So I was at work for hours longer than I wanted to be, and I was desperate for some gym time, having missed half my workout that morning (thanks to my husband's car battery dying). Does this ever happen to you? I hate it. Missing a workout makes me feel sluggish and icky all day.
So while I was at work, I decided to make the most of my shift during the down time and work out there. Hopefully you all can use these ideas where you work when its a little slow. Here's what I did:
1. Plies/Squats: When no one is in the restaurant, there is a lot of counter space to use as a "ballet bar." I would go through my plies and squats like this:
-While holding on to the counter with one arm, stand with your feet turned out, about hip width apart or in "second position." Squeeze all muscles in lower body and abdominals as you bend your knees (keeping knees in line with toes" and then straighten up slowly. By the end of 30 reps, your derrière will bee feeling some serious burn. Try to do 3 slow sets of 30 before your manager comes back from the bank, lol.
2. Static bicep/tricep workout: Hold your arms straight out to the sides for as long as you can in one shot. I usually go for 2-3 minutes straight, then let them down to rest before going for another. Holding up the weight of your own arms is a killer toning workout, and its how dancers have long and lean arms (we hold our arms out, up and strong throughout our entire barre/class). Try it anywhere, anytime. Its a great toning exercise that you can do at work so long as you don't care if your coworkers give you silly looks for a minute lol.
3. ABS! - This one definitely makes you look silly, but when your abs are burning and getting toned, you wont care. Hold one arm behind your head and stand firmly on one leg (the same leg as the arm you're using). Then bring your opposite leg into your chest, crunching inward with your abs (like an angled crunch while standing. Repeat on other side. Try for 3 sets of 25-30. It's good times, and something that you can do in an empty office or a bathroom at work in no time at all.
Its not a complete workout by any means, but it's a great supplement when you just don't have the time or space to exercise properly. It gets me through. Do you have any other ideas?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Back to the real world
Man, cruises are nice. Everything you need is right at your fingertips, any time of day. It was nice to spend a week on a cruise with my new husband, relaxing and indulging in life's little pleasures and wonderful moments.
We sat at watched the sunset every night on the deck, we spent our days at art auctions, towel folding classes and...oh yeah, spent HOURS AND HOURS in the gym. :) It was the most relaxed I've ever been.
But I have to say, THANK THE HEAVENS for the gym! If I hadn't spent at least 2 hours working out per day, I woulda come off that ship weighing so much more than I do. It is NOT a myth that on a cruise, the average person gains 1-2 pounds PER DAY.
This bears repeating:
The average person gains 1 to 2 pounds PER DAY on a cruise.
On my 8 day cruise, the average person gained 8-16 pounds by the end of the week. Yikes.
Me and Dave staved off most of the weight gain by
a) Being Active: Going to the gym, going for scenic walks on the on-board/outdoor jogging track, and engaging in active activities on shore.
b) NOT DRINKING
That second one may be difficult for many people but not drinking alcohol on board saved us a TON of calories and more money than we can count. Think about the costs:
Each drink ranges from $5 (beers) to $11 (cocktails). I saw many people drink at least 5 beers and a few cocktails each day, and that was before midnight, so who knows what they drank afterward. I'd say that's an average cost of $50-100 per day in booze. Wow. Between me and Dave we saved between $400-800 on that alone! Nice :)
Calorie-wise, we saved even more. With each beer being between 120-200 calories per bottle and each cocktail ranging from 300-1000 calories (the higher end being frozen, fruity drinks and sweet cordial concoctions), the range of excessive calories goes from a surprising 1500 to over 5000 calories per day....just in liquids! No thanks!
So we did well there, but the food was another story. I was easier for me, being vegan, to skip the heavy foods and keep from overindulging too much. But I did eat much more in quantity than I'm used to, and I ended the week with a 3 pound weight gain. I'm sure I can get these pounds off in no time, and it was nice to indulge a little, so I have no regrets. (For more on how I got to eat all the yummy foods I wanted, stay tuned for a NEW BLOG from me about vegan life and veganism on tour!)
Dave indulged alot, and I'm glad he got to eat some delicious food and sweets. But he has some gym time to put in to make up for it, and I'm charged with the task of being his trainer, lol. I guess we'll really put this marriage to the test here!
The point I'm trying to make is that while it is dangerous to overindulge on vacation, as it will typically always result in weight gain, if you balance yourself with a little give and take when it comes to eating and drinking, and keep up with your workouts while you're on vacation, you can let yourself enjoy all that is around you while minimizing consequences. It was nice to let go and enjoy some of the tastiest foods I've ever had, but I also knew that gym time was mandatory in order for me to fully indulge each day. And I never missed a work out, knowing that I wanted to feel free to eat and eat without guilt.
So next time you're heading off for a relaxing retreat or getting into a string of events (i.e. wedding + honeymoon + stress of finals week) like I did where food and overindulging was just part of the deal, try to make sure you leave time for your workouts and put the effort into taking care of your body so you can enjoy the indulgences while you can.
For me, I'm enjoying getting back into my routine of diet and exercise, but I will also say that I can't wait to get back on a cruise ship sometime. Like for our first anniversary! <3
We sat at watched the sunset every night on the deck, we spent our days at art auctions, towel folding classes and...oh yeah, spent HOURS AND HOURS in the gym. :) It was the most relaxed I've ever been.
But I have to say, THANK THE HEAVENS for the gym! If I hadn't spent at least 2 hours working out per day, I woulda come off that ship weighing so much more than I do. It is NOT a myth that on a cruise, the average person gains 1-2 pounds PER DAY.
This bears repeating:
The average person gains 1 to 2 pounds PER DAY on a cruise.
On my 8 day cruise, the average person gained 8-16 pounds by the end of the week. Yikes.
Me and Dave staved off most of the weight gain by
a) Being Active: Going to the gym, going for scenic walks on the on-board/outdoor jogging track, and engaging in active activities on shore.
b) NOT DRINKING
That second one may be difficult for many people but not drinking alcohol on board saved us a TON of calories and more money than we can count. Think about the costs:
Each drink ranges from $5 (beers) to $11 (cocktails). I saw many people drink at least 5 beers and a few cocktails each day, and that was before midnight, so who knows what they drank afterward. I'd say that's an average cost of $50-100 per day in booze. Wow. Between me and Dave we saved between $400-800 on that alone! Nice :)
Calorie-wise, we saved even more. With each beer being between 120-200 calories per bottle and each cocktail ranging from 300-1000 calories (the higher end being frozen, fruity drinks and sweet cordial concoctions), the range of excessive calories goes from a surprising 1500 to over 5000 calories per day....just in liquids! No thanks!
So we did well there, but the food was another story. I was easier for me, being vegan, to skip the heavy foods and keep from overindulging too much. But I did eat much more in quantity than I'm used to, and I ended the week with a 3 pound weight gain. I'm sure I can get these pounds off in no time, and it was nice to indulge a little, so I have no regrets. (For more on how I got to eat all the yummy foods I wanted, stay tuned for a NEW BLOG from me about vegan life and veganism on tour!)
Dave indulged alot, and I'm glad he got to eat some delicious food and sweets. But he has some gym time to put in to make up for it, and I'm charged with the task of being his trainer, lol. I guess we'll really put this marriage to the test here!
The point I'm trying to make is that while it is dangerous to overindulge on vacation, as it will typically always result in weight gain, if you balance yourself with a little give and take when it comes to eating and drinking, and keep up with your workouts while you're on vacation, you can let yourself enjoy all that is around you while minimizing consequences. It was nice to let go and enjoy some of the tastiest foods I've ever had, but I also knew that gym time was mandatory in order for me to fully indulge each day. And I never missed a work out, knowing that I wanted to feel free to eat and eat without guilt.
So next time you're heading off for a relaxing retreat or getting into a string of events (i.e. wedding + honeymoon + stress of finals week) like I did where food and overindulging was just part of the deal, try to make sure you leave time for your workouts and put the effort into taking care of your body so you can enjoy the indulgences while you can.
For me, I'm enjoying getting back into my routine of diet and exercise, but I will also say that I can't wait to get back on a cruise ship sometime. Like for our first anniversary! <3
Friday, April 1, 2011
My Routine
I had a friend on Facebook request that I post my workout routine. I'm sorry I've been so absent from posting, but wedding plans and homework have taken over my life! And the big day is only 2 days away now!!! WOW!!!
But this morning I had an epic workout. It felt so nice to just have the time to myself and focus on my body and my spirit for a little while. Working out always feels so good.
My routine:
60 minutes: Elliptical/Run to get my heart rate up and burn calories at the start of the day.
15 minutes: A different form of cardio to get oxygen flowing through different muscles (Bicycling, Rowing, Dancing, etc)
20 minutes: Weight training. Different muscle groups each day, alternating by areas of the body (Lower, upper, abs/core). I typically do at least 3 exercises for the muscle group in 3 sets of 10-20 (or 50 if its an abs day).
10 minutes: Stretch all muscles in the body (This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part!!)
And if I'm lucky enough to have the time that day, I take a class as well. I love Spin class, Yoga, and ZUMBA the best :)
What's your routine?
But this morning I had an epic workout. It felt so nice to just have the time to myself and focus on my body and my spirit for a little while. Working out always feels so good.
My routine:
60 minutes: Elliptical/Run to get my heart rate up and burn calories at the start of the day.
15 minutes: A different form of cardio to get oxygen flowing through different muscles (Bicycling, Rowing, Dancing, etc)
20 minutes: Weight training. Different muscle groups each day, alternating by areas of the body (Lower, upper, abs/core). I typically do at least 3 exercises for the muscle group in 3 sets of 10-20 (or 50 if its an abs day).
10 minutes: Stretch all muscles in the body (This is THE MOST IMPORTANT part!!)
And if I'm lucky enough to have the time that day, I take a class as well. I love Spin class, Yoga, and ZUMBA the best :)
What's your routine?
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