Cheap Winter Workouts: Sweat from Home

Like most people, winter is the death of my physique. Rich food + cold weather = a few extra pounds. I try to get to my school's gym when I can, but it normally just doesn't fit into my schedule. I honestly don't have the income to pay for a gym closer to home or for fun classes like Barre Method. In warmer weather, I can just throw on sneaks and run out the door. However, in the winter, you'd have to pay me large sums of money to do that. My remaining option? Workout at home. It required some furniture arranging, but I actually really liked working out at home. I could throw my "gym" clothes right into the hamper after my workout and was just steps from my own clean shower. Here are some of the free or low cost fitness options I found around the web to keep you sweating through winter! Most of them have enough trials so that could get you to spring alone!

Fitness DVDs: OK, so there is a little bit of a sad girl at home stigma to fitness DVDs, but I don't really care. I recently splurged a whopping $7 for a Jillian Michael's DVD: 6 Week Six Pack. No judging! Spring break is coming up and that woman can make you sweat!

Pinterest! Create a board with workouts found around the web. There are a ton of interval training ideas on Pinterest. I have a good collection on my board.

Apps: Download one and in about 30 seconds you can be working out! Technology is amazing. I gave a pretty detailed list of my favorite fitness apps here.

Online Streaming: there are an incredible amount of options. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the most promising looking options:

Physique 57

• Cult following barre class
• Pay per class (around $5) or monthly
• Expensive for at-home workout but tiny fraction of actual cost of the real classes

Crunch

• Large variety of class options, like the physical Crunch gyms
• Cost: $9.99/month 
• Free 30 day trial

Daily Burn

• Over 100 workouts from expert trainers
• Cost: $10/month
• 30 day free trial

Lionsgate BeFit

• Simply a youtube channel with fitness videos
• Cost: FREE

Gaiam TV

• Lots of yoga!
• Also has inspirational videos
• Cost: $10 month
• Free 10 day trial

Daily HIIT

• High intensity workouts are incredibly popular 
• Unfortunately, they may require some equipment
• FREE

Yoga Glo

• Over 2000 yoga classes
• Cost: $18/month 
• Free 15 day trial

Pilates Anytime

• May need equipment
• Cost: $18/month
• Free 15 day trial

xo

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Monday Motivation

Ok, so I'm a little late posting this, but I'm telling myself it's ok because this post doesn't just apply to Mondays. I've been feeling bleh. The thing is, I know exactly why: I'm not taking care of myself. I eat out way too often with the BF and take advantage of free lunch (aka pizza) at the law school more than I'd care to admit. I've put on about 3 pounds this semester, but when you think about it, that would take about a month of working out and eating right to shed. The.weight.stops.here.

I've always been pretty thin, if not extraordinarily thin, due to fantastic metabolism and genetics. Amazing as they may be, they are not capable of keeping up with my current horrendous eating habits. I look at myself in the mirror and don't like what I see.... or rather don't see. I don't see my washboard stomach. I don't see the same definition in my face. However, I do see a bit of a muffin top. Excuse me?! Where did you come from!? The week before thanksgiving may not be the best time to declare a lifestyle overhaul, but enough is enough. AM workouts, here I come. Pizza..... one day a week? (It's a start!)

Working out has never been a strong suit of mine. In fact, I normally dread anything besides yoga. I think a lot of it stems back to my childhood of extreme clumsiness and physical restrictions. While my friends played soccer or softball, I was home with a book. I'm not, and may never be, one to go for distance runs or lifting weight. However, that doesn't mean I can't do ANYTHING. Seriously, anything would be better than what I'm doing. I'm seriously motivated by my BF who was in a similar position and kicked his butt into high gear last week and the ladies over at Tone It Up. Their free youtube videos are awesome!

Anyone else suffering from law school weight? How do you make time to workout and prepare healthy meals?

xo

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Fitness Apps

My law school literally has a gym across the street from it and yet I can't find the motivation to j-walk all the way there. I'm better in the spring and fall, but there is something about going to the gym in the winter that is just too difficult to do. I think a lot of it stems from the need to shower AND blow dry my hair there before carrying on with my day. I don't blow dry my hair EVER, so the thought of working out and breaking out the blowdryer is simply unfathomable. However, my crockpot and I have a great relationship that needs to be countered with some exercise!  As they say, summer bodies are made in winter! That's where my phone comes in! Here are my go-to apps to stay in shape without setting foot into the gym:

Nike Training Club
This was the first fitness app I downloaded when I got my iPhone and it is still my favorite. I love the HUGE amount of workouts ranging from 15 minutes to an hour. This app allows you to earn points for every minute you work out. When you reach certain levels of points, you can earn new workouts from famous athletes like Shawn Johnson! This app makes me sweat like I'm in a spinning class and the next day I can really feel it. Those are the signs to a great workout in my opinion. Oh did I mention it's FREE?!

MyFitnessPal
I was shocked how many calories I ate somedays but thanks to this app I have been making smarter grocery store purchases and learned a lot about my eating habits. I learned that juices were taking up a large part of my daily calorie intake. By simply replacing juices with more water, I have room in my diet for that mid-afternoon snack! I also love how I can keep track of my workouts and how many calories they burn. One trend I noticed was that on days where I worked out, I wasn't eating enough. So now I pack a post gym granola bar or fruit so I don't crash later in the day.

5K Runner
I'm not a runner. Never have been. However, with this app I have hope that I could be. 5K Runner breaks down exactly how to build up your stamina for longer runs. I love how you can play your own music through the app and the running coach tells you exactly when to walk, jog, and run so you don't have to have your eyes on your phone the whole time. I'm hoping to run a 5K in the spring in Philadelphia. Anyone want to join?

GymPact & RunKeeper
The GymPact app allows you to earn money by sticking to your work out goals! Sounds great! What's the catch? If you flop on your goals, you have to pay up! GymPact partners with RunKeeper, a great app which uses GPS technology to track your runs, walks, and bike rides. The partnership of the two apps is fantastic if you don't want to pay for a gym membership but you want to have some accountability for your workouts.

Pocket Yoga (2.99)
There is simply no comparison to doing yoga in a studio with live instructors to correct your form. However, this app is a close second and at $2.99 it is easy on the wallet. Yoga studios can be so pricey that their cost gnaws away at my zen. Plus, in the spirit of a heart-healthy month, yoga has been linked to reduce the occurrence of some arrhythmias!

Fitocracy (Free)
This is by far the most motivating app of the bunch. You can track your activities to earn points and reach new levels. I love how social this app is in comparison to some of the others. You can join groups to meet people with similar fitness goals, follow your friends, and leave words of encouragement. You can also link this app to RunKeeper. Follow me at bonjohn!

original image via ct.gov/

Side Bar: Virginia Woolf on Aging

Full disclosure: today is not my birthday. However, that doesn't really make a difference; we don't only age on our birthdays. We are constantly aging, growing, learning, and changing. Like many others I find the end of the year to be the perfect time to reflect and adjust for the future. Altering one's path in life should be like the way one alter's herself before the sun on the beach or by the pool. Make little shifts over time as the sun moves across the sky, not great leaps because then you're sure to burn or miss a spot. No matter what your resolutions include, keep yourself in the sun. By surrounding yourself with people who will love and encourage you, which ever path you chose will be blanketed in warmth.