We’re coming up to the 2nd Advent with 2nd week of choices for our workout countdown. I’m sensing in week 1 there have been a lot of dancing to Christmas tunes (and even in stretchy pants), toe wiggles, bed stretches and maybe even some outdoor workouts, possibly in the snow earlier in the week?
So on to week 2, and this week features some workouts with little home-gym helpers, such as resistance bands and gym balls. For those who have them handy, or lurking in the back of a cupboard, get them ready! If not, alternative household items might do the trick, like a pair of stockings for resistance bands or a big pillow, puff or chair instead of a gym ball.
In our home, at the start of the second lockdown we had reconfigured one corner of our open plan living/dining room to become a workout corner, and we have never looked back. We threw out a kiddie billiard table, that our teenage son didn’t use anymore, and this workout corner now features space to roll out two yoga mats for hubby and my daily yoga practice and enough space for teenage son to practice his martial arts moves. It also has a large wicker basket that keeps all our little items in one place (yoga socks, straps, resistance bands, little dum bells, yoga blocks, etc). And a second old TV sits on one side, with a cable connecting to iPhone, to play all those workout videos. Most importantly, it has a gorgeous old leather chair we inherited from hubby’s mum, perfect for relaxing, sipping a drink after a workout session and connecting with all of you by writing up my HU posts! I love this corner now!
So let us know how you’re doing in week 2!
Full introduction of this 4 week workout fun from last week is pinned, but again in short: join me in counting down to Xmas. Each weekend there’ll be a weekly list of workouts, you choose at least two or add your own. Elf workouts will also feature, that is at least one video workout will have a Christmas theme!
Here we go!
★3 Sundays to go to XMas (choose 2 this week or post your own)
=🕯🕯= 🕯🕯=🕯🕯=🕯🕯=
💪 GymRa (25 min) Beginner to Intermediate Stability Ball Workout with Weights tinyurl.com/yje588hu
We have this one gym ball floating around the house, having used it maybe only 3 or 4 times over the last two years. So what better way to learn how to use it by embedding it into this challenge! (The gorgeous beach scenes don’t hurt either)
Haven't done a resistance band workout for yonx. And as there are so many different types of resistance bands, it gets confusing at times. This is a workout that actually features the kind of bands I don’t have, so that’ll be interest!
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🎄Blogilates‘ Cassey Ho (13 min) Christmas Cardio Workout! Fun fat burning workout to your favorite holiday songs!! tinyurl.com/yk3x44bu
We had a holiday squat routine from Cassie last year, so looking forward to this one.
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💪NHS Fitness Studio (45 min) - Pyjama Pilates (Level: Intermediate)
(Of course this one will always feature, and it can be done outside in a park or garden, no mat required)
A classic, how can I miss that. This was my introduction to S&F! Yey! But as the NHS podcasts have in recent times stopped working, so here they are able to be downloaded healthunlocked.com/couchto5......
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Have a very happy Second Advent and a fabulous, workout-rich week
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Well I didn’t do any of the listed ones, but am still planning to do both the GymRa Stability Ball workout, and the Lottie Murphy Resistance band one. Both bands and ball is ready!
But instead I did 60 min worth of yoga, including the 30min feet one from last week. This is the third time I’ve done it, and it gets easier every time. Supine hero is still elusive, though, and I cannot watch even hubby doing it 🙈🙈🙈. Feels too much like I’m watching a thriller and any moment now will he break in two! 🙈🙈🙈🤣🤣🤣
Go you, and I can just image your workout corner, that sounds great...particularly the comfy chair at the end of the session. Good that your husband is doing it all too.. luckily my husband just walks and cycles, so I am able to do my own thing. No competition there You are really doing well, I could do with a few tips on how to find the time for everything...but I AM going to really try to get my Yoga back up to par.
Thanks you, for all this great stuff...x
CBDBAdministratorGraduate Gold in reply to Oldfloss
Thank YOU! Your workout posts were some of the first I came across when I joined and they showed me to how much I might achieve and how much better I would feel as a runner. And it worked!
Well until my recent metatarsal hiccup, but I am so glad I have a daily rhythm of workouts now, as my stint on the running-IC would be horrible if I didn’t have this whole world of workouts there to be explored!
And no competition with hubby, he has always been much more physical active than me. And in my younger days, I used to be pretty outdoorsy active. But he should have been a sports teacher and for some reason he became a math teacher 😱😱😱😱,- “for his past sins”, as he always says. Some sins!!! 😂🤣.
I tried the GymRa (25 min) Beginner to Intermediate Stability Ball Workout with Weights!
My first workout with a gym ball since probably 20 years, and phew! Boy! 😅😮💨😅 That was a workout.
I had to wedge the ball against a chair as it slid from me on my yoga mat.
3 sets of circuits of ca 4-5 moves, repeated once. So in total 24 moves, if that makes sense ( I haven’t quite got the hang of the terms ‘set’, ‘circuits’, ‘repeats’ yet).
First set was standing for warm-up, second was sitting with weights, and third was lying.
Cool down stretches we’re in a sitting position on the ball.
So fabulous, hard work and some challenges due to a bit of slippery ball but I enjoyed it!
oh dear, I've fallen off the wagon, again! two weeks to Christmas!! things to do, I haven't had time to keep up with all you lovely people on here. I did bop a bit to Sting / Police on the telly just now. Does that count??
CBDBAdministratorGraduate Gold in reply to Newbie59
Definitely! It counts! 😉😀👏💪 Also because … it’s Sting, right! 👍🏽
I remembered 👍 I really enjoyed the resistance band Pilates session it had a good mix of exercises and set at an easy to follow pace . I've saved it and will definitely do it again.
Life is getting in the way for me too, but I am still doing S&F every other day and getting in 2/3 runs of a slow 5k in.
I'll try the resistance band workout if I can, but working full-time, having reiki clients virtually every evening and studying for clinical hypnotherapy and counselling courses means little me time 🙄
Thank you Oldfloss My task this week is to try and find some resistance band workouts that don't incoprorate floor work, as that's a real challenge for me with my spinal issues
I mostly do standing and non-jumping workouts of any and every description. I find the sitting ones make me feel even more geriatric than I am in years - they remind me of very old dears in nursing homes and I'm not quite there just yet 🤣🤣
I have had several rounds of spinal surgery over the years and my back isn't great so I'm restricted to treadmill running (much easier on the joints than tarmac) and mostly standing workouts. That way I can still exercise with my spine shouting REALLY? very loudly at me at best and going into agonising spasm at worst. SWMBO (Spine Who Must Be Obeyed!) wins out every time 🙄🙄
SWMBO! Good one! Hope you keep that spine in check! I’m in awe!
My challenges on the mat are more to do with knees, so KWMBO! But doing regular workouts over the last 2 years has improved them like nothing else the 10 years before.
So here’s to our troublesome body parts and to us for keeping them in check!
My foot got worse last week, so I can't really do any on your feet aerobic stuff or really stretchy yoga. I usually do one hour jazzercise sessions on Weds+Thurs morning. This morning I joined in jazzercise for the second half strength section. Tomorrow I will pick a nice long pilates session, maybe the bands one listed or one of the pilates live classes.
Just finished the Lottie Murphy resistance band session, which was really nice and I hadn’t done it before.
She has the flat bands and I have the ones with handles, but this also worked really well. I actually used the foot handles as my son took away the bands with the hand handles; which I’m secretly chuffed about.
I will definitely save this one and return to it whilst working my way up to the more stronger resistance bands.
I'M HERE!!! Thanks for the nudge...better late than ever...
SO... squats continue, and loads of, grab five or ten minutes with Bodyfit with Amy... running is non existent at the moment so the keep everything going bit is important!My Yoga needs to make a reappearance, although I am finding relaxation time, for me, with my card making for Winterval. I use a lot of my water colour paintings in my cards
HOWEVER... I am beginning this morning with one of my most favourite things; some Winterval workouts with the Fitness Marshall... I LOVE them and you can tell I am excited can't you?
Besides the exercise... the whole thing just makes me smile... and that really has got to be good for you.. Take a look maybe, folks?
I also managed 3.5k in 35 minutes last night, then ran out of steam (and I REALLY needed a wee!). I'm not sure whether to be please or not........
On the plus side, it's the first time I got my speed up to a steady 6kph (for me, that's amazing!), but on the minus side, I had pretty much run out of steam at 3.5k and needing the loo was really a good excuse to stop.
The plan is to do a couple of runs weekly covering 5k and not worrying about time/speed and one run a week where I will just run at a steady 6kph or thereabouts and see how far I can go before I get fagged out, trying gradually to increase my speed on these runs and see if it reflects positively on the 5k runs too.
I don't suppose I will ever be a 5k in 30 minutes runner, which is what I originally set out to achieve, but I really don't care now. The fact that I can run solidly for nearly an hour now if I pace myself is (in my eyes anyway) and amazing achievement when you compare to level of fitness back in June when I started this journey 😀
I’m actually an even slower runner than you, and a 5k takes me just under an hour. But it’s a glorious hour! And as you, I do delight in the fact that (before my injury couch incident) I was able to run continuously for two hours on my weekly 10ks. And again, glorious two hours.
Logistically it’s a bit challenging, as a “quick run” for me is not quite as quick as for others. But I do love spending that time running!
So: slow is delicious! Enjoy! And super-well done!
I'm a bit late to the dance party but I have just had my very own pre lunch Kitchen Disco having a go at last weeks "Like its Christmas" dance routine. So much fun, obviously I nailed all the steps 😂😂😂 doesn't matter what you are doing as long as you are moving and having fun ....
I would like to use resistance bands for exercise but every time I look at them in the shops I am not sure what to buy! A box of 3 or just pick one? which one?? There is no guidance on the boxes . . . 🤔
CBDBAdministratorGraduate Gold in reply to Newbie59
I bought a set of three in different colours, and they have different strengths / tensions. I do find it confusing as well as there are all sorts of differences bands. With handles, without, circular, etc
I thought, just starting somewhere - no matter where - is a way forward. But I now jealously look at the other bands 👀👀 🤣
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You are really doing well, I could do with a few tips on how to find the time for everything...but I AM going to really try to get my Yoga back up to par.
Week 1 of the Plankety Plankathon - 3 minute workout goal.