So it’s been a while since I’ve written anything in this blog (my personal blog) or my other blog (my marketing blog).
After winter quarter, I decided to take spring quarter off from taking classes–I was a half-time student for a year, after all–and focus on my personal goals. One of them included resurrecting my yoga practice after a 2 year hiatus (I practiced for a couple of years in college). After trying yoga at a couple of studios, including YogaWorks in Tarzana and Bikram Yoga in Encino, I decided to get a membership at Core Power Yoga in Sherman Oaks. It’s a hot yoga studio, meaning yoga done in 100 degree heated room. And if your classes is crowded, that means it could get hotter. Anyhow, I’m completely obsessed with hot yoga now, and I try to go almost every day.
I’m very upfront about my professional goals, but my personal ones, I tend to keep to myself. Becoming a yoga instructor is one of my personal goals. I want to become a yoga instructor in the next few years, but right now, I’m just focusing on my practice.
In addition to yoga, I’ve really been mixing up my workout classes. They now include a couple of boxing classes a week, 1-2 Cardio Barre or Bar Method classes per week and pilates. I started taking pilates after purchasing a 5-class pass from LivingSocial to Pilates Plus in Encino–and loved it!–but I’m now a member of SPN Pilates in Calabasas, because it’s right across the street from my work, there’s always availability for classes, the instructors really kick your ass, and it’s just a beautiful studio. I took 14 classes in between the end of April to the end of May. I’ve kicked up my workout routine a notch to two workouts a day, a few times a week (that’s up to 8-10 hours/week of working out). Since classes are fun, it doesn’t really feel like I’m working out.
I started training for a half marathon a while ago, but I had some numbness in my foot after I came back from travelling, so it’s probably a good idea to stick to the low impact workouts =/
Anyhow, I log my workouts in this handy tool called dailymile & here are my stats for the year (from January 1st – June 1st):
Miles ran: 65
Boxing classes: 30
Pilates classes: 23
Bar Method classes: 20
Cardio Barre classes: 9
Yoga classes: 12
Spin: 1
(that’s 95 hours, just of classes, if you’re too lazy to do the math)
I’ve only really lost a few pounds, but I’ve gotten several comments from co-workers, one of my bar method instructors, and even my sister that I look thinner. Awesome! The only problem now is that I can’t decide which studio to do an unlimited membership at. Ideally, I can do unlimited Pilates ($200/month) and hot yoga ($135/month), but I already have a gym membership ($40/month) in addition to class packages at Bar Method & Cardio Barre. I don’t really want to spend $400/month on fitness classes, so I’ll probably do the Pilates membership & do class packages everywhere else. It’s probably the most effective workout for me.
If you don’t understand why I pay so much money for fitness classes, here’s my rationale: My parents spent thousands of dollars on music lessons growing up, and collectively, we spent tens of thousands of dollars on my education. I get so much more value from my fitness classes in terms of personal & spiritual growth that the money isn’t even an issue. I’m stronger and healthier and that, to me, is priceless. Plus, I don’t go out and party or spend a ton of money on alcohol or entertainment, so this is my splurge every month :)
I was a lot thinner (think 20 pounds lighter in college), but I had no muscle mass. And I can’t believe that a year and a half ago, I could barely last through an hour of boxing without feeling like I was going to die (not to mention I had terrible form), and now I’m doing pilates & boxing back-to-back. My instructors have taught me proper form, discipline and so much more.
I can’t wait to see where I’ll be at the end of 2011!
