What exercise did you do this week?

There's at thread on the forum at the Vogue Australia web site, (here), where members go and just check in with what exercise they have done for the week. I love it. I think it's human nature to want to sticky nose on how other's live their lives- what they're wearing, what they're eating, how they cook, how they work out, what they did today. Of course this is why blogs are so popular and why you clicked on the link to read this one! There's no shame, it's embedded in our DNA, and I am the first to admit I love to know what other people are doing and I'll regularly go out shopping highly inspired by a bloggers outfit, (hi, Lady Melbourne, I never considered jeggings before you bought a pair), or increase my work out hours because someone with an amazing body/transformation works out that much, (waddup, Amanda - try not to be inspired!).

So in the interest of human curiosity, both mine and yours, and a bad, stolen Google running picture, I thought it would be interesting to see what my readers did in terms of exercise this week.

What exercise I did this week

Sunday (at home)

4km run (on road, intervals - couch to 5k)
2 minutes skipping

3x12 ankle taps

3x12 crunches

Monday (at gym)
20 minutes bike intervals

50 minutes whole body weight program (resistance machines)

10 minutes stepper

Tuesday (home)

30 minutes weight bearing exercises (eg. push ups, squats etc)

Wednesday (gym)
30 minutes bike intervals
50 minutes whole body weight program (weighted machines)

5 minutes stepper

Thursday

Day off! With a migraine..

Friday (gym)

25 minutes bike intervals

Upper Body free weight/machine program
10 minutes interval skipping

Saturday (home)

Not done yet, but planning on a run this afternoon.

So pretty please do share, what exercise did you do this week?

Stay well,

Nat x

Cycling; An Ode to Le Tour

If you're reading this and you're a late night channel surfer, or lover of the ol' push bike, you would no doubt know that over the weekend, Le Tour de France started - the most famous and prestigious road bike race in the world. While not all people are interested in how Cadel Evans' is fairing over in France, most of us have at some point hopped on a bicycle and gone for a ride, (even if it was a stationary ride).

Mr. LL was just reading an article to me on the rider's on the tour's nutrition, (absolutely insane and worth a read - click here), and it got me thinking about bicycling compared to other forms of cardio exercise.

Photo courtesy of Daily Mail

Stationary bikes are far from favoured in my gym, often being used as a last resort for the masses of super-fit-20-somethings that appear between 5 and 6pm (when all the treadmills are full), but I have always loved the bike, choosing it over the treadmill and the cross trainer every time. I know in myself that it is improving my fitness as I have more stamina when I do get out and hit the foot path or Les Mills class, but let's look a some facts;

- If you're not a runner, like me, cycling is much better exercise for the heart than walking or power walking.

- No pressure is placed on the joints, especially knees when cycling unlike running or jogging. (This is especially helpful for people prone to injury or carrying a lot of weight and looking to increase fitness.)

- Although you will burn calories faster running, most people will last longer on a bike and burn more calories overall. It takes a fair bit of fitness to continuously run and more people are able to cycle for long periods of time.

- Using a bike is a practical mode of transportation when the weather permits, and using a stationary bike will deliver similar benefits uninfluenced by climate.

- You are less likely to incur injury on an exercise bike as opposed to running.

- On a stationary bike, you can increase and decrease your resistance with ease depending on your desired work out or level of fitness. As you get fitter, you can continue to challenge yourself with more than distance.

Of course there is no denying that running is a more intense work out, but if you'll make any excuse not to run, then cycling is also useful for cardio fitness.

I still plan to buy a mountain bike and go on weekend adventures one day. I have fond memories of biking around our large property when I was a kid, and in the Grampians on a school camp.

These days, I use 20 minutes on the exercise bike as a warm up at he gym before my weights session. I'd love to road bike, but the roads around these parts aren't set up brilliantly for it.

Do you like to cycle? Are the bikes popular at your gym?

In other news, I highly recommend staying up for Le Tour de France one night purely for the beautiful french countryside scenery.

Stay well,

Nat x

I Hate Running

There you go; I said it, and I refuse to believe I am the only one.

A few months ago, I could run maybe 2kms without stopping after trying to build up to a good distance through vigorous, regimented sessions almost daily. I'd run as far as I could, walk for 100 steps and then start running again. I've long admired people who can run long distances without stopping and often wished I was able to, but I'm tired of it. Running, unlike many others, does not relax me. I do not get the 'runners high' that I've heard people report, and I don't feel invigorated afterwards, (and not because I was unfit). Running did not leave me sore and I did not struggle through extreme breathlessness after the first 500 metres, it was just never fun. I love to dance, I enjoy boot camp style training, I could walk for hours and I feel great after a weights session, but running? Nope. Hate it! I truly feel my body was not made to run, it just doesn't feel natural, for me.

So there we go, I'm a woman who cares a lot about her fitness, but hates to run.

That being said, I do still sit there in awe of people who can, and enjoy, running kilometres on end several times a week.

Do you run? Do you love it?
Or do you hate it like me?

Do you hate it and keep doing it anyway to improve fitness?

Would love to hear your stories on running...

Stay well,
Nat x