Day 137: Yogaglo.com Review

May 16, 2012 By 3 Comments

Fem365: Fitness. Food. Femininity.

Unlike some people, I adore exercise. It keeps me sane, motivates and inspires me… For me, a day without exercise is a ROUGH one.

But JUST LIKE many people, I get bored when I do the same routine over and over. I like to mix things up; however, I am not willing to give up my weight training routine, my daily walks, and (for obvious reasons) my FemFusion classes.

Recently, I’ve found myself searching for bite-sized workouts that I can ADD to my current regimen to mix things up — or to target a particular area — without scrapping the rest of my well-worn but well-loved fitness program. I have also been searching for something that’s portable… Fitness routines that don’t require a lot of equipment and that I can take with me when I am out of town. I’ve talked about Zuzana and her power-packing workouts on YouTube. I still love her stuff, and I’m committed to doing a “ZWOW” at least once/week. But my newest find that I just have to share with you all is yogaglo.com.

screen shot of www.yogaglo.com

This website is fantastic and has provided me inspiration to create a similar site devoted to women’s health and fitness. More about that in later posts… For now, I’ll try to keep on track and focus on yogaglo.

I really can’t say enough about this site. After an initial *FREE* 15 day trial period, yogaglo costs $18/month. This may seem steep for an online fitness program, but it is far less than most gyms or yoga studios charge for a month of unlimited yoga and meditation classes. Also, unlike gyms or studios, yogaglo is open 24/7. Can’t sleep? Turn on your computer (and turn DOWN the brightness of your monitor) and do a 15 minute meditation. It’s such an awesome concept.

Yogaglo boasts over 1,000 classes on their site. You choose the class you want to view, and then stream it online. Users can sort routines based on duration (options range from 5 minute to 120 minute routines), teacher, style, level, and specific use (some examples: morning yoga, stress reduction, back pain, pre/post-natal). You can narrow your search after picking your first criterion. For example, you can begin by sorting by duration (let’s just say 20 minutes), then you can click the big orange button that says “click here to refine your search” and choose a style (let’s say Ashtanga). This yields two choices, making the seemingly limitless options feel much more manageable!

I have found myself loving yogaglo’s meditation classes. I have tried to get “into” meditation for years now… But doing it on my own has been challenging. I realize that it’s okay for the mind to wander and that the practitioner should gently bring the mind back to the original place of peace and stillness… But sometimes, when sitting in silence, the mind keeps running away — over and over — and that can be discouraging. I have purchased a few guided meditation CDs over the years, but they tend to be long and drawn out and ultimately — the same. Yogaglo has a variety of guided meditations of varying duration and for different purposes. The teacher who leads most of the meditations is a joy to listen to — and has quite the biography (this links to his personal website rather than yogaglo).

Yogaglo has reminded me of the importance of the Light and Love meditation that I describe in my book… How did I get away from that daily practice? Oh, I know why… Because I’m human and I “err” regularly!

We must all remember to take a bit of time out of each and every day for a little bit of peace and quiet. With the constant din of social media and connected-ness, coupled with the never-ending demands of family, friends, and work, it is imperative that we take time for stillness of the mind and body. Whether you use a computer (as in yogaglo), or do it on your own, it doesn’t matter… But finding a way to ground yourself with a quiet, contemplative practice is of the utmost importance.

Bottom line: Yogaglo is user-friendly, easy to navigate, and (I feel) a great value. I feel very comfortable recommending the site wholeheartedly. If you’re searching for a way to incorporate more yoga and/or meditation into your life, I encourage you to check them out!

Question: What do you think of online fitness? Have you ever joined a subscription-based fitness or lifestyle website?

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Day 130: MeSheeky Review

May 9, 2012 By 4 Comments

Fem365: Fitness. Food. Femininity.

I’m proud of my booty (I work hard for it!). That being said, sometimes I want extra coverage when I teach my FemFusion group exercise classes, and especially after class, when I’m still in my workout clothes and have to run errands, pick up my son, etc. I don’t aways want to flaunt my assets… Especially on days when I’m feeling a little… FLUFFY, shall we say?

MeSheeky carries “progressive apparel for women” — yoga wear and lounge wear. But what is the name all about? Well, as stated on their FAQ page: “It comes from how we feel everyday: fun, fresh, totally confident + maybe a little cheeky. That’s what we wanted our name to embody, but the word for it didn’t exist — so we invented our own! We’re proud to have a name as unique as our line + the sheekynistas who wear it. It’s a spirit you feel when you put on our clothes. I’m sheeky, you’re sheeky, we’re all sheeky!”

I splurged and ordered 4 items from mesheeky: the Odette capri, the Odette skirt, the Trixie halter, and the Trixie skirt. The Odette skirt was on sale due to a discontinued color… BONUS!!!

Mesheeky.com is a light and bright website that’s — overall — very easy to navigate. Initially, it may seem like the product images aren’t ideal, but don’t fret! There’s plenty of info and multiple images for each product. For example, the page that describes the Trixie halter shows a woman mid-jump — it’s a great picture, but it doesn’t really show the top. However, click on the color you’re interested in and BOOM! You get three thumbnail images that show the top in detail.

About the ordering process: Customer service was fantastic. They were responsive to my questions, shipped to my APO address, and I received my items in a timely manner. Love that!

First, the Odette capri. I ordered kind of a wild — for me — color… It’s called “punch,” and it’s FABULOUS. Even better in person than I thought it would be! The best word to describe the color is “juicy.” I’m so happy I went against my better judgment (which told me to order basic black) and stepped outside of the box.

About the seams: The flatlock seams on the Odette capri are great — I love the placement. The curve of the seams is flattering and ultra-feminine. But… I hate to say this… After wearing my capris twice, I noticed that the stitching at the crotch is starting to come undone. It has not created a hole (yet), but the serged top-stitching has frayed and come undone in one area and I think I’ll need to reinforce it to prevent it from splitting.

Some fraying at the crotch seam...

About the leg openings: The length of the capri is PERFECT for me, and I love the gathered detail on the sides. Fair warning: The leg openings are a bit tight. I do not consider my calves to be large by any means, but the leg openings are quite snug around my calves. It’s not a bad thing: It keeps them from riding up. But I just want to put it out there for any readers who might have large, muscular calves… It’s something to be aware of.

Overall, I’m really glad I ordered the Odette capri. They are flattering and have some serious sass.

Next, the Odette skirt. I ordered this skirt on sale in a lovely color called “wink,” which looks great with my “punch” colored pants (the Odette capri). I like the skirt a lot: like the Odette capri, it has some serious sass with the foldover waistband with the adjustable drawstring. The only drawback about the skirt is that the foldover waistband tends to ride up just a bit. I kept having to re-fold it over when I wore it during my FemFusion class. (Granted, I do a LOT of moving around in my classes… Lots of ups and downs, circles, squats, and bends. I really put the Odette skirt to the test!)

The verdict: Glad I ordered it, but glad it was on sale!!!

Next, the Trixie halter. I ordered it in “wink,” to match my Odette skirt. I’ve never had a completely coordinating workout outfit before… It’s so much fun! The quality of the fabric and design of the Trixie is great, and I love that the knot is on the side (rather than right behind the neck). The halter is adorable, but when I wore it during my FemFusion class I had to adjust the top regularly. I think it would be best for strolling on the beach in the summer, for less active fitness classes, or for smaller busts.

Overall, I wouldn’t order the Trixie halter again… But (in general) I don’t think halter tops are for me.

Now for the Trixie skirt… I saved the best for last!!! I love this skirt!  I almost didn’t purchase but I’m so glad I did! I ordered it in “slate,” which is a great dark grey that matches almost everything. I’ve worn it over black capris, light grey capris, and black yoga pants and it’s looked and felt great every time. The cut is flattering: Just long enough to provide coverage, but short enough that it doesn’t take over your outfit. The side slits allow freedom of movement and a bit of sass. The ruching on the butt is subtle and sexy. I get compliments when I wear my Trixie skirt… And I feel super sexy and — dare I say it — “sheeky!!!”

Bottom line: I would definitely order the Trixie skirt again. And I would love to try out the Trixie pants…. I know my son needs some “back-to-school” clothes… I think that — in a couple of months — mom will need some back to school clothes as well!

Head on over to mesheeky.com and check them out!

What do you think about the workout skirt trend?

I have been seeing it more and more… Check out my beautiful friend Teresa in her skort from Athleta.com… (BTW — Teresa is a newly minted FemFusion instructor!) 

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Day 116: Book Review — Find Your ME Spot, by Deborah Kagan

April 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Fem365: Fitness. Food. Femininity.

I am taking a quick break from my Super-Simple Paleo Posts to talk about a subject near and dear to my heart: Finding and EMBRACING your (sometimes hidden!) sensual, feminine, Inner Goddess.

Do you know your Inner Goddess? Do you access her on a daily basis? I don’t. It’s one of the reasons I’m writing these “365 Days of Fem” blog posts… I want to remind myself that I am — above all — a woman. Not just a worker, not just a mother, not just a wife… But a woman. A women with uniquely female qualities, temperaments, and needs. Sadly, my Inner Goddess is often hidden under frumpy workout clothes and pushed to the back burner because I have more pressing things on my agenda than tending to my inner feminine… I have bills to pay, food to cook, women to train, dishwashers to be repaired… Blog posts to write…

So it was with pleasure — and great excitement — that I ordered Deborah Kagan’s book, Find your ME Spot. I am always looking for fresh ways to stoke my feminine fire, and this book provides 57 of ‘em.

The book is broken up into five sections. Each section highlights a specific SENSE: Sight, Taste, Touch, Sound, and Smell. Thus, sensual — in the terms of this book — refers not just to sex and sexuality, but to USING YOUR FIVE SENSES.

I love this, because it goes hand-in-hand with “Sensual Visualization” as described in chapter five of my book!

In each of the five sensory sections, Ms. Kagan provides brief tips and ideas for more fully utilizing your senses to experience your feminine life to the fullest. A few examples:

  • Eat blindfolded (makes your taste buds go into overdrive!), pg 60
  • The “Love” Body Wash (it’s G-rated, I promise!), pg 76
  • Turn on some tunes and shake your booty, pg 94
  • Information about aromatherapy and how to complete an “aura cleanse,” pg 138-139

I have a ton of pages bookmarked — activities to return to even though I haven’t had a chance to do them yet. Plus, each page has a notes section and a fun little quote to inspire. Here is one of my favorites:

Determine to live life with flair and laughter. ~Maya Angelou

A few — just a few — of the activities may be a stretch for those with minimal money and/or time. I currently  live in a military community and many of my friends and acquaintances have deployed spouses. They are (in essence) single moms with (often) two or more little ones to tend to. Some of the more involved tips, such as window-shopping at a high-end lingerie shop, may not be do-able with little ones around. Additionally, a couple of the tips, such as “surrounding yourself with sensuous fabrics” such as high thread-count sheets, velvet, and cashmere may simply be too expensive for some women.

That being said, most of the tips are simple and completely attainable, and ultimately, even if you complete just half of the ideas in this book you will be spending more quality time with YOURSELF — getting to really know yourself. What you like, what you don’t like, what makes you feel good… And this will help you feel more confident as a woman and more in-touch with your Inner Goddess.

Bottom Line:

Two thumbs-up to Deborah Kagan, who is helping me find my ME Spot. Click here to view the book on Amazon.com.

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Day 111: ZuzkaLight review: Have you been Z’wowed?

April 20, 2012 By 7 Comments

Fem365: Fitness. Food. Femininity.

As I have stated before, this is a women’s interest blog with varying info about fitness, women’s health, food/nutrition, and even a bit of fashion and beauty thrown in the mix, but I must warn you: For the next few weeks I am going to focus heavily on FOOD. And I am SO EXCITED. I have been hard at work on super-simple Paleo-friendly recipes that the whole family will love. Most of my upcoming recipes consist of only three to four ingredients, and ALL ingredients will be readily available at any grocery store. Not just fancy “gourmet” stores or “health-food” stores — no, no no. We’re talking ingredients that are available at your local Super-Wal-Mart or Safeway (or better yet, your local farmers market!). So stay tuned: More info about my super-simple recipe series is coming next week. Check back, and tell your friends! Your support via comments and Facebook “likes” feeds my soul and gives me the encouragement needed to keep posting daily. Because it’s a lot of work.

Until then, it’s important for me to get some fitness info out there, especially since the original focus of this blog was women’s health and fitness!

Have you heard of BodyRock.tv? I had… But I didn’t know much about it until recently. First, let me state this (and I know I’m not the only female who feels this way): Women can be EVEN MORE FUN to look at than men. A beautiful female is a sight to behold, and an athletic, toned, fit female is inspirational and motivating (to me). So back to BodyRock: Although I love seeing lean, athletic female physiques I was a little turned off by the blatant sexualization of the men and women who demo the exercises on BodyRock.

Check it out:

Too much.

But what BodyRock offers is important, because it highlights power moves, which many women stop doing as they age. They might have played high-intensity sports in high school or college, and even taken a few bootcamp-style fitness classes in their twenties and thirties, but in general women stop the “hardcore” exercises that make sweat pour, the heart pound, and the breathing labored. I’m no exception: I also prefer a more comfortable — shall we say — form of fitness (such as yoga, walking, a bit of weight training, and my FemFusion classes, which are intense but low-impact). However, a few weeks ago I started adding one to two “power” sessions each week and it has (already!) done wonders in terms of sculpting my muscles, revving my metabolism, and giving me energy that lasts throughout the day.

But I don’t do BodyRock. I’ve found something better! She goes by the name of ZuzkaLight.

Zuzka’s “real name” (well, maybe real) is Zuzana, and she was actually the co-founder of BodyRock when BodyRock started a few years ago. Recently, she left BodyRock and went in a (slightly) different direction. She started her own fitness “channel” on YouTube, which you can access and subscribe to by clicking here. My opinion is that Zuzana’s workouts are BETTER than those found on BodyRock.tv, and here’s why:

  • Although Zuzana is a bombshell and it’s VERY CLEAR that she is capitalizing on her looks, the filming is far less focused on capturing boob and butt shots. Rather, the filming clearly captures the exercise session. The exercise is the star, rather than T & A. Well, that point may be debatable, but it’s the view I’m taking.
  • From what I have seen, Zuzana tends to use less equipment than the videos on BodyRock. I haven’t done all of her workouts… I’ve actually only done two of them over and over. When she does use equipment it tends to be readily available items such as medicine balls and weights rather than specific equipment pushed by the website (as in BodyRock, where they have an entire section devoted to buying the equipment they use in their vids).
  • Zuzana’s manner is sweet and encouraging. She makes it clear that she’s working hard and motivates her followers to keep up with her.
  • The best part: In each video, she goes through the entire workout with you. They tend to be 10-15 minutes long. With the BodyRock vids I’ve viewed, they just show you clips of the intervals you’re supposed to do and then you do them on your own, with your own interval timer. For those of us who don’t have an interval timer, Zuzana’s vids are nice… You can use hers. I’m still a proponent of rest-based interval training as described by the Metabolic Effect Diet gurus, Jade and Keoni Teta, who encourage you to rest only when you need to and pushing when you don’t need to, but Zuzana’s workouts are intense enough that I always need to rest when her interval timer says it’s “rest time.”)
The cons:
  • Safety may be an issue, especially for viewers who are just starting out in terms of fitness/strengthening. Her routines are extremely challenging and seem to be tailored to athletes and people who are pretty far along in their fitness journey(s). In the videos I’ve watched, Zuzana doesn’t provide many modifications, and when she does, she usually provides the modifications (i.e. to make the moves easier/less challenging) toward the end of the routine when she — herself — is getting tired. I’ll tell ya: If you’re a beginner, you’re going to be tired far before she is and from the beginning you may not be doing the exercise properly due to weakness or lack of stamina/endurance.
  • Her workouts contain a lot of high impact movements, which may be problematic for women with pelvic floor dysfunction. If you have pelvic organ prolapse or incontinence issues, I recommend talking to your doctor or women’s health physical therapist before trying her high-impact moves. If you ARE going to try her stuff, remember to ZIP UP especially before jumping, etc., or exercises that require a lot of balance.

My take on Zuzana vs. BodyRock? Zuzana wins, hands-down. :)

Thoughts? Comments? Have you tried BodyRock or Zuzana’s channel?

 

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Day 104: Done with the booty… Let’s work the abs!

April 13, 2012 By 5 Comments

Fem365: Fitness. Food. Femininity.

You are about to be rewarded for sweating through this last week of fitness posts. Practice your new moves over the weekend and on Monday check back for a recipe that includes chocolate… And bacon.

First, let’s finish up our body-sculpting week with a “4-minute ab blaster” (time can NOT be an excuse when there’s a 4-minute workout being offered)!

I love this video because I feel a bit like a music video star. I absolutely LOVE the song that is the background music for this quick routine; it’s called “Your Body,” my Makeshift Innocence. Before you report me for copyright infringement, let me state: I am using “Your Body” with permission from Makeshift Innocence. They are so sweet for letting me use their song, and ALL OF their music — by the way — rocks. Check out their website and search for their songs on iTunes (or your favorite source for music).

But first, watch my video. My 4-minute ab blaster set to the music of Makeshift Innocence. Oh, and it wouldn’t hurt to start with five kegels just to keep up the routine we’ve started.

Remember to come back on Monday for chocolate… And bacon.

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