pilates

Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

October 23, 2016 · Leave a Comment

WHY USE AN EXERCISE BALL
Exercise Balls are a very useful in Pilates, Yoga, Crossfit, stretching and low impact exercises. They are also popular as an exercise ball chair. Easy to store and use in your home, they round out a home exercise routine. Almost any stationary exercise, such as lifting hands weights or resistance band exercises, can be enhanced by incorporating the exercise ball to make the exercise more challenging by including working your core and improving your stability. Exercise balls give you an excellent range of motion for many exercises. The key, however, is finding the right exercise ball that is sturdy enough to provide support and be durable enough to withstand use.

Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

ABOUT THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL
This exercise ball comes with a hand pump, an extra air plug, and a valve remover tool. There is also access to exercise guides and online training workout instructions, downloadable posters, and videos via their website.

– The air pump is easy to use, it takes about 5 minutes to fill the ball.
– The air plug takes a bit of effort to remove if needed, but I prefer knowing it is in there tight and safe.

TIP: Fill the ball most of the way, then allow it 24 hours to stretch before topping it off to being fully filled. See their website for videos on how to properly inflate an exercise ball.

Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL?

The first thing I noticed about the ball before even inflating it, is that it is an exceptionally sturdy and thick BPA-free material. I have had other exercises balls for at-home use and have been disappointed at how they deflate, and I am worried that they can’t truly support my weight enough to make full use of them. Much of that feeling I think, came from the fact that they lost air and became soft and just didn’t feel very stable using the ball.

NON-SLIP RIDGES: These give some stability to the ball to keep it from sliding out from underneath you when you are putting full weight on it. I like these for exercises that my chest or back is on the ball, and I am stabilizing with my feet or legs.

SIZING OPTIONS: One of the things I like about this exercise ball is it comes in four different sizes ranging from 55cm to 85 cm. Live Infinitely has a sizing chart to find the right ball by your height. Your body must be properly aligned to benefit from an exercise ball. You know you are on the right size exercise ball when your knees are at a 90-degree angle when sitting, and your thighs are parallel to the floor. This allows full extension of your core muscles to derive the most benefit from your workout.

DURABLE & STURDY: The Live Infinitely Exercise Ball can support 2200 pounds. That is the weight of an American Bison. It has been tested for leaking under pressure or bursting in use and is considered anti-burst. It is durable enough to be used every day as an exercise ball chair at the office to improve your posture.

AIR RETENTION: An exercise ball that doesn’t have enough air in it can be unstable and even harmful. A ball should feel hard and full. When you sit on it, you should sink about two inches into the ball, not more than that. I tried sitting on the Live Infinitely ball and bouncing on it; the ball had “give” in the bounce, enough for fluid movement, but not so much give that I felt unstable like I was on one of those Hippity-Hop style, spring ball hopper toys.

Even a small cut in the ball will not cause rapid deflating. That makes me feel safe balancing on the ball, knowing I won’t rupture the ball if I put all my weight on it.

Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL FOR AN EXERCISE BALL CHAIR
Many of us (READ: me) slouch when working on the computer, resulting in a weak core and ruins good posture. It also makes the body tired and stiff. An exercise ball chair allows for natural movement while sitting and keeps your core engaged. I have an artist friend, and she swears by her exercise ball chair to allow her to sit comfortably while painting for hours per session in her studio. She said she was sore for the first few days, but then her core started to get toned, and she finds it much more comfortable to sit on the exercise ball chair than a regular office chair or a wood stool while reaching to paint. Her posture is impeccable, so I put the exercise ball as office chair concept to the test.

TESTING THE LIVE INFINITELY EXERCISE BALL AS A BALL CHAIR
I tested the Life Infinitely exercise ball as my computer desk chair, and while it took about a week to get used to it, I feel so much better sitting at my desk! When I first started, it was not easy; my core was not as toned as I thought so that I couldn’t sit on the ball for very long. But after a few days I built up stamina, and now I feel a definite improvement in my posture and my shoulders and arms don’t feel stiff and rounded, and I don’t crane my neck forward as much to look at the screen. Instead, I glide my body forward on the ball. I can feel my core getting better and stronger each day!

It is imperative to have a strong, sturdy ball if you are using it as ball chair. I had tried using a ball as a chair at my desk before but I failed. I think they were too squishy and not as sturdy as the Live Infinitely Ball, which feels much firmer and gives more support. After sitting on it for the last week or so, it hasn’t lost any air or become softer; it is the same as the day I got it. This Live Infinitely ball is also the correct height for me, which is important, my other balls were too short to use as a proper exercise ball chair. If your desk is not adjustable, opt for the larger sized exercise balls (75cm or 85 cm). If you are afraid you cannot stay stable on the ball, consider placing it on a Yoga Exercise Ball base.

If you have tried other exercise balls as an office desk chair and failed, it might not be you that failed, but the ball may have been too soft or not the correct height for you. It takes a few days to get used to it, but it is quickly more comfortable than an office chair. And it rapidly tones the thighs without making your legs too sore or tired, which is another great perk. The only downside I have a tendency to cross my legs when I sit, which is a (bad) habit I have to break now that I use the exercise ball as a chair.

Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

CONCLUSION: Hands down, the Live Infinitely Exercise Ball is the sturdiest exercise ball I have ever owned or used at the gym. It feels as hard and full as when I first filled it with no leaking. I feel much safer using the ball because of the non-skid surface. The height is tall enough for me, and the taller sizes (75cm and 85cm) make for excellent exercise ball chairs, which makes sitting at my desk so much more comfortable and give my core a good workout.

Weekend Workout: Live Infinitely Exercise Ball

Find it at LiveInfinitely.com

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv_bMX6T6NQ[/embedyt]

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Fitness: Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands

October 15, 2016 · Leave a Comment

BEAUTY HACK: Want to look ten pounds thinner, lift your chest two inches higher, get a flatter-looking stomach, look taller, all while making your clothes fit better? Yeah, me too. But like many of us, I spend way too much time slouching over my cell phone, my tablet and at my computer desk, which wrecks good posture. Poor posture makes you look tired and grumpy. Even worse, it can make one look less confident, weaker and just plain older than your years. Fortunately, maintaining good posture takes only a few simple at-home exercises with equipment like the Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands set.

WHAT ARE RESISTANCE BANDS?
An ideal way to improve your posture is by doing simple arm exercises with resistance bands. You may have seen these long, colorful ribbons of thin, flexible rubber-like material in gyms, exercise, yoga and pilates studios, or maybe even used them yourself under the guidance of a personal trainer. Resistance bands are popular because they provide weight-like resistance in a portable, adaptable form.

Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands

WHY USE RESISTANCE BANDS
Resistance bands are stretchy and flexible which makes them easier to manipulate than handheld or machine weights. Bands can be stretched or pulled from a variety of angles to increase the difficulty level of your standard workout. Of benefit to all fitness levels, these bands help an out of shape person improve as well as help a fit person who is plateauing in their existing exercise program. If you have difficulty keeping good form while using hand or ankle weights, a resistance band can help.

Why everyone can benefit from resistance loop bands:

1. When exercises such as squats, situps, leg lifts, arm raises, or the hip flexor stretch become too easy, using resistance bands adds additional resistance far beyond what just an ankle or hand weight can offer. That gives better results in fewer reps. Resistance bands come in difference strengths, or levels of resistance, giving more oomph to your exercises.

2. Resistance loop bands make for better pre-workout stretching sessions. Regardless of fitness level, everyone must stretch before exercise. Muscles warmed up by a good stretch are less prone to injury.

IMPROVING POSTURE WITH STARWOOD SPORTS EXERCISE RESISTANCE LOOP BANDS
If you would like to improve your posture at home with easy to use equipment, a good set of resistance bands are the Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands set. The set comes with four different bands of different strengths, light to extra heavy. This gives a full range of options for beginners, intermediate, advance and plateauing fitness routines. Starwood Sports Loop Bands can be useful in Crossfit, Pilates, Yoga, stretching and stability exercises.

Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands

A few things I particularly like about the Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands:

1) The bands have reinforced “handle” loops on each end. This makes it easy to grip the bands, secure a loop over a doorknob, or to slip over my foot or ankle for leg exercises. It also allows a more relaxed grip on the band so I can focus on the exercise itself. I got competitor brand resistance bands from my personal trainer and had to knot them at the end and grip the knot to use them; I like that I can do even open palm exercises with these bands.

2) The Starwood Sports Loop Bands are twelve inches long, and when stretched, they are about twice that length. Made with an eco-friendly natural latex that has inherent benefits including that the bands are snap and sweat resistant. I like knowing the band won’t snap, it allows me to confidently exert a full flexion.

3) The resistance bands come in a small bag that makes them portable enough to carry or pack in a suitcase when traveling to maintain a daily exercise program. I prefer to bring them to the gym instead of using the gym supplied bands.

4) The bands each offer a known quantity of resistance. The green band is the easiest level at a range of 6-16 pounds. To increase the “weight” of the resistance, loop the bands tighter by wrapping them around your hands, reducing the available band length between your hands to stretch during exercise.

Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands

The degrees of resistance for Starwood Sports Resistance Loop Bands are:

Green Band: (Light) 6-16 lbs (0.35 mm thick)
Blue Band: (Medium) 11-27 lbs (0.50 mm thick)
Red Band: (Heavy) 15-33 lbs (0.70 mm thick)
Black Band: (X-Heavy) 21-45 lbs (1.00 mm thick)

5) The Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands are “stackable,” so you can use more than one band at a time to increase the overall total resistance. To do so, stack the least resistant band on the outside, and the strongest resistance band on the inside.

RECOMMENDED POSTURE EXERCISE WITH RESISTANCE LOOP BANDS

One good posture exercise that works for everyone is a reverse fly modified for the resistance band. It strengthens the upper back muscles (trapezius and rhomboids) and tones the back of the shoulder (deltoids). This exercise eliminates rounded, slumping forward shoulders and pulls the shoulders back. This exercise works for almost everyone because you control how much resistance occurs (and how easy or difficult the exercise will be) based on how much band slack is allowed before you open your arms. If you can only do the very lightest of resistance, that still quickly improves your posture. Consult with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

THE EXERCISE
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1. Start with the Starwood Sports GREEN band, adjust to using a stronger band or even multiple bands if preferred. Hold one handle loop in each hand.
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, and slightly bend your knees.
3. With arms held straight and hands slightly lower than your shoulders, hold the band in front of you.
4. Relax elbows
5. Exhale and pull your abs into the spine to stabilize the torso.
6. Slowly open your arms out to the sides, focusing on the shoulder blades moving together.
6. Inhale as you slowly return your arms back to starting position.

TIP: Focus on the abs keeping the spine stable, don’t arch your back. Try to stand tall as you open your arms.

Do three sets of 12 reps.

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Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands

CONCLUSION: Good posture is attainable in a few weeks by using a quality set of resistance bands. The Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Band Set offers four easy to use bands in snap proof, sweat resistant eco-friendly latex. These bands are useful for exercising at home, the gym or during travel. The four Loop Bands offer a full spectrum of weight resistance to improve your posture in a simple home workout and enhance Crossfit, Yoga, Pilates or a regular home workout routine.

Find Starwood Sports Exercise Resistance Loop Bands at Amazon.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO9aEwdQnWs[/embedyt]

I received this product for my unbiased review and received compensation for my time and effort. However, my experience with the product and the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

True Life Fitness Blaire Leggings

May 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

It’s finally getting warm! I’ve been making strides towards getting in better shape this year, and my regular yoga pants are officially too hot to wear while working out. So I’m pretty happy to have found these True Life Fitness Blaire Leggings.

My gym keeps the temp set at 74 degrees. When I’m pushing myself on cardio, that is absolutely boiling, so clothing that keeps me cool is very welcome. If I’m doing pilates at home, I want to be comfortable and have freedom of movement while still keeping track of my form. The Blaire Leggings are versatile enough that I can use them for all my Spring workouts.

The Blaire Leggings are a combination of silky lycra and spandex and feel cool on the skin. I expected the fit to be closer to a compression legging, but it is more akin to support, not compression. This is ideal for both the time of year and for workouts that require a full range of motion. The waistband doesn’t pinch at all and hits at a comfortable and flattering spot on the waist. It also has a small pocket in front with a zipper, just big enough for a key and a gym card. It’s not big enough to hold your iPhone, but frankly I’m a bit on the fence if carrying your phone while working out is such a great idea. When I’m carrying it, I don’t have to worry that someone is trying to reach me with an emergency, but working out is my time to tune out digital distractions. Of course, my epic music playlist is the digital exception. But if you truly want to carry your phone, tucking it in the waistband is a viable option: it is snug enough to hold it in place.

Now, let’s talk a bit about the style of these leggings. My traditional gym outfit is black bootcut leggings and any of one my spectrum of fitted tees. If I’m feeling wild, I’ll wear a black Capri legging. So a multi-colored splash on white is a bit of a departure for me. But these leggings are so well fitting and so flattering that a light colored background doesn’t visually add weight, and the colors appear more Monet than paint splash. They are simply well made, fun leggings!

Find True Life Fitness Blaire Leggings at http://www.truelifefitnessapparel.com/shop.php.

Taking a mid-workout break