Fitness Archives - MomStart

Recharge Your Fitness Routine With The FitBit Charge!

April 21, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Sample provided.

As I resume jogging after years of being unable to due to my knees, I’ve been experimenting with the best way to track my progress. Although I’ve tried various phone apps that are helpful for logging runs, it wasn’t giving me all that I wanted. I had been researching different fitness trackers and thinking about which one to get when I received a Fitbit Charge to test out. It was quite serendipitous as it ended up being exactly what I was looking for!

The Fitbit Charge works with iPhone or Android and charges easily via USB. You wear it on your wrist as you go about your day to track data, and can get detailed reports on your progress using the app. When you create an account, it uses your personal information and goals to set daily targets for you. It was fast and easy to set up, and I was soon on my way to becoming a Fitbit fan.

Activity Tracking

The Fitbit Charge tracks several different metrics, such as daily steps taken, total miles walked, total calories burned, flights of stairs climbed, and number of active minutes. You can view your totals any time by hitting the button on your tracker or by pulling up the app. The Fitbit vibrates to let you know when you hit your step goal for the day!

I love using my Fitbit rather than a standalone running app because it’s essentially tracking my progress 24/7, rather than just my keeping track of my jogs. It’s important to know where I’m at for the day, especially since my job is so sedentary. I noticed that once I got my Fitbit, I began purposely going out of my way to take stairs or extra steps, since I was “Getting credit” for them. I had to laugh at myself, because I always “Get credit” for being active whether it’s being logged or not – it made me realize how defeatist I tend to be in thinking, “A few extra steps aren’t going to mean anything!” It’s nice to be reminded that all my tiny efforts do pay off! It’s also really interesting to see what day-to-day activities add up to – for example, cleaning my house while watching Scandal got me 4,000 steps over my daily goal without even trying. It also helps me strategize for long work days where I’m sitting in front of my computer for 12+ hours, and see what I have to make up for. Plus, it’s kind of fun, like a game – when I get to the end of the day and see how close I am to my goal, I know it’s time to get moving so I can hit my target!

As far as fitness tracking goes, the only real drawback is that it doesn’t differentiate activity: When I run, it counts towards my daily steps and active minutes, but it doesn’t track jogging stats specifically. It also is not totally water resistant, so you can’t wear it while swimming – but it is rain and sweat resistant, so you don’t have to worry about it getting ruined if it touches a little water. As far as I’m concerned, all I care about is total fitness and calories burned, so while specific stats on my jogs would be neat, it’s not a big deal; I also don’t go swimming much, so for my particular needs it works great.

Sleep Tracking

Truth be told, although tracking my fitness was a big priority, I was most excited about the sleep tracking capabilities. One of my prerequisites for getting a fitness tracker this year was the ability to log sleep, since I have a lot of trouble sleeping and wanted to get a better picture overall of where I’m at. Fortunately for me, the sleep tracker on the Fitbit Charge is amazing!

You don’t have to do anything special to track your sleep on the Fitbit Charge, other than wear your band to bed. It automatically logs your total hours slept, and with astonishing accuracy: I can’t believe how spot on it is! The only other sleep tracker I’ve used was an app on an Android Device, and it was clumsy to use and not particularly accurate. By contrast, the Fitbit Charge does an amazingly precise job of logging my sleep, including hours awake during the night.

I love having this tangible picture of how much sleep I’m (not) getting, especially in light of all the other activity stats – when I have a day where there is only 3 hours of sleep but a lot of physical activity, it helps illustrate why I feel so lousy! Of course, I know all of this from my own experience, but it’s nice to have impartial data I can refer to, especially since our own estimates aren’t always so accurate.

Other Features

There are a few other features of the Fitbit Charge I should point out:

Sleek appearance: As a fashionista, it’s nice to have this sleek, unobtrusive black band that goes well with most of my outfits.
Watch: The Fitbit Charge also does double duty as a watch, which is nice – I’ve gotten out of the habit of wearing a watch these days, since we all tend to look at our smartphones for the time instead, and yet I still instinctively look at my wrist when I’m wondering the time. It’s nice to have that again with my Fitbit!
Caller ID: You can also use the Fitbit to view incoming calls from your smartphone. I haven’t used this feature myself because ~~I get pinged enough as it is~~ ahem, I just haven’t gotten to it. 😉
Battery life: The Charge is designed to have a battery life of 7-10 days, and I certainly went quite some time before I even thought about charging it up the first time.

In all, the Fitbit Charge has met every need and become another “Cant-be-without” daily item. If you’d like to snag one for yourself, you can pick it up over at the AT&T Shop!

An UP24 Thanksgiving Stay Fit Giveaway #ATTSeattle

November 11, 2014 by Momstart 65 Comments

This prize is provided by AT&T.

It’s the second week of November and many of us may be feeling guilty about how much of our kids’ candy we ate over Halloween or dreading that we might gain some extra weight from the big turkey dinner coming later this month. I mean honestly, I’m guilty of already putting weight on. And to make matters worse, a research study this year shows that our cholesterol levels spike during winter months. The Health Day Reporter quoted two doctors, stating:

"It’s not just some weight that you’re gaining" when you eat more and exercise less during the winter, said lead investigator Dr. Parag Joshi, a cardiology fellow at Johns Hopkins. "There are markers in your blood that are changing, and those markers contribute to heart disease."

The results make sense given the way people tend to respond to cold weather, said Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a cardiologist with the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., and a spokesperson for the American Heart Association. The snow, rain and cold of winter tend to dissuade people from getting out and exercising, he said.

Even folks with a gym membership may not feel like leaving their home to go for a workout. At the same time, people’s cravings for fatty comfort foods increase, particularly around the holidays. "People tend to not get out and exercise. They tend to eat things that are not healthy," Fletcher said. "They hibernate, so to speak."

Thankfully, there are tech-savvy solutions for fighting a season of eating more and exercising less. And I’m so glad that I have one of these devices, the UP24. I purchased one for my sisters so we can all exercise and challenge each other.

UP24 helps you understand how you sleep, eat, and move. It’s always connected wirelessly to the UP app for real-time updates of your progress to help you reach your sleep, activity, and nutrition goals. Wireless syncing for in-the-moment insights and notifications. UP Insight Engine discovers patterns in your activities. Track Sleep includes total hours, number of wake ups, and more. Track Activity includes steps, distance, calories burned, and more. Team up with friends to share, collaborate or compete.

Seeing how much activity you do (or don’t do) each day can motivate you to pay closer attention to your eating habits and fitness activities, which is a huge first step in fighting the hibernation and weight gain. For example, my UP24 has an Idle Alert that reminds me when to get up and move. You can set an Idle Alert within an UP app that works with the wristband, so the band will gently vibrate if you’ve been inactive for a period of time.

There are many fitness trackers on the market today from affordable wristbands to high-end smartwatches and they’re available at more retail locations than you might think. For example, AT&T retail stores offer activity/sleep trackers, smart watches, pulse monitors, arm bands, and much more for a healthy lifestyle. More than just phones these days, AT&T stores offer a variety of wearable technologies for consumers interested in health and fitness, such as the UP24 from Jawbone.

And, AT&T is dropped the price of the UP24 to $99 on November 7 (that’s $50 less than when I got mine in June). The UP24 is great value and way to get started with wearable fitness technology. Here’s an opportunity for you to win one for yourself!

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You Are Invited to Fall Fitness at Microsoft Stores 10:30–6 Thursday 10/27 #FallFitness

October 27, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a partnered post.

From 10:30am to 6pm the Microsoft Store many Microsoft Stores will have an on site a celebrity fitness instructor, potentially also a Zumba and Yoga instructor and a whole day dedicated to fitness and wellness. We will be at the one in Bellevue for a few hours having some fun with Microsoft. I love Zumba so I’m hoping the location I go to has a Zumba instructor.

THE OFFICIAL INVITE:

Come into the Microsoft Retail Store at the location below and start getting fit before the holidays! On Thursday, October 30^th, Microsoft Stores is hosting a fun fitness day before the biggest candy eating holiday of the year! Microsoft wants to help you get a head start on your health and fitness goals by staying active & fit through a fun Zumba class. Enjoy a fun, high energy workout and a chance to win great prizes!

Microsoft Store Locations Hosting the Event:

Bellevue, WA
Seattle, WA
Scottsdale, AZ
Santa Clara, CA
Denver*, CO *Lonetree, CO
Indianapolis, IN
Bloomington, MN
Boston, MA
Paramus, NJ
Tysons Corner, VA
Honolulu, Hawaii

So there will be door prizes and tons of fun while you are inspired to get fit this fall!

My New Weight loss Plan: HookedUp

October 18, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Samples provided

About three years ago I was really motivated to lose weight and I had this shapewear that helped me lose weight. The idea is that when you are wearing shapewear it takes more effort to move those joints and you burn more calories. I don’t know if it actually worked but I know that at that period in time between my exercise, eating, and shapewear I went down two sizes. I was down to a size four. I currently find myself going the wrong direction on the scale and clothing sizes so I’m really trying to get motivated again and hoping that shapewear will help me again.

I have received some samples from HookedUp: The Perfect Shapewear! I’m really excited to start using it. It’s hard to look fabulous when you feel self-conscious and fat, and traditional shapewear can cause even more problems by rolling down or pinching skin. HookedUp shapewear is different: it hooks directly to your favorite bra, so it can’t roll down. Hide any worrisome areas and ensure that all of your clothes, from tight knits to form-fitting dresses, are flawless.

OTHER PRODUCTS THEY CARRY:

Back Smoothing Bras

These bras aren’t just for curvy ladies. Traditional bras have metal hardware, back closures, and adjusters that can show through clothes, spoiling your look. Smoothing bras from companies like Montelle Intimates keep you looking smooth and sleek in anything.

Seamless Underwear

The only thing worse than underwear that shows through clothes is underwear that keeps riding up. Banish them both with no-show panties that disappear beneath your clothes, like Commando’s Better Than Nothing Thong. These panties hug your curves to keep lines undetectable, and a seam-free, silicone edge keeps them in place.

It’s easier than you thought to feel like yourself again. With these discreet shaping products, you’ll have your figure back in a flash.

Style: High Waist Shaping Slip

Price: $68

Where to Buy: www.hookedupshapewear.com

Join the Fitness Revolution! REFITREV.com With A Giveaway

September 18, 2014 by Heather Heyer 25 Comments

Samples provided.

What revolution? The fitness revolution! What’s that? Well let me tell you, it is going to rock your world. It ‘s like joining a rockin’ fitness class in the privacy of your home! Here is what the REFIT founders have to say about it:

The REFIT® Program is a revolutionary cardio dance program that engages the whole person – body, mind and soul – through simple steps, exhilarating rhythms and a community-driven mission. We’re more than just healthy moves. We’re a positive movement inspired by faith and powered by community! What happens in a REFIT class lasts longer and impacts more than any workout. Recharge your body and mind. Connect with your values. Unleash new possibilities for yourself, your family and the world around you.”

Joining a dance fitness for the first time can be intimidating! Believe me, I know. I walked through the doors of my first dance fitness class over 2 years ago and fell in love instantly. Now, I have a dance background and caught on easily but have heard countless times of people being nervous to try it. They are worried that they can’t keep up or that they will look silly or that the entire class will be professional dancers. Sound familiar? To that I say try the REFIT DVDs first! The choreography developed by the REFIT team is fun and easy to learn. The music is clean, so enjoy it with your kids! They will have a blast shakin’ it to music and you don’t have to worry about song lyrics or suggestive choreography. Relax and set your own pace. Try new things and release that inner dance diva! You will love it and feel more comfortable when you take your first live class. Who knows, maybe you will even become an instructor, I DID!

To the very core, the REFIT® program was built on inspiration, positive self image and the ability to encompass body, mind and spirit. The music is rockin’ and the instructors are hoppin! REFIT is taking the fitness world by storm and you get to join the revolution with your jammies on!

REFIT® DVD volume I&II are available online at refitrev.com for $22 each or as a bundle for $39.00. Each DVD is 45 minutes and full of great routines for a great work out in the comfort of your own home. Keep those jammies on ladies and shake it like never before!

The REFIT team would like you to have the opportunity to try REFIT DVDs. If you love it, and you will, get a dance party going with your friends. You are a REFIT REVOLUTIONARY!

Enter To Win:

One reader will win REFIT Volumes I & II on DVD!

To Enter:

Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below before September 23rd, 2014 at 11:00 PM PST. Giveaway is open to residents of the continental US, 18+ – click here to read our giveaway rules.

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Nutrisystem Couples Challenge: Week 2

April 21, 2014 by Beeb 9 Comments

I'm proud to be a #NSNationBlogger. Click here to start your weight loss journey!

Food, program and supporting material provided by Nutrisystem. Always consult with your doctor before starting any weight loss program. This is a personal account of our experience and not intended as medical advice.

Louise:

Current weight: 153.1 lbs
Weight Last Week: 153.1 lbs
Weekly Weight Lost: 0
Starting weight: 155 lbs

Beeb:

Current weight: 142 lbs
Weight Last Week: 140.6 lbs
Weekly Weight Gained: +2 lb
Starting weight: 141.6 lbs

Jai:

Current weight: 186.6
Weight Last Week: 187.8 lbs
Weekly Weight Lost: -1.2 lbs
Starting weight: 197 lbs

It’s the second week of our challenge! Louise was on vacation for 11 days, and did great job maintaining her progress – Nutrisystem has a “Dining Out” guide included with their program, to help you deal with those inevitable moments, like traveling, when you aren’t able to bring Nutrisystem food with you.

As for Jai and I, this was our first week on the regular Nutrisystem program after the Fast 5. As I mentioned last week, there have been some small tweaks to the program since our last successful round of Nutrisystem, namely that there are more PowerFuels and SmartCarbs allowed – these are the fresh grocery add-ins that you supplement the program with, such as fruit, nonfat milk, multigrain bread, and so on. Jai did awesome, losing another 1.2 pounds on top of his impressive Fast 5 weight loss, but I actually gained two pounds.

I’m a little disappointed, and not quite sure why; I actually ate a lot less than the program calls for, because I haven’t been feeling well. I got a really bad cold at the beginning of the month that I’m finally getting over, and I’ve been feeling very run down and not sleeping well. Because of this, it’s been too much to try and eat all of the recommended food because I wasn’t hungry – I even skipped dessert on two nights which is really telling you something. So it’s a little unfair that I gained weight! Hopefully it’s just as a result of not being well this last week. I must say that I didn’t do good on drinking straight water this week, and was mainly drinking coffee since I was so tired. I do drink cream in my coffee – that’s my one cheat – but I don’t think that’s enough to pack on two pounds, especially since I drank coffee all through my last round of Nutrisystem and did phenomenal. I also wasn’t very active last week, again, because I felt lousy, which never helps. So, here’s to an improved week 3 for me now that I’m feeling better!

Nutrisystem Couples Challenge: Week 1

April 15, 2014 by Beeb 4 Comments

Louise:

Starting weight: 155 lbs
Current weight: 153.1 lbs
Total Lost: 1.9 lbs

Chest: 35″ -1″

Waist: 36″ -1″

Hips: 40″ -1″

Arms: 11 -.5″

Thighs: 23.5 – +.5″

Beeb:

Starting weight: 141.6 lbs
Current weight: 140.6 lbs
Total Lost: 1 lb

Chest: 36.75″ -.25″

Waist: 31″ (0 change)

Hips: 38.5″ -.1″

Arms: 10.5″ (0 change)

Thighs: 18.25″ -1.25

Jai:

Starting weight: 197 lbs
Current weight: 187.8 lbs
Total Lost: 9.2 lbs

Chest: 39.5″ -1.25″

Waist: 39.25″ -.75″

Hips: 38.5″ (0 change)

Arms: 13.75″ -.5″

Thighs: 20.25″ -1.50″

We have completed the Fast 5 on Nutrisystem! The Fast 5 is a new addition to the revamped Nutrisystem My Way plan which was introduced after Jai and I completed our last round of Nutrisystem. It comes free with every order and can be used optionally to get a jumpstart on your program. The Fast 5 is an extremely reduced version of the normal plan which you use for just 7 days: It includes breakfast, lunch and dinner in your normal Nutrisystem portions. There are no other additions save for fresh, non-starchy vegetables. Since it’s mean to be a boost to weight loss, it’s a lot different from the regular plan – when we first started, we felt very full (Probably from all that fried gator that I had eaten in Florida before I came home! ;)), but mid-way through it the hunger started to kick in. It wasn’t a problem since we know what to expect from doing Nutrisystem before – I knew that there would be much more food once we started the normal program, and also that your body adjusts to new portion sizes really fast – but I do wonder if it might be intimidating for someone just starting Nutrisystem. Fortunately, it’s just a bonus that you receive with your order, so you can just skip straight to the regular plan and enjoy and extra week of meals instead if you think the Fast 5 would be a bit much for you!

So the “Fast 5” is dubbed as such because it’s billed as your fast track to losing your first 5 pounds. Louise and I lost a healthy amount each – the 1-2 pounds that is meant to be an average, healthy weight loss per week – but we are both giving a major side-eye to Jai for losing over 9 pounds. NINE POUNDS!! HOW?? I mean, I’m happy for him, but I worked really hard and did all the same things he did and all I got was one measly pound! I think the “Lose 5 pounds in one week (Results may vary)” tagline could set some of us up for feeling unnecessarily disappointed. Considering that I’m a medically healthy weight and just looking to get fitter, losing one pound is awesome, but I wish I would have dropped more. It’s so not fair dieting against a man! 😉

My one transgression on Nutrisystem is that I do drink my coffee with cream. I follow everything else exactly, but giving up my coffee is not an option for me to survive! I did this the last time I was on Nutrisystem and I still did awesome on the program, so it’s a fair compromise I think. I did awesome drinking all the water I was supposed to, but I did eat less vegetables on the last few days of the Fast 5 because I was feeling a little burnt out. Jai did good eating his veggies and wants to increase his water intake for this week.

Now that we’re starting the regular plan this week, we’re excited to see the modifications made for the new Nutrisystem My Way program. On looking over the materials, I can see that they have even further simplified the program with regards to the extra food that you supplement with, in addition to giving you a bigger food allowance every day. Yeah!! We’re all done with the Fast 5 and so excited to do the next week My Way!

Help Dad Work Towards His Goals This Father’s Day With The Vivofit Fitness Tracker

March 27, 2014 by Beeb 20 Comments

Vivofit Fitness Tracker provided for review.

Father’s Day is just around the corner – and if you’re looking for a great gift for the outdoorsman, athlete, or any dad with fitness goals, the Vivofit Fitness Tracker is a nice choice. Fitness trackers have been getting a lot of attention lately as a good way to both keep track of your progress and inspire your workouts. Jai and I have both been working our way towards more and more of our fitness goals in the last few years, and one of the things he loves to do is go jogging. There is an Android app that he used in the past for recording his progress running, but now that he has an iPhone, he can’t use it anymore. He’s been looking for a replacement for some time now, so I was curious to see what Vivofit had to offer!

Garmin’s Vivofit Fitness Tracker is worn around the wrist like a watch, and can be used to display time, the number of steps you’ve taken today, how far you’ve walked, and how many calories you’ve burned. Paired with their Garmin Connect website, the Vivofit generates customized fitness goals for you, so you can glance down at any time to see how far away you are from the day’s goals. What’s more, the fitness band detects when you have been inactive for an hour or longer and displays a red bar, which is your reminder to get up and move; the bar grows the longer you sit. As people with desk jobs, this made both Jai and I nervous. 😉

But the Vivofit isn’t just an exercise tool, it’s an all-around health monitor. The Vivofit Bundle comes with a heart rate monitor that you strap around your chest and pair with the band; you can also report your bedtime and wake time on Garmin Connect to keep track of how much sleep you’re getting. “Sleep mode” also ensures that the red bar is turned off during that time! The sleep tracking is purely self-reported; it does not track motion to gauge sleep quality. The Garmin Connect reports show you the number of steps taken, but it does not record information specific to running, such as distance, time, or location.

The Vivofit Fitness Tracker is water-resistant, so Jai was able to wear it with confidence down to the beach for a jog; you can even wear it in the shower. That, coupled with a battery that is meant to last for a year, means that you can effectively wear it all the time for a more accurate picture of how much exercise and rest you’re getting every day.

The fashion-minded can also buy extra Vivofit Bands to jazz up the tracker and coordinate with your outfits!

Yesterday night, I did hear Jai saying, “Oh, I have to walk around the house to meet my step goal for the day!” – so I do think it encourages you to be that much more active! In all, I’d say this is a great starter fitness tracker for any person who wants a way to record their progress as they go through their daily activities.

The Vivofit Fitness Tracker retails for $129.99 by itself and $169.99 when bundled with the heart rate monitor. Get one just in time for Father’s Day by visiting Garmin.com!

Using The FitBit Force The Pros And Cons #VZWBuzz

January 20, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I purchased the Fitbit Force (on Amazon, but you can purchase it at a Verizon store, online or at an AT&T store), or rather, my husband purchased the fitbit Force for me as a Christmas present. It’s been very insightful into why I do or do not lose weight. The fitbit Force is the newest in the fitbit line of products and that along with the fitbit aria (the fitbit scale) I’m keeping up with daily weightless and gain. And I need to try to make myself weigh in only once a week because my weight fluctuates a lot and when I have a higher day, I get a little depressed on myself. Now, let’s talk about the ins and outs of this fitbit Force.

I have found two negatives:

One, the fitbit Force is very difficult to put on your wrist until I had my husband put it on for me, I was losing it in bed every night and once, I lost it randomly in the house while I was cleaning. Ahhh, I thought I was going to have a total melt down if we didn’t find it. Luckily I found it.

Two, the fitbit Force doesn’t seem to track quick movements accurately or intense exercise very well. When I go to the gym, I feel like I get a good intense workout and it says I only did for half the time that I was actually there. Is it really accurate? And when I use the elliptical it doesn’t count all of my steps. I even tested it by going up and down the stairs at our house, I went up and down 10 times up and down all the way and it only counted four. Now either we don’t have a standard amount of steps or it’s just no accurate.

The Positives:

It makes me want to take more steps, and it connects with my fitness pal which more people I know actually use. So I can include my food, (the intake) and then see the outtake (the calories I burn) and know if I’m making any progress. Right now, I’m sort of stagnant at 150 pounds, one day I’m under another day I’m over, but last week I was on the couch almost every day without any exercise and I had some alcohol which my sister and I lovingly refer to as liquid fat. But starting today, I’m giving it up for the month. I really want to lose some weight and know that I can lose it if I give up all alcohol, drinks, wine and just stop.

It sends me an e-mail when it needs to be charged. I love that it tells me that I need to charge it. Cause that’s something I would forget to check.

I had my husband buy one for himself and he says it’s awful at tracking how much you sleep verses how much you wake up and just lay there awake. I know that if you’re breathing slows down enough it thinks you are sleeping when you are not. But he and I do love to compare notes on how we are doing through out the day. I’m jealous that men burn more calories with less work than women do.

A few other things:

Monitors how long and how well you sleep
Wakes you (not your partner) with a silent wake alarm
LED lights show how your day is stacking up against your goal
Set goals, view progress, and earn badges
Share and compete with friends throughout the day
Syncs automatically with select mobile devices and to your computer
Free iPhone and Android App
Instantly launch your Fitbit app by tapping your device with your NFC-enabled Android phone
Easy-to-wear, slim, comfortable wristband
Available in two stylish colors – black and slate
Accessory bands allow you to personalize your Flex
Wear all day and night – even in the shower
Rechargeable battery

Out of those things, I use the silent alarm to wake up we very day. But my husband does hear it. I look at my count all throughout the day. I love how it sinks over Bluetooth to my phone, wish it did the same with my computer. Those USB dongles are very easy to lose.

Flex syncs with popular fitness apps for an integrated fitness regiment. Apps include Sparkpeople, LoseIt!, MyFitnessPal, MapMyFitness, Runkeeper, and Endomondo.

What is DDP Yoga? – Yoga for Real People…Like My Husband!

November 20, 2013 by momicles Leave a Comment

What is DDP Yoga? – Yoga for Real People…Like My Husband!

DDP materials were provided for this review. Content, ideas, and opinions ALL my own.

A few months ago, I was talking to my dad. He asked me to go online and check out some program called “DDP Yoga.” I had never heard of it, but since my dad’s health is something that I actually worry about quite a bit, I looked it up. This video from “The Doctors” was actually one of the first I saw.

DDP Yoga on “The Doctors”

My dad has struggled with his weight off and on my whole life. For him to come to me with an exercise program that he was interested in, let me know that it was something to look into. A few YouTube videos later, I was sold. Since then, my dad hasn’t yet committed to doing the full DDP Yoga program, but I’m really hoping he will. My husband has though, and I am so proud of him… not to mention a little surprised! My husband is far from any typical yoga guy, which just goes to show that DDP Yoga really lives up to its original name of “Yoga for Regular Guys.”

What is DDP Yoga?

DDP Yoga is a zero impact exercise program put together by Diamond Dallas Page based primarily on dynamic resistance. (Dynamic resistance is engaging all of your muscles through each part of the workout by pressing against each move. Think of moving your arms through quicksand…) He worked to combine the principles of old-school calisthenics, rehabilitation concepts, basic yoga positions, core strength training, and slow motion Dynamic Resistance. The result is a series of workouts, each no more than 30 minutes long, that burn calories, strengthen your muscles, and increase your flexibility.

There are several different DDP Yoga packages. Most of the packages include a poster of the “Diamond Dozen”, the exercises/poses that are the foundation of the program. You can also receive more information about nutritional choices that can complement the exercise.

Why DDP Yoga?

My husband is truly a fan and believer in DDP Yoga. Since this is a gift perfect for regular guys, I thought a regular guy’s opinion would be a great thing to include. For him, he loves that DDP Yoga can be done in 30 minutes or less. Pretty much all of us can choose to commit that amount of time to doing something that will help make us healthier and happier individuals. It’s an easy program to follow since they provide you with a schedule of which workouts to do one what days and even include your days off! He also loves that the program does a great job of making you feel like you’re a part of the action. In each DVD, they do a great job breaking that 4^th wall between you at home and the regular people (note “regular people” not fitness experts and personal trainers) working out with DDP on screen.

My huband’s favorite part of DDP Yoga is how it is NOT like traditional yoga. There is no Zen like tranquility about this program. That’s not to say it’s not fun. There are points when DDP even laughs at himself for falling out of a pose or comments on how hard something is. There just isn’t the traditional meditation music or quiet calmness to this workout. There are tons of those workouts out there, but DDP Yoga is much more unique. Since you’re doing something great for your body that gives you more energy and releases those happy endorphins, it can make you feel fantastic. I’ve also been impressed with how easily this program translates into my husband’s everyday life. There are basic stretches that he now does randomly throughout the day.

DDP Yoga is an affordable, effective, and fun at home workout program that can fit anyone. Whatever skill and fitness level you are starting at, DDP makes it work for you. I believe in this program and hope that some of you will try it out. I’m also still hoping that my dad will sign on.

Last but not least, you really should check out this inspirational video of Arthur.

Never Ever Give Up, Arthur’s Transformation

For more information on DDP Yoga visit DDP Yoga online.

You can also follow DDP Yoga on Twitter

As with any health related post, please remember that we are not fitness experts and definitely not medical professionals. You should check with your physician before making major changes in your exercise regime.

Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and former teacher working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at @Momicles2010 and her latest venture at @TodaysNC.