A couple of weeks ago I tried a program called hot yoga, AKA 90 minutes of bikram yoga in a room heated/kept at 105 degrees (this feels comparable to sitting in an oven in the desert). I really enjoyed the first session and was signed up for a beginners program that spanned 7 consecutive days. I had every intention of being committed to those seven days and seeing what kinds of results they produced...and then I got scheduled for like 4 double shifts during my 7 consecutive days. Needless to say, I wasn't able to attend most of the classes. I was able to go to one other session...and at that session, for the first time in my life, I thought I was going to faint. I blame this on the fact that there were more people in the room (more breath being exhaled, less open space, more body heat, etc) and that I hadn't had enough water that day (because God knows before you go you need to drink like a milk jug's worth of h20).
Hot yoga is a really great program. It completely relaxed me, put me in a good place mentally (and physically), and made my body feel fantastic...after class was over. Personally, I get the most out of workouts when I can enjoy them, at least somewhat, and therefore put my all into them. When I was at hot yoga I felt like it was more of a struggle than it was worth. I do plan on still practicing some of the postures, but as far as going back to another class...I think not.
Being in the experimental fitness phase that I'm in right now, I decided to try another new type of workout last night. This workout: kickboxing.
Walking into the big studio room at the Y, I didn't know what to expect. My friend, Corrine, had invited me to go, and I'm always up for trying something out. I'll admit, I was a little intimidated being surrounded by punching bags, medicine balls, and hand weights, but I tried not to let it show. Class started out with doing laps around the room. First running, then squats, then high knees, and a few other variations...and then she (Claire, the instructor) released a bear- one lap around the track outside, 5 sets of stairs (running up and down them), and then circuit training started. Please note: by this point, I was wheezing. No one likes a wheezer, it's not cute, but I refused to give up.
The circuit training was made up of 3 parts: a stair stepping portion, a hand weights portion, and a punching bag portion. The stair stepping portion had things like mountain climbers, toe taps, squat jumps, etc. It was probably the hardest part of the circuit for me (crazy intense cardio). The hand weights were just different kinds of lifts (this was a little difficult too, as my arm strength is comparable to that of a small cat or a rag doll). My favorite part of the circuit was the punching bag. Jabs, roundhouse kicks, crescent kicks, fist slaps...talk about a way to deal with anger and frustration. I felt like a bad ass. And whenever I'd feel my endurance starting to wear a little thin, the playlist (going strong in the background) always seemed to switch to something that would pump me up again. By the end of the circuit training I was starting to see why Corrine goes to the class so often.
We did a series of other exercises using the bag (punching and kicks) and then ended class with some crunches and planking (sans photos). On the way out of the studio I was feeling great. Yeah, the workout was hard, but it was really great cardio and I felt like I had accomplished something.
Zumba easily has the spot in my heart as my favorite workout, but I think kickboxing just pushed itself into the number 2 spot. I know I can't wait to go again, and I highly recommend trying it out if you haven't ever thought of it or have just been kind of nervous because you don't know what it's all about. It's definitely worth your time (and your abs will thank you in the morning).
until next time,
Lo
