May Day=Snow Day=Home Workout Day

Happy May Day!

It's the first of May, and....it's..

THIS. 

May...you're killing me. But it's also helping me to be productive by staying inside and finishing my presentation! So, there is a bright side. Plus, where else can you lay out on Sunday and wear mittens on Wednesday? I love variety. 

Anywho, what this weather does NOT help me do is get to the gym. I hate going to the gym when you are getting pelted with rain and snow on the way in, on your bare legs, and then freezing all the way home. I know, there are a lot of obvious solutions, but I don't like packing an overnight bag to the gym. I like to be efficient. 

So, on days like today, I do my "home" workouts. I have several home workouts that I rotate around that I will be sharing with you. 

1.) Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred"

 This is actually a great workout. Despite Jillian referring to me as "buddy" the whole time (I usually mute her), this is a fast and effective workout when you are in a time crunch. I obviously don't do this regularly since I prefer gym classes and whatnot, but I have stuck to this for 30 days and advanced through the levels. But, on a  normal day when I just need a fast (less than 30 minutes) workout, I will throw this in and pick a level and go for it. You will be sweaty and sore and that is a good thing...at least I think so.

2. The Bar Method 

Um, this workout is weird. But I love it. It's like Pilates...but not... (good description, right?) I started doing it like a year ago, and for a while I was slightly addicted to it. The reason I don't do it regularly is because of this: 

• It's an hour long of slow and boring movements
• I get very bored
• There is no upbeat music and or fast paced cardio movements 

BUT. Here is the thing. This workout does weird moves that I have never previously done in any other work out. AND IT WORKS. You will notice positive results from these (sometimes difficult) movements that she puts you through. See below:

It might not look hard, but do the video and get back to me. 

Anyways, your thighs will be BURNING. For an hour straight. So sometimes this is a nice little change up, but it just doesn't have the cardio aspect that I like in a standard workout. 

3. Dance with Julianne. Just Dance!

Just Dance! I love dance workouts. They are my favorite, hence why I have been a Jazzercise/and or Zumba participant for the last 5 years. Dancing is fun, therefore you are distracted, therefore you don't realize you are burning 500+ calories. I rarely do this workout, but it is kind of fun every once in a while. There are like 3 different choreographed dance routines that she teaches you, and then you put it all together at the end. You can pick which one you want to do as well. If you are really uncoordinated, you might hate this video. 

4. Pilates

I do Winsor Pilates solely because it's the first kind I ever tried, and I never ventured away from it. I have this DVD set, and it's great because there is a one hour workout and a 20 minute workout for when you are short on time. Pilates are fantastic for sculpting and flexibility. 

Whew! Ok. If anyone made it to the end, congrats. Just some ideas for when you need a change up! I do not claim to have any fitness knowledge, however, for myself, I cannot get bored. And that means that I am doing something different almost every day. Too much Zumba=worn out. Too much weight lifting=hate it. Too much elliptical=won't go to the gym. You get my drift... too much of anything and I'm more likely to do NOTHING. So I like to change it up. 

In fact... today I did the Breakthrough workout from simply(fit)girls! Some days, like today, its too much work to even put a DVD in. But, now I'm tired and sweaty, so I'm happy! You can check it out here. 

Here's to hoping for May weather...next week! 

Love,