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Friday, August 22, 2008

WORKOUTS



Los Angeles is heaven for a workout freak like me. OMG. I can hardly decide what to do everyday.




So many choices. Brody and Kayte took me to their Saturday morning Yoga class with Chris Chavez in Beverly Hills. Chris teaches out of his living room. About 12 of us gathered for the most amazing and beneficial yoga session I've ever had. It woke up cells in my body that had not been touched in years! After an hour and a half of very challenging movement, we headed to Pan Quotidien for an awesome brunch and then a little shopping a Lululemon Athletica. Of course the sun was shining, the sky was crystal blue and the temperature was perfect! I have to figure out how to fit Chris in my weekly schedule.




Running's a no brainer. I can pop on my Ipod and head out from the house with the choice of about 150 different routes. You want flats, no problem. I can run all over Valley Village, Beverly Hills, or Santa Monica and never encounter a hill. But, last Saturday, I was missing those rolling runs you find all over Buckhead. I headed south from the house to the hills that separate the Valley from Hollywood and Beverly Hills. In less than two miles I was on an incline that made my heart rate soar. Within a quarter mile of the upgrade, I was high enough to look out over the Valley. Just beautiful.




Gold's Gym in North Hollywood is a hoot. These folks have been working out FOREVER! Plenty of role models for working out at 90 and 100 years old! I love it. I go at least twice a week. This is not a gym for the beautiful people. It is get down and grunt it out. But all the equipment you need is there and the people are friendly.




Cardiobarre is my new fave. First, I have to tell you, the women, and it is mostly women, who take cardiobarre have beautiful bodies. Dancers' bodies. How often do you see that when you group exercise with the masses? Cardibarre is a ballet cardio class. Most of the movements are isometric. Your hands may be lightly placed on the barre with one leg straight and strong as your base and the other pointed out behind you. You are instructed to contract your gluts and leg, and pulse and pulse and pulse. And it burns like hell! Who knew you could make your muscles fibers scream like that!? It is elegant, fast paced, and makes you really stretch your body out. The isometric movements are a great counter balance to weight training. The original Cardiobarre studio, where we (me and Jill) go is 2 minutes from the house. The orginator of the program Richard Giorla is the instructor.


1 comment:

Kayte said...

So I think I told you before you left that your energy has totally been inspiring me...

...which must be why I've been SLACKING the last week and half because you're not here :)

Hopefully now that this site launch is out of the way I can get back into a routine.

What kind of places are you finding to workout at in Oregon?