It's so FLUFFY!!

Pants on Fire

I'm loving this fluffy white paradise that's covering the ground right now.  The combination of weather we have been experiencing has created some beautiful conditions.  This is the first Winter that I've ever seen snow rollers!  And, if you haven't had a chance to get a really close look at the snow, it's so full and fluffy that you can actually see the shape in each snowflake.  It's like heaven had craft time and hand cut each and every one of them!

Am I annoying yet?  Don't answer that.  But, seriously, I do love the snow and I hope to get a little more time to enjoy it.  If you are feeling quite over it, let me give you some hope:

I took a yoga class yesterday.  I was really excited to be able to fully commit to it, mind and body.  When I teach, I do a lot of talking, so I was really prepared to embrace whatever the teacher had to toss at us.  Let me tell you what he tossed: basically, a 6 minute chair pose.  Fun, right?  Whole new meaning to 'pants on fire'.  Right around the time the burn was starting to feel unbearable, the teacher offered this little gem of wisdom:  This pain, it's temporary.  It's not going to last forever.  My automatic afterthought to his words were that when it was over, I'll enjoy how relaxed my legs feel even more and appreciate my ability to endure.  My point, if you've really had it with Winter, just know, it's temporary.  When Spring hits, it will bring you even more bliss than if we would have had a mild Winter or no Winter at all.

What to do until then:

1.)  Use Winter as a time to nurture your body.  Spend your time in the kitchen trying new (healthy) recipes.  Here are my top 3, all time favorite cookbooks.  Notice these aren't "diet" cookbooks, just books that use fresh ingredients that nurture the body:

2.) Increase your metabolism.  While you are sheltering yourself from the outdoors, you may find you've reduced the amount of cardiovascular exercise you do as compared to warner months.  While you shouldn't abandon cardio altogether, you can use this opportunity to add additional lean mass by increasing your strength training sessions.  Having extra muscle will boost metabolism, which will help you shed the excess fat even faster. Refer to this blog post for some exercises you can do with minimal equipment.  There are some strength moves as well as a video clip that will help you get your heart rate up.

3.) Get ready for 5K season!  As stated in #2, you may have gotten off track with your cardiovascular training.  If you have derailed completely, never fear.  If you want to ease back into it, the treadmill is a great way to make manageable and measurable improvements to your running plan so that you are 5K ready by the time the weather breaks.  If you need some guidance on getting started.  Here is an interval workout that you can use as a guideline.  You may need to make adjustments to support your current level.  I intend to share a phase 2 plan that's more advanced once you've had a chance to implement this one.  Give me feedback if you try it:

These smiley faces may are an indicator as to how you may feel throughout the various stages of your workout :)

4.)  I've saved the best for last.  Like the song says "If you can't be with the one you love…".  If you are dreaming of a tropical sunset, but that isn't your reality right now, "Love the one you're with"…meaning, love this weather by embracing with all that you have.  Learn a new snow sport (snowboarding, skiing, cross-country skiing, etc), go sledding, bundle up and lay in the snow like you are lounging on the beach  (just be sure to gear up and be aware of the symptoms of frostbite).  Have a snowball fight, make a snow angel, shovel your neighbors driveway.  When you are done, have a hot drink and enjoy the warmth of your cozy house.  Or, meet a friend at your favorite coffee house and read them my blog :)

One more winter sport to try…my favorite:

SNOWGA!

Namaste <3