With the Y being closed on Christmas Day, I found myself looking for a new workout. Sure, I could do our GFC workout at home, but I wasn’t feeling it. The weather sucked. So, I couldn’t go for a bike ride. What to do? What to do?
I started surfing the channels and came across a Free On Demand channel on Brighthouse, called Exercise TV. On my Brighthouse, it is channel 306. They have quite a variety of workouts on this channel – everything from Carmen Electra Striptease to Jillian Michaels to Cardioke (Cardio Kareoke) to Yoga and Pilates. So, I started with the Pilates. Wow! This is the first time I’ve ever tried it, and my hips are still feeling it! This was a 23 minute workout from start to finish. I then moved on to Cardioke. This was fun! It was hip hop dancing and singing to pop music – Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls, etc. This was a fun, high impact, aerobics workout. I will definitely do this one again!
Christmas night, I put on the kids nighttime yoga. My kids, especially my son, really enjoyed this. It was a nice way to get them relaxed and ready for bed. (They both fell asleep before 9pm and slept until 9am the next morning!)
While these little workouts don’t substitute for the regular three-times a week workouts, they certainly count on the “active rest” days. Though, you may have to do 2 or 3 videos to get in a full 60-90 minutes. But, even if you just do one, it’s better than none!
One of my Christmas gifts was the EA Sports Active Workout, which is put together by Dr. Bob Greene of Oprah fame. This is similar to Wii Fit, but no balance board required. I also enjoyed the different activities that this particular “game” has to offer. (There is also a new EA Sports Active MORE Workouts, which I don’t yet have.) The program includes a 3-=day challenge. The workout changes as you progress – gets longer and more intense. The program starts with a 20 minute workout. This workout included inline skating – squats to jumps; side lunges; punching bag; tennis; jogging and walking; bicep curls; bent over back rows. The “game” comes with a resistance band to enhance your workout. I must admit, I had my doubts, but I worked up a serious sweat (and it wasn’t because the heat was on!) I’m looking forward to doing this everyday.
Exercise OnDemand sounds so cool! Also, keep me posted on how the EA Sports Active is working for you. I was eyeing it and the MORE pack in Sam’s Club and was curious. I have Wii Fit (preordered it the year it came out), but was a bit disappointed. It’s fun, but I don’t feel like I get that much out of it.