quick workout

[Guest guest]

This morning I did "Pilates Abs" with Ana Caban from Gaiam Abs Conditioning. I just got this from Share the Wealth on VF and got it especially because I was looking for more foot friendly stuff. It has Pilates Abs, a yoga abs workout with Rodney Yee and a balance ball abs workout with Suzanne Deason. Each are 20-30 minutes plus there are interviews with all 3 instructors (which I haven't looked at yet). I had previewed all of them at least a little and found the balance ball would require too much pressure on the toes and the yoga one looked too beginnerish for today (I'm feeling emotional/stressed and needing something really physical: it is a combo of PMS and DH's job ending in 9 days with 1 interview in sight but it is with a contract agency that doesn't have an actual opening for him yet, just want to bring him in and meet him kind of thing).

Anyway, I went with this one, even though in the liner notes on the DVD (which included a Q & A with each instructor and a listing of each exercise in each workout, very nice) said it was for people familiar with pilates and who can practice at an intermediate/advanced level. I quickly found out what intermediate/advanced level pilates is and it ain't me! This was TOUGH! Ana leads with a modifer next to her in a beautiful outdoor setting by the beach. I followed Ana at times in the beginning, then started to tire and followed the modifier, then tired more and made up my own modifications (including my "rest your head on the mat, bring your feet down also, now breathe a few breaths and then join in again" modification)! It was REALLY good though and gave me something to shoot for in terms of core strength! Ana gives very clear cues. It is voiceover and the voice and actions matched very well too.

After that I did 25 push-ups on knees. I tried doing plank on my toes with Ana (she does it once for only a few seconds at the end, the rest is all on the mat). It hurt so I know I'm sticking with knee push-ups for a while longer and am fine with that. 25 was surprisingly difficult to get out too. I'm enjoying challenging myself to keep adding 5 each time I workout.