I have found it is not as exciting to blog about the exercise video routine as it was running.  All three of us from our little running group are now in the routine of getting up and get going.  We use a warm-up from a different video and it is a good thing because we are finding we are not so cooridanted or oriented that early in the morning to do all those moves.  The cardio workout gets us ready for action with Jillian Michaels. 

I find for myself that I am getting a little bit better at some of the cardio exercises and starting to move up to the advance “girl”.  Behind Jillian are the two ladies who help her out.  One girl is for beginners they other for more advanced moves.  For the most part I am still at the beginner stage, but on some other areas of cardio and strength I am starting with the advanced girl.

We are getting use to what Jillian is going to say next, so we say it along with her.  We like to joke and ask why they don’t ever use heavier weights or change their clothes.  We are definately going to advance faster than they are!  No progress on their end at all!   

Now I am in the routine – even though I really didn’t want to crawl out of bed this morning!  Next move in the healthy lifestyle – eating habits.  It’s all about moderation.  I do have an issue with sweets…they love me and of course I love them back.  We are to love everything, including sweets!  Now you know my downfall. 

Moderation, here I come! 

The winter is just around the corner.  The snow is getting closer.  Very close in some places!  The chill is out there.  Our Couch to 5K is over.  We have decided on what to do next! 

But before I go there, let me tell you about my last jog … until the spring.  It was a beautiful morning.  Warm but with a few rain drops here and there.  By the end of the jog it started to get a little cooler and a little more rain drops.  Although, it was refreshing after jogging and sweating it up!  The jog was good.  I don’t really have much to say about it but that I have the satisfaction of completing the Couch to 5K.  We do plan on picking it up again in the Spring when the weather is a bit nicer and we can run outside again.  I am not one for running outside in the cold and snow. 

That brings me back to what we have decided to do.  I’m so thrilled that my jogging ladies have decided to continue to exercise with me.  It is much more motivating to get up at 6am!  My living room was transformed this morning into a exercise room!  There was only 2 of us and it was the perfect amount of space.  It is going to be a little tight with 3 of us, but it will do. 

We have chosen two exercise videos.  The first:  Burn Fat Fast Cardio Blast with Denise Austin.  The second: 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels.    The Burn Fat Cardio has 4 different cardio workouts that are 10 minutes each.  We chose one to do to get us warmed up (a more detailed review to come).  Then we put on 30 Day Shred.  This is a 20 minute workout that includes strength training, cardio, and abs.  If you are looking for a good Exercise DVD I highly recomend this one and I’ve only done it once! 

Here is the workout breakdown:
– One 2 min warm-up
– Three 6 min circuits of 3 min strength, 2 min cardio, 1 min abs
– One 2 min cool down. 

Some might not be a believer in Exercise video’s, but if you find the right one you can really sweat and feel it!  Jillian definately gets you feeling your muscles and sweating like crazy, but you really have to put the work into it or it’s not going to work.  She has great little motivating lines she tells you!  She has two people you can follow.  One lady is lower impact and the other is high impact.  There is also 3 levels of the work out.  We plan on sticking to Level 1 for now on the low impact, then move to the high impact.  Once we are good at the high impact we will move on to Level 2. 

I’m really looking forward to this.  I think it is time to put the gym membership on hold until I decide whether I really need or not.  I haven’t actually gone to the gym in a while because of jogging, so why am I paying for it.  I think that on the alternate days I will do the cardio video.  That’s the plan.  The other girls don’t know this yet, but if they want to join me they can.  I just want to step it up a little.  If they don’t join me, I know it is going to be a bit harder to get up in the morning to do it on my own.  That will be the test if I can do it by myself and be the deciding factor if I should cancel the gym totally! 

There is the exercise plan for the next little while.  Once that get’s into a good pattern it is time to look at the healthy eating.  I do all right but I do like my sweets!  It is totally about getting the portion size right.  One thing at a time!  Plus, Christmas is coming up!! 

Something to keep in mind:

Just because I am working out doesn’t mean that I can eat whatever I want!

By the way, Wii didn’t get chosen because with 3 of us working out it works better with a video.

I haven’t said anything about running for a while or it seems like it has been a while.  After our big goal of running the 5K race our motivation slipped slowly.  This week, our final week I was sick on Monday.  I still went on the jog but I walked fast most of the way.  I did what I could for not feeling that great.  Wed it was cold and rainy so we worked out inside on the Wii Fit.  We jogged on the spot and did some hoolahooping!  It just wasn’t the same and it kind of felt like I cheated myself.  This morning we got up and ran.  For me it was a good jog.  I wasn’t that out of breath at the end which was surprising since I haven’t really jogged at all this week. It was a good jog for me.

We only have one jog left.  On Monday we will wake up and go for our last run.  I’m sure we will be glad since the cold weather is coming.  I still think about getting up every morning and going for a walk, but it hasn’t happened on the off days of jogging so I wonder if I can do it when my brain tells me that we are finished our running program. 

What can we do know that the program is ending?  Any suggestions?  We still want to keep doing some kind of exercise, just not outside!  Anyone have a good exercise video they love that we can borrow?  Please, nothing too crazy at first.  I think we definately need to do something that involves the three of us so we can modivate each other and keep at it, especially if we plan on getting up at 6am in the morning to do it

By this time next week we will have something figured out!