Aussie Fit Yoga/Stretch and Flex

From the back of the box-

In this simple guide, suitable for all activity levels of fitness, you
will learn basic postures correctly and safely improve your flexibility while tong muscle and discover a wide range of health benefits.
A perfect way to relieve tension at any time of the day and in the
comfort of your own home.
Join the millions of people enjoying the many benefits of this age-old
technique in a modern and balanced programme.

Back before life got in the way (aka children) I used to practice yoga regularly. I used this tape to keep up between classes. As time became more precious I began to do the shorter Aussie Fit Stretch and Flex tape instead. Both programmes are now available together on the one dvd.
The yoga section runs for around an hour and covers a few basic postures. It's not as good as a class but it is a great home practice guide. I was surprised by how difficult I found it. I knew my upper body strength wasn't what it used to be but my lack of balance that was completely unexpected.
The two stretch segments run for half an hour each, one is dance focussed, the other sports focussed. Both offer less advanced versions for the beginner. I would set these in the challenging section of my dvd collection simply because there is always room to improve flexibility.
I intend to start doing these programmes regularly and I'm hoping muscle memory will kick in and I'll be back in form soon.-Lynn

15-Minute Workouts for Dummies

Pertinent words from the back of the box-

15-Minute Workouts for Dummies offers step-by-step instruction of 26 toning and shaping exercises, combined in an active sequence that makes the most of your time. The exercises are divided into four express workouts that target your arms, abs, thighs, and buns. You can combine the workouts in any number of ways.
Just one per day if you're crunched for time, or up to all four in a row if your schedule allows. This program incorporates both standing and floor moves to help you firm and define hard-to-train areas and get the most from your workout time.

Being pressed for time I did this dvd over the course of two days. One day I did arms and thighs, the next I did abs and buns. Where weights were required I used a pair of one kg dumbells because they were to hand; at no time did this become too much. In fact, I found all the workouts to be very easy. Having not done any strength work in quite some time I thought I might feel sore the next day but I didn't. And that was a little dissappointing. I simply didn't feel like I got a workout either during or after the dvd. The same format found in the '-For Dummies' series of books is to be found on the dvd. The program is dotted with tips, alternate versions of moves and definitions. This is great for the absolute beginner but could become annoying for the more confident. My assessment, highly reccommended for the beginner or as a simple rest day session for the experienced. Also works as a nice collection of quick maintainance sessions.-Lynn

Stalled Again

I had another go at the C25K week 4 run last Wednesday and almost managed the entire run. Again I found the last walking interval wasn't quite long enough and again I walked until I felt able to get back up to a jog. In the end my final run went for four minutes instead of five. Next time I get out I'm going to go for it. Though I can't say for sure when next time might be. Life is conspiring to reduce my, already incredibly small, quota of free time. I am being forced to come up with a contingency plan to stop losing any fitness gains I might have made so far. To that end I continue to work my way through my exercise dvd collection (reviews to come) and am on the hunt for a c25k-esque cycling program. As for my 'eat when hungry' diet plan, I am trying to navigate a difficult period without comfort eating. It has been a real challenge but I'm managing to circumvent the urges for junk food about half the time.-Lynn

Pushing Myself

Last week I was finding the C25K week 3 three minute runs a bit of a challenge and almost talked myself into repeating week 3 of the program. At the last minute I decided that before committing to repeating the week I should test myself to make sure the limits were physical and not mental. After all, I don't remember the runs being quite so hard last time (but then I was ten kilo lighter last time I did this). So I had a go at a week 4 run. I wish I could say I finished it but the final five minute run was just a bit too much. Or more acurately the 90 second gap between the final two runs simply wasn't enough. When the cue came to start the final run I was nowhere near ready. I was still very out of breath and my calves were killing me (a situation I'm hoping increased stretching will put paid to). So I continued walking for another minute or so then did the final three to four minutes of the run. It was both a lot harder and a lot easier than I'd thought it would be. I've now decided against repeating week 3. Instead I'm going to continue working towards completing week 4. Turning this into week 3 and a half if you will.

C25K redux

I really, really, really don't like running. I tried the C25K a few weeks ago and when I couldn't move on from week one I quit. I put it down, at least in part, to MP3 problems, particularly the frequency with which the toggle would reset itself midrun despite being securely nestled between my (thank you M&S sportsbra) well-supported 42G breasts. But the truth is that was a welcome excuse, because I don't enjoy running. I don't enjoy being hot and red and sweaty. I don't enjoy being short of breath while a soundtrack tells me I should be able to talk comfortably. I don't enjoy shin splints and calf tightness and trickles of sweaty running down the small of my back, and I don't enjoy not being able to see any gains. But I'm where I am because, when given a choice between doing what I like and what's easy, or what's challenging, I plump for the first option almost every time. My home is filled with unsorted stuff because tackling it is too overwhelming; I didn't file a tax return for seven years because just starting seemed too hard; and I'm fat and unfit because sitting down and eating is easier than getting up and moving. And there are some things I don't hate about running - I'm spending time outside paying attention to the world around me, for a start. I've discovered the advantages of having an MP3 player, particularly when exercising: I can't hear my breathing, which makes me less self-conscious about it, which allows me to keep going instead of stopping because someone might give a damn about a fat, middle-aged woman (though I'm still thirty inside) puffing as she jogs at a walking pace. And that's reminded me that most people are paying way more attention to themselves than to me, something I knew but which had slipped my mind. And I quite like making progress toward my 10,000 minimum steps target - today I hit 4,945 by the time I got home. Most of all, I like that running burns more calories than walking, and brings me to my weight and fitness goals faster, including the goal of being smaller than I've been in over twenty years by the time I next see my sisters, later this year. I'm writing this still in my running outfit, fresh from run two of week one. I've learned a couple of things I must remember for my next run. The first is that waiting until 11AM to start is a bad idea, because even in autumn the Melbourne sun is warm and glaring. The second is that there's no such thing as being too short of time to pre-stretch. I start the podcast as I leave home, because between the "My name is Robert" intro and the five minute warm up I'm at the park and past the hill in time for the first run. The first two runs went fine, but between a natural inclination for calf tightness, all the walking I've been doing lately, and my decision that a stretch class two days ago was enough, by the time I got to the walk between jogs two and three my calves were too tight to keep going. I spent the next twenty minutes in the shade of a tree doing a variety of psoas, piriformus, hamstring and calf stretches, and started the audio over again. Even that wasn't enough - between every other jog I had to do a couple of stretches, and spent about half of each walking section ambulating backward, which uses different muscles and doesn't increase calf pain. I suppose the up side is that I really did ten running sections, and I'm better equipped for my walk to work tomorrow, particularly if I do more stretching tonight. I've also got a new MP3 player coming from Catch, in the same delivery as my juicer, and I hope to have a couple of weeks of my own music ready to download for the runs ahead. However little I enjoy running, I hope to have some sense of accomplishment if I persist with the program. And the creator of the C25K did it so more people would be converted to the endeavour instead of being put off by going too hard too quickly - who knows, I may even end up a convert. At the very least I hope to be able to be able to run for half an hour without needing resuscitation at the end point. And even if I never enjoy it, running may be an exercise my body likes; though not part of her review, Lynn tells me that Harper's Your Perfect Body includes the sage advice that the exercise we enjoy isn't always what works best for our bodies. My next run will be on Saturday; by the time Lynn's ready to return to the C25K (post school holidays) I may even have caught up to her and be able to join her in tackling week four. - Alex

Aussie Fit Power Walk

Pertinent words from the back of the box-

This invaluable video guide will get you started and show you how to build up a programme of walk-fitness... Plus a simple homebound walk aerobic routine for those rainy days! Aimed at beginners and intermediates this workout also includes a great abdominals exercise routine, to look after your midriff and keep you toned... We take you through all the stretches you will need to complement your walking.

This exercise video was a favourite of mine back when I was housebound with multiple infants. Unfortunately I never found it on dvd and resorted to converting the homebound routine, abs exercise and stretch section to dvd myself. Since my memory of the rest of the tape is vague I will restrict my review to those sections I still have access to. This routine runs for approximately half an hour so is a great one to fit in when time is short. The walking based routine is easy to follow (essential with my lack of coordination) and can be done on the spot if space is tight. The abdominal section is made up entirely of crunches but only goes for 3 minutes. The stretching is focused on those muscled used when walking. I loved the fact that, apart from the pair presenting, the demonstrating group were all amateurs of varied age, sex, weight and probably fitness. On the downside the male presenter's banter got old very quickly. Though I'd forgotten some of the (very simple) choreography, I picked it up in no time and completed the entire program with ease. This dvd falls well within my current capabilities. So much so, that I didn't really get a work out at all and probably won't be doing it again any time soon. On the plus side I have found a stretching routine that will nicely suffice post C25K runs.-Lynn

Feeling the Burn

This morning I did C25K week 3, day 1 and I strongly suspect that week 3 is one I'll be repeating. By the end of the first 3 minute run (or in my case slowish jog) my calves were on fire and they still are. Obviously my self devised stretching regime isn't enough. I do have a couple of stretching dvds but the programs run for half an hour each, which is just a bit more time than I usually have for a post run stretch. So I'm on the hunt for a short but thorough on the legs, stretching regime. I must have something amongst the twenty odd exercise dvds laying about the place. And that reminds me, I've decided to work my way through that dvd collection. I've divided them into three categories: capable of now, challenging and aspirational. My aim is that by the beginning of July I'll be fit enough to eliminate the aspirational category altogether.-Lynn

Six month review - day 181

It's 26 weeks today since I started a sustained effort at reducing my weight, improving my health and increasing my fitness. I've had half-hearted (though they didn't feel like it at the time) attempts previously, which I now chose to see as practice attempts.
So far I've lost 14.5cm each from my bust and hips, and about 6cm from each limb, and 18.2 kilos (an average of 700 grams/week), making me the lightest I've been since an ill-fated run of NutriSystem in 1991. My BMI has dropped from a morbidly obese 43.4 to a just obese 36.9, and in the last two weeks I've bought extra-small t-shirts from (vanity sizing) My Size, and a pair of size L workout pants by Bonds. I also have to wear a belt with my work pants, and am comfortably fitting in to jeans I could pull past mid-thigh last year.
There's definitely still room for improvement - I keep falling off the exercise wagon, for a start, have the odd insane binge for another - but I'm heading in the right direction. I've got a couple of short term goals, including being fit enough to keep up with my sister and her husband for three one-day hikes in Washington about fifteen weeks from now. I also aim to lose at least about ten kilos by then; the last time I weighed that was when I was eighteen, when I put on thirty kilos in about six months. so, clearly there's still a way to go, but even though the initial weight went on virtually overnight, the mind set, self-image and residual weight have been with me a long time, and my goal is sustained, sustainable change rather than rapid oscillation.
After six months I've also decided to start weaning myself off Lite'n'Easy. As of next Thursday I'm only ordering dinners for a month, substituting menu planning and cooking for plastic bags. I hope the transition is successful, more environmentally sustainable, and cheaper than Lite'n'Easy, but will have no problem returning to deliveries if I find my diet falling in a heap. My aims are at least two serves of fruit and five of vegetables a day, 1500 calories a day, under 40 grams of fat a day, and a variety of food instead of the same things over and over.
Undaunted by the juice debacle I'm also going to create my own three day (or perhaps one, I'll see how it goes) transition program, and am only waiting on a juicer to arrive before launching into it. I'm quite happy with the ability of my body to effectively remove toxins unaided, so the aim of the exercise isn't to detox, it's to reset my relationship with food.
I'm also restarting the C25K next week, after a disappointing start. I doubt I'll ever love running, and suspect I'll have to repeat several weeks, particularly at the beginning, but I really like the idea of being able to run with ease, and as I've got fifteen weeks in which to work through an optimally nine week program I hope to get there before my trip. The other advantage to running is that it requires minimal equipment, which is a definite plus while travelling - this will be my first trip away since beginning this process and I really don't want it to derail just because I'm going away. In some ways the ten day or so trip to the US is training for a four week trip to Europe later in the year, from which I'll return about a month shy of my one year transforming anniversary. - Alex