Obsession: yoga video (part II)

My newest obsession: Meghan Currie's yoga video "Mad love".

Just watch it and you'll understand.



// I'm off for a mini-vacation to South Karelia (Eastern Finland). I'll be able to go to the gym once, which means that I'll most definitely bring my yoga mat. I'm not even closely as flexible as Meghan (especially after my killer workouts this week), but you know what? I don't care. I'll finish my yoga as flow-y as possible. This one is all about breathing and moving to my own rhytm.

Have a great day,
/Ulrika

Workout schedule for January and February

Hi peeps,

I want to share my workout schedule with you guys. This is a schedule I'll keep up for two months, starting this week.

If you missed yesterday's post about my new year's resolutions, read it here. I've modified my usual workout schedule quite a lot, trying to keep it as simple as possible without putting too much stress on my body.

I reached my goal before Christmas, by the way. I deadlifted a 5 reps set with 100 kgs and benchpressed a set of 6 reps with 50 kgs. Soooo happy.

Monday
Leg workout - supertough crosstraining strength & plyo workout. This is a set I would love to do with a friend, since lifting heavy and jumping high is really tough, and a little competition never hurts.. If I'm the winner, of course ;) No, just kidding. Four rounds of 15 burpees superset with 6-8 heavy deadlifts is so much more fun to do with someone else cheering me on.

If you don't puke, faint or die KEEP GOING!

Tuesday
Upper body crosstraining workout.

I still love my handstand push-ups and chin-ups, and I won't stop doing them. I've added a few basic dumbbell exercises to this workout - you'll see it with pictures as soon as I recruit a friend with me to the gym.

Wednesday
Low-impact leg & core workout at the gym, focusing on my glutes and deep abs (i.e. M. Transversus Abdominis). I've modified a few Tracy Anderson's leg series to match my goals, so I do them with a pulley or elastic bands. This workout includes a lot of bodyweight training, too. Workout coming up...

Thursday
Pole dancing at my local gym. Love. Pole dancing really works my upper body, I'm sore in places I didn't know existed. Gripping the pole, climbing it, spinning on it makes me work my muscles in a way I haven't done before. I love it.

Friday
Yoga.
I love the feeling after a great yoga workout. Energized, but not drained. Remember my motivational yoga video? Check it out here.

Saturday
Endurance training of my choice - dancing, jogging, skiing.. Anything that I find fun at the moment. This is the part of my workouts that I do for me and me alone.

Sunday
Rest day.

This workout schedule is missing my daily walks with my dear little puglet (it's a dog, in case you don't know) and my evening stretches. One of my goals for January is to increase the range of motion in my hips.

Hope you're feeling inspired!

Love,
Ulrika

Picture source: Fitness girls on facebook

Obsession: yoga

I know this is an old video, but I still watch this every now and again. It's just mesmerizing, you know? I recommend taking three minutes to watch the video, it's worth it.

The first time I saw this video I couldn't help but thinking "I need to master this". Too bad I'm not that skinny or flexible, and my arm balance could definitely need a lot more work. But you know what? I'm still going for it. Maybe not this year, but the next. I'll practice until I'm there.

Briohny Smyth from Equinox makes it look so easy. *sigh*
Well, I guess she didn't just browse videos on YouTube and go "ooh I need to learn that" :D She lives and breathes yoga, just like I live and breathe the gym. I need to refocus. More yoga? Oh, yes.

I've had some issues with my lower back. It feels tired and stiff every now and again, mostly after long runs or lifting heavy. Completing just a few sun salutations eases the pain - completing a full 90-minute session makes me feel reborn. The best part is that I don't have to go anywhere special to do it. I can just walk into our spare room and close the door behind me, roll out my yoga mat and close my eyes.

You know the feeling after a tough workout at the gym? The feeling I get after a yoga workout is entirely different. I feel warm, but not necessarily sweaty. Every muscle and joint in my body feels like it's had a workout, but nothing feels sore. I feel at least a few inches longer after the deep stretches. My mind is peaceful and my breath is eased.

I do my yoga in silence, or listening to sounds of nature. Raindrops on our tin roof; the wind rustling in the trees; the sound of my deep breaths.
 
Inhale, exhale.

/Ulrika

October and November workouts

Hi guys,

I'm so pumped up on this workout schedule!

I decided to go with this for two months, since I really need to focus on my ring work. I've heard that it takes several years to get good at ring gymnastics, which sucks for me :) Well, anyway. I'm really hoping that I get good at something before I ditch it.

(I'm really impatient, just in case you haven't noticed)

I've been doing this set for three weeks now. I'm really seeing a difference in my ring work, and especially on my handstand push-ups. This week I was able to complete four sets of two push-ups, yeah! I just couldn't stop smiling afterwards. You know the feeling, right?

So, here is my weekly workout routine:

Monday
Leg plyo workout. Alternating (supersetting) heavy lifts with plyometric exercises. (workout routine coming up!)

Tuesday
Upper body crosstraining-inspired workout. As I said before, I'm working on ring workouts, plus trying to master handstand push-ups. It's hard, I tell you. (workout routine coming up!)

Wednesday
Leg plyo workout, same as Monday.


Thursday
Upper body crosstraining-inspired workout, same as Tuesday.


Friday
Core training and HIIT (running, cycling, stairclimbing)

Saturday
Yoga


Sunday
Rest


Each workout is 45-65 minutes long, except for the Friday ab workout, which consists of 7 exercises plus a 30-minute cardio and a four-minute Tabata. Oh, how I love and hate Dr. Tabata.

So, how's your weekly workout schedule? Something new and exciting for fall?

/Ulrika

Fitness trends: Prana Beats®

Do you find yoga boring?
Can't break a sweat during a regular yoga class? 
Are you a yogi, always wanting to incorporate dance in your workout schedule?
Do you have two left legs and find dancing really challenging?
Do you want to end your day with a great, full-body workout that gives you inner peace?

If you answered "yes" to even one of these questions, you should try Prana Beats®. Prana Beats® is a new group fitness concept, combining dance and yoga in a bold, new way. It was established in 2011 by a Finnish yogini and dancer Mia Jokiniva and her yoga company Villa Mandala. The class consists of traditional yoga poses, starting with sun salutations; very easy dance routines (flamenco, hip hop, contemporary dance, reggae) and easy yet effective muscle workouts for the entire body. The three elements are rhytmic flow, harmony and prana "clean" (relaxation).

The class duration is 55 minutes, but according to the Villa Mandala home page there's also a 75 minute class (with a longer relaxation). Every teacher teaches the same program for three months, before the program changes (the concept reminds of the LesMills concept, where the teachers participate in four quarterly workshops every year). Prana Beats® programs vary a bit, since every other program focuses a bit more on dance routines and every other on yoga. This program, number three, focuses on yoga and meditation, but has a quite a few dance elements in it.

Picture source: MeNaiset

I entered my first Prana Beats® class yesterday at my local gym in Kerava. I called the gym in advance, asking the receptionist about the class and the participants - she said that Prana Beats® is the most popular class at the gym! Good thing I called, since I got the last spot.

I've been doing yoga in silence for a few years now, so listening to the softly beating music was really hard for me in the beginning. Luckily, I was swept away by it in just a few minutes. The music reminded me of a slowed down Massive Attack, especially during the sun salutations. I loved it. I think I'll have a yoga playlist with me in the future. Massive Attack? Yes, please.

I was listening to a group of women talk after the class. They said that they're waiting for the new program (to be launched in November 2012), since they're not that keen on yoga. I find that hard to believe - I thought the class had too little yoga in it! :) Well, luckily we're all different. I'll just have to try program number 4 in November to see what all the fuss is about.

Mia Jokiniva, the creator of Prana Beats®. Picture source: Fit.fi

You don't need to wear shoes, and the gym usually provides a yoga mat for you (I had my own yoga mat with me, since I love it ;). I'd recommend wearing a long-sleeved sweater, since the relaxation is long (and perfect) - you don't want to freeze while lying on the floor.
If I'd have to name one wish, it would be more difficult dance choreos. I've done a lot of dancing in my time, and I really don't want to go through the same easy choreos every week for three months.

I just have to mention one last thing: the instructor (her name was Laura, if I remember correctly) was absolutely brilliant! She had amazing presence and was everything I needed on a Friday night: happy, always smiling and very inspiring. She had amazing technique and instructed the class flawlessly. Even I, a first-timer, was totally on board the whole time. The greatest thing about the class was that I felt serene and relaxed yet trained afterwards.

Have you tried Prana Beats® yet? I'd love to hear what you thought about it!

Hope you're having an inspiring weekend,
/Ulrika

Body & mind.

My favourite yogini, Katja. Pics by me.

I do a lot of hard workouts. As a matter of fact, around 80 % of my own workouts are really intense. Now, you don't have to be a fitness guru to know there's something wrong with that. 

In my defence: I instruct a lot of group fitness classes with a variety of intensities. That means that I really don't need any light jogging or dancing on my free time, I get plenty of that at work. But just to balance things, I should do some yoga, stretching or any other type of light exercise to recover better. Something to improve flexibility and give me peace of mind.

Why can't I do it?

I've discussed this a lot with my friends and coworkers. I need to achieve stuff, feel that I'm really good at something and beat myself every time I do something. I set realistic (and sometimes unrealistic) goals for myself and work my butt off to get there. It feels really difficult for me to do something just because it's fun. Ridiculous, isn't it?

We're all driven by different things. I'm the type of person to be driven by extrinsic motivation. That means that I really like numbers and setting goals - I get really motivated when I see a change in myself, whether that's a change in physique or attitude. I'll learn to like the actual workouts eventually. Doing something just because I like it feels like a waste of time, when I could be doing something really productive. 

I stress easily and lose sleep over silly things, because I feel like I can't let go...

What should I do about it?

Now, I know that I like yoga. I actually reach the yoga state of mind - serenity - quite easily. I should just convince myself that I really need yoga. It would improve my stress levels and therefore help me reach my goals more easily. It would most definitely help me fall asleep at night (and in case I wake up, I could fall asleep again with a relaxation exercise). Yoga would also improve my flexibility and core strength, and by increasing the flexibility in my hips I'd get better results at the gym.

How do I get started?

I should definitely make yoga a part of my weekly workout schedule. If you've been reading carefully, you've seen that I've already done that. I do everything I promise and more. Sometimes I exceed my weekly workouts by a few quick jogs. Maybe I would feel better if I exchanged those jogs into yoga sessions or pole dancing classes with my trainer? Oh, yes.

I'll start right now. Ommmmmmmm...

Have you ever encountered a similar problem? It doesn't have to be about yoga, or any exercising for a matter of fact.

Hope you're having the best Wednesday,

Love,

Ulrika

Have you had motivational problems? How did you get through it?

Week 24: workouts

Picture by me.

Hi.

In my last post, I said that I was getting a flu.. Well, the flu turned into pneumonia and I was forced to rest for a week. That certainly sucked.

I'm OK now, although I still cough a lot when I get really winded. Workouts last week were terrible. I went to the gym to do my lower body workout, but the weights seemed at least twice as heavy.. Didn't beat any records.

Workouts this week:

Monday
Rowing at the summer house for ~60 mins. Sweating like crazy. I was really angry too, so I guess my heart rate was around 180 BPM the whole time :D

Tuesday
A quick jog around the neighbourhood in the morning. My "light jog" means running like someone's trying to kill me :D 30 mins and I was almost dead. I really need to learn how to jog slowly.
Core blasting strength workout (30 min) in the evening with a relaxing yoga (60-90 min).

Wednesday
Gym time! Lower body knock-out-workout. I have a new routine, and I bet I'll need a wheelchair on Thursday and Friday. Love it.

Thursday
TRX-training for upper body strength. I have a new routine there too, and I'll show it to you on Thursday!

Friday
Gym time, baby! My glutes will scream in agony by the time I'm done, which means that I'll do another round of my lower body workout on Friday too.

Saturday
Rest / Yoga to improve flexibility

Sunday
Running for 45-60 mins with an additional core workout and some serious stretching.


What's your workout routine for this week? Anything new?

Hope you're having the best, sunniest Tuesday.

Kisses,
/U 

The start of something new.

Hi and welcome.

I'm so happy that you've taken the time to read my first post. Yay!

In my first post I want to tackle a huge problem: stress. Spring is a stressful season for most of us - getting into shape for the summer isn't easy.

Here are my top 7 tips for de-stressing your body and improving sleep quality:
1. Turn off the TV and computer at least one hour before bedtime. Flashing lights and exciting stuff on the internet won't make you sleep better! If you must watch TV, avoid thrillers and horror bits and focus on comedies instead.
Try creating a routine - you know it's important for children, so why not for adults as well?
2. Make sure you take enough magnesium. Magnesium aids in calming the nerves and relaxing the muscles, which in turn can help you fall asleep - low magnesium levels may cause the release of certain stress hormones in the body, which increase under stress. In short, that means that magnesium deficiency can cause insomnia. Low magnesium levels can also cause muscle cramps, disrupting sleep.
3. Use adaptogens like Rose root, Indian ginseng, Liquorice root, Holy Basil, Maca root.
An adaptogen is a plant based metabolic regulator which helps the human body to "adapt" or to "adjust" to strains and changes of daily living and normalizes the functions of bodily systems. Adaptogens increase the ability of adapting to environmental factors and to avoid damage from such factors. For example, rose root has been shown to significantly regulate sleep disorders and improve sleep quality. Adaptogens help you bounce back from a terrible flu or a killer workout!
I use maca root daily, mixed in my morning smoothie.
4. Cut down on caffeine after 4 pm. Try herbal infusions like rooibos or lemon&ginger infusion. The latter one gives you a perfect sense of warmth, I absolutely love the feeling.
5. If you have trouble falling asleep, try to wind down by stretching, reading a book or writing a diary.
6. Take a look at your workout schedule. Is there too much high paced cardio, too little strength training and no time for a calming workout like yoga, pilates, chiball, asahi or stretching? Is there simply too much of everything? When do you work out, if at all? Do you spend enough time outdoors?
If you need help balancing your workouts, contact a Personal Trainer (PT).
7. The most important one: Think positive! Challenge yourself and stop complaining for a few days. Give your face a workout and smile more! I promise you, this single tip makes the biggest difference.

Which de-stressing method works best for you?

Model: Maija. Pictures taken by me.

I'll take a closer look at a balanced diet and stress in another post.

I'll be happy to answer any of your questions, so go on and post some comments :) Since this is my first post, I really hope to get some ideas and wishes. What do you wish I write about?

Thanks for reading!

/U