Let me first say that in real life, I am an exercise nut who tries to fit in as much variety as I can and the thought of dedicating myself to just yoga or something like Essentrics has always been appealing, just not doable in my mind.
Well, I went away for about a month to visit my grandmother and I took a variety of "travel friendly" DVDs with me - everything from puke in the bucket cardio and body weight workouts to yoga and Pilates.
For whatever reason, I wasn't feeling the hardcore workouts. I really wanted to dedicate myself to yoga, but I didn't have a mat with me so the first few yoga practices were not enjoyable sliding around on the carpet or blankets I tried to use etc...
Luckily I threw in my Eccentrics Full Body Toning workout. I did this single DVD about 5-6 times per week for about a month. Maybe it was overkill, but it was what I had to work with. Pretty funny since I have hundreds of DVDs at home and struggle each day to pick out my workout.
I didn't have a set schedule, so if I couldn't do the entire hour, it was nice to fit in the 30 min segments during the day or evening when I had free time. And the beauty was no equipment or mat needed!
I am amazed at the results. I lost quite a bit of weight (7 lbs or so of those stubborn vanity pounds), I think the lower intensity did wonders keeping my appetite in check. My arm definition is insane. My hips, thighs and quads slimmed down like nothing else.
I'm pear shaped and those were my problem areas. By the end of the month even my tight yoga pants were loose!
With the consistency, I was able to build up my endurance and really focus on form and getting deeper into the movements (especially the arms, windmills, and airplanes). Since I've been home for a week, I was craving yoga and haven't done any Eccentrics. I thought I was going to have to work my way back into yoga after being away for so long to regain some flexibility. Not the case at all! My yoga is on a whole other level! I am amazed at how much length and flexibility I actually gained by doing Essentrics!
I am pleasantly surprised and it just confirms to me that less is more, especially as I age. My joints feel good, I feel limber and light. I will always love my sweaty cardio and weight lifting workouts, but I just feel better and more at peace with my mind and body with these types of workouts. I would encourage anyone to try Essentrics for a period of time and just take the plunge. I am going to have to reconsider how I balance my weeks and really dedicate more time to gentle workouts.