Tag-Archive for » fitness «

If It’s Good Enough for Oprah….

I think by now everyone is familiar with Oprah’s revelatory January ’09 issue where she essentially came out of the closet about “falling off the wagon”.   While I, along with millions of others, have followed her weight loss battles over the past two decades, I found this admission, accomampanied by the before and after picture on the cover of her magazine, to be particularly admirable.

Given my own experience over the past six months or so, I found it resonated pretty profoundly.

I began this blog, or more accurately, plog (practice + blog), to provide some additional motivation to implementing and maintaining a regular practice schedule in addition to initiating a forum to connect with others plagued overwhelmed with good intentions.  At the time I began writing here over a year ago, I was close to the best shape of my life.  In the months following, my fitness continued to improve as I trained for two shorty triathlons, and when all was said in done after these events, the last being July 1st of last year, I was feeling- and looking- pretty darned good.

However, sitting here eight months later, for a variety of reasons and excuses, the story is dramatically different.  I am up two pant sizes… my practice is, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts, undulating… and, between work, travel and winter, my usual training routine has never really re-gained any real traction.

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Weightloss and Fitness… The Yogic Connection

yoga for fitness and weightloss

We often hear about the benefits of yoga as it pertains to spiritual and mental health, but is there a tangible connection to one’s fitness and, more specifically, can I lose a few pounds doing it?

I already enjoy the stress busting aspects of a regular… OK, semi-regular… practice, but how much of what I’m doing actually targets my trouble spots- those zones of frustration such as my tummy and thighs… OK, and bum and perhaps, and the fleshy wings accumulating under my newly minted 40 year old arms?

Well, those of us who would like to look to a less intense, non-impact method of achieving a level of fitness, can take heart.  Studies show that yoga lowers levels of stress hormones and increases insulin sensitivity–a sign your body reads to burn food as fuel rather than store it as fat.  Yay!

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Yoga: If Not For the Economy… Then, For You!

from the darknessIt’s a swirl of bad news pretty much every where you look.  Whether it’s fear mongering on the part of cable news to grab viewers or actually accurately portrayed, there are a couple of ways in which we can deal with the onslaught.

1.  Bury your head in the sand.  Ignore or deny it while developing an increasingly unhealthy dependence on your call display.

2.  Buy into the endless flow of negative and allow fear to determine your decisions and the direction of your life.

3. Take steps toward taking back, or maintaining, your sense of control and empowerment over your own circumstances… your self-determination.

In choosing number three, there are a number of steps you can take to promote and propagate a sense of control and empowerment, and you can find the list just about anywhere and everywhere right now, such as: manage and prioritize your spending, don’t spend more than you earn; pay down your debt as soon as possible; scale back, live simply and more frugally; make sure you’re saving; and then maintain that status quo… no sliding back into bad habits with signs of a little money in the bank.

These are the practical ways of covering your butt and without a doubt, they’re essential.  But along with these important, conventional steps you also need to consider the more esoteric, mental and spiritual requirements of feeling in control, empowered and proactive.  This is where developing a regular practice of mindful meditation and yoga comes in.  In times of stress such as these, one’s mental and physical health are paramount to dealing effectively.

The beauty of yoga is that it addresses the spiritual and physical at once, focusing and freeing the mind while strengthening the body.  A regular practice during times of immense stress can offer a refuge from the storm of negativity and fear.  It can make space for clarity in decision making; offer support in relaxation; and open up the creative mind and heart to the multitude of possibilities, perhaps even opportunities, that exist outside our typical concentration on daily practicalities.

Yoga… Playful and Fun!

yoga kidsIf you thought yoga had to be silent and solemn, you and your kids haven’t tried a new brand of “om.”

Whether your child needs something extra to help manage stress or simply wants an avenue of expression outside of competitive sports, yoga for kids is a top alternative, says Marsha Wenig, founder of the internationally acclaimed YogaKids. “There are about 1,000 poses in traditional, physical yoga,” she says. “We use about 200 of them.”

Continue reading….

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New! All New!

A new site design… to represent our renewed vision and spirit!

Mommy Om is shaping up to be the formost presence of yoga for families on the web.  In addition to first hand accounts of parent’s practice, with or without their children, Mommy Om will provide a wealth of resources for introducing and involving your children in the remarkable world of yoga.

Summer’s Gettin’ Away…. And Fit Couture for Review!

This summer is rolling by way too fast! We’re on the road now after just too much busy-ness to get into here. But our vacation has begun….

And here on vacation, let me tell you what I brought for my running/yoga wear. Two things….

These:

And this:

Both items from Fit Couture.

I am over the moon for the Saratoga Shorts. They have been run in, yoga’d in, swam in our lake in, gardened in…. they do it all. Their shape and size remain intact. And I really like the cut of the wasteband. Love. Them. In fact, I am about to order another pair.

I also love their Miami II Top. I use it for running and yoga. I am blessed with fried eggs for boobs so the support for me is more than adequate. I am planning on ordering the cropped version along with the new pair of shorts as I prefer the flexibility of more of a bra type top.

There is nothing like a hot outfit for motivation…. Thanks Fit Couture!!