Embracing New Things

Life has kept me pretty busy around here lately and my blogging has suffered, but it has been for a very exciting reason. I promise to share an explanation soon!

Before I recap my last couple days of workouts, I want to share the new delicious, Lenten approved dinner I made last night. Cajun shrimp with spinach parmesan pasta. It was a hit!

I turned to yoga after my knee injury sidelined my running, but I didn't know how much I would come to love it. I look forward to walking into yoga classes now.

Wednesday: Flow Yoga class

Thursday: Mindfulness Yoga class

Both yoga classes this week showed me that my arms need work. I found a new 21-day arm strength challenge to supplement my yoga practice and help me strengthen my upper body. 

I decided to document my starting point. Here's how I looked on day 1. I'm already on day 4.

I haven't missed a day of the 30 Day Pilates Body challenge.

Day 9 - upper body

These side push-ups were new to me, but just as hard as regular push-ups. 

Day 10 - booty

Oh em gee! My booty was lit up with clams, tilted clams, and finally clams with leg extension.  

Day 11- a yoga workout (yay)

It was a nice muscle warming flow and it felt good to move through the poses with confidence.

Yoga Camp is almost over. These last couple of weeks, I've been saving the videos for days that I didn't attend a class. The daily practice has changed my body. I can now do poses (some easier than others) that in the past I couldn't or just barely did them. Camel pose from the day 29 video is one of those poses.

What's new in your life?
(recipe, exercise, workout, anything)

Double Pilates & Taco Tuesday

When I wake up in the morning, I put on my workout clothes right away to make sure I don't lose my motivation to do my morning workouts. It works most the time ;) I have to do the work if I want to get stronger right?

Reporting in on my 30 Day Pilates Body challenge.

Day 7 - abs
It felt like a quick and dirty workout. Just when I thought I couldn't take it, it was over.

I did not do my daily yoga camp video. Part of me wanted to chill after my core workout, the other part wanted to pick up where I fell asleep last night Netflix-ing Gossip Girl . Ultimately, I ran out of time to do yoga before my meeting with a friend about writing a press release for her friend's company. They hired me for my English skills, not surprisingly, a common practice here in China. Other than the occasional sponsored blog post, this is my first "job" in China.

I headed back to Vitality for another fitness class. On my way there, I ran into a friend who offered me my first scooter ride. It was super sweet of her to give me a ride and fun, but the people at Vitality are probably thinking I don't know how to tell time. Since I was early (again), I had plenty of time to check out all the magnets on the side of the beverage cooler.

The class. I took the Pilates class today. Overall, it was just what I like, challenging (including being completely in Chinese). I like walking out at the end feeling like I did something. The instructor covered everything: booty, legs, abs, arms. Her style was more drill-like than I've had here, but it helped me keep pushing when my muscles were on fire. She took a picture of the class. I did not.

We often go to our favorite Mexican place for Taco Tuesday, but since mrC was getting back from his trip I was inspired to bring Taco Tuesday home. A quick stop at the butcher and the international store on the way home from Pilates, and I had everything we needed (although my tacos are pretty simple).

Happy Tuesday friends!
Do you taco on Tuesday?

Stretch, Hike, Yoga, Cook

That was my Monday. 

30 Day Pilates Body challenge.

Day 6 - stretching

I'm not a mermaid, but I did like the mermaid stretch. I'd probably like it better if my hips weren't so tight, but it felt good nonetheless. 

I met the SWIC girls for the Monday hike up Nanshan Mountain. According to my Apple Watch, we climbed 56 floors. That seems like a lot to me. On the way down we ran into this happy guy. Or maybe he made us happy? 

It was such a pretty day for yoga camp day 27 on the balcony. Lower body work felt good today. For once there was a really nice breeze. I could've laid on the mat in Savasana all afternoon.

I finally joined the coconut oil party. I picked up this bottle a couple of weeks ago and have been adding little to my smoothies, but tonight I was feeling ambitious. Honey garlic shrimp (one of my favorite grilling recipes) in coconut oil. So good!

Coconut oil is so useful. I never knew there were so many different ways to use it. This article explains more than 100 uses for coconut oil around the house, cooking, health and beauty.

What's your favorite use for coconut oil?

Summing Up Sunday

It was a slow, quiet day around here. This morning I had a nice walk with mrC before he left on his trip...back to the Maldives (lucky guy). It is slowly warming up in southern China, so more and more people are out in the mornings.

I did yoga camp day 26. There were lots of well timed hamstring and quad stretches. My legs were a little stiff when I woke up this morning.

30 Day Pilates Body Challenge

day 5 - Upper body again (it was pick your favorite workout from the week).

Honestly I would have rather done a core workout, but we didn't have one (yet), so I gave my legs a rest. Plus I only do push-ups when someone is telling me to.

This little life saver has been put to use many times the last couple of days. Not only were my legs sore from HIIT class on Friday, but my trapezius muscles have been very tight (I think from all those shoulder presses we did). Laying on the tennis ball for a couple of minutes makes a huge difference.

That's it. I had some eats. Netflixed. 

I told you it was a slow day!

How To Avoid DOMS

Yesterday's HIIT class was (not surprisingly) a shock to my body. I did more jumps, squats, and lunges (with weight) than I have at one time in a lonnnggg time. I knew that if I didn't get proactive, I was going to be suffering from delayed onset muscle soreness something fierce. No fun.

Here are some of the ways that I have learned to beat DOMS:

Stretching
All day long. As soon as I got out of bed, I started stretching. The more I moved around, the more I stretched. During our morning walk, when my muscles were warmed up, I stopped and did some deeper stretches and held them for longer.

Staying Active

After the walk, I did some yoga. Yoga Camp day 25 focused on strength poses, but like all good yoga sessions, I came away feeling looser.

30 Day Pilates Body. Day 4. A HIIT workout. Oh, the irony. This 8 minute video was actually not that bad. Making my muscles work helped push out some of the soreness by getting my blood pumping. 

Foam rolling 

Owwwww. This was by far the most painful method of the day, but an easy way to release the tension in those sore muscles.

Protein 

Consuming extra protein is said to help our bodies recover faster. Breakfast: eggs and yogurt. Lunch: Quinoa and tuna leftovers. Hemp hearts on my salad. Berry spinach protein smoothie. 

How do keep DOMS away??