Janathon Day 24: Easycore

Well, at least I didn’t try and wriggle out of Janathon by using the cute factor, a la Ms Fortnight Flo, who thought she could get out of exercising by getting her cat to write her a sick note. Okay, I admit it, I’m just jealous I didn’t think of it first, dammit!

Today I thought I’d have a change and do some core exercises from the PC Fitness DVD. I was a bit scared at first as I thought it might involve balancing, which I’m not very good at.

I needn’t have been scared though, no balancing was required and even I can’t fall over when I’m lying on the floor doing crunches.

I’m going out tonight and therefore may need a sick note for tomorrow. Hmm… where’s my cat? looey…?

Stats
Core exercises: 15 minutes
Balancing required: none
Sick notes possibly needed for tomorrow: 1

PC Fitness–Your Personal Trainer

pc_fitness_DVDI’ve got a new personal trainer. She’s called Maya and lives in my PC. As you know, I love my body pump class at the gym but there’s only one class a week that’s at a time that suits me (first thing Monday morning – no thanks) and I want to do weights on other days of the week too. Weights in the main gym on my own don’t appeal; partly because I’d be too self-conscious to use the free weights in front of everyone (although I know no one actually gives a toss what anyone else is doing) and partly because I wouldn’t know what I was doing, and I get bored doing weights at home. So I got myself a DVD.

The PC Fitness: Your Personal Trainer DVD is cool. It’s not just weights – you can choose your workout from 500 exercises including Pilates, yoga, cardio fitness, flexibility, strength training and weight loss routines. You set up your profile and control the music, setting, length of workout, what days you want to workout and how tough it is. It even has meal plans worked out based on your personal info, although I haven’t used any meal plans yet as it was a bit of a hunt for any vegetarian recipes.

I’m loving this DVD; so far I’ve done Pilates and yoga for the first time (blimey, that was hard), lots of cardio (I’ve finally got star jumps sussed – yay, me), and strength training. If you’re like me and get stuck and can’t follow the routines, there are tutorials to talk you through the moves. Also, you can tell it which equipment you own from a choice of hand weights, stability ball, heart rate monitor and step, and the workout will incorporate these. Although the equipment isn’t necessary, I like buying things, so I bought the Biosync Fitness Set which comes with two hand weights (useless really at 0.5kg each but hey ho), a stability ball, step and resistance band.

I can’t fault this fitness DVD – it’s so much fun. Maya even says good morning to you when you log in and says she missed you if you miss a session. She’s pretty cool for a CGI chick (was almost tempted to say ‘pretty fly for a CGI’ but stopped myself).

One of the best things about it is that you don’t have to leave the house to do your workout. I would advise getting dressed in your running/gym gear though, as it is a proper workout and you will sweat and, as I’ve found out, doing it in jeans and normal bra isn’t a great idea – so get that sports bra on, girls! (I fancy this gorgeous purple one); also wearing some light trainers such as some New Balance Minimus will stop your feet from hurting during the jumping up and down bits.

This DVD can’t be used on your TV, you have to use it on a computer and you do need a bit of space, so I’ve been using it on the laptop in the front room instead of on my main pc in the small room I work in. 

I bought PC Fitness: Your Personal Trainer from Amazon for the bargain price of £3.99 including postage and totally recommend it (although it’s turned me into even more of a hermit doing my exercise indoors instead of going out running, cycling or going to the gym).