Work it Girl!

Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 2003

See that picture there, that is me on the right hand-side in black, I was proudly wearing a (modest by most Carioca  standards :) bikini while on the Ipanema beach of Brazil. I think I look pretty good in it, I know I felt good while wearing it - consequently, this is my goal weight.


In that picture I was a  misses size 12. Being 5'7 and of large bones, a size 12 for me is ideal beleive it or not. I am currently wearing a misses size 14 in most clothes (give or take a few jeans that run small),  which means I am about 15lbs away from my goal weight. I decided to post this picture as motivation and an incentive to keep myself accountable.

EXERCISE
I also  wanted to take a little time to discuss one of the most important components of achieving and maintaining a healthy life-style - side from the fundamentals of proper nutrition and portion control - there is no substitute for the vital role Exercise plays in our lives. Not only does excercise help us burn calories, lose fat, gain muscle, reduce triglycerides, improve circulation, help our sleep patterns and aid in longevity of life, but it is also essential in keeping us mentally and emotionally sane:) Everytime you push your body hard enough to break a continuous sweat and keep that pattern for at least 30 minutes a day - you have released very important feel-good chemicals in the brain called - Endorphins.  A little blurb from Wikipedia, gives us a good synopsis on these: 

"  Endorphins are endogenous opioid polypeptide compounds. They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise...and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being. Endorphins work as "natural pain relievers." 

So basically, every time your workout you are self-medicating with a very legal, very positive natural "drug" that is released into the brain and leaves you feeling incredibly good. A natural high of sorts.  Like any "high", the effects eventually wear off after a few hours but it provides just enough of a dosage to keep you energized and happy the rest of the day!

How's that for a reason to exercise?

The good news is that I have ALWAYS enjoyed a good cardio workout. Throughout my lifetime I have tried them all. I spent many years following the Taebo/Kickboxing Craze with Billy Blanks and loved the results I was seeing, that workout whipped me into an incredible shape. Unfortunately, it also whipped my knees into a bad state; apparently all those high kicks and roundhouses were too intense for my delicate meniscus.

I also have tried and thoroughly enjoyed Spinning, I enjoyed the amazing spinning effects for more than a year, I saw what it did for my legs and gluteus maximus. Firm and not Flabby was the result:)

I have also continued to enjoy the effects of good, old-fashioned power walking. There is something incredibly beneficial of exercising outdoors and allowing your body to take in fresh (or not so fresh depending where you live. ha!) doses of O2 while your burning calories. While living abroad on a mission to the DR I lost 40lbs just by walking. Never underestimate its power.

Currently, I alternate between the elliptical machine and zumba, with power walking, bicycle riding and Latin dancing mixed in whenever possible. The elliptical is a god-sent for those of us who may have sensitive knees and can't handle the impact of the treadmill or running outdoors. The trick with really working up a good sweat and burning calories with the elliptical is the resistance and settings. I always set my machine to "manual" mode, which is best for you to control your workout. To warm-up I start with the resistance at level 10 (which by most standards is considered in the medium to high range) I then continue to higher the resistance throughout the workout until I get to level 17 all while maintaining a rather fast pace (from 6.0 to 12.0), this I do for 40 to 60 minutes a day. The calories burned (via a heart-rate monitor which is the most accurate) doing this method is up to 850 calories a session. Last year I lost the 30lbs mainly using the elliptical as my top  choice for cardio exercise. I highly recommend it!

More recently I have decided to try new cardio workouts to mix it up, keep things interesting and shock my body into burning calories in different ways. Zumba has been the answer, this fast-paced, super fun Latin dance workout has you sweating bullets from the moment you start merengueando! Here is a YouTube video showing how incredibly fun this workout is:



For those of you that love to dance like me you even forget your burning up to 600 calories a session!:)


So there you have it. A recap of my exercise history. What about you? What are your favorite cardio workouts and why?

In a future post I will discuss the other essential exercise component - weight lifting - and my love/hate relationship with it:)

xoxo

The Healthy Hottie