Day two!

See that lady up there in that picture? She is doing the same workout as I am with one difference....I don't have a happy grin....I would say I have more of a grimace.......
I did the 5 mile workout again today. Boy, I have to say it really makes you sweat! After each mile, I tried to think of reasons why I should quit and only do two miles or three miles....but I talked myself out of it and stuck with it till the end. I had sweat dripping down my face and back...so I know this is good for me! This workout works your core, as well as your legs and arms. It is aerobic so it gets you up to your peak heart rate, but it also incorporates strength training. So it works your whole body and burns lots of calories. It warms up my joints so well, that I feel completely limber....almost lithe....for the rest of the day. And it has killed any appetite I may have had. So for the hour and 15 minutes, plus the shower I have to take after.....it is an hour and a half well spent. I will be away Friday to Monday, so I will do another one tomorrow and make sure we get a lot of nice hiking in this weekend. And then back to walkin'.

walk away the pounds!

I am still trying to lose weight, but even though I am eating healthy and restricting calories and exercising, I am still just yo yo-ing back and forth within the same 5 lbs. with no progress. I know I need to kick up my slower than a turtle metabolism....and that means aerobics....the kind where I sweat and pant away the calories.
Knowing myself and "how I am" I know I don't want to go to a gym and take classes, so I plugged in the new DVD player and loaded in Leslie Sansone's 5 mile walk dvd.
The last time I had success with dropping pounds was when I was using Leslie Sansone's program. Walking may sound like a too easy thing to do to get the heart rate going, but don't be fooled by the title. Yes, the basis of the workout is walking...as in moving your feet up and down...but she also adds in knee lifts, kick backs, side steps, kick outs, arm work and weights, lunges and squats. I did the whole 5 mile workout which took an hour and ten minutes, moving at a rate of 4 to 5 mph. I was sweating, but felt really great. When I was done I was full of energy and had no appetite the rest of the day, so I vowed to do this every day!
Well, I had to skip yesterday....no, I didn't overdo it and ache all over. I actually had no pain or stiffness....except for one thing...........It seems that during the cool down stretch, when I pulled my arms to each side, I pulled a muscle in my neck and shoulder. When I got up yesterday, I couldn't turn my head or move my arm. Leave it to me, to get through a long workout and then injure myself in the cool down! As much as I wanted to suck it up and do it anyway, I resisted. It paid off because today there is hardly a twinge and I can get right back into it! I'm actually looking forward to it.
This is the type of workout anyone can do. She usually has a group of normal looking people of different sizes doing the workout along with her to the beat of some catchy music.
If you don't feel like you can keep up with aerobic classes or you need to fit it into your own schedule, this is a perfect workout. If you go to her site, you'll see she has all levels of programs to suit everyone. I've also used her beginner yoga program, which I love! If you think aerobics are too hard, give one of Leslie's programs a try. You don't have to be a gym rat to get healthy!