Workout, July 24, 2012

Workout: Kettlebell exercises and stretching

(Dead lift illustration from the Women's Health Magazine Website)

Last night I started a Bodyrock video but my sciatica was acting up, and I don't believe in pushing through a workout like that if my knees feel shot.  I decided to scale it back and did three miles on the treadmill at the highest incline possible for my knees (sadly, a 2 only), but then supplemented it with things that didn't require excessive knee usage.

I first did a round of upper-body work with my kettlebells.  I purchased the KettleWorx Six-Week Body Transformation (don't you just get a kick out of some of these DVD package names?!?!?!) and now don't need to watch the videos much, as I have learned how to do most of the exercises on my own and from memory.  I therefore tailored a workout to my specific needs of the day instead of following along with one of the DVDs.  I will do a full review of KettleWorx in a later post.

Just as with Pilates, form matters when using kettlebells.  Doing an exercise improperly can hurt your back... or worse.

Last night's workout included dead lifts, around-the-body passes, and bent rows.  The links take you to the Women's Health Magazine website which illustrates and describes each move in more detail.  I completed dead lifts and around-the-body passes with a 15 pound weight, but am still stuck at a 10 pound weight for bent rows. I also used my 10 pound kettlebell , flipped upside-down so my hand was clutching the ball part, to do bicep curls.

I then finished my workout with a satisfying round of stretching, found in Monday's Pilates post.  Stretching always helps ease my sciatica pains so it was a definite must after my workout!

"Workout," Tuesday July 17th, 2012

I am firm believer that you don't need to actually get on a treadmill or some other machine, or put on running shoes and hit the pavement, or pop in a DVD, or take a class... to do a workout.  Life sometimes hands you a workout if you are willing to take it.

Today my workout was walking.  Endless, endless walking.  In a dress.  With a heavy bag.  At a quick pace the entire time, just because I am a NY-er who has no ability to walk slowly.  In the heat.  And humidity.  NYC's humidity and heat right now are disgusting.

I had jury duty, at a courthouse just one express subway stop from my apartment.  Sounds simple, right?  First I had to walk to the subway (7 minutes), in the heat, and carrying my laptop bag.  Then off the subway to the courthouse, so another 5 minutes.  At lunch, we were given a long enough break to justify a return to my apartment to eat, so tack on another 12 minutes of walking and carrying that increasingly heavy laptop  bag in the heat...

And then after lunch, BACK to the courthouse (12 minutes), and finally upon our dismissal at the end of the day, a return back home.

Total "workout?"  48 minutes of quick paced walking, including lugging that laptop bag, all done in approximately 95 degree weather.  I worked up more of a sweat than I do on any cardio machine!