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| Statistics |
I blame it on the haze (ok that's pretty lame considering the haze situation only arose in the last two weeks), but I think it's also because I have been occupied with different forms of workouts.
In between running, I do yoga. I'm not sure why I had not talked about yoga much before, but it's one of the best discoveries I made in the last year.
Truly, yoga is undeniably good for stretching! To counter the tightness in my muscles when I run, yoga has done good in lengthening my muscles. My flexibility has improved over time (despiate being pretty flexible) and I can even do a half-split 90% (I'm not fully fully flat on the ground, yet).
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| My first discovery (& elation) of half-splits about 3 months ago |
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| Pic taken on Tuesday night this week, where I was all warmed up and managed to get into this split position quite easily, and bend forward. I'm still wanting to try to improve more by hopefully flattening my body against my thigh! |
Yoga has really helped me stretch my tight muscles, and when I do remember to breathe properly, I do find it very beneficial. It has improved my flexibility and I think it's all very good. It is also an extremely easy form of home exercise where I literally roll out of bed onto the mat and work up a tiny sweat; enough to kick my day off and feel good. Another huge benefit besides convenience, is how it has toned up my muscles; specifically my arms. The amount of chaturangas I do has really strengthened my arms slightly; but more importantly spread the weight I put on my arms and toned up both arms (whereas previously, I am mostly right-handed).
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| Definition in my arms |
Another discovery of yoga is that the children have gotten used to seeing me do it at home. I recall the initial months where I tried to practise at home, they will come disturb me and twirl between my legs. Highly disruptive and I also felt rather embarrassed pratising in front of the family. Slowly, over time, it has become pretty normal and we're all quite used to it by now.
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| A random day where K did a drawing of me doing yoga (and she pieced together the word -yo-ga on her own too!) |
Introducing yet another form of exercise kids is a great benefit and they even started rolling around/ attempting several poses that they fancy. K in particular, is rather flexible and she takes pride in showing off her signature 'donut' pose (where she curls backwards and her head is able to touch her toes). We also do the bridge pose together where together, she and I form a rainbow - I ought to take some pics of these poses.
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| Little yogi - J somehow manages to get the chaturanga down pat! Amazing. |
Besides yoga, I have aos, in the last six months, been introduced to home-style videos where guides are provided for simple exercises that you can do in your own home very comfortably! One of my favourite sources is the Fitness Blender; and recently I also started the BBG workout.
The first time I tried a BBG workout, I nearly died. My body went through some shock - the amount of attention I paid to my legs and butt was like never before and oh boy, I was in pain instantly.
Again, the convenience of these workouts is a huge draw for me. I can opt to do them at the gym when I go, else I do them in my living room. I recently discovered it's also possible to do these exercises in a bedroom! Slightly tight but totally possible. Over the past few weeks, I have cheated to modify the exercises slightly when they get too tough (lazy!) or troublesome (where will I go find two benches to use?) but the point is, I still get on with it.
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| 4 rounds of repeat exercises |
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| When I actually hit the 7 minutes (hah) |
I was thinking back about my gym membership, where I was a member for 6 years before (2003-2009). I gave up extending it because it got pretty challenging going to the gym juggling two children and my different jobs - the location of the office also plays a part in how convenient it is for me to go to a nearby gym. While I enjoyed going for classes (favouries are body combat and body pump), I have by now, realised that working out is where you want it to be. Of course, I've adjusted my expectations with the amount of time that I have and having these new videos and guides that I can work on in the comfort and convenience of my own home, that's pretty awesome. I don't even need to wear nice workout clothes at home! I have put on pretty ugly / worn out clothes and mis-matched socks before... haha!
It's awesome that I've managed to embark on this healthy lifestyle, and I hope that the different types of workout options I have keeps me motivated to keep on going. It's true that it's a lifestyle change than a fad and how I've been using exercise as a great way to (1) manage my weight (2) tone up my muscles (3) feel amazing and honestly, it's (4) the best stress-buster/management method ever!
On this note, TGIF!
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