Pole Fitness 101: The challenge

As promised, I am checking in today to discuss the beginners pole fitness class last night that I tried with my Glandovey Road soul sisters Juliet and Claire. We arived promptly for our 7.30pm class and had the pleasure of being able to watch the end of the presumably advanced (these babes were AMAZING) class. I am literally in awe of what some of these women could do with their bodies. The strength required to hold the poses they get into is incredible hulk material AND somehow they manage to do it so gracefully.



The Pole Studio

 Our beginners class began with a light aerobic warm up, which reminded me of some of my old fave Body Attack moves, some strength conditioning (sit ups/press ups) and lastly lots of stretching. From here we moved very quickly into learning how to move around the pole. This involved a series of different hand-holds and later in the session, leg-holds. Our instructor demonstrated each move beautifully before giving us a few minutes to try them.  Interestingly,  I found everything much easier standing on the right of the pole and primarily using my left arm as the weight-bearing one despite being right handed.

Me: Mid-swing on the pole

We eventually moved up to attempting the 'climbs' of the pole- imagine trying to shimmy up an impossibly slippery and skinny drain pipe and you are on the right track. Two members of the class who seemed unnaturally good for beginners  managed to get all the way to the ceiling. Conversely,  I managed to get both feet off the floor, legs in a vice grip around the pole and then clung to it for dear life before gracefully descending to the floor.

Claire: twirling in the originally named 'fireman' pose

At the end of the class we did some core conditioning or more aptly named 'bringing the pain'. This involved holding on to the pole with both arms and doing different versions of bottom half pull ups- let's just say that body weight exercises are hard when you're more well endowed. We finished the session with some nice stretching using the pole which was necessary given the strenuous effort required to partake in the class.



Juliet: Stretching & modelling lululemon with aplomb



My verdict: Pole fitness was fun and I would definitely give it a go again. At $20 per class (unless you get a concession or membership) it is probably a bit pricey for me to do on the regular given my Les Mills membership & the range of classes I get to do there. However, it would be super fun for a hen's doo or a birthday celebration with the girls. Get out there and give it a go!

For further information on this or the Anti Gravity Yoga class I have blogged about previously visit Altitude Poles website or facebook page and make a booking!

http://www.altitudepole.co.nz/  or https://www.facebook.com/groups/116819485007764/

Chloe x

Merci Beaucoup!

In response to Pizey's lovely THANK YOU post I want to express that the gratitude is entirely mutual sister! I have been struggling with depression 'alone' (no disrespect to the people who have been aware of my issues and offered help along the way- you know who you are) for a very long time and this blog has been the single most therapeutic exercise I've undertaken for my mental health.

Regular exercise, goal setting, routine and writing have all been fantastic for keeping me on an even keel these past few months. However, having ongoing communication with Pizey throughout this process has been truly motivating and reassuring. The journey to health and fitness is an ever-evolving journey with lots of ups and downs along the road. Getting up at 5.30am to go to the gym isn't always high on the priority list and sometimes things happen in your life that you can't control.

Pizey you have helped me celebrate the highs and recover from the lows, you are a true friend and an inspirational and beautiful woman! Thank you for everything  xxx

Pizey & I last weekend. What a treat to have you in town lady!

Chloe x

Do one thing every day that SCARES you!

My Plan for this week:

Monday- Attack 4.45pm

Tuesday- Pump 6.15am, Pole Fitness 7.30pm

Wednesday- Attack 4.45pm, Balance 6pm

Thursday- Pump 6.15am, Attack 5.45pm

Friday- Pump 5.45pm, Cx worx 6.30pm

Saturday- Attack 11am, Cx worx 12pm

Sunday- Cx worx 11.30am, Balance 12pm

Over the weekend I conquered my fears and tried RPM for the first time after being cheered on and encouraged by my two awesome flatmates. I don't know why I had been so nervous to do it! Although I must admit it was a killer work out I definitely found it achievable and we happened to try it immediately following a Pump class so I was feeling fatigued. Being on a bike felt pretty foreign to me as the most recent experience I have on 2 wheels consists of the biking pub crawls I have attended for work 'team building' aka piss drinking. I think with a bit more practice I would feel a lot more comfortable with the class so I will definitely give it a go again soon!

On the topic of trying new things and taking every opportunity...Tonight the wolf pack is making its debut in the world of pole dancing. None of us have tried it before and aside from watching a few you tube videos of experts we do not know what to expect. In my less confident moments I have imagined myself attempting to ‘shimmy’ up the pole with little success and/or failing miserably at looking remotely sexy.

Maybe it won’t be anything like that and I will have a natural affinity for pole dancing, demonstrating new found strength and holding my body weight with ease?! Who knows! One thing I do know is it will be fun and I am super glad that I have a group of fun loving and opportunistic pals to try new things with! I think in this instance the success of the class will be completely dependent on our attitudes and the decision to feel AWESOME while we are doing it even if really we look a bit silly!



If in doubt- Do what Homer Simpson would do. He is a genius...



Wish us luck and check in here for an update and photo evidence soon!

Chloe x

Awesome surprise!

As I dorkily snapped this photo to show I was the first car in the Carpark another can pulled up transporting Chloe!!! 

Cue massive hug! Cue workout buddies!

P x

Classic banter

P x

Thank you x

As we have gone public with this blog and the challenges confessed within it I just wanted to send a MASSIVE public shout out to Chloe for being the best blog/challenge buddy I could have asked for. In the past 10 weeks I have been made redundant, packed up a corporate office, moved twice & now struggling with uncertainty and throughout Chloe's commitment to herself, this blog and me has been stable and a huge comfort. 

I could have used any of those things as an excuse to quit but being accountable to someone else has got me out of bed at 5.30am, made me take the longer walking route home, start 'running' again and writing, an unexpected silver lining to this whole project!

So my beautiful bubbly friend, thank you.

P x

Short & Sweet

Here is my plan for this week-

Monday- Body Attack 5.45pm

Tuesday- Body Pump 6.15am
                Shbam 7pm

Wednesday- Body Attack 4.45pm

Thursday- Body Pump 6.15am

Friday- RPM 5.30pm

             Cx Worx 6.30pm

Saturday- Body Attack 11am

                 Cx Worx 12pm

Sunday- Body Pump 10am

As you can see I have added some Body Attack classes in- I always thought I would HATE this class but out of nowhere it is fast becoming one of my faves!

Now, don’t get me wrong- there is no way I can do the class without taking some of the lower impact options but there is something about the frenetic atmosphere and the pounding music that is so inherently exhilarating!

I better go and get myself organized to walk home for the day- walking music here we come!

Ciao,

Chloe x

Skewed perspective

I love taking photos of friends and family. Capturing the highs and lows of life through a fixed frame & these days often editing on Instagram or in Snapseed. Over time I have lost count of how many times I have shown a friend a photo of themselves and been genuinely shocked when they dislike it. I never keep, let alone publish images of friends I don't think do them justice hence the shock. How can I see health, happiness and beauty and they can only see flaws?! 

My grandparents often chastised my generation for being vain. My grandfather genuinely preferred the shots of us mid chew or sneering at each other. We thought he was crazy. Failing that a truly awful photographer but what if he was right? What if true beauty is when we aren't posing? I screen shot this photo from a video clip with my beautiful Mummy in Punakaiki yesterday and genuinely adore it. 

Can you tell how hard we were laughing? Surely sharing our mirth is more relevant than the fact that neither of us were made up or 'camera ready'. 

For me this critique of ourselves goes further. I too strongly dislike most photos that are taken of me, I have had to ask friends to remove photos of me in swimwear from FB because they reduced me to tears and rarely post any of myself. Flicking through family photo albums last night I stumbled across this photo and it made me wonder when this aversion started. 

I was 15. I was self conscious of my body. I wished it was slimmer, more toned, more like my peers. A decade later this is the body I am working hard to get back to. Why didn't I appreciate it then? When did I start censoring the images I published and perhaps more alarmingly, when did I start censoring how I saw myself? Would I have allowed my body to digress as far as I have if I had been more present in my own skin? Edited less, accepted more? 

For me, this has reminded me how important this lifestyle change is. I can't wait to post a photo to this blog in those board shorts. I know casual exercise and a haphazard diet won't get me there so Chloe I hope you're in for the long run because I have a long way to go!

For the rest of you, please take a moment to reflect on yourselves. Appreciate those toned muscles, slim frames and smooth skin. Beautiful hair, eyes, ankles, skin... I don't want any of you looking back in a decade and feeling as daft as I do for not appreciating it whilst I had it. Until you do appreciate it...

P x

[Going to go for walk up to Brickfields and face the horrible hill I studiously avoided as a kid, ???, happy to be home]

Turn up the MUSIC

If you’re anything like me you will find that exercise and music are a match made in heaven. A killer playlist or hearing one of my favourite songs can make all the difference to my motivation and performance in a workout, be it gymming, walking or swimming. I decided to get back to my academic roots and do some proper (lunch time googling) research on the topic…

My brief foray back to journal- reading quickly revealed that current research has identified multiple ways in which music can influence human performance in exercise. Due to the relatively short length of my lunch break I have chosen three to discuss in this blog: Disassociation, arousal regulation and synchronization.

1. Disassociation aka Distraction

During low and moderate intensities of exercise music helps to divert our mind from the feelings of fatigue or pain we may be processing psychologically as a result of physical exertion. Research has shown that the ‘Disassociation effect’ results in a 10% measurable reduction in perceived exertion during running on the treadmill at moderate intensities (Nethery, 2002).  Although the same effect has not been measured during high intensity exercise, it has been proven to improve the experience by altering how the mind processes fatigue symptoms (Szmedra & Bacharach, 1998).

Take Home Message: During a blisteringly hard workout music will not really influence WHAT you feel i.e. exhausted, but it will help with HOW you feel i.e. inspired

2. Arousal regulation aka psyching up or down

Music can be used as either a stimulant or a relaxant due to the effects it has on our emotional and psychological state (Bishop et al., 2007). Psychological arousal is positively correlated with the rhythmical tempo of the music (Karageorghis & Lee, 2002). As a result loud, upbeat music is used to “psych up”, whilst softer and slower melodies can be used to calm down feelings of anxiety or help us to reach a meditative state. Secondly, the lyrical component of music and the associations we make with a song can have a huge effect on us emotionally.

Take Home Message: It is better to listen to LOUD and FAST paced songs for high energy exercise and SOFT and SLOW music for lower energy exercise.

3. Synchronisation aka keeping in time.

The synchronization of music with repetitive exercise such as walking, running, swimming or cycling has been proven to positively impact performance (Bacon, Myers & Karageorghis, 2008). Basically, when you concentrate on synchronising your movements with the music it can allow you to perform with greater efficiency and endurance. The tempos of a song can help you stick to a desired stride or stroke rate which is extremely important when you need to ‘pace’ yourself.

Take Home Message: Make yourself a playlist with songs of a similar tempo to the one you aim to maintain during your walk/run/swim/cycle.

So now that we have identified some concrete evidence about the relationship between music and exercise we can begin to make our song choices more thoughtfully. What are your favourite workout songs? Which songs do you choose for running versus a weights session?

Here is my list of my current ‘Top 10 exercise songs’ in no particular order…

1. ‘Canned Heat’ by Jamiroquai
   I still love this song as much as I love the movie Centre Stage- often blasting on my iPod on my walk home from work through Hagley Park.

2. ‘Empire State of Mind’ by Jay Z feat. Alicia Keys
   This song is so catchy and also has a great constant tempo which I enjoy swimming to (In case you are wondering- I have a waterproof MP3 player and it is the GOODS)

3. ‘I Love It’ by Icona Pop
   Go and listen to this song now and think about the synchronisation benefits discussed earlier- it sure sets a mean pace!

4. ‘Hide and Seek’ by Imogen Heap
   This is without a doubt the best song I have heard in a Body Balance class at Les Mills. Perfect mix of dreamy relaxation and amazing lyrics.

5. ‘Locked Out of Heaven’ by Bruno Mars
   I became obsessed with this song after watching the Glee episode where the girls totally rock it at the prom (Johanna and Juliet will know what I am on about here!)

6. ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor
   I know, I know this is a cliché but I challenge any haters out there not to crack a smile when you’re doing weight training with this song and the image of Rocky Balboa in a grey sweat suit in your head.

7. ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ by Queen
   I wanted to marry Freddie Mercury when I was  child so it was a harsh realization when my Dad broke the news that he was a) Gay and b) Dead. Heartbroken.com

8. ‘Ecuador’ by Sash
   This song is thrashed in group fitness classes but I think that is a testament to how motivating and addictive it is!

9. ‘Lose Yourself’ by Eminem
   I love it when this song comes on in one of my Body Pump classes- it’s just gritty enough to make you really want to work hard with the weights.

10. ‘Everything’ by P-Money feat. Vince Harder
    I don’t know what it is about this song but I just love it! It makes me want to dance and that is always a good thing.
    
    

Phew that was a mammoth post! Feel free to comment with your fave workout songs so we can all share playlist inspiration.

TGIF people and Cheers to the freaking weekend!

Chloe x

References:

Bacon, C., Myers, T., & Karageorghis, C. I. (2008). Effect of movement-music synchrony and tempo on exercise oxygen consumption. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Bishop, D. T., Karageorghis, C. I., & Loizou, G. (2007). A grounded theory of young tennis players’ use of music to manipulate emotional state. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, 584–607.

Karageorghis, C. I., & Lee, J. (2001). Effects of asynchronous music and imagery on an isometric endurance task. In International Society of Sport Psychology, Proceedings of the World Congress of Sport Psychology: Vol. 4 (pp. 37–39). Skiathos, Greece.

Nethery, V. M. (2002). Competition between internal and external sources of information during exercise: Influence on RPE and the impact of the exercise load. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 42, 172–178.

Priest, D. L., & Karageorghis, C. I. (2008). A qualitative investigation into the characteristics and effects of music accompanying exercise. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Szmedra, L., & Bacharach, D. W. (1998). Effect of music on perceived exertion, plasma lactate, norepinephrine and cardiovascular hemodynamics during treadmill running. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 19, 32–37.

Step class

Last night I couldn't face a 20 minute drive to and from the gym and as it had finally stopped raining I traded my planned Step class for actual steps...

Taking the photo gave me a chance to catch my breath ;-p

These I lunged up as a tribute to the missed class!

So although my exercise wasn't as impressive as Chloe's anti gravity yoga I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air and accelerated heart rate! The view wasn't bad either...

I love that NZ has these wonderful spaces in the hearts of our cities. Get out there and enjoy them everybody!

P x

[Aerobics, Hour walk, Pump class, ???, grateful]

Testing the waters

Yesterday myself and the band of weird and wonderful friends I work out with, otherwise known as the wolf pack, tried something brand new and a little bit crazy...Anti Gravity Yoga!

AGY (as the cool kids refer to it) is yoga with the added bonus of a huge silk hammock suspended from the ceiling. Using the hammock, you learn to invert and hang suspended in the  air. It is also used as a 'belt' to support your body in front and back bends and as a platform for swinging. I was amazed at the versatility of this 'instrument' and the ease with which we all learnt to use it. 

We tried a beginner class which focused on the safe ways to get in and out of the hammock, basic poses, a taster of inversions, swinging poses and some challenging core work. At the end of the class we spent 8 delicious minutes wrapped in the cocoon of the silk in savasana. 

Although I am yet to try one of the intermediate classes I understand that at this level you undetake more traditional yoga moves such as sun salutations and try your hand at  increasingly difficult inversions.

The photo above shows us 'hanging out' in one of the inverted poses I forget the name of- if any readers have tried AGY and can remember the name post it below! I have to say that you feel pretty badass hanging upside down with no hands- look out cirque du soleil! 

For those of you lucky enough to hail from Christchurch I strongly recommend you head to Altitude Pole to try out the only official Anti gravity yoga classes in New Zealand! 

Next on the list for the wolf pack = Beginner Pole class! Watch this space for more details! 

Check out the wolfies in the skydiver pose below- how cool is that?! 

Catch you on the flip side!

Chloe x

Remember me?

I'm sorry I've been AWOL, although I have not written over the past week I have been exercising. When I've lacked motivation I've remembered this:

"A year from now you will wish you had started today." ~Karen Lamb

Whenever we start something new the novelty of it charges our enthusiasm to continue. Maintaining that enthusiasm when the novelty wanes is when it becomes difficult. 

This is where a support system or motivational board comes in handy. I keep reminding myself why we started, what we want our outcomes to be and subsequently 'start' again. I look at each meal as an opportunity to eat well, each workout as an opportunity to work a little harder and every evening try to go to bed a little earlier. Interestingly it is still getting 8 hours sleep a night that I am struggling with...oh and quitting chocolate!

Over the past week I have received two 'Save the dates' for weddings in early 2014. I know it is traditionally the bride the slims down for weddings but as these dear friends will have their wedding photos for life I want to look nice in them. Vain perhaps but also motivating and surely that is a good thing?!

Looking like these two is a tad too ambitious but again motivating...

Referring back to my support group, I am continually grateful to those of you that read and therefore support Chloe and I in this blog. If any more of you want to join me for classes up here in AKL it is definitely a case of more the merrier!

Plan this week:

Monday: Final walk around the bays before moving out tonight.

Tuesday: 6.10am Pump at City Club

Wednesday: 5.30pm BodyStep at City Club

Thursday: 6.10am Pump at City Club with Melissa

Friday: 5.30pm BodyBalance

Saturday: 4.30pm BodyVive

Sunday: TBC once I know where I'll be...

As for next week, I intend to be in Christchurch to catch up with friends & family so Chloe you're going to have a stalker! 

Finally remember that:

P x

[Walks, Pump & moving my life yet again, scales packed but fear no progress of late, looking forward to having company working out this week!]

Lock it in Eddie

Spontaneity is exciting in your relationships and liberating in your day to day life but in the exercise 'realm'  I am finding that planning is my best friend. Last week I scheduled my exercise on this blog and although there were some minor changes made, I largely stuck to the plan. Let's see if I can do the same this week...

MONDAY- Pump, Balance, Cx Worx (pm)

TUESDAY- Pump (am)

WEDNESDAY- RPM (pm) Super nervy about this one BUT I have my posse of ladies to keep me company!

THURSDAY- Pump, Cx Worx (am)

FRIDAY- Balance (am)

SATURDAY- Rest day and my beautiful nephew's 5th birthday party YAY

SUNDAY- Balance, Cx Worx

Do you have any good tips for sticking to an exercise routine or finding time for working out? If so please feel free to leave a comment!

Good luck with your exercise planning and more importantly making it a reality!

Chloe x

Through the looking glass...

I have ALWAYS had a thing for reading glasses- don’t ask me what it is or where it started. I mean everyone knows I love intellectual (read: nerdy) men but it’s not just that- I genuinely love the way they look too.

I know my vision is pretty good, I don’t struggle to read fine print on the computer screen or squint at a road sign in the distance, but I have had some problems with headaches in the afternoon and a general feeling of ‘exhausted’ eyes. A couple of my girlfriends recently got glasses- one for reading and ‘concentrated tasks’ in optometrist speak, and the other for driving - neither of them have bad enough vision to warrant full-time spectacle wearing. So I have bitten the bullet and decided to take action by going for an eye test next week.

Is it wrong that I am secretly hoping I qualify for some reading glasses?!

For me glasses = street cred. Fingers crossed I get to join the cool kids club and get a pair soon!

Yours,
Chloe x