I love to travel to areas of the world which have really nice weather but I have only ever lived in extreme, at least to me, climates. Growing up in the southeast, I lived in oppressively hot, humid summers and pretty cold winters. I have lived in the northeast where I had ridiculous winters where it snowed often. I have lived in New Zealand where my allergies were off the charts and it rained a lot. (Look, it’s so green because it rains and I am highly allergic to grass!). I have never had the pleasure of living in a climate like southern California where it is pretty mild all year long.
What struck me on a on a recent trip to LA was how active that city expects you to be. There I was, in a park, pictured on this hydraulic back machine which simultaneously worked my abs. I cannot say it did much for me as I am more of a body weight girl. But I thought, this city is so conditioned to movement and activity that they provide exercise equipment in city parks! I would never see this type of outdoor fitness machine in Tennessee. In fact, would you believe that there aren’t even many sidewalks here? That drives me crazy as we like to walk everywhere!
But it isn’t realistic for Levi and me to pack our bags and move our family to San Diego. And my love for NYC and the northeast would never let me move out west permanently. So what do those of us do who live in these sometimes dreadful climates? Seriously. Who looks outside to the dreary weather in the middle of January and feels like getting bundled up (and worse, getting your kids bundled up) to travel to the health club or walk through your hilly (or flat) neighborhood? But for your longevity, waistline and mental health, you must bundle up or find something that works with your time, desires, and budget.
For those of us in cities that don’t support active lifestyles (like Nashville) we have to be more proactive. If you’re not into health clubs or unmotivated to walk in your neighborhood, then fine. Find something you like. And DO IT! Let’s say you are more of a home exerciser. Then make a library for rotating DVD workouts (remember, you have to shake up your program for continued results) and get moving! You can join me on here with the 30 Minute Slim Down (which comes with an assortment of streaming workouts and a dietitian approved diet plan). You can join health clubs ranging from $15-100/month based on amenities or you can join a dance or martial arts class. (My husband is now taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is loving it!). You can follow a book or you can commit to a refined studio class such as BarreAmped where you get personal corrections in a group atmosphere. If you have the budget, you could even hire a personal trainer who would keep you accountable. The point is that you can spend as little or as much as you want.
But you cannot keep making excuses for not feeling inspired to get off the couch or off of Facebook to physically work your body. Once you get into that habit of movement, you will love how you feel, at least when it is over, and you will have changed your mind. And you will have helped yourself beat the Winter Blahs (or summer heat waves…). ;)
I would love to hear how you are staying in shape right now. What is your fitness plan? Do you need help? Join me on Facebook or on this blog where I personally reply to all posts. It is my passion to help people MOVE and be in the best shape they can be! Remember, Shake to Change!
Hi Suzanne,
I live in Scotland and winters up here are long and cold! I recently caught your Belly Blitz series on one of the Lifestyle channels and thought it looked just the ticket for indoor exercising, so over the winter I have been interchanging: four of your 12 minute workouts (which are fab but difficult!), regular yoga sessions, and time spent on my cycle turbo trainer. When the temperature is above freezing I also do some jogging at the weekend, and when the weather starts to warm up again I’ll be doing a fair bit of cycling – I’m even hoping to join the local road racing club this spring. I always feel great after exercising – a real buzz and keeps the winter blues at bay!
Hi Victoria! It sounds like you are doing great! You’re like me. It’s like exercise if your pastime. :-) Keep it up and thank you so much for reaching out!
this is so great – and you are so right about the sidewalks! we love to walk too. the 30 minute slim down is my workout of choice these days – love it!
Love it, Amy! :) I can measure you at the end! Let me know! xx
I know I’m looking forward to doing the BarreAmped regime on DVD! Can I look forward to using them to prep for beach season? Exciting!
Hi Robin! Probably not in time for bikini season. We’ll most likely be filming them in the spring or early summer. The program will be complete and well worth the wait! :)
I live just outside London and although I love going for runs in the evening it can be very cold here (not as bad as Scotland I admit!) so it’s easier to stay snuggled up indoors. I have been doing the workouts from your website which make such a big difference, but there’s something about this time of year and getting motivated can be difficult, even though I feel better afterwards and I can see the difference it’s making. My diet buddy sent me a list of reasons to work out, so I am going to stick that on my wall to get myself more motivated!
Hi Charlotte,
I really suggest starting with a quick mind body (yoga/fusion/barre) segment that will help you get in touch with your body. Once you become aware of your body, the other parts of the workout will seem better. IE, you could just stand and become aware of both four points of both feet all the way up to the crown of the head. Becoming mindful of your body with deep breath will help you get into your workout more. It’s like it makes you/your body feel worth the effort. :) At least that works for me. On the other hand, you could just carve out 20 minutes a day for a workout and determine you will do it. Let me know how it goes!
My story is 2 sided….I have completely lost my motivation to workout of a morning (when I normally do your DVD’s), but on a plus side, I started running in September, and now do 5k runs 5 days a week (on a tredmill so I’ve got no excuses!!) of an evening.
I’ve just set up an ‘exercise planner’ and am hoping to be able to stick to it as I love your Blast off Body Fat, Pilates Perfect Body and Blast off Belly Fat DVDs so I am hoping to get back to my morning workouts, as I do miss them.
My main problem is this; I’m struggling to control my eating. It’s always been an issue, and although I’m not over weight (now anyway), I’d still like the will power to stop eating junk, or over eating, and to be able to shed those last 10 lbs…any tips? I was really motivated and good pre-Christmas, but the usual over indulgence has set me back and I’m struggling to get the motivatin back…..HELP!!!
I think we’d all like to do better, Keeley. I know that I ebb and flow with my decisions. Sometimes I do so well. Then I fail. But the other night, I made a choice. I actually really wanted a dark beer with dinner. We were out at an organic burger place. So instead of having a burger and fries, I had a grilled wild salmon salad. It was good- but not as good as the burger. But because I wanted the beer I chose the salad. And I got to have one of my “treats”. (The beer I like has a lot of calories).
I think you should just loosely (or closely should you choose) follow a plan, write everything down, make swaps so that you won’t feel deprived, and most importantly be proactive about your choices rather than feeling controlled by lack of willpower. (We all have it; we have to exercise it! More on that soon). :)
Hi Suzanne,
I always exercise in the morning (at 6 am!!!) 5 days a week. This kick-starts my day and gives me a lot of energy. It is very difficult to get out of the bed when it’s dark outside and freezing cold, but I usually motivate myself by thinking about how good I will look in smaller size jeans or with a flat belly in a bikini :-)
I alternate the Blast off Body Fat, Pilates Perfect Body, the 10 Minutes “Pilates with a band” and Belly Blitz DVDs, they are so much fun and your friendly teaching style is very motivating. On Sunday evenings, I plan my next week’s schedule, e.g. Pilates on Monday, then cardio with weights (Blast off Body Fat) on Tuesday etc. to make it more interesting (you are right, it’s crucial to enjoy the chosen exercise, otherwise it’s so easy to give up…) I also try to keep a healthy diet and choose good quality food over junk (if I eat a small piece of good quality chocolate, I won’t have any cravings for cheap chocolate bars). I have dropped two dress sizes with this method, so it really works :-)
Nora, You Are an Inspiration!!!!! Wow! I wish I were doing that well. I love your post. I will use it to inspire myself. I, too, get up in the mornings to work out early. I try to get out before my kids get up. But my goal is to do the 5 or 5:30AM times. If you can do it, then so can I! What time to you go to bed to have that kind of routine? And let’s all take note of this- Planning ahead is KEY!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Suzanne! After being stuck in a rut for a long time, I am now exercising 5 days a week (I can’t do 7 days because Tuesdays and Thursdays I work 14 hour days). I try to spend about an hour in my exercise room at home, and I usually dedicate the first 20-30 minutes to cardio (treadmill, elliptical or spinning bike) then for the rest of the hour I use a DVD. I have been using 10-Minute Solutions Pilates DVDs for years, and recently wanted something a little different/more challenging so I bought the 4-pack Lotte Berk Method DVDs and am LOVING them too! I also just got your Gorgeous Core, and The Booty Barre by Tracey Mallett and Xtend Barre by Andrea Rogers, but haven’t tried them yet because I’m loving the Lotte Berk so much. My goal: A little less fat, a little more tone. My upper body and abs are in pretty good shape, but from my waist down I really need to shape up. I am a size 6 jeans and I would just love to trim off the fat and tone up and fit comfortably into a size 4. My question for you is, what is a good pattern for exercising? Should I vary my routine more? I have heard some people say, you should not target the same muscle groups two days in a row, and other instructors say Pilates is good to to everyday. And if I use the same DVDs over and over again each week, is that bad? Any advice is much appreciated :-)
Hi Shannon! So here are my thoughts:
1. You have to shake up your workouts for sure. That doesn’t mean that you have to do a totally different workout every day. And with the LBM (I am the Suzanne in those by the way- a lot younger and a lot more high strung!), you want to focus on form. Make sure you are aligned and never resting! But you do want to shake up the intensity. If you can stream, you could try my 30 Minute Slim Down because it is designed to do just what I am referring to. That said, you have a lot to use right now, so wait on that!
2. You need to do some interval cardio training. When you are doing whatever cardio you should choose, don’t focus on steady state all the time. Speed up and slow down at different rates, intensities and speeds all the time.
3. You shouldn’t really work a muscle if it is sore. And unless the Pilates workout is truly a fusion or weight bearing workout, you’re going to get strong but not necessarily get the most tremendous results. Barre Workouts- be it LBM, BarreAmped or others will give you the best results I have ever seen!
Keep me posted!!!!! and #shaketochange
Thank you for the advice Suzanne! I will definitely focus on my form and vary my intensity more during cardio! I am loving the LBM videos, but they have been making me sore (especially my hamstrings!) so I will switch it up with different routines a little more. I started doing your Gorgeous Core DVD and am loving the “Classic Abwork” section, I’m doing it about twice a week but haven’t mastered it yet. I can’t wait for your BarreAmped DVDs to come out, I will be watching for them! Thanks again :-)
Hi Suzanne,
I just started doing one of your DVDs yesterday:the gorgeous core one. I started off with Long, lean and strong…couldn’t quite keep up and got discouraged. I was just thinking to myself that maybe I should write to you and stumbled upon your blog! :D Anyway, do you have any suggestions for the order in which I do those videos so that I start off with a warm up type vid and end up doing a cool down type vid? Or you could just open a barreamped studio in boston(that’s where I live). I would so come every day! :)
Hey Jess! I would love to come to Boston and we are always looking for a great location for BarreAmped. If I could train you, I would totally help you not get discouraged. Let’s see. The idea of that DVD is that it is advanced. But I offer modifications.
I think you should start with the Sleek Physique Core Work and then hit my latest post on the C Curve post (neck issues in Ab work) so that you can see how to start that segment (Lean long strong). If you do it incorrectly, it’ll be a pain! Sleek Physique will warm you up, too. You could end with some light stretching (I don’t do a specific cool down with that DVD because I wanted 60 minutes of intense exercise BUT I will try my best to film a cool down for workouts really soon for the youtube channel. I will let you know when I do. Please let me know how you are doing! I am filming a whole BarreAmped DVD series which comes with a barre this year. :) xx
Dear Suzanne,
Can you please post a sample/typical day for you of workouts and meals. Due to a low back and pelvic fusion 2 1/2 years ago I am fully committed to pilates , pilates bootcamp with weights and (cardio) under the instruction of a certified pilates instructor. I can no longer weight train (heavy weights) and want to transform my body thru pilates. I dont have much weight to lose (8-10 lbs max) and struggle with finding the correct diet to pursue my goals. Typically I followed a bodybuilder type diet with a free day in the past but I am not getting the results I am looking for and need some advice for obtaining the pilates physique! Please help!!
Hi Amy- I will try to make a post about my typical day. To be very quick, I eat mostly plant based, not a tremendous amount of grains and very limited animal proteins. I do have lots of fish and eggs. When I go to someone’s house and they make lasagna, I eat it. I have a feeling of freedom and will never be so strict that I cannot live my life with the others around me. I do limit caloric drinks (I drink lots of teas that are barely sweetened with stevia and raw honey). I limit alcohol because it’s so caloric and can affect metabolism. I would definitely fill up on plants and limit grains and animal fats and see what happens. Whenever I gain a little weight, it’s always when I have gone off this and started imbibing in sweets, breads and cheeses too much. But I never fear because I know this semi raw, plant based diet will quickly bring me back into my goal! :) I would certainly consider taking a credible barre class. You might have a few limitations in your workout but if you can find one that keeps the spine neutral and has instructors who will watch your form, you would be amazed at the results. Sounds like you are on the right track.
Dear Suzanne,
Thank you so much for responding and for the tips to follow. I will be looking into all of your suggestions especially the semi plant based diet and the barre class, maybe that is the change that I need. I look forward to your post on your” typical day” and thank you for such a great informative website!
Hi Suzanne,
I love your 10 minute abs programs. Im 37 with a background in weighlifting, university track, kickboxing, BJJ, half marathons. But always I neglect the core. A series of injuries the past few years have kept me in physio/rehab and out of sports. But your workouts are helping out with getting back on track. This DVD has 6 core workouts to choose from all with different emphaseis so it’s rounded. And having you to workout with actually gets me motivated to do ab work! Plus that giggle when it gets really hard makes me just think “darn, isn’t she cute!” and I forget about how much it hurts — kinda!
Thanks!
Jeremy in
Brampton, Ontario
Hey Jeremy! My husband does BJJ. It’s probably the coolest thing any guy could do to me! :) (He’s pretty obsessed with it; are you able to still do it? I cannot imagine how you would do that with an injury though). :) Great to hear from you. Really happy you are getting back on track. xx S
Hello…I am so excited to find your website. I recently (about 1 week ago) started your 10 minute solutions dvd pack (with the bands) …I have never done pilates before this and I LOVE it….I purchased your 10 minute perfect body set as well yesterday….my question is: Are these (along with walking on my treadmill 1-2 miles per day) going to be enough to see results? I am very happy with my weight (111 lbs) but I am not toned at all. Do I need to be doing anything different? Thank you so much. (I also bought my mom the dvds)
Hi Julie! Great to hear from you! Yes, you will definitely tone up with those two DVDs! Eventually you will want to shake things up with something new but you have a lot of material there. Let me know how it goes. Always pay attention to form for your best results! :) xx S
Hi Suzanne,
I’ve been an athlete since junior high school, but recently two car accidents have made my physical fitness lifestyle come to a screeching halt. I was told by two physicians that I would most likely need surgery on my lower back to eliminate the impingement on my spinal nerves by two protruding discs. So I decided that I wasn’t going to let that stop me…I’ve been running, biking, and doing your 10-minute total body Pilates workout since January, and I’m feeling GREAT!!! I’m running a 6.4K on St. Patrick’s Day, and I’ve even managed to fit into jeans that I wore when I was 19 (I’m 32 now)! I’m a practicing Licensed Massage Therapist, so every day is a work out for me.
Hi Belenn,
What a testimony. You certainly, as a massage therapist, get the lower back and have the intuition and understanding to know your limits. And yes, you do get a workout with each client. I am happy to hear you are doing so well. Let me know how your race goes! xx S