My Home Gym - Updated!

My Home Gym is always changing. As a shift worker, I find it increasingly difficult to commit to regular classes/sessions at a gym etc. Working out at home is easier and convenient. At least it means I have no excuse for NOT working out!

- Kettlebell - I've had "Brutus" for a few months now and really enjoy my workouts with him! Brutus is 8 kg which is a decent weight for beginners/intermediates. Suitable for swings, shoulder presses, snatches etc. But I will need to upgrade to a heavier one soon.

- Tennis Ball. A great tool for loosening up my Piriformis Muscle which is an ongoing problem for me. Rolling around on the tennis ball on the floor is incredibly painful sometimes but releases the knots in my Gluteals.



- Sandbag. I am loving my sandbag, especially if I can't make it to the gym for weight training. This is ideal for those home workouts. Fill with sand, kitty litter or gravel for a great full body workout. Suitable for squats, lunges etc. My plan is to tuck the empty bag into my backpack, jump on my bicycle, ride to the beach and fill my sandbag for a workout on the beach. Bring on the sunny weather!


- Foam Roller. Wow, I love my foam roller. It is an amazing tool for a warm up, a cool down and anything in between. It gets into all of the muscles and can hurt like hell! But I still swear by it for recovery. It's one of the best tools I have ever discovered!

- Medicine Ball. Awesome for planks, push ups and throwing against a wall. A Medicine Ball can do wonders for your core.

- Skipping Rope. I LOVE my skipping rope even more so now that I have a massive terrace to work out on. I love being outside in the sun and jumping my way to health! I'm quite proficient now at Double Unders! (passing the rope beneath your feet twice between ground contact).


- Fit Ball. I had a Fit Ball in the past but haven't had one for a while. I recently won one in a competition and can't wait to make use of it!

- Chin Up Bar. I recently bought my second chin up bar and have it set up in the doorway of the spare bedroom. I still have a LOT of work to do to be able to perform true chin ups let along pull ups, but at least I now have a chance to practice!

- Power Bands. One of the best items that can be packed away for travel. I use mine to assist with pull ups. Since injuring my collar bone and shoulder in a biking accident, these guys are helping me to increase my upper body strength. 

-Yoga Mat. Vital for my Yoga practice and stretches. I also love my mat for head-stand practice (I have a sensitive scull!)

There are still some items I would love to add to my home gym, a Box so I can perform Box Jumps, Elevated Lunges etc among others. I have an awesome outdoor space (a massive terrace which is unusual for a city apartment) that I love making use of in the summer months!

Speaking of which, I so CANNOT WAIT for summer! BRING IT ON!!

Tough Mudder 2012

OMG! I cannot believe it's almost April and I haven't posted in ages! Well, here's my news!

I am taking part in Tough Mudder (Melbourne) on Saturday, four days from now. I managed to blackmail, beg, brainwash ....... some guys I work with to join my "Team"! TOUGH MUDDY VIRGINS! We were a team of seven, now six, as one guy had to go Overseas for work!

Our first training session was "interesting". I took the guys through a Bootcamp style workout followed by a jog of the Tan, they were keen but made every excuse under the sun for future sessions, so I left them to take care of there own training! Did I push too hard? Probably!

Me? I took part in an introductory Crossfit session, and fell in love with this way of training. I am easily bored and Crossfit gives me a bunch of variety. I've been wanting to learn more about power lifting etc for ages!

As for my running? A disaster. My knees hurt so much. I attempted the C25K for about 4 weeks and found my knees were not recovering in time for my next session. So walking was the way to go for me.

So how will I survive Tough Mudder? I might not. But, you know what, I'll be happy to say:

 I've had a go, I did my best, I had some fun...... and see where I end up at the end of the day.

Wish me (and my team) lots of luck
:)

Oh and if anyone wants to come to Phillip Island on Saturday to support the TOUGH MUDDY VIRGINS, spectators can sign up online for $15 or $40 on the day. Bands, food and drinks available!

More info available here:

http://toughmudder.com.au/events/melbourne/

September Challenge - Pedal Power!

Woops! We are almost half way through the month already. Time gets away doesn't it? Anyway, for the month of September I have been more physically and time challenged than ever.

In July I realised that my car Registration was due ($650 +) and was slightly short of cash! So I decided to wait another month before paying registration. So for the entire month of August I took to riding my bicycle everywhere.

I have an awesome Mountain Bike, but the last time I rode it was in the Great Victoria Bike Ride a couple of years ago. I had the worst back pain and had to pull out half way through. As I a result, I came to hate that bike! It's been in storage ever since. Then my brother got hold of a great bike from a work-mate who was going to throw it in the trash! I ended up inheriting this bike by default. I took to riding this bike (a freebie compared to my $1,000 plus bike) everywhere and came to love it!

So, without a car, I rode my bike to the Supermarket (small shops only) to the Post Office, to meet my Personal Trainer and everywhere else. Before I knew it, this bike riding became a habit! So, after realising that I can certainly live without a car, I sold it last month! (There was a tear in my eye when it drove out the garage, I'd had that little bomb of a car for 17 years! It served me well.)

Maybe this month isn't really a challenge, but it does mean more discipline. Keep an eye on the weather, ensure that the shopping list is not too big (or heavy) be sure to carry bike lights, check the tyres, carry a bike lock and more.

This also means no spur of the moment road trips :( and no big grocery shopping trips. No trips to Ikea or Bunnings, well I can still do this but have to think hard about what I do and don't need!

The upside of this is, more cash (insurance plus rego for one year was in excess of $1,000, add car servicing, petrol, Roadside Assist, parking costs etc, hardly worth spending the cash) I am loving getting out in the fresh air (albeit fresh city air) the additional exercise and sunshine!

August Challenge - Basic Gymnastics Moves

One thing I remember so vividly from my childhood was how much I LOVED gymnastics. I was lucky enough to be at a school where you could take elective classes such as Art, Sport etc. My choice EVERY term was Gymnastics. We had an awesome teacher (Jacko) and it was so much fun!

Sadly at the age of about 13 we moved towns, which meant a new school, and NO gymnastics. So I basically gave it up!

Fast forward almost 30 years (yes, I am approaching my 43rd birthday later this year). I have discovered Gold Medal Bodies! They are set to release their F1 Program which includes basic gymnastic floor skills.

So I have been following along and I cannot believe I can already do the following:

Tripod (Basic Headstand)
Tripod Extensions (Bent knee then Straddle, not so good at the Pike)
Cartwheel
Crow
Handstand (against a wall at this stage)

Little did I realise how heavily the Abdominals are incorporated in ALL of these moves. I have very weak Abs, of course I am working on strengthening them. Yeah, clearly I have forgotten so much from my previous training!

I am still pleasantly surprised that I can do ANY of these moves. I began only a week ago. I could immediately do the cartwheel, but the Tripod Headstand truly surprised me! I can do the Bent Knee, almost do the Pike, the Straddle was attempted and was successful only once! And I can even do the Crow (I have the bruises on my arms to prove it!)

Originally the wall was my crutch for the Tripod, I can now do this without the wall!

My challenge this month obviously is to continue improving with each of these moves. I have to say, I am so excited about this. It has been so much fun so far (and extremely challenging!)

And I am truly looking forward to the release of F1 in the near future!

July Challenge - Chin Ups

I haven't been able to do true chin-ups since I was a kid. A while back I gave myself a challenge to perform perfect chin-ups. At the time I didn't even own a chin-up bar. Going to the nearest playground was my only option and not very convenient.

I now have my second chin-up bar set up in the door way of our spare bedroom. (The first one was damaging the door frame) I purchased one of those over the top of the door frame gadgets. It's easy to set up and easy to remove.

Needless to say I can now do one chin-up! (Yeah, just one at this stage)

So my challenge for the month of July is to be able to perform multiple chin-ups, whether that be five or two, I need to improve past just one rep!

Does anyone have any hints or advice as to how to successfully reach this challenge? Any help is appreciated!

:)

June Challenge - Regular Stretching

I admit it. I have been somewhat slack on the cool down front when performing my exercise program. And strangely, this does not make sense. I love to stretch, I find it relaxing and also invigorating at the same time.

Stretching can provide an amazing recovery from a workout, cooling down and releasing lactic acid from the muscles, as well as increasing flexibility and joint mobility, which in turn encourages your body to perform at it's best at all times. Basically, stretching can speed up the recovery process.

Stretching is of utmost importance for me. I'm a shift worker, I sit at the computer for 12 hour stints (and then sit for another 2 - 3 hours on the computer at home) It's not unusual to find me up from my chair each and every hour performing a quad stretch, or sitting in my chair attempting to stretch my back.

I've been a bit lazy lately. Just two months ago after stretching on a regular basis, I was able to do the splits (which I have not been able to do for a good 20 years) A touch of laziness the last few weeks means I can no longer perform a full split. It's disappointing that I can lose flexibility so quickly!

I used to practice yoga on a regular basis and was a lover of Bikram for a long time. I haven't actually taken part in a yoga class in a long time. Maybe it's about time to make that step once again. (Thankfully, I have a Bikram studio just around the corner)

I will certainly be spending more time to cool down after each workout. And in addition, I will also be spending more time stretching each day.... especially after sitting on my wide butt for so many hours

:)

My New Sandbag!

I had big plans to make my own Sandbag, but bit the bullet and bought one. I figured a bag manufactured especially for Weight Training would be a safer option.

My new Sandbag contains 2 x inner bags which can be filled with sand or whatever you want. Instead of sand (which can be very messy) I went to the local Supermarket and sussed out kitty litter, rice and bird seed. Kitty litter was the winner. I bought 2 x 5 kg bags for $4.99 each.

So I've divided the kitty litter into 1 kg bags, I used zip lock bags. I then taped these zip lock bags for added protection and inserted them into the inner bags. I can fit 3 kg into each bag, plus 2 x extra 1 kg bags, so 8 kg in total. I still have 2 x 1 kg bags I can add if need be.

I've been religiously following Zuzana's workouts on Bodyrock.tv for almost two years now and her workouts incorporating a Sandbag are damn brutal!

Sandbag exercises can include Clean and Press, Snatch, Push Press, Get Ups, Lunges, Deadlifts, Squats and Rows (And they are just some examples)

Today I performed 100 x Lunges with Kick on each leg with my Sandbag on my shoulder. Wow, my legs are going to KILL tomorrow!

I have to say that since I've started using my Sandbag, I've noticed a marked increase in my stamina, instead of doing the 8 -12 reps x 3 sets at the gym (Boring!!) I'm performing 50 - 100 reps and really sweating my arse off! I'm basically working out to failure and LOVING it! Yeah I hurt the next day, but it's a satisfying, good pain! I can see my Thighs and Hamstrings finally!

I haven't performed any upper body moves yet with my Sandbag but that is on my agenda.

:)

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Boosting Energy Levels

What do you do to boost your energy levels? I am the typical stress puppy, things get me down very quickly. Combined with shift work, lack of sleep, a less than average diet (which I am working to improve) that I find myself in a very deep hole at times.

Finding motivation to exercise when I've had a rotten nights sleep and knowing that I need to work a 12 hour night shift is often enough to say "not today".

My energy levels are very low at the moment. I've been eating lots of fruit and vegetables, protein etc. I've actually been sleeping like the dead and waking up feeling like I've had no sleep at all. I've had issues in the past with low iron, so I've even started taking iron supplements again as well as my daily Berocca.

I really think that I've reached the end of my shift work quota. I've been working shift work for 16 years and I'm so sick of it! Plus I haven't had a real holiday for almost a year, you know, the one where you can sit and do absolutely NOTHING for a week and not feel guilty!

I've been exercising regularly on my days off, weight training, long walks, interval training and even a bicycle ride. And I'm suffering such terrible aches and pains which is unusual for me.

Does anyone have any hints on boosting energy levels?

The Benefits Of Yoga

I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed Yoga. I'd practiced it off and on for many years but really haven't practiced much for the last couple of years.

Lo and behold, I hurt my back, yet again! I'd been working out quite happily in the gym, squats, dead lifts, lunges etc with no problems. The after workout pain was that good pain you get, you know, when you can feel you've had a good workout and can enjoy those benefits coursing through your muscles?

I'd done all the right things, not lifted too heavy, ensured I warmed up and cooled down, had a rest day in between.....

Then, 3 days ago, as I bent down to look in the fridge, BAM! I ended up on the floor in agony! FFS! Beats me what I did, but the last 3 days have been a nightmare. The day after I ended up in pain I thought, hmmm gentle exercise is the way to go, so went for a walk. A walk that should have normally taken me 10 minutes (to the local supermarket) took me 45 minutes! I was crying when I got there! So I waved down a taxi to take me home! (I am sooo ashamed)

My usual 5 minute walk to work this morning took me 15 minutes! So when I got home I dug out my Yoga Mat and took it out onto the terrace and performed the basic Sun Salutation. I could not do the Upward Facing Dog without pain so the Low Cobra did the trick!! I had absolutely no problem with any of the other moves and was pleasantly surprised at my flexibility. I'm not as flexible as I once was but am still above the average.

Needless to say, Yoga is going to become a regular in my fitness routine...... I miss it, I love it and I think I need it!

Eureka Stair Climb

As  I stated in my last blog I planned to take part in the Eureka Stair Climb but a sore back put an end to that. Instead I offered to work as a volunteer on the day.

That day was today. I helped out by handing out show bags to competitors at the end of their climb. I was then offered a chance to see inside the stairwells but at a price..... that price was to clean the stairwells of rubbish left behind by competitors.

I figured, I'm there to offer my services, at least I can say I've completed the climb! I'm feeling pretty fit, but 88 floors seemed kinda daunting. But I did it! After reaching the 88th floor, we were then taken up to the roof on the 92nd floor for a treat!

So I can safely say I have climbed 92 floors at Eureka Tower! I didn't throw up (someone else left their breakfast in the stairwell though) I'm not injured, and I now know that I am more than capable so there are NO excuses for next years event!

 :)

Staying Positive When The Going Gets Tough......

It seems that this past 2 years have been a challenging and depressing time for me, both health and fitness wise. If I'm not ill, I'm injured. I'll go a few weeks and start gaining fitness only for another obstacle to jump up in my field of vision! As a result, I've gained weight and feel terrible :(

So how do I continue when I have to put up with these obstacles? With great difficulty, let me tell you. Finding a goal and sticking with it is particularly hard during these times. I always start off so well, Gung Ho, enjoying every moment then BAM! I'm back at square one. I often think "I'm not getting any younger" (42 years of wear and tear thank you very much) but then I think "That's just a BULLSHIT excuse!" I might have a bit of a sook (and I often do, I'm a very emotional person) But I tend to pick myself up and find another way around that nasty obstacle!

Maybe I can't go to the gym because of an injured back, maybe I can't run because I have sore knees, maybe I can't do those pushups because of a previous wrist injury. Whatever... I will always find ways to improvise.

I had plans to take part in the Eureka Stair Climb this year, sadly with my sore back that's not likely. Instead I have decided to volunteer on the day. It's not something I've ever done before, I'm usually that person who is taking part. So this will be the first time I've actually volunteered at an event and I am really looking forward to it! I figure if I enjoy it I'll do more of it (only if I'm not able to take part of course!)

One thing I do have to look forward to is moving house. Not the moving part of course. My fella and I will be moving into a bigger apartment in the same building. (No removalists, up and down the lift, so much easier) The new apartment has a massive terrace. I'm already planning how to use the space. Besides building a small herb and vege garden, I plan to utilise the space for jumping rope, short sprints, etc. As well as enjoying being outdoors and getting more air time than I do in our current apartment.

I'm also trying to convince him that we NEED a BBQ!

Sandbag Workouts

I've recently discovered Sandbag workouts. To be honest, these workouts are the kind of thing I was doing when still living with my parents. I was busily lugging around bags of chaff and hay bales (my folks own a horse farm) and damn, let me tell you, that is a great workout all on its own. Sandbags are a similar concept......... They have a very uneven distribution of weight.....

My nearest beach is Port Melbourne, but I plan to head down to Sandringham/Black Rock where the sand is a tad cleaner than Port Melbourne/St Kilda. I will take a sieve and get me some sand, package it up in some plastic zip lock bags (double bagged of course) duck/duct tape the bags and use them in a bag bought from Aussie Disposals. That's the plan at least!

I'll use these bags for my workouts, a combination of stair running (I live in a rather tall apartment building, I plan to use the emergency stairwell) , squats, lunges etc......

I'll let you know how it all goes!

:)

Learning To Improvise When Injured

There is nothing worse that injury to put a spanner in the works of your workout regime. I've been suffering with a dodgy wrist for months now, so I have had to learn to improvise quite a few exercises.

I broke my wrist quite severely when I was a teen and I've had problems with it off and on over the years. Sadly, my job means I am on a computer and joystick much of my 12 hour shift. I have re-learned how to use a mouse with my left hand, but after a 12 hour shift, my wrist still feels so achy and sore, it's frustrating!

Push Ups are absolute agony at times. Putting my wrist in the Push Up position and then putting weight on it really HURTS. I had to buy Push Up handles. But they do the trick.

Basically anything that involves bending my wrist is agonising. Any other exercise seems fine! Kettlebells, weights etc are fine, thankfully. But, damn I miss doing real Push Ups :(

Eventually I will get around to having my wrist looked at, meanwhile I will persevere!

My Workouts This Week

So, I managed 7 days straight of workouts, not bad for someone as unfit as I am.










Todays workout was as follows:

100 x Skips
5 x Step Ups with 20kg Weight (Left Leg)
100 x Skips
5 x Step Ups with 20kg Weight (Right Leg)
100 x Skips
5 x Pull Ups (Assisted)
100 x Skips
5 x Pull Ups (Assisted)
100 x Skips
10 x Lunges with Kick Up (Left Leg)
100 x Skips
10 Lunges with Kick Up (Right Leg)
100 x Skips
5 x Chin Ups
100 x Skips
5 x Chin Ups
100 x Skips
10 x Crunches
100 x Skips

Total of 1000 Skips (exhausted)
15 - 20 minutes of Weights/Body Weight routine

This is just an example of my workout routine for seven days straight. I had one day off and today is day two of my second week. Skipping is my cardio and I like to skip between sets to keep my heart rate up. This is also why I don't do heavy weights as I would be too exhausted! Needless to say, the Skipping Rope does slap me hard when I get fatigued!

I've still got a long way to go to rid myself of the ugly belly fat I accumulated when ill.

:)

Perfecting the Pistol

One exercise I honestly thought I would be able to do without too much trouble is the Pistol, more commonly described as a One-Legged or Single Leg Squat. When I've seen others do it, they make it look so easy. Just stand on one leg with the other in front of you and parallel to the floor, and squat down! Too easy!

At least I thought it would be easy until I tried it myself! I could only get half way down before my leg would give way and I'd end up on my arse!

The Pistol is an awesome way to test your strength and balance.

I became determined to master the Pistol so began looking for ways to improve. Keeping my leg out in front seemed to make it so much harder ........

Until I realised, keeping my other leg at a lower angle seemed to make it a touch easier to perform this movement and to perfect it.

I began by standing on a weights bench at a Smith Machine. I had the bar at waist level so that I could use it for balance and also if I need assistance standing back up. Then with my leg hanging naturally beside me I attempted the Pistol.

Yay, I managed it! Five on each leg. And yeah, my butt hurt for days! After a couple of weeks I find I am able to get lower in the squat and hopefully will soon be able to attempt it on the ground without help.

I can certainly feel it in my butt!

My Own Home Gym

I've never been a fan of gyms. Not because I am lazy, but because they are full of people.... Call me anti-social, but I like to do my workouts without an audience. I don't like people looking at me and judging me. Sure, if I need some tips about technique I will seek out the help I need.

I am a member of a gym, and I go rarely, but generally when I want to try something new and need some advice. Thankfully my gym membership costs next to nothing and it's within my place of work. It's there if I need it.

I prefer to exercise in the comfort and privacy of my own home. To do this I need some equipment. The items I keep at all times are:

Skipping Rope - difficult to use on carpet though
Kettlebell - 8kg, named Brutus (yes, he can be brutal)
Push Up Handles - I have a dodgy wrist and hands on the floor often hurt
Medicine Ball - Great for crunches
Yoga Mat - I love my yoga and stretches
Gymboss Timer - Great for timing my intervals
Pull Up Bar - Sadly it damaged the door frame so I had to take it down. So I am in the market for a new one.

And you don't need to pay a fortune for any of this equipment. It's cheaper to buy items you will use, than to join a gym you may never go to. Especially considering how expensive a gym membership can be these days. I got a lot of my stuff on eBay.

Working out at home is preferable for me. I don't have to plan it. I can do it RIGHT NOW! As long as you've got the room and the motivation, a home workout is the way to go!

Starting From Scratch

I've been ill for far too long. I have zero energy and every time my heart rate increases I have a nasty attack of the coughs to the point of throwing up! Not nice to hear, I know.

I am literally climbing the walls! As much as I can be as lazy as the next person when it comes to my health and fitness, I know that I always feel better after a workout, whether it be a jog, jumping rope or a body weight workout. Without my workouts, I get severely grumpy. Can you even imagine what I've been like to live with the last few weeks?

So I decided TODAY I was going to get back into it. I am starting to feel better physically. My clothes have gotten considerably tighter in the last six weeks, I know I HAVE to start working out again and taking care of my diet.

I was up early, I had things to do! First off some coffee, then a workout. Sadly it didn't turn out as expected :(

My coffee gave me the kick start I needed, as I was getting changed into my workout clothes and eying off "Brutus" (my kettlebell) I had another coughing attack. Now let me tell you, these are no normal coughing attacks, these ones leave me on my knees from practically passing out. I feel like I'm suffocating. They are so severe that I usually end up vomiting!

My stomach muscles are always sore, sometimes I think it's hunger pains but really, it feels like I've done about a million crunches! Painful.

So needless to say, the rest of the day has been spent feeling weak and sorry for myself (again)

Maybe tomorrow ......

Being Accountable For Your Own Health

It would be so easy to blame someone else for all the chocolate and booze I've consumed recently (yes, Sparkles, I blame you!) But ultimately I have no one but myself to blame!

I am struggling with a lack of self control. If I lived alone, I would probably be more accountable, I would have no one to blame. But I now live with my fella, and I find myself in a predicament. I love chocolate, Sparkles loves chocolate, I love to have a drink, as does Sparkles.

I know that eating too much junk, drinking too much and not excercising enough is always going to be my downfall. I am the sort of person that can go days without any exercise but suddenly, I will lose it and get the grumps. And I know I need to go for a run or punch something really hard! Why can't I get into the exercise habit? It will be so much harder now that Winter is nipping at my heels, I HATE the cold and would rather rug up in front of the computer or TV with a Chicken Pie followed by Scones with Jam and Cream for Dessert. Accompanied of course by a Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream (and perhaps a bit of a Frangelico hot tottie! It is Winter you know, need to keep the bugs at bay :))


Woops, I seem to have lost my train of thought!

Oh yeah, I am well aware that when I have too much "bad" stuff (sugar, fat, takeout, alcohol) I feel like crap. I am less inclined to workout and will start eating crap at work. When I sit for 12 hours on my arse, that is something I cannot afford to do! Arse expansion is not on my list of to do's this year!

Today was exceptionally bad. Cold, rainy. I had to go out in thongs! (Still recovering from blisters) My toes froze! So of course, upon our return from Costco we had Ravioli Carbonara (two serves I might add) followed by too much chocolate. This, of course was washed down with some vodka! Sparkles was in bed by 7pm (To his defence, he does need to be up for work at 5am ish) Me? I am still swigging on my Mojito as I write this. I need to finish my supply of booze so I can start with a clean slate!!!

So, the first of the month is my start date. I WILL GET FIT AND HEALTHY..... besides, I will have no more excuses by then. My blisters should have well and truly healed. I should be able to put on those trainers and go for a run without drawing blood!

Sparkles? Can I depend on you for some support? Do you need to buy that filing cabinet to hide the junk food from me? Just be sure to place a strong padlock on it!

Kettlebell Training

Allow me to introduce......... BRUTUS!

BRUTUS is my new kettlebell. And I've called him BRUTUS because he can be totally BRUTAL to work with!

As much as I love the Body Weight workouts I've been doing (and the results I've been seeing) I've always wanted to try kettlebells. In fact I discovered kettlebells years ago, before they became the trend. But, of course they were hard to buy so I never managed to get hold of one.

BRUTUS is hard work, but FUN! Moves include Double Handed Swings, Single Handed Swings, Alternating Single Hand Swings, Windmills, Turkish Get Ups, Squats, Clean and Snatch, the list goes on.......

Plus I can utilise BRUTUS in a Tabata Style workout which I really like the idea of. I tried this today and am sweating my arse off!

I've never been one to go to the gym. Just the thought of all those sweaty guys checking themselves out in the mirror..... turns my stomach. I like to get in and get out. With "Brutus" I can at least perform my workouts in the comfort of my own lounge room. There's no chance for me to change my mind, I don't need to travel to get to a gym, and I have privacy!

Skipping

I have recently discovered (or I should say re-discovered) skipping. I loved to skip when I was a kid, it was so much fun!

There really is an art to skipping and I have been practising my little heart out! Initially I couldn't skip any more than 5 reps without tripping over my rope or the rope getting tangled, or even simply running out of breath!

Skipping is a great fitness alternative. It's an awesome cardio activity, it can be done anywhere (a skipping rope is the easiest thing to carry around with you, in your handbag, your luggage etc) And it's also cheap!

Plus being able to do many variations of the skip: double skips, jog on the spot, jumping jacks keeps it from getting boring and mundane.

I've incorporated skipping as a Tabata workout. 20 seconds of skipping, 10 seconds rest, 8 rounds which is a total of 4 minutes. I've also been keeping track of how many skips I do each round and try to improve each session.

In fact I enjoy it so much I've all but given up jogging. Skipping takes far less time and you get the benefits in a shorter period than you would with jogging! Plus you don't have to leave the house. Just be sure to skip on a flat surface, floor boards or concrete are great (be careful of your knees though) Carpet is useless!

One thing you must have though is a reliable skipping rope. One that can be adjusted, one that won't tangle, preferably a ROPE rope like we had as kids (I am yet to find one). If anyone knows where I can purchase an actual ROPE, let me know!