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Yoga and working out


hers

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I went to my first yoga session tonight. Honestly, I don't get it. I couldn't find myself relaxed like I expected to be, and while I felt a little stretched, I don't feel like it did much for me. I will try it again, just b/c I'm sure it takes a couple tries to get used to, like most things, but I really don't understand the large appeal of it?

 

I also started working out on Friday. I've been to the gym 3 times in 3 days, for about an hour each time. I start by doing 15 minutes of cardio (a precursor or something?) and then work my inner and outer hip abductors (if that's the name) by doing 125 total of those at 55 lbs each (since more weight will just add muscle and I'm trying to lose fat), and then I do 15 more minutes of the precursor thing. I'm 5'0" and I weighed myself at 160lbs today, much more than I thought. I don't care if I'm skinny by normal standards, but I don't feel healthy and i'm uncomfortable in my weight (physically, it's hard to walk in shorts and such b/c of my big thighs).

 

I wear a size 11/12 in pants, give or take by brand, and I am just mostly gaining weight in my thighs, I notice.

 

So anyway, just looking for people's thoughts and advice. Thanks.

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In terms of losing weight, yoga never helped me... Yeah, it helps with limbering up and all that (seriously, it did wonders for my flexibility)...but in terms of toning up/fat loss..nada.

 

Try pilates! I did a pilates boot camp dvd that left me on the floor, gasping.

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In terms of losing weight, yoga never helped me... Yeah, it helps with limbering up and all that (seriously, it did wonders for my flexibility)...but in terms of toning up/fat loss..nada.

 

Try pilates! I did a pilates boot camp dvd that left me on the floor, gasping.

 

isnt' that what works the heck out of your hoo-ha? is that the same as kegal exercises?

 

what do pilates do?

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I never understood the appeal of yoga and tai chi. I never could get into either of them. I like to swim.

 

I'd love to swim more, but the gym I joined doesn't have a pool, and this is Atlanta. I'm farther from the beach than I'd prefer. I also don't have access to any pools or anything (except for one client whose animals I rarely take care of. Sad face). I miss swimming!

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I resisted yoga for 45 years, and then I finally gave in after a therapist recommended hot yoga. We practice in a room that's between 90-110F and it's very intense. I sweat from every part of my body and leave feeling like a new person. I'm not sure I'd like it without the heat because it turns it into a workout and keeps my body stretchy.

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I do yoga to stretch my muscles. I feel very "loose" when I finish my session. It also depends what kind of yoga you're doing. There are so many different types.

I think as far as benefits go, it's really good for you if you do weight lifting and cardio just to warm up your muscles and keep them relaxed. If you don't stretch properly, you can kind of bunch up your muscles rather than give them a lean, thin look sometimes.

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I resisted yoga for 45 years, and then I finally gave in after a therapist recommended hot yoga. We practice in a room that's between 90-110F and it's very intense. I sweat from every part of my body and leave feeling like a new person. I'm not sure I'd like it without the heat because it turns it into a workout and keeps my body stretchy.

 

Bikram yoga, right? I've heard of that. I don't like being that hot (I work outside in the summer heat!) so I dont know if I'd want to try that. I heard it can make you sick too though if you eat before. Ick.

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I'd love to swim more, but the gym I joined doesn't have a pool, and this is Atlanta. I'm farther from the beach than I'd prefer. I also don't have access to any pools or anything (except for one client whose animals I rarely take care of. Sad face). I miss swimming!

 

I work at the University and am right accross the street from the athletic centre. I try to go at lunch when I can but the problem is sometimes I get caught up in meetings or deadlines..and then of course there is a week during that time of month when I won't get into the pool. The worst part is the initial 2-3 minutes in the pool when the warm body gets shocked by the cooler temperature of the water. Once I get moving for a while I am fine..but the initial shock sometimes takes my breath away.

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Bikram yoga, right? I've heard of that. I don't like being that hot (I work outside in the summer heat!) so I dont know if I'd want to try that. I heard it can make you sick too though if you eat before. Ick.

 

I think it's called Vinyasa, or something like that. It's not just poses, it's motion and they work our whole body head to toe. It's probably an adaptation for the hard cores because my area is filled with type A personalities.

 

I would not use it as a replacement exercise, it serves a purpose that wasn't being served by my other activities. I find sweating a lot and using stretching and resistance to be very relaxing for hours afterwards. I still lift weights and do other exercises though, this is just the icing on the cake.

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I don't feel yoga does much for me and losing weight either. Like ILMBC said it's better for limbering up. I used to do those "Denise Austin" workout.. But now thinking back eh.. you're right, I never felt "relaxed". I think I could achieve the same by just putting some time aside to meditate which relieved more stress, and put the time I'd do yoga into more cardio.

Keep at it. And try not to skip when you see results. That's my biggest downfall. I kind of hate working out, but then it becomes routine and I love it for a while. Once I see results I begin "slacking off" which is when the few pounds I lost slowly creep up.

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I hate working out. So far, in the past 3 days, I dont like it or hate it. I dont like not knowing how to use certain machines, and I get embarrassed working out in front of people, but I know I need this. My body isn't 17 anymore.

 

Luckily, the gym I joined is primarily a gay gym (it's not a gay gym, but most members are gay b/c of the part of town it's in), so i dont feel as self-conscious, but I still feel weird!

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I hate working out. So far, in the past 3 days, I dont like it or hate it. I dont like not knowing how to use certain machines, and I get embarrassed working out in front of people, but I know I need this. My body isn't 17 anymore.

 

Luckily, the gym I joined is primarily a gay gym (it's not a gay gym, but most members are gay b/c of the part of town it's in), so i dont feel as self-conscious, but I still feel weird!

 

Hire a personal trainer for an hour to show you how to use everything and formulate a workout plan for you. Totally worth the money.

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I hate working out. So far, in the past 3 days, I dont like it or hate it. I dont like not knowing how to use certain machines, and I get embarrassed working out in front of people, but I know I need this. My body isn't 17 anymore.

 

Luckily, the gym I joined is primarily a gay gym (it's not a gay gym, but most members are gay b/c of the part of town it's in), so i dont feel as self-conscious, but I still feel weird!

 

Yea, that was my biggest and is my biggest reason for staying out of the weights room. I'm glad I found someone/a friend to go to the gym with after so many years of going alone though. (Lucky for me too the one I used to go to alone was rather empty, and the one guy who was remotely interested and cute probably got turned off by how self conscious I was in the gym alone, who knows haha).

 

All that aside, I started slowly with the weights. I didn't want to ask my dad for all the extra dough for me to have a personal trainer so I would ask the trainer there for tips little by little, like when I didn't know how to use machines.

He would come and train for free and push me harder. (Gotta agree that having a personal trainer is kind of fun b/c you have someone pushing you, but I'm not willing to pay $100 extra each month).

Maybe you can ask the trainers to show how to use the machines which you're embaressed about/don't know how to use and ask them for pointers on how to train. Most gyms are supposed to show you how to use equipment for free.

 

 

Don't feel stupid or weak. We're girls. We don't have to worry about not being the strongest at the gym lol. You shoul be proud of yourself for trying.

Oh and I remember also not being able to use the machine with NO weights too.. I'm sure you have some you can do though? The harder ones will become easier over time.

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The trainers at this gym do it on a freelance basis--there are no trainers there unless they are training someone at that time. You call them and make appts is the way it was explained to me. The guy who gave me a tour of the gym/works the front desk was very helpful in telling me what I could do for the areas I wanted to work out, which was helpful, but aside from taht, I dont know where else to start!

 

One of my clients, who's become a close friend, goes tehre often and he's offered to show me how to work some machines, but we cant figure out a mutual time!

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The trainers at this gym do it on a freelance basis--there are no trainers there unless they are training someone at that time. You call them and make appts is the way it was explained to me. The guy who gave me a tour of the gym/works the front desk was very helpful in telling me what I could do for the areas I wanted to work out, which was helpful, but aside from taht, I dont know where else to start!

 

One of my clients, who's become a close friend, goes tehre often and he's offered to show me how to work some machines, but we cant figure out a mutual time!

 

Yea, that's the sort of person I'd ask (well, at the gym I went it worked for me and we had the exact same set up you explained about freelance trainers). The guy at the front desk was also very friendly and was the one who gave me a tour of everything. I'm sure he really wouldn't mind coming over and showing you? Unless he has no knowledge, but usually they put people with general know how about the equipment in these positions. Once in a while I'd just talk to him and make small talk. So when I needed some assistance it was as akward going up to him for help.

 

At the gym I'm going to now for instance, the guy at the front desk is about 60 and you can see he has no knowledge. But there are about 4 "trainers" there who walk around and assist if necessary (though usualy I see the chatting up girls

 

Another thing I used to do was just stick to cardio and the few weight I knew how to do. OR go online to websites which have video's on how to use machines which also helped me learn what muscles each machine works..

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Oh the front desk guy is ridiculously into working out. He's SO buff haha.

 

My client (the one who got me into the gym) used to date the owner so once my 2-week free pass is up, I will get a really good rate, better than the one quoted to me (the owner himself told me that) so I figured it'd be good to join this gym. It's sort of far from my house (6 miles to a part of town I dont usually go to) but it is nice and primarily gay and will be cheap and doesn't have a contract.

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Wow, hersmudders!

 

I just did my first yoga class too. My instructor was a bit annoying in how unbelievably stereotypical she was as a yoga instructor. And, I didn't feel much of a difference. It did help stretch out my recent leg injury though.

 

I've been working out a lot. 20 minutes of medium resistance bike and then all around resistance training, focusing on rear deltoid, abs, back, thighs, shoulders, chest, and glutes.

 

I'm also going to tae-kwon-do tomorrow.

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The only reason I'm trying yoga is a friend teaches it. She was cool though; I didn't feel like it was stereotypical. She's a funny person so she was still funny but just more soft-spoken. I told her I wasnt sure if I liked it and since we're in 12-step together, she told me to come back a couple more times before deciding if it was right for me (which is what you do when you start a 12-step!).

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I'm just using yoga as a change up from my regular exercise (tae-kwon-do is that too).

 

Also, I have a lot of problems with my achilles tendon. They are naturally tight and I've been working on it.

 

I recently injured my back and inner thigh by over extending them while running. So, that's what got me interested in yoga in the first place. I'll stick with it. I felt a lot thinner after the 1 hour class than before going in.

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HM,

 

Nice for you that you have started exercising regularly. I work in the fitness industry & have be working out for many years.

 

Did you speak with a trainer & have them put a starter program together for you? Many of the gyms include 1 - 3 free orientation & training sessions with the membership fee...

 

Are you doing any upper body training also?

 

Anyway, regarding yoga, it is not for everyone. But that said, it does take more than one try & the "right" type for someone just starting. Years ago I did my yoga debut with an Ashtanga yoga class... Biiiig mistake. It is more advanced so it both discouraged me(part of staying with an exercise is feeling one has the ability to do it successfully) & the word "sore" took on a whole new meaning for me.

 

I love yoga to pieces now & do it regularly. Hatha yoga is an excellent beginners yoga to start out with.

 

Flexibility is such an important part of fitness that can get overlooked. Yoga of course, builds this. It also strengthens muscle, and builds core strength. As an alternate, you might wish to try pilates as well.

 

Good luck.

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