JiggaRoo

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Wow, this is my first post in… a long while!  I don’t even know if anyone still reads this, but the reason I’ve neglected this blog is because I got married, and a couple months after that I went and got myself PREGNANT.  It might be an understatement to say that there has been a few things on my mind.  I’m entering my 24th week now, so I’m already halfway through my 2nd trimester!

My last post was about Tabata 20/10, and just when I discovered it I got pregnant and couldn’t explore it more.  In fact, I stopped doing all high-intensity exercises the moment I found out about the pregnancy and even bailed out of a full marathon (and out $125) that I was supposed to run with my husband.  There’s some controversy on how much pregnant women should exercise.  The age-old advice is that you should not have your heart rate elevated to more than 140 bpm.  Modern research indicates otherwise.  To stay on the safe side, I’ve stuck to more low-key exercises, such as prenatal yoga.

There are countless benefits to prenatal yoga, both for mommy and baby, such as:

• Keeping your body limber and flexible.
• Tones muscles while being gentle on the joints (pregnant women release a hormone called relaxin that loosens the joints and ligaments… so it’s easier for pregnant women to strain their muscles with more rigorous activities).
• The ujjayi breathing technique practiced in yoga will help relax you during labor and delivery.
• Reduces low back pain and sciatica because yoga promotes proper body alignment.
• Helps in stress reduction.  Pregnancy can be a very stressful (not to mention hormonal) time in your life… yoga helps center you and brings you back to a place of peace.

Those are just a few benefits of prenatal yoga, but I know there are many more not listed above.  In my own personal practice, I can really feel a difference on the days that I choose to do prenatal yoga versus the days that I don’t.  Yoga has been the one exercise that I’ve been able to keep up with throughout this pregnancy.  Running is no longer an option, the stationary bike is a bore, and even the stairclimber is too strenuous these days.  Swimming is one of my least favorite exercises so that’s out.  The one thing keeping me going is my yoga practice.  It clears my head, keeps me sane, and makes me feel rejuvenated and alive.

I was able to do my prenatal yoga in the comfort of my own home, which is nice because I didn’t have to work around someone else’s class schedule to squeeze in my practice.  After some trial and error, I found the one DVD I absolutely love.  Will share that DVD and a thorough review of it in my next post.  Unless you have a favorite that you’d like to share with me?

I’ve rarely had good experiences with the classes at my gym.  The ones I’ve tried were always led by unmotivating (or just downright odd) instructors.  One time my friend and I checked out a yoga class at my gym.  The instructor was overweight, wore a mesh black top over a sports bra, and made us do FINGER EXERCISES for the first ten minutes.  It was… interesting, to say the least.

Over the years, I’ve checked out kickboxing, step, and a myriad of other classes – all led to disappointment.  Then recently, my friend convinced me to go to a Bootcamp class with her.  I LOVED IT and look forward to it every Monday – I try not to miss if I can help it!  This is the 1st gym class I’ve ever been enthusiastic about.  The instructor is this amazingly fit, upbeat, charming guy who does not waste a single minute of the hour-long class.  He alternates his style weekly – one week it’s a normal bootcamp routine, and the next week we’ll do a technique called “Tabata 20/10″.

What is Tabata? Tabata 20/10 is named after its creator, Dr. Izumi Tabata, from Tokyo.  This workout is meant to give the maximum aerobic and anaerobic workout in a short amount of time.  Meaning, it combines cardio and weights to give you an incredibly effective workout.

What is 20/10? You do an exercise intensely for 20 seconds (do as many as you can within 20 seconds), then rest for 10 seconds.  Repeat for a total of 8 cycles, which is the equivalent of 4 minutes.  Then rest for 1 minute.  Then you’ll go on and do a completely new exercise and repeat the 20/10 method.  These can be any exercises of your choosing – some common ones are jumping jacks, push-ups, skaters, and squat thrusts.

It sounds very confusing doesn’t it?  Here’s a video that shows you how its done:

It’s a really effective workout that keeps your muscles guessing and your heart rate up!  Has anyone else tried Tabata 20/10?

The moment I saw the infomercials for “The Shake Weight” I disregarded it as another fad.  But it seems to be gaining ground and people are seriously interested in this thing.  It was even showcased on The Ellen Show and Jimmy Kimmel!  Haha I love Ellen!

People are drawn to quick fixes, and this one promises to deliver.  The question is… does it work?  I’ve never tried it myself so I can’t tell you from firsthand experience, but has anyone used this and seen results?

Some of its claims:

• Get results in just 6 minutes a day.
• Increases muscle activity by more than 300% compared to traditional weights.
• Utilizes new exercise technology called Dynamic Inertia.
• Proven scientific results – show me a weight loss product that doesn’t claim this!  Where are the results?  I can’t find them anywhere online.  Forgive the candidness, but what a load of bull.

Here are some reviews I found online:

• Shake Weight Review
• The Shake Weight Gets a Do Not Buy Recommendation
• Consumer Search – Shake Weight Review
• Diet Blog – Scientific Validity to the Shake Weight?

Pure Barre
6791 Quail Hill Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92603
(949) 500-5924
(Multiple Locations)

Lift.Tone.Burn – that’s the mantra at Pure Barre, a fitness studio combining pilates and ballet techniques into one unique workout routine.  I recently had the opportunity to try a class because a great deal was offered on Groupon.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I wasn’t expecting my thighs to be quivering nonstop within the first 15 minutes of class!  I thought I was in pretty good shape with all the marathon running I do, but Pure Barre is a whole different animal.  Supposedly the word of this innovative new technique is spreading the nation like wildfire.

Here is what you need to know:

• The studio provides you with all the equipment you need – this includes two sets of light weights (you can choose between 2-3-5 lb weights), a band, and a ball.
• The workouts emphasize short, tiny movements meant to fatigue the muscles and gets switched up every 10-30 seconds.
• You begin with a small warm-up, then go right into workouts designed to tone your arms, thighs, butt, and abs.  They used up every minute of the hour, so there were really no opportunities to rest.
• No dance experience required.  The movements are designed so that anyone can follow along.  Even my two left feet can attest to that.
• The studio floor is carpeted, but you MUST wear socks.  They also sell socks with grips on the bottom, but I found that regular socks were fine too.
• Attire is a tank top and capris or tight-fitting shorts or pants.

I was sweating buckets at the end of my hour-long class and my heart rate was definitely up.  Pure Barre provides a comprehensive toning and cardio workout that seriously works you!

Best for: those who want a challenging, different type of workout that focuses on toning.  The workouts don’t require a lot of bouncing so it’s also great for those who have sensitive joints.
Would not recommend for: those who are extremely out of shape.

When people ask me if they can just do a yoga DVD at home, my response to them is, “Sure!  But I’d recommend taking a few classes at an actual studio first before jumping straight into DVD.” – why do I say that?  Because Yoga involves a lot of intricacies that can’t be caught if you’re alone at home following along to a DVD.  If you don’t do the poses correctly, you won’t see the full benefits of yoga.  Not only will you miss out on the benefits, but incorrect form can also lead to unnecessary strain and possible injuries.

Individual yoga classes can get pricey, but many yoga studios offer introductory unlimited classes (like $29 for 2 weeks) for new students.  These are great deals to pick up to get you started into the world of yoga.

Let’s take a look at some common mistakes:

Standing Forward Bend: The image on the right is correct.  Notice how your hips must be directly aligned over your ankles and that you need to bend forward at a 90-degree angle.  She is also standing with feet parallel to her hips and keeping a slight bend in her knees.

Plank: The bottom picture is correct.  Don’t lift your butt so high in the hair.  Make sure your back is aligned with your hips in one straight diagonal.  This releases the pressure from your shoulders and engages your core muscles.

Cobra: The posture in the first image is incorrect.  As you can see, her chest is up too high and her shoulders and nearly touching her ears – this puts strain on the shoulders.  It feels awkward just looking at her.  It’s important to pull your chest down and squeeze your shoulder blades together, as if you were cracking a nut in-between them.

Downward-facing Dog: this basic yoga pose was one of the most troublesome for me when I first started out.  My yoga teachers would constantly come around and pull my hips up higher even as I thought I was doing all I could to get this pose correct.  Your body is bending downward in a “V” with arms straight in front of you, palms pressed flat into the floor, and fingers spread apart.  The head should be aligned with the spine.

Adapted from: The Los Angeles Times, which has a more extensive list of proper yoga postures.

This poor blog has been neglected for a couple weeks.  Partially due to the fact that I was in the middle of finals, and part of it is due to the fact that I launched another blog for fun – The Hungry Gourmand. Ever since my friend bought me a Julia Child cookbook for my birthday, I’ve had this strong desire to cook dishes I’ve never attempted before.

That, coupled with a love for food photography, led me to the launch of that blog.  I promise to post more on JiggaRoo now that things are calming down.  See you in the coming days… there’s been a lot on my mind I’d like to share.  :)

Soul At Home
17612 17th Street
Tustin, CA 92780
(714) 573-7685

I wanted to get to know a friend better, so we bonded over classes at her yoga studio, Soul At Home. Originally, I planned to just take one class with her, but it was more worth it to buy the one-month unlimited pass ($39) than to pay for a single class ($15). I ended up coming with my friend once a week for a month.

Soul at Home has a full schedule filled with a variety of classes.  The downside with soo much variety is that if you can’t make it on a certain day/time for a class you will probably have to wait until the following week to take it again.  Their most regular class is the beginners/level 1 yoga, which crops up frequently throughout the week.

They have two rooms where they hold their classes – one large and one small.  The rooms are clean and well-lit, and I loved that they provided really great quality mats and props for those who don’t have their own.  Beyond being just a yoga studio, they also offer massages and facials so this could essentially be your one-stop-shop for your health and beauty needs.

For More Reviews: www.yelp.com/biz/soul-at-home-tustin

Best for: those who want a truly relaxing, meditative yoga experience.
Would not recommend for: those looking for a more intense, sweat-inducing workout.