Barefoot & On the Mat 1/26-2/1: "Why does February...."

[JustSandra]

“Why does February feel like one big Tuesday?”
― Todd Stocker

Greetings and welcome to the weekly Barefoot & On The Mat check-in thread! This is a long-running VF check-in. We're a cozy, friendly group who enjoy a wide variety of work-outs, but have a special fondness for those traditionally done without shoes. If you enjoy yoga, pilates, barre, qi gong, Classical Stretch/Essentrics, Ellen Barrett, etc. (or even if you simply prefer doing traditional work-outs without shoes!) you'll feel right at home.

Please feel free to join in. We love hearing from new, returning and guest Mat Mavens. Our welcome mat is always out.

[JustSandra]

I don't quite get this quote, but I like it!

Last week I continued following this year's 30-day Essentrics Health Challenge. The first two weeks had a strong rehab focus, emphasizing connective tissue and fascia, and featuring a lot of repeated routines. Thankfully more variety will be introduced this coming week! I've paired those with episodes from Margaret Richard's Unplugged 1900 series, and plan to continue the same next week as well. Committing to this combo definitely solves "analysis paralysis!"

It has also been my first full week using my new step counter. Definitely interesting results, with daily totals ranging from 4029 to 15,307. The latter was Wednesday when I got in a 2-mile outdoor walk plus had a busy library shift.

Waving to all -- be back later with today's workout!

[Paine]

Get Healthy UTV (online) 10-Minute Bicep, Tricep, and Shoulder Workout with Chris Freytag
https://www.gethealthyutv.com/video/...orkout-017053/

Get Healthy UTV (online) 10-Minute Chest and Shoulder Workout 2 with Lindsey Bomgren
https://www.gethealthyutv.com/video/...orkout-017285/

YouTube Yoga for neck, shoulders and upper back 15min (yoginimelbourne)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vTJ...-&index=2&t=4s

Gayle had given the link to the Get Healthy UTV website so I did a couple of strength workouts from that website. Both workouts were for heavy lifting and it was a bit joint intensive for me.

Cyana had given us the link to the neck/shoulders/upper back yoga above and it felt really nice after my upper body work.

Sandra, thank you for the start and for your review of the Rebalance & Reboot Your Body. I will pass on purchasing that DVD.
Oh wow, 15,307 steps in one day is a lot!
I hope you get over your cold soon! I have a dear friend who swears by using Cold-EEze (sugar-free version). She feels it shortens her cold and works well.

EDIT to add: It's -13 F. here. Brrrr

[cyana]

Sandra - I hadn't thought about February in those terms before, but it does fit. Maybe not quite as dark and dreary as January, so more like Tuesday instead of Monday? I got a kick over your comment yesterday about enjoying the work-out with nary a peep about fascia and connective tissue. You've reminded me I need to dig out and see if I can awaken my old pedometer from a lengthy slumber!

Paine - I'm glad you enjoyed the yoginimelbourne neck video. Yuck on -13!

I had major insomnia again last night. I was awake from "2 something" - I really try not to look at the clock, but the cat woke up, so I opened the feline breakfast buffet at 2:50 - until after 5 before I finally went back to sleep. I woke up after 8 AM (I rarely ever sleep that late!!) with sun peeking in around the blinds, so I threw on some sweatpants and a fleece top and went out for a long walk. I'm hoping that will help reset my body block. It was a beautiful morning. I have strawberry plants blooming (it's a little too early for that) and saw at least one bud on the daffodil foliage. So there's hope we'll get winter kicked to the curb one of these days! I'm planning to do some other work-outs mid-afternoon.

Here's the link to the latest YT neck video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C-wfV27bzI How to Fix Forward Head posture. The whole video is about 10 minutes long and the first several minutes are discussion of the reasons for head forward posture and the 3 exercises are in the last half. Particularly check out the YWLT exercise he demonstrates (YWLT starts just after 7 minutes). I think that would be a good one to do anytime during the day when you need to show your neck a little love and also open up your chest.

[toaster]

Sandra, LOL about the quote! I think February is like a big FU after January. In January, you have the new year and still some of that post-holiday glow; I found that the month went by pretty quickly. But February is the true dead of winter, and although it is short, it feels endless! (But perhaps Anny feels differently about it as a summer month. ) Your step totals sound way better than what I used to get!

Paine, I really liked that video that cyana posted too. Stay warm!!!

cyana, sorry about more sleep issues. Thanks for the new link! In yoga class today, the teacher did some neck & shoulder stuff from Feldenkrais; I found this but haven't tried it yet:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWkU...L&index=3&t=0s

My week:

Monday
Flow & Restore Yoga Class with Heidi
LEKFit (YT) - 15m Arm Workout
TA Method Express (YT) - UB Express
Melissa West (YT) - Ocean Yoga Nidra

Tuesday
in office: HDM - Armatics Taster
Yoga in the Garden of Serenity - Neck & Shoulders; Gate Series

Wednesday
Bellyfit Elements - Air
Yoga Tune Up Massage Therapy Kit - Shoulders (wall)

Thursday
in office: Yoga in Melbourne (YT) - Yoga for Neck, Shoulders, & Upper Body
TAUGHT yoga at studio
Yoga: Relief from Neck & Shoulder Pain - 20m practice

Friday
Pulse Yoga III, Strength & Stamina

Saturday
30MTF LIFT - Olympic Lifting
Kettlebells for the Busy Professional - Training 2 (x2)
Yoga with Tim (YT) - Full Body Yoga Workout Challenge, Day 23, Drishti (probably mislabeled; it was a really nice thoracic-focused practice)

Sunday
Vinyasa flow yoga class with Jesse
Tone It Up (YT) - Frisky Foam Roller routine

[Garrie A.]

Sandra: Thanks for starting us off! I'm with Beth on what February brings. LOL! I remember about 10 years ago, in my area had several big snowstorms back-to-back. I was out of school almost the entire month of February. Way to go on over 15,000 steps per day!

Paine: -13? Please stay warm!!

Beth: You had a nice, varied week.

Cyana: I bookmarked that yoga quickie.

Has anybody heard from Linda?

Here was last week for me.

Sunday:
Cathe's STS Meso 3, Disc 28 (Chest & Back--same exercises as before, just with weights 85% of 1 Rep Max for 7 reps)

Monday:
AM: TAUGHT Functionally Fit and Cardio classes
PM: TAUGHT Step class (the instructor supposed to be teaching had to take care of her daughter who got sick at school)

Tuesday:
No workout (rest day after that double cardio trouble)

Wednesday:
Cathe's STS Meso 3, Disc 29 (Plyo Legs--easier than the first DVD, but it was still pretty challenging nonetheless)

Thursday:
TAUGHT Zumba class

Friday:
Cathe's STS Meso 3, Disc 30 (Shoulders, Biceps & Triceps--again, same exercises as before but with weights 85% of 1 Rep Max for 7 reps)

Saturday (FRANKENWORKOUT ALERT!!)
Cathe's Cross Train Xpress: All Step (just the warm-up and cardio parts)
Step Boss Bonus Ab Stacker
Step Boss Bonus Lying Extended Stretch (both of these bonuses are on the PHA 3 DVD, which I can't wait to dive into after I complete STS)

Today I started my second-to-last week of STS with Meso 3, Disc 31 (Chest & Back). The finish line is in sight, and I can't believe how fast this program has gone! (And after dropping out of CLX/Chalean Extreme right before the final week of the Lean Phase, I'm determined to not make the same mistake again with STS. ) This is the pinnacle week of the program; for the upper body workouts you're lifting 90% of 1 Rep Max, performing 6 reps each exercise.

Waves to all!

[Paine]

CS 1130

Cyana, thanks for the link to How to Fix Forward Head posture.

I hope Linda is doing OK.

[toaster]

So it's kind an overwhelmed kind of Monday for me--just found out that the other clinical supervisor here at work is leaving, so we will be down 2 out of 7 counseling positions, and I will likely have to step in with more administrative stuff. Still processing...

[Anny]

Sandra thanks for the start! I can’t believe it is almost February. Schools go back this week after the five week summer break and we typically have heat waves around this time. My university teaching schedule begins again late February and the last assignment from my summer term teaching is due today so February also means marking!

Nice job re all the walking, too.

Paine stay warm!!

cyana and Beth, thanks for the links to the practices for neck and shoulders. I’m going to try them this week.

I’m sorry to hear about the insomnia cyana. I’ve had a restless night worrying about things in my main manager job.

Beth it doesn’t sound fun to be down two positions at work, especially when that will increase your workload.

Garrie you will love the Cathe road trip!

I walked on the weekend for workouts, had some pain in my leg so chose just to do a few extra stretches rather than a formal workout or yoga practice. Back to work today after the long weekend and hope to be back to normal re adding in a workout or a yoga practice to some walking.

[Paine]

Ah Beth, I'm sorry that you'll have a heavier work load ahead. I hope they fill those vacant positions soon.