Unfortunately, at least for me and my obsession anyways, I hate gyms. Hate them. The smell weird, there's always intimidating super buff people, and nothing about them really screams fun for me. So I'd like to let you in on my little work out secrets. My super fun, crazy effective, and non-weird-smelling work out secrets.
Welcome to Things I'm Loving Right This Second: Work it out Edition!
I've got two big work out loves right now. And the first one is:
Hot Yoga: I lahv lahv lahv Hot Yoga. Ricky says it's because I'm a glutton for punishment, but I disagree. Sure, first time I took a class I literally thought I was dying and I spent the whole time sending evil death vibes to the friend who had suggested I try it in the first place. And yet...I went back the next day. And the next. And the next.
Besides the wonderful feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish your 90-minute, sweat drenched torture session is nothing compared to the truly outstanding benefits you receive. I have a lower back injury that left me stiff and in too much pain to dance for months. I saw a doctor, got drugs, and used my heating pad to death, but nothing really seemed to work. Then I discovered Bikram yoga and literally two classes later, my back was back to it's old backy-ness. Nothing short of a miracle, in my humble opinion! But besides the obvious health benefits, you gain flexibility, you gain balance, and you improve strength. Oh, and it also burns about 1,000 calories per class. :)
My mom gave me a Unlimited Yoga for a Month for my birthday, which was wonderful because it can be a little (okay, a lot) bit expensive. I'm taking advantage of all the extra yoga by employing Operation: Get My Center Splits. I still have a little over two weeks to go, so I'll let you know if I do it!
However, when I can't afford to get my fix of Bikram yoga (which, lets be real, is most of the time) my absolute favorite workout secret is...
I LOVE BODYROCK.TV.
Can I say it loud enough? Okay, obviously the first thing I thought when I saw Zuzana after scouring youtube for workout videos was "Who's the chick with the boobs?". But I dare you not to fall in love with her. Dare you. Zuzana, of Czechoslovakia, left home at the age of 18 and when she quickly accumulated debt and found herself desperate for money she took a job as an erotic model. Abused, alcoholic, and with practically zero self-esteem, Zuzana thought that might be all there would ever be for her, when she happened to meet Freddy, the man who would be her future husband and blogging partner, on his first trip to Europe. And the rest, as they say, is history. Zuzana completely turned her life around and became dedicated to helping others achieve a healthy and happy lifestyle. Also, her accent is adorable.
What I like most about Zuzana and her workouts is that they are so easy to do at home. Also they're generally pretty short - 12 to 20 minutes tops. Each workout (she posts four to five a week) comes with written instructions as well as a tutorial video complete with step-by-step instructions and modifications for beginners. Her workouts are super intense, which I love, and because she changes things up every day, you don't really get a chance to get bored. And neither does your body. I've seen faster and more dramatic changes in my own body than I've ever seen with anything else I've ever done.
So check her out at Bodyrock.tv, and let me know what you think! Also, be sure to read her interview that she recently posted. It's very inspiring!
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