more ideas for creative fitness

Anybody interested?

Roller skating. Couldn't do it at 10. No doubt I'll spend the bulk of my time on my ample tushie.

Laser Tag. This is above my 410 limit. But you get 3 games for $18. I have 45 off coupons in one of those coupon books the kids sell. I'm clueless what it's called. It's not the entertainment book. We could probably draft some of friends,  neices and nephews to make a team.

Trampoline Fitness. I haven't found anywhere in the Lehigh Valley that does this. It's a mini tramp with a rail. More than likely, if I do, it will be at a gym. Watch the insanity on YouTube.

In the same vein we've been talking about going to Sky Zone, an indoor trampoline fitness park. We've been talking about it so long they are opening one in Allentown. No more road trip toward Philadelphia. Now we must do it. But it isn't ready yet. ):

Swimming. I actually contacted the Bethlehem Recreation department about adult swim lessons. They only have private ones. I wanted a group. Way cheaper. Yes, mom sent us for swim lessons when we were kids. I just didn't learn anything. Swimming laps is good for you. I think.

Hot Yoga. Yes, you read that right. Apparently it's regular yoga in a hot room. You wear tight clothes instead of loose—basically, you sweat your fat off. They are opening a studio in the Lehigh Shopping Center, down by the Dollar tree. Hideous logo. Will they trade design services for yoga classes?

Playground fitness. Yes, you'd need to check your vanity at the door. No way around it. Doing this in the park, you look like an idiot. But I think most of it is doable. Why actually swinging isn't part of the plan I have no idea.

walking and yoga

I received some junk mail today from the yoga studio on the south side.

Walking & Yoga Series with Laurel Attanasio

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the rain is over!

Join Laurel starting THIS Friday for her new Walking & Yoga Series.

Class begins with an energizing 45 minute walk on Bethlehem's NEW Greenway, located behind the Yoga Loft, after that come back to the studio for a 30 minute yoga class that will allow you to relax and lengthen your muscles as well as calm your mind.

We hope to see you on the mat Friday!

It's in the early morning.  It's expensive because of the yoga part. But I seriously considered doing it. It would force me to walk. (Get those numbers up for the challenge!) The program fits my schedule. It might help me relax, and it's only four weeks.

As a bonus, the yoga studio is on the third floor of Cantelmi's building. So I'm guaranteed to climb up those stairs twice each Friday. Another win-win.

If all else fails, it would get me away from the roomie for a couple hours.

But I've decided against it. Walking on the Greenway is free. I'd make a fool of myself doing the expensive yoga part. I need budget-yoga.

look, I'm on the sign!

This morning at 6:30—in the rain—we headed to Philly for Yoga on the Steps. It's an breast cancer awareness event sponsored by Living Beyond Breast Cancer. My friend Karen used this organization thru her battle. Talk about a warrior.

We arrived in Philly before 8, must have had a lead foot, and found our parking spot at the Eastern State Penitentiary. It's a short walk from the Art museum and right across the street from Jack's Firehouse.

We checked in, found our spot on the steps and went to go to the wellness tent when Bonnie said, "That's You!". And it is. In the pink Avon walk shirt. I'm pointing at it...sort of.

Bonnie made fast friends with the woman next store. The talked gluten-free and she told us about a bakery on South Street called Sweet Freedom. Of course we went to look for it.

This year, for the event they had survivors tell their stories while we were doing yoga. I didn't like that. I can concentrate on one thing at a time. Not killing myself on the steps of the art museum or  listening to stories. I hope they reevaluate this option.

Bonnies new friend took the pix of us attempting yoga. We held on to each other so we didn't do a face plant!

(The matching shirts, I swear was an accident. I didn't even know she had one.)

It didn't rain at all. Maybe packing dry clothes created better karma?

When the event was over, we walked back up to the car, headed to Jacks for lunch and then off to Whole Foods looking for gluten free products for Bonnie. At Whole Foods the gluten-free items are in the aisles with the other food. So we were forced to walk up and down all the aisles. Such a hardship. (;

Next stop— Trader Joe's—not much happening on the gluten-free front there. Then off to Sweet Freedom.

A little walking, a little yoga, too much eating, a little shopping, and no rain. Pretty much a perfect day.

Tuesday update

Some updates for past posts.

ABC Channel 6 said there was 40,000 participants for the race for the Cure.  A lot closer to my estimate. However, many people didn't participate in the actual race so maybe it was over 100K. Who knows. I just went to the Koman website and they are only half way to their fund raising goal.
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Everybody has weighed in for the birthday pound-for-pound challenge. Participants are the birthday boy Dave, and siblings Barb and Sharon, and my niece Bonnie. I stopped at Bottom Dollar Store and used the first of my $10 of $20 purchase coupons to buy food for the food bank. I bought three each of everything. Guess we are feeding three families—large brown rice, large canned chicken and tuna, jar peanuts and dried lentils, split peas and white beans.
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I opened up my journal that I track my exercise in and realized I haven't written anything down since April 24. Not even race times. I have to look back on the blog to find them. I haven't even taken my BP!  Actually if the truth be told, all of 2011s journal entries are spotty. I've also not really kept up with the Walk with Walgreens program.  I guess all that feeds into my "i don't give a crap" attitude I've had. Today that changes.
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Sunday is Yoga on the Stairs of the art museum in Philly. Nearby is Trader Joe's, and on South Street is a Whole Food.  Not to mention the reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market. We will shop till we drop. I've already downloaded directions from one place to the other.  Need to put the cooler in the car.  Gluten girl will be stocking up and I will be dreaming of things I want but won't buy. It's a long story.

Tuesday my brother took a pix of the sign at Walgreen's a block from his house. It said 107 on it. He also provided audio 107 degrees in the shade by Alex Bugnon. It sure felt that way. I think the official temp was 101. Wednesday it climbed higher. Today it's a balmy 93. Thank heaven.


Needless to say this fat girl hasn't done much exercise at all. Like they sing in Kiss Me Kate, it's just too darn hot.


But this morning it was a bit cooler, so I went for a two mile walk. Tonight I'll be doing yoga, tomorrow T'ai Chi, and Sunday is bike riding in Jim Thorpe.

Tomorrow is blood test day. Not looking forward to that.

yoga, walking, gym, t'ai chi, oh my!

The reason I started walking was to lower my blood pressure naturally. I really don't like taking drugs. But that wasn't enough motivation, so I started doing charity walks. And the rest they say, is history.

So in this quest I have walked a lot. I have become the sodium police. I eat better, but not great. I haven't reduced my blood pressure significantly. I haven't lost weight worth mentioning. My stress is at aln all-time high.

I am in a rut.

So since western medicine and ideas haven't worked, I'm heading east. Yoga and T'ai Chi.

I guess first we have to start with the back story. In the late  80s, early 90s, I lost significant weight. I walked, took Jazzercise classes that I was lucky I didn't kill myself, water aerobics at the YMCA (Loved them. But it requires a Y membership and wearing a swimsuit in public!) and something called callanetics at the old YWCA on Market Street. It always struck me as the next level of yoga. It was gentle and required a lot of stretching. When I started at LC, I signed up for a beginners yoga class at lunchtime. If that was beginners, I'm a monkey's uncle. I took a walking workshop, and some clumsy attempts at aerobics. I was never, and I don't think I ever will be a gym rat.

Almost two years ago my friend Karen died of breast cancer. She worked with a group called Living Beyond Breast Cancer. They host a fund raising yoga class on the steps of the art museum, and I signed up. Went. It was fun. Came home excited. Looked at local price sheets and said too expensive. This year, I did it again. (See blog entry May 16). Again, I was energized. Again I started doing research.

This time I found that the neighborhood place, the Yoga Loft, has a free beginners workshop on the first Friday of the month. We went last night. It was good. They broke things down in bits. I could do much of it. She also gave us alterations if you couldn't perform something. The followup is a 101 course Saturday and Sunday. But this weekends was canceled because nobody signed up. So I guess I have to wait for July. Then I'll have to figure out how to pay for a set of classes. Maybe after that I can just use a video. My friend Angel has several. Her and the wee one do yoga together.

This morning I walked with Mary Liz, and she told me about free T'ai Chi at the church on Market Street. I had seen T'ai Chi in parks and things in the past. It looked relaxing. It's free. Why not? So after Sharon and I got back from the gym I went. I think it could be realizing once I learned what to do. Much was very complicated. I was lost frequently. But I'd like to go back. If I plan my time right I could walk over, do T'ai Chi, and walk back. Kill two birds with one stone. The Martial Arts place down the street also offers it. I'll stop by one day and see how expensive it is. The Yoga Loft is running a free workshop June 29th. I think I'll go. And maybe find a dummies video, too.

We'll see I think both yoga and T'ai Chi, like walking, must be done regularly to be effective. Both stress breathing properly and good posture and alignment. All difficult for me. Will I follow thru?

yoga day

Over 1000 people showed up for yoga on the steps of the Philly art museum today. It was great. I could do maybe half. Certainly no downward dogs. Plus lots of money was raised for Living with Breast Cancer. My friend Karen's charity. (Karen died in 2008.)

The class was about an hour and a half.

So my challenge for June will be to do a downward dog. Sounds simple, right. But I am not agile. Bonnie is. Replacement knee and all. It must be all the gym time she logs.

I used to be. Back in the 80s when I was young, Bonnie and I did the Jane Fonda workout in her living room, two three times a week.  (OMG it still exists online!) That combined yoga and other exercise. I was agile. Heck, I could even do the plow. Not anymore.

So I'm checking into some yoga studios. I guess I could buy a tape, but I know me. It will sit there sealed. I'm much better if I have to hand out cold hard cash.

The closest one is The Yoga Loft above Cantelmi's hardware store. I could get a 3-3.5 mile walk in round trip if I pick there. They offer Kundalini Yoga and plain yoga. I have no idea what the difference is. Plus Belly dancing and Pilates.You can sign up for a free Friday, and then pay for a 2-day Saturday Sunday class before making a serious commitment. They have a drop-in rate of $7, and then plans starting with 5 classes at $60. Not horrible. If I could get someone to go with me it would be even better.

Easton yoga has a free community class the first Sunday of every month. That might also be an option. They offer a variety of activities. It's on Northampton street which is quite a hill, and would make a great walk if you also hiked up the hill to the cemetery.

Back in my 20s when Bonnie and I tried different exercise programs, we'd go to eat afterwards undoing all the good we did that day. Today was no exception.

We parked in front of Eastern Penitentiary, a really scary gothic prison in Philly. We discovered walking back that there was lots of restaurants. We ended up eating at Jacks Firehouse Grill. Bonnie kept thinking the name sounded familiar. We finally put our finger on it. Remember when the Food Network was Food TV and Bobby Flay was young and grilled outside with a hick in overalls? Grilling and Chilling was the show. That was Jack. We ended up at his place. I think he has another one at the Reading Terminal market.

The food was great. A good portion of it raised in Pennsylvania. They even had fresh apple butter and right from the churn butter.