Insanity

Well, I've decided to try to kick up my physical fitness regimen. I used to really like walking around SeminaryTown with some good friends. I like hiking and bike riding and playing on my Wii Fit Plus. BUT, now that I'm in North Dakota, it's a little LESS fun walking around (though I still walk most places I go when I'm in the town where my church is). I don't have a functioning bicycle anymore (much to my chagrin), and Wii Fit Plus, while fun, is not that great a workout when you're trying to lose weight and tone up. Oh, and pretty much everything around here is flat, so there aren't a whole lot of hiking opportunities (this probably makes me the most sad because I LOVE hiking).

So, I was up late one night (big surprise) and was watching some t.v. infomercials. The one that came on was about a fitness DVD set called "Insanity." The people on t.v. said that the program comes with the DVDS, nutrition guide, and calendar that tells you which workout to do on which day. The infomercial showed all these people with fantastic results and lots of pounds lost and amazing six pack abs. I was a little skeptical, but it got me thinking.

 A little while later, I saw another infomercial for Insanity. The guy who leads the work out is named Shaun T. My husband has Shaun T's "Hip Hop Abs" DVD workout. I tried doing that once, but since it is dance based, and because I am the most clumsy person you will EVER meet, I didn't like it. But, seeing the infomercial again just got me thinking EVEN MORE about it. So, I Facebooked Older Brother the Younger because he recently became a licensed fitness instructor. I asked him what he thought about these DVD workouts. He told me that they work really great if people don't get too discouraged or frustrated or injured. You have to STICK WITH THE WORKOUT, and because they're so intense, a lot of people drop it after a week or so.

THEN, I was on Facebook and two of my friends were talking about working out. I butted in on their conversation and asked if they were doing Insanity. They said they were, so I asked how it was working for them. They both said that it was going really well, even though they can't do it every day like you're supposed to, due to work or school related things. That finally clinched it for me; that there were actual people I ACTUALLY knew who had good things to say about the program. I decided to order the program, but off of Amazon, because I'm cheap.

I bought the DVD workout. It didn't come with the calendar or the nutrition guide, but I was able to download the calendar for free off the Internet, and I already have a pretty good grasp on nutrition. I was doing really well, but then I injured my leg a little and had to take a break for a couple weeks. Then, I got back into it, but was not doing it every day. But, that wasn't working for me because I need to make things a consistent habit. I just got done working out about an hour ago, after not having done it for three days, and WOW could I tell. So, I'm going to restart.

But, I HAVE noticed some physical changes. I feel really good (even though WHILE doing the workout I feel like I'm going to DIE). I'm not losing weight, per se, but the way that I look is changing. My cardiovascular health, I think, is improving, and I have more energy. I'm excited. I'm also looking forward to EVENTUALLY getting to month 2 (you do the same several workouts through month one, then in month 2, it ratchets up a bit. From what I've read, a lot of people see more drastic change in month 2). But, for now, it's basically back to Day 1. Here's hoping I can do this whole thing!

Anyway, if you're bored with your workouts and you want to sweat, sweat, SWEAT, I would recommend Insanity. I like cardio workouts, but self-directed ones are too boring for me. This is definitely NOT boring. It's a challenge, every SINGLE TIME. But, I like it! Also, those who have followed my blog might be happy to know that I waited until AFTER I got the results of the Echocardiogram to buy Insanity. I wasn't going to risk it. Oh yeah, and I recently decided to start seeing an endocrinologist again (it had been about...10 years since I last saw one and every general practitioner I've seen since has suggested I go back to see one.  I decided to finally follow their advice). During our time together, I mentioned the echo and the results and she said that could be because I am under-medicated with my thyroid meds. So, she bumped me up a little, and that is also helping me feel better. Good to know! That's what is on my mind right now, anyway. This was a really long post. A lot of times, I don't like reading long posts, so if you've stuck with this one til now, good for you! Have a great day.