Spring Into Something New!

If you’ve read previous posts here on Wine & Fit then you probably recall when we talked about mixing things up and keeping your workout routine interesting. Following our own advice, we’ve started an awesome 30 Days of yoga plan.

Now, yoga is definitely not my go to. I tried hot yoga with a friend years ago and was bored out of my mind! As I’ve been working to get wedding dress ready I realized that more often than not I’m hurrying out of the gym without stretching. Not good. Don’t do that.

This weekend I decided I was going to give this yoga thing another shot with the intention of forcing myself to get in a good solid stretch a couple time a week. Well I did a little research, read some motivational quotes, looked at pictures of people doing crazy bendy things with their body and thought ‘what am I about to get myself into?!’ In the midst of my research I came across the video below…

Well, Saturday morning I fired up YouTube and started with Day 1 of ‘30 Days of Yoga with Adriene.’ Not only was the routine very doable for my non-yoga self but is was also very relaxing and energizing at the same time. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it! When I was done I felt great and was ready to tackle my day. One of the things I really think helped me to love Adriene and the routine was that she encouraged you to wiggle around. My prior experience with yoga was more of a get your body here and hold still for ages deal. Adriene encourages you to move a little within a pose, see what feels good and notice how your body reacts to different things. It made me feel like I had the freedom to make yoga work for me and what I needed rather than just holding a pose that was not comfortable for me at this stage. Being able to do this in the comfort of my home, with a video of someone who clearly knows what she is doing and makes it enjoyable, has also been wonderful for me. I know there isn’t a soul watching me or judging my beginner skill level. I’m able to be comfortable, give it an honest try and see what my body can do.

Sunday morning I woke up and complete day 2, at the end I felt much the same and began thinking ‘wow! I wonder what I’ll be doing/feeling 30 days from now!’ Before bed last night I did some reading on mantras and the mental part, if you will, of yoga. I found some great inspiration and set my alarm for a little earlier than usual so I could get another yoga session first thing this morning.

In just 3 days my perspective on yoga has totally changed. I’m excited to stick with this 30 Days of yoga and see where it takes me physically and mentally. This week I am going to go find myself a pretty yoga mat so I can out away my blanket and continue on. I highly encourage everyone out there to give the program a try!

17 Minute HIIT Home Workout

Are you struggling to get to the gym? Feel like you don’t have the time to get there? Why not do a quick workout at home?!

This is a quick, effective workout you can do right at home in just 17 minutes. When you get home tonight, before you sit down and unwind with your favorite TV show and wine, knock it out!

Perform each exercise for 60 seconds followed by 20 seconds of jogging in place.
*Scaled version: 45 seconds exercise – 30 seconds of marching in place

Jumping Jacks
Air Squats
Push-Ups (Do knee push-ups, if needed, to get your chest within two inches of the floor)
Leg Lifts (Hold a couch or chair for support if needed)
Burpees
Right Side Push-Up (Click here for demo)
Mountain Climbers
Left Side Push-Up
Burpees
Leg Lifts
Push-Ups
Air Squats
Jumping Jacks

Be sure to take a few minutes to stretch after completing your workout! Your muscles will thank you later!

Fitspo or Fitsporn – By: Fitness To Go

Today I wanted to share an article with you all from Fitness To Go. I came across this article somewhere on my facebook feed and was so incredibly excited to see it. Tera, author of the article, absolutely hits the nail on the head when it comes to my opinions about the apparent ‘inspiration’ many girls are seeing all over social media.

Are these half-naked women “working out” and posing for the camera really inspiration? No, I don’t think so, but I will let you decide for yourself. Check out Tera’s article below.

Excerpt: Fitspo or Fitsporn

“When I see “fitspo” like this I think 3 things:
1. Pull that effing wedgie out of your ass
2. I would not want to sit on a bench after her
3. Are you kidding me? NO ONE works out dressed like that.

But that is what we are bombarded with on tumbler, pinterest, twitter, facebook, fitness mags….it’s everywhere. Almost naked chicks, oiled up, in a gym sporting major wedgies sporting all with the purpose of inspiring you to workout.

Barf!

And then you have the instagramers!

They clutter up your feed with pics from the locker room in their bra and undies so they can show off their “gains”, post the standard booty shot on #MotivationalMonday, #TransformationTuesday, #WorkoutWednesday, #ThowbackThursday, #FlexFriday, and some other lame ass day they make up and throw a hashtag in front of it so they can show off their hooters and #bootygainsfordays.

What caused this phenomenon of women and men (and yes there are dudes who do this too) feeling they need to plaster the internet with photos of their 3/4 naked bodies all in the name of inspiring others to workout? When did photos like this become what people look to for motivations during their journey to become fit and healthy? And when did this become what fitness newbies aspire to become, another girl showing off their hard work in a gym locker bathroom to an internet full of perverts?…”

Read the remainder here and let us know what you think! We’d love to see and hear what you look to for inspiration.

Love-Hate – Workout of the Week

For me, and many people I know, the fitness is a love hate relationship. You love being fit, or the idea of it, but hate starting out and feeling like your goal is so far away. You hate getting up early to hit the gym before work but love that you have a free evening without missing a workout. You love looking at all the inspiration on ‘Transformation Tuesday’ but hate that you feel like your transformation photo is never going to be ‘social media ready’.

You get the point, for every thing fitness related there is two sides and conflicting feelings. I wish that my next sentence could be ‘well here’s how to love it all!’ but it’s not. It never will be. Loving and hating is part of the process. The hate and dread teach you to overcome, build your mental strength and when you overcome them, they allow you to see how amazing you really are. Don’t be fooled, the hate will never go away. There will forever be things you dislike but your perspective with change and your attitude towards those things will alter once you embrace the process.

Today I’d like to share with you a workout that I had quite the love-hate relationship with last night. I’m still participating in the weekly boot camp classes I wrote about here (They aren’t SO awful) and last night we did a killer workout. When our trainer, Taylor, told us what we were doing I was excited because I knew it would be challenging and a great workout. Then it started and I hated it. I just wanted it to be done but it seemed to drag on and on…five minutes after we’d finished and I was finishing up my stretches I felt great and thought ‘What a great workout. I love it.’ Are you seeing the Love-Hate yet?

The workout is outline below, give it a try. I promise you won’t regret it!

 

The Love-Hate Workout

You will need two dumbbells and one kettle bell to complete this workout.
Warm-up: 5-10 minutes jogging/elliptical/treadmill/bike

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1 Burpee
Air Squats x 50
2 Burpees
Bicep curls x 20
3 Burpees
Kettlebell swings x 20

4 Burpees
Reverse/step-back lunges with weight x 20 (10 per side)

5 Burpees
Alternating push-up rows x 16 (8 per side)

6 Burpees
Squat and press x 15

7 Burpees
Jack-knife sit-ups x 15

8 Burpees
Left-Side Half Turkish Get-up x 10

9 Burpees
Right-Side Half Turkish Get-up x 10
10 Burpees
500 meter row followed by 1 mile bike
*If you are doing this with someone else, one person can row while the other bikes as fast as they can until the partner completes the 500 meters then switch.

Once you’ve completed the row/bike start at the bottom of the ladder and work all the way back to 1 burpee. Row/bike again to burnout and YOU’RE DONE!

Give it a go and come back to share what you loved and what you hated!

 

*I do not take credit for any of these photos. Most are from an awesome site called Skinny Mom. Check her out! The last one links to the article it is from.