Living Rooms and DVR's

One of my favorite things about having a DVR (or TiVo) is that you can get a two for one deal with your monthly bill - free classes at the gym without the membership fee or expelled time of actually GOING to the gym. Allow me to explain.

One type of exercise I usually love to do is anything that requires my attention and listening to do the routine; Enter fitness classes. But as I said, I don't want to pay the fee, so ever since we started having the Direct TV service in our home, I've found a way to take advantage of the DVR recorder to file away tv work-outs I might want to try. For us, Channel 261 is nothing by Fit TV 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It features all types of exercise routines in a "class style" format just as if you were at the gym watching an instructor. The classes range from belly dancing to kick boxing and I love the variety it provides. (A great bonus for my fellow Out-of-Shapers).

Some of my favorite 20 minute workouts include:
1. Namaste Yoga - includes a warm-up, full routine flow, and a meditation cool down.
2. Core Max - floor exercise to shape and strenghten the core.
3. Shimmy - belly-dancing routines (Hello, ABS!)

Another favorite (which is slightly longer at about 45 minutes) is All-Star Workouts. It rotates routinely from kick-boxing to yoga, abs, legs, butts, hip-hop dance, etc. and the instructors are pretty legit. Sometimes they can be on the annoying side, but that's the beauty of MUTE. You can still get the work-out in without the fake "You're Doing Great!" comments while your clearly heaving in your living room with your hands on your knees.

Now for the best part. Although these episodes air on a regular schedule...who really wants to get up at 6am to catch a Namaste routine. NO THANK YOU. Just hit record and save all your favorite episodes to create your own personal archive of classes to attend at your convenience whenever you want.

Don't have a DVR? Go the old school route and throw in a video cassette or DVD and record. Rather than buying DVD's in the store, start making your own series and get more out of that monthly cable bill! You should be able to get the Fit TV channel if you have service with Time Warner, Comcast, Cox, Dish Network, Cablevision, or Verizon.

Fit TV is also associated with the Discovery Channel and has a great website for you to use for free as well. Currently, there is a 2009 National Body Challenge going on that only requires you to submit a short profile about yourself and then gives you great access to healthy recipes, a progressive weight loss plan made just for you by experts, weight and fitness trackers, and a suggested daily menu. And the best part...no gym. However, if you absolutely must use a gym, you can download a free pass to any participating Bally Total Fitness Gym as part of the challenge.

I just joined the Body Challenge this week under the Maintenance program. I don't really need to lose weight, I just want to tone and stay at the size I am through healthier eating, and daily exercise. My personal profile tracks my progress and shows exactly how many calories I will burn if I follow the suggested work-out provided. For example, my suggested work-out for today is for a Core Workout and is said to burn 152 calories if done to completion. An instructional video is also provided with every workout, just in case you don't know the warrior hold already or need some clarifcation on how the moves should look. Every move uses your own body weight and can be done in a 6' x 6' space...perfect for the living room! After two sets, I promise you'll be burning.

Click now and join me in the Challenge! We're only a few months away from that bikini!

My FF: Fitness Filosophy

Ok Step #2 - Total Body Crunch Time.

Since this certainly cannot be summed up in a single exercise post I have a feeling many of my April posts will be devoted to my take on fitness. And what is that you might ask? Well, here is my Fitness Filospophy:

"Doing the least painful and minimally exhausting activity to provide the maximum result in the shortest amount of time - while keeping me entertained."

As a former Division 1 college soccer athlete many people don't beleive me when I say I'm not a runner. They throw their heads back, roll their eyes, and mutter "Yeah right, quit fishing..." or something along those lines. But I PROMISE. Contrary to my thin frame and athletic background I am terrible at running and despise most fitness work-outs. I avoid treadmills. I hate gyms. And I don't believe in such a thing as a Runner's High, (I think it's just a mean lie that "runners" talk about to make us out-of-shapers feel even worse). The only way I'll get on a treadmill is if I haven't moved in days and I've just realized I finished the last pack of Oreos...that I bought yesterday.

So in place of this nasty little plague called running, I try to come up with new ways to exercise whenever possible. I really do enjoy the feeling of working-out, and I do appreciate a good sweat, but I just need to get there driving a different car. I need entertainment. I need variety. And I need exercises that don't give me reminders that I'm exercising. Like a freakin' side stitch.

Oh, and I don't want to pay money to do it. What a waste. You know I'm going to go right to Taco Bell on the way home from the gym and crack a bottle of wine after I work out. Sorry, but I'd rather spend my monthly membership fee on shoes. (Thank God my shoe size won't fluctuate quite like my pants might).

So if you're with me, and hate the run-around of the gym and those bragging high runners (wait, is that right?) stay tuned through April for more of my Fitness Filosophies. I'll keep you entertained, get you in a bikini, and we won't spend a penny; at least I'll try.

Disclaimer: You are willingly reading advice from an out-of-shaper. It's your own fault for listening to someone who gets winded on the stairs.

Good-bye Casper, Hello Dove

With the tulips sprouting outside and the cherry blossom trees blooming, a hint of spring is filling our Virginia air. And with the coming of spring comes the dreaded, horrifying, and inevitable bikini season...right on its heels. Although beach tanning and ocean swimming are still a good distance down the road, a few preparations must begin now to ready ourselves for the summer sun. My short list of Itty Bitty-Teenie-Weenie-Bikini To Do's is listed below.

1. Fake Tanning

2. Total Body Fitness Crunch

3. Plan a well-deserved vacation

4. Swimsuit Shopping

I put the tasks in this order (namely with swimsuit shopping in dead last) because who wants to face the mirrors pale skinned and soft with no foreseeable motivation?

So here we go. Today I will address my plan for Step 1 - Fake the tan until it's real. I did the whole tanning bed approach in college and after coming back fried and lobster-esque every time (not to mention having to endure lectures from my mother and grandmothers) I gave up on the bulbs. It never works for me, and I hate the cringe of my skin after a pricy (and fast) fry. I've also tried the fake tanning sprays, 1-hr dying creams, and the bronzers. But my new go-to this summer is a similar product only different.

I've come to love the Dove product Energy Glow; a gradual tanning lotion with subtle self tanner components. I use the medium to dark level and LOVE the way it smells. To me, it's the perfect combination of light coconut, vanilla, and mojitos...(ok the last scent is me day dreaming). Three small pumps is the perfect amount for a leg and one pump will coat an arm perfectly and evenly. Although JJ hates the smell and tries to throw me in the shower every time I use it, it gives me the best (and fastest) tan for only $4 a bottle. *Note: The same bottle has lasted me since the first week of February!

Another favorite product that most of my friends and family use is the Jergens lotion which does the same trick. While I think Jergens is OK and effective, I found a similar lotion that smells 10 times better. The Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow Daily Moisturizer comes in three skin tone shades just as Jergens does, but it uses more of the floral and fruit extracts which gives it a better scent and less of the fresh-out-of-the T-Bed smell.

A third tanner to try is the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion. This one contains an SPF of 15 within the lotion and provides more Vitamin E to help create smoother skin in addition to providing sun protection. I've found this product to be a low-maintenance friend and only requires an application once or twice a week to build a nice base tan.

Now, for those "I need a tan NOW" moments (last minute party invite, random 80 degree day, etc) my go to product is the Neutrogena Instant Bronze Streak-Free Foam (Level 2). This definitely has more of a dying effect as you'll be running around with a hint of copper within 10 minutes of applying and a full tan will show within 2 hours. I prefer the foam because (a) You can see it easier than a spray (b) It won't spray all over your bathroom floor (c) It dries faster and spreads more evenly. While it won't last for very long (ie: after a few showers, it's gone) try this bad-boy for those desperation moments and last minute penny-pinching stresses.

And of course, when all else fails...hit the spray-tan option at your local tanning bed. If you can hold your breath for a full minute and don't mind spitting up brown particles after it's over, it's another great option for a full week's glow. Try to cash-in on the pre-summer specials they might be highlighting as well. A single session often costs around $30, but for the savvy shopper you can usually grab a two for the price of one deal or somtimes 3 sessions for $40.

*Note: For all you blushing brides out there, avoid this option less than 3-4 days before your wedding. No one likes an orange bride...especially the camera.

Happy Tanning!

Greenies in Training

To begin, let me say that this post is entirely out of intrigue for the recent GO GREEN fads we're seeing everywhere - from tv shows, to magazine articles, radio shows, and celebrity trends. I understand it all, and I certainly see the benefit in "going green" and living a more sustainable life. But if you're anything like me, you kind of don't really know where to start. And I do feel bad sometimes. I leave phone chargers plugged in, lights on when I leave, and stare into the fridge for minutes at a time hoping something new will miraculously appear. Recognizing my faults, I'm trying to do better and be a little more proactive.

Several of my friends are Greenies, and they've inspired me to at least do a little extra research to support my self-improvement project. Baby steps people...I'm trying. Some things I can do, but others I just can't - for instance, I would love to shop for groceries with re-usable bags, but then what will I use to pick up the dog poop? Until someone can show me a biodegradable poop bag, it's plastic for me, please.

But I have stumbled across a few resources to get me started and here are few tips I've uncovered along the way. Perhaps they will help some of you GIT's (Greenies in Training), too.

Save at the Pump. Use the lowest speed on the gas pump trigger. The slower you pump, the lower the energy rate and fewer gas vapors are expelled. It will take longer to fill a tank, but you'll actually get more gas for your money. Also, try not to pump gas from a station that has JUST received a new shipment of fuel. Typically, the newer gas is filled with more dirt particles due to tank stirring - which is bad for your engine and gas mileage. Tip seen on the show Stuff Happens on the Discovery channel Planet Green.

Bag Re-Use. When you buy toilet paper, try to buy the double roll sizes and buy in more bulk. You'll be consuming less cardboard by buying fewer rolls but still receiving the same amount of toilet paper. You can also cut a small hole at the top of the bag, so that when you run out of toilet paper, you can re-use the bag as a bathroom trashcan bag (or a doggie bag on walks!) Tip taken from Green Living for Dummies.

Surf the Net. A great website I've found is associated with the tv channel Planet Green. This site is stuffed full of Green tips from fashion and beauty to container gardening, sustainable products, green recipes, volunteer opportunities, and re-use ideas for your old junk. It's a pretty good website for us beginners, and I recommend you browse it in your free time. A few of my favorites from the site:

- Healthy Green Dog Food Diets - Feeding Man's Best Friend

- DIY: Crafty Green Projects - Using scratch supplies

- Eco-Friendly Food Quiz - Test your trivia skills

- No Green-Thumb Needed - Gardening tips for all levels

There's something for everyone and any beginner can take a tip or two away from this. From skin care, to laundry, and travel & tech tips...browse for just a minute or two and you're sure to find some improvement you can make to be a better GIT.