed that I had gained muscle in my legs as well.  Luckily, I was in living in San Diego for most of my training and thus was able to wear shorts often to show off my accomplishments.

On race day as the sun was coming up I lined up in the 10 minute mile group with thousands of my closest friends… My Dad gave me a hug and told me to get ‘em.  After a couple delays and a report that people were abandoning their cars on the freeway to get to the start line… We were off!! We came off the start to “I Love L.A.” and I was taken back to the GW Forum with my Dad watching Showtime in the late 80’s.

The course was great, I felt like I was taking a tour of some of my favorite LA memories.  Home stretch was down Ocean Avenue.  Sprint (comparatively speaking) to the finish…. Finishing time 05:27:31.  Not 4 hours, but for my first one… I’ll take it!

Here are some thoughts I had while running – because let’s face it; you have a lot of time to think:

1.        Apparently lining up with your mile time is like filling out an online dating profile: People are either delusional or outright liars!!!  It’s probably somewhere in the middle, but really? Lining up with the 8 minute milers to start the race WALKING?!

2.       Did you know Gordon Ramsey (Hell’s Kitchen) has done 10 marathons?  Go Chef!

3.       Favorite signs I saw along the way:

• CHUCK NORRIS NEVER RAN A MARATHON
• IF THIS WERE EASY WE’D BE DOING IT
• 26.2 MILES… BECAUSE 26.3 WOULD BE CRAZY
• WE HEARD YOU FART
• WE’RE DRUNK…KEEP RUNNING

4.       Things I dreamed about while running: a pedicure, In-N-Out burger, BEER, a nap….

5.       Things I was thankful for while I was running:

• my family and friends who were unbelievably supportive and always believed that I could cross the finish line;
• The Ta-Ta Tamer (yes, that’s what it’s called) Sports Bra from Lululemon – CHANGED MY LIFE!!!

Post Race Thoughts:

1. I was pretty sore after the race, but I started running again within a week.  This told me that I could have probably run a bit harder during the race.  However, while I still believe that to be true, this was my first timed race, period.  I think every runner would benefit from at least a 10K or ½ marathon as part of your training regimen.
2. Listen to your body.  Burnout is real.  I got back into the saddle too soon.  I also ignored a nagging injury, which I am now taking care of and has set me back so that I am not doing my second marathon in December as planned (doing a ½ instead).
3. Having a Buddy Helps – for me it’s about accountability.  Yeah, I like being fit, yada yada… but I’m also a busy person, who can let exercise become less of a priority than say, Happy Hour, or working all weekend.
4. Take this opportunity to help others.  I didn’t run my marathon for charity and that is something I would change going forward.  Find something you are passionate about (or someone you are close to is) and do some good!!
5. Two words: Strength. Training.  So important!! All I did as far as training was run.  I won’t make that mistake again.
6. “Eat to Win.”  My friend’s Dad used to say to her in high school.  Back then I thought he was encouraging an eating disorder.  But food is fuel, in order to perform properly, fuel accordingly.  I definitely notice a difference when my diet is made up of mostly cheese and wine, as opposed to veggies and water.  This also means get lots of sleep!!
7. You have to start somewhere. Don’t mentally take yourself out of the game.  Every day is a new day to start training.  As the saying goes, Just Do It.  Happy trails…..