Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Body Beast Leg Day

I'm definitely not up to daily workouts yet, so I was more than willing to take several days off while our hardwood floors in the living room were being refinished (again!). Now that we've moved the TV and furniture back into the room (again), I did the next Body Beast workout.


Today was "Build: Legs." It's about 40 minutes long, and you will need weights, a sturdy chair, and a yoga mat. If you have an exercise step, that would be helpful too. I used 5 lb and 10 lb weights. It's low impact (don't do high-knees with jumps, just lift your knees one at a time), but it requires quite a bit of balance. You'll need to be extra careful to keep correct form, so you don't put extra stress on your knees and ankles. Luckily, if you keep up with leg workouts, your balance will improve! Plus the extra muscle in your legs will help support arthritic joints too. (Be sure to check with your doctor before any new workouts though!) If you find that you really need to work on your balance & you don't mind spending a bit of money, I can't recommend the BOSU Ball enough! I love it. I just stand on it from time to time, eventually moving up to just standing on one leg at a time.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Body Beast - Just Starting

So you may have noticed in my links on the side bar, I'm a Beachbody coach. I started with the Piyo program, but a few months ago I ordered the Body Beast program. I haven't been an active coach, since I don't have a "before & after transformation" story.  Due to my health issues, my story is more of a daily journey. Many people have dramatic success with the Beachbody programs & lose weight. I still struggle to press play on a routine basis. I have Sjögren's syndrome, Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, & fibromyalgia. This means I'm in pain, mostly joint pain, and I'm more tired every day than most people can comprehend. I can't run anymore. I can't do any workouts with impact anymore.

So why am I posting about a workout program? My up-line coach, Erin, encouraged me to try documenting my experience on here. (By the way, that's an awesome perk of buying a Beachbody program from a coach, they really do coach you!) I want to share with you my experience attempting to workout regularly, of trying to not feel limited by my illnesses. Body Beast may seem intimidating to a lot of people, since it's weight lifting. However, the moves don't involve impact on my joints, and the slow pace works well for me when I'm tired. Since I'm just starting out, I'm using a stability ball instead of a bench, and I'm using really light weights. You can increase the weight you use as you get stronger, so feel free to start with light weights. I even use the stability ball to help me do push-ups. Today I completed the Build chest & triceps workout, using 5 lbs weights for everything.


My advice for this workout for anyone with similar limitations as me: use a thick workout mat for push-ups to support your knees and wrists. Also, be very careful getting on and off of the stability ball. Move slowly into position. And it's essential for anyone doing weight lifting, write down what weights you used!


If you want more information, or you want to join me, please let me know. I'd love to help you find a workout program that works for you too!