Fantastic Friday

I am so glad it's Friday! I am looking forward to a fun and healthy weekend. Plus I'm getting a hair cut too! I plan on not only continuing my workouts, but also increasing the intensity and length of them. I want to up my cardio and add in weight training for all areas of my body.

I have been looking into cardio exercises that are less impact, because both myself and my regular running partner are having trouble with our knees hurting. I also have a lot of trouble with shin splints. If I run on pavement too many days in a row, my shins hurt so bad I can hardly walk the next day. So, even though I love running, I need something that is not so high impact. Some days I can use my new elliptal (that I love), but in order to keep my body from plateauing, I've got to switch it up. I have found so far 3 different types of cardio that can be substituted.
1)Biking. I don't own a bike, so I can't take advantage of this one right now, but I have read that it is SO much easier on your knees (as well as hips) than running. You burn more calories running a mile than you do biking a mile. Running a mile burns about 110 calories, and biking at 15mph for a mile burns about 31 calories. However, biking a mile takes much less time than running a mile, and it is easier. Running is much more intense workout in less time, but biking stresses your joints less. If you bike for 20 miles at 15pmh, you equal the amount of calories burned in 5.6 miles of running, which is 620 calories. That's a lot of calories! I might think about investing in a bike...
2)Zumba. I don't know if any of you have taken a Zumba class (or viewed a Zumba DVD), but I took the class at my old gym, and it was AWESOME! Zumba is so much fun! It is a "dance" type of class that uses Latin-inspired music and dance moves. One hour of Zumba burns mega-calories. And the best part about it is that you don't have to be a good dancer, and you don't have to even do the moves right; all you have to do is just move! I love it! They have DVD's for those who don't go to a gym (like me), and you can buy them on their website (and probably in stores, but I haven't looked for them so I can't say for sure). If you want something fun and upbeat that doesn't feel like a workout, I would definitely go for this! Here is the official About Zumba page if you want to look for more information.
3)P90X. There is only one word that comes to mind when I think of P90X: Intense! This is apparently one of the most intense workout systems available right now. I haven't tried it yet, but I am planning to. I have looked at their website and there are 12 DVD's that contain many different workouts. I really want to try the cardio one as well as the stretch one that looks like it is centered around yoga/pilates. Also, there are different DVD's for different areas of your body such as the Ab workout one. I borrowed the cardio one yesterday and plan to try it sometime this weekend. The website for P90X claims that you will get "ripped" in 90 days. Since I don't have all the DVD's I can't try that claim for myself, but I will definitely try some of them and see how it goes. I think it is just the thing to kick my butt into gear and get this weight-loss going. And I like how it is a system you can do in your own home and is much easier on your joints than pounding the pavement outside.

That's all I've got for now. Have a great weekend and Stay Fit!!