Lost Energy!

This past weekend, I noticed something kind of strange in my classes. Everybody was dragging their feet. What I mean by this is they had no energy. I'm not just talking about one person; everybody looked like they had no energy. It's that time of year, I get it. The fun is over. Kids are back in school, the weather is getting chilly. It is the time we hang up our bathing suits and pull out the sweaters. 

I can't stress this enough: this is a crucial time! This is when we set the stage for the rest of the year. Those bathing suits will be back sooner than you think. It's the time of year when we start eating more food. That's right, pies, cookies, turkey, ham and potatoes. A recipe for FAT! 
 
Reach deep down and find it! Find that energy, determination and passion! Set goals for yourself!

Wow, my feet hurt!

I've recently incorporated circuit training into my dance classes. I did this for two reasons. First reason being because my feet hurt and to give my feet a break I figured I would just yell at people. Just kidding, kind of. The second reason is to vary the class up. I did this because I noticed I have the same people taking my classes all the time. I'm not trying to attract new people. Variety is important. You never want to do the same exercises over and over. Eventually your body will adapt. Circuit type classes offer a full body workout, incorporating mostly body weight exercises using minimal weighted exercises. I find it less intimidating. I also work in spinning which is a great way to burn out your legs without all the pounding on the joints. But I believe dancing is the best exercise on the planet! Okay, maybe I'm pushing it a little. Weight training to some extent is important. 

Give it time!

G

Trying new exercises is very important for muscle confusion because our body adapts. While teaching my classes, I realize that when I throw in something new, the class looks a me like I'm crazy!

I know people get worried by injury due to unknown exercise moves and that is understandable. But as long as you proceed with caution I assure you, you'll be fine. I never instruct someone to do an exercise that I haven't tried before. Trust your instructors and know they wouldn't make you do something that would cause injury.

Speaking of injuries. I've noticed in some of my classes  that people are hurting themselves. It's the people who take multiple classes in one day! Not something I recommend. Over training can and will eventually result in injury. The only thing it will lead to is you sitting on your ass all day getting over an injury.

Set realistic goals. If you have a wedding to attend and you're worried about looking good in that dress you bought 10 years ago and you're determined to fit your ass in it, don't start dieting and exercise two weeks before. Give yourself three months, unless you have tons to lose, otherwise buy a new dress! But seriously guys, pace yourself and know the weight will eventually come off. I tell people, "It took your entire life to look the way you do. All that extra weight didn't get there on its own. It's takes time to get ride of it. Don't rush it." Rome wasn't built over night otherwise it would have probably ended up looking like Detroit!

Developing new eating habits is no easy task. I act like I know because I'm so fat...

I actually have a friend who has told me the horror stories. Giving up old habits can be tough. When I say, "old habits," I mean eating crappy food and basically being lazy.

God I wish I could be lazy! Just sitting at home all day watching reruns of I Love Lucy. But then I think about the consequences it will have on my ass! By the way, that's called a sick day.

Then I think, "Man, a big Mac sounds good right about now!" but then I think about the effects is will have on my heart. I know what you are thinking: I'm crazy. Thank God for Prozac!

Seriously though, I talk to people sometimes and they are shocked about how easy making a few adjustments to the smallest habits can be. Be aware the first few days can be tough.

I remember when I tried giving up Oreo cookies... I would have dreams of floating cookie houses and eventually the house would land in my mouth. Okay, maybe I'm embellishing a bit. I would wake up thinking I ruined everything. And you know what? Even if I happened to sleep walk that night and ate all the Oreo cookies out of the trash can, so what?

Tomorrow is always a new day. The only person that knows is you. Remember that the next time you give up something.

My legs are killing me!

I woke up today and almost fell off my bed. OMG, I am so sore from my workout yesterday! Now those of you who know me are probably thinking I must have taught too much Zumba again. Wrong! I actually worked my legs yesterday at the gym. The reason I'm telling you this is because weights suck! I'm kidding, although my legs might think that I'm actually doing my legs a favor.

Yoga and Pilates will also help strengthen your legs. 

So often I here people tell me, "I hate doing legs," and believe me, I get it. But your legs make up a huge portion of your body. We do everything in our daily lives because we have legs. It's so important to strengthen your legs. Cardio does a decent job of keeping your legs conditioned but adding weights is not only going to make your legs stronger, but keep them toned.  We also want our bodies to look proportioned. We have all seen the guys with the killer upper body and chicken legs. Don't  we all want to rock the mini skirts? Right!?! Well, not me of course! Another great alternative to a leg workout is Yoga and Pilates.

 

I recommend stretching before and after a leg workout. Steaming also helps relieve some of the soreness the next day. Also, taking in larger amounts of protein after a leg workout may also help with the recovery process.

Here are a few samples of lower body stretching exercises that I like to do:

 

Hamstring Stretch

•   Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you

•   Bend the left leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the knee of the right leg

•   Allow the left leg to lie relaxed on the ground

•   Bend forward keeping the back straight

•   You will feel the stretch in the hamstring of the right leg

•   Repeat with the other leg

 

Quadriceps Stretch

•   Lie face down on the floor, resting your forehead on your right hand

•   Press your hips firmly into the floor and bring your left foot up towards your buttocks

•   Take hold of the left ankle with the left hand and ease the foot closer to your buttocks

•   Repeat with the right leg

•   You will feel the stretch along the front of the thigh

 

Hip and Thigh Stretch

•   Stand tall with your feet approximately two shoulder widths apart

•   Turn the feet and face to the right

•   Bend the right leg so that the right thigh is parallel with the ground and the right lower leg is vertical

•   Gradually lower the body

•   Keep your back straight and use your arms for balance

•   Feel the stretch along the front of the left thigh and the right hamstrings

•   Repeat by turning and facing to the left

 

Adductor Stretch

•   Stand tall with your feet approximately two shoulder widths apart

•   Bend the right leg and lower the body

•   Keep your back straight and use the arms to balance

•   You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor

•   Repeat with the left leg

CONTROL

I can’t stress enough that people should take it slow, especially people who haven’t worked out in a while. There are so many options out there to get in shape. I get it, and as an instructor, believe me I want to try them all! I consider myself to be really fit, okay really really fit,  but even I can’t just jump into a new exercise program without taking it slow. A new program means there are different muscle being used so regardless of your fitness level, you will feel it in the morning. Ease yourself into the workout.

 

            I just started a new kind out workout which involved dancing on the sand. Sounds fun right? Well it is, but OMG is it hard! I was crippled the next day! Same basic moves I do in my indoor class but different conditions.  I warned my class but they didn’t listen. One person even got hurt. I titled this blog control, because that’s exactly what this person didn't exercise. It's so important to control those movements and not to go crazy like you're Superman or Wonder Woman! What do I mean by control, you ask. As a dancer, the first thing you learn in ballet, before you do anything difficult moves, is how to control your body. This happens to be one reason why the tights are worn.  Not my favorite.  To be honest, learning to dance was boring in the beginning because all we did was exercise in learning how to control our movements. I feel this is true in exercise to avoid injury.

It's Never Too Late

 

So often I have people come up to me and say, "I could never take your class." "I haven’t worked out in years." "I’m too fat!" Or my personal favorite, "I can’t dance." This is probably because I teach Zumba. I find that most people, especially in a class setting, are afraid what people might think of them, but even more so what they think of themselves. They hide in the back so they can’t see themselves in the mirror. My advice to people is to keep your eyes fixed on the instructor's ass.

You will never be as good as the instructor. Why? Because they made it up! As far as everyone else in the class, they're trying just as hard as you to follow the instructor, they’ve just been doing it for much longer.

Here’s a financial tip: group exercise classes are a quarter of the price of a personal trainer. That’s right my friends, you may feel like an ass but your saving money while doing it!

 

Here are a few classes to look for while at the gym that are great for beginners:

• Zumba classes are good because you are just dancing
• Spin classes are even easier because you are simply sitting
• Yoga is great because you're striking a pose, aka Vogue!
• Last but not least, kickboxing because you're basically learning to kick ass

Easy enough? Now go take a class and burn some calories.