Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘Nia class’

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Resistance Bands for Stretching

Posted by terrepruitt on September 3, 2011

I’ve talked about resistance bands being great for strength training. The other day after having taught a Nia class with a lot of sumo stances in it AND after having done some weighted squats, I really needed to stretch.  I needed a really deep stretch and as I was trying to think of how to get it I remembered I could use my resistance bands for stretching.  The resistance bands I have are long flat sheets of rubber.  I don’t have the ones that are like rubber bands or tubes.  Mine don’t have handles.  Any type of band made for exercising will do.  There are so many ways to stretch using a band.  I will just name a few in this post and maybe do another post at another time.

The first one you probably have done when you pick up a band is just to hold it in each hand and let your arms “fall” to the side.  Obviously your arms don’t actually fall because you are holding the band, but you can feel the stretch in your arms and shoulders.  The great thing about bands is you can make the tension however you need it to be by the way you hold the band.  If you need a really deep stretch make the band really short and either pull or let your arms “fall”.  If you want a gentle stretch then hold the band closer to the ends.

Holding opposite ends of the band and allowing your arms to fall behind your body really allows for a stretch in the upper arms, shoulders, upper back and neck.

You can do side bends with an end of the band in each hand holding your arms above your head.  Again sensing the stretch in your shoulders and upper back, but with this stretch you also get your sides. Using the band for this stretch allows for a much greater stretch than without the band.

For the legs there are a few I want to share.  Sit down on the ground, fold the band in half then put your foot in the band at the fold, hold one side of the band in each hand.  Then lay down, keeping your foot flexed, bring your straight leg with the foot in the band up as far as you can.  Keep your other leg straight out on the floor.  Adjusting the tension of the band gives you the stretch you need.  You can bring your leg straight up and closer to your face for an even greater stretch.  The closer you pull your leg to your face the greater the stretch in the hamstrings and even calf.

Still lying on your back with your leg up and still holding the band let your leg fall ACROSS your body.  This is a further stretch for the hamstrings and gets the outer thigh.  With this stretch – again – using the band to pull your leg closer to your head gives you a bigger stretch. Hold the end of the band in the hand opposite the direction your leg is going, while the hand on the side of where your foot is gently pulls the leg towards your head.  Remember to be mindful of what you are sensing, often a stretch will cause discomfort but the muscles need to be stretched especially after a workout.  But pain is different than discomfort, so be aware of what sensation is present.

Another stretch you can do is from the same position of laying on your back, with your foot through the band, leg in the air, foot flexed, but this time let the straight leg fall away from your body.  With this stretch the hand opposite the side your stretching leg holds the end of the band and the hand on the side of the stretching leg can gently pull the leg towards your head. This stretch allows you to really sense the stretch in the inner thigh.  The closer your leg gets to the floor the more your inner thigh gets stretch.  And at the same time you can gently pull your leg towards your head enable the back of the leg to be stretched too.

Bands are such a great way to get some assisted stretching in without having to have another person there to help you.  It is like proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) by yourself.  As I mentioned before, please be mindful and aware of what your body is saying.  Discomfort at a tolerable level is acceptable but pain is not.

Posted in Helpful Hints, stretching | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Chobani – Mango Fruit on the Bottom

Posted by terrepruitt on July 26, 2011

You might have read that I was asked to do a Nia demo at a somewhat local Fitbloggin‘ MeetUp on Fitbloggin’ World Meetup Day.  I had stated that there was a lunch.  The lunch was a wonderful potluck lunch.  There was a lot of yummy food on the table.  One thing that was on the table that Foodie was sharing was containers of Chobani Yogurt.  I had never tried that, but I had wanted to because I remember seeing it on her blog.  At the end of the meeting they were all still in the bowl she had them in.  At first I grabbed one, one I knew I would like.  Honey.  But there was more left and she was generously pushing all the leftovers off on people, so I grabbed another one.  One I probably wouldn’t buy because I wouldn’t think I would like it.  I am not a fruity yogurt person.  It was mango.  Ok, guess what?  I am now a fruity yogurt person.

When I first opened it I thought, “Yuck!  Fruit on the bottom.”  Not only do I not like the fruity yogurt flavors, I do not like the fruit on the bottom.  But I wanted to try it.  So I stirred.  It was really good.  Mango can be a mushy fruit when it is really ripe, or after I am done cutting it.  But typically it is not a mushy fruit to begin with so it held up well in the yogurt.  That is one reason I don’t like fruit in yogurt is gets mushy.  I am not a fan of super mushy fruit.  Another reason I am not a fruity yogurt person is that it is usually too sweet.  This was not too sweet.  It was really good.  I had a little tartness to it, I think.  The combination of the crunch of the fruit and the not-too-sweet made it really good.

After my first bite I thought, “This is why they give this stuff away.”  Because once people try it they will more than likely buy it.  I know that I have purchased a large variety of products that I normally would not have had I not been able to try them in the past few years.  For some products a free sample is awesome.

This morning I tried the honey, which turned out not to be honey.  It is vanilla.  Honey or vanilla is usually the flavor I buy or lemon.  But I have not seen a lemon flavor in the Greek yogurt.  And the yogurt I used to buy has HFCS in it.  Not something I want to eat.   Besides I love the protein in Greek yogurt.  There is such a great amount, it is awesome.  In addition to be so much thicker and creamier.  Yum.

Well my verdict on the vanilla is, no thanks.  At least not to eat plain.  Maybe if you at it as a dip or put honey in it, it would be ok.  But I would not grab a container of that to eat just by itself.  It tasted like the PLAIN non-fat yogurt of the brand I used to buy, except with a bitter kick to it.  I only ate a portion of it.  I will stick to the mango flavor.

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Best Intentions Derailed

Posted by terrepruitt on July 19, 2011

Wow.  I was practicing a new-to-me Nia routine this morning.  I had taught it Monday but to me there is always room for improvement.  I can always know my music more intimately.  I can always cue better.  I can always do a move differently.  That is the thing about Nia.  There is always so many ways to do the move.  I find that it is best to keep it simple when first introducing a new routine.  It is best to just do the basics and let the class get it down a bit before showing them any alternatives.  The Nia students that get the basics down quickly can easily pick up on alternative ways to do the move themselves.  Because they are already at the point of expanding.  But I try to remember to keep it simple so I like to practice and learn it better.  It is not always easy when the music just “makes” you move.  It is easy to get carried away in the music and just start dancing.  That is what Nia allows you to do, stick to the routine or dance your own dance.  Well, this morning I kind of had a “routine”.  Well, at least I had a plan.  Ok, maybe more accurately I had a list.  But sometimes even though you start out doing the first thing on the list and even the second thing, you get off the path.

It doesn’t even have to be a big thing that gets you off track.  It doesn’t have to be a bad thing.  Sometimes it could be a little thing or a good thing that derails you.  But either way, you are off track.  You find yourself at 11:00 pm with nothing to post about.  I thought I had all afternoon to think of something, research it if necessary, write it up, then post, but I got off track.

THEN . . . I typed up this entire post.  I was just about to add a link and save it and the laptop I was working on shut down.  And I was writing in Notepad because I don’t like writing in the little box that WordPress gives me nor do I like the “full page version”.  I write in Notepad, the laptop doesn’t have MS Word so it doesn’t automatically save. So this is my SECOND attempt at this post.  And I am sorry to say, but the first one was much better.  I had deposited all my thoughts onto the screen so I forgot them.

I am that way.  I write something down so I don’t have to remember it and believe me, I don’t.  I type up a thought, an idea, a post, I don’t remember it.  It as if putting it in type takes it out of my head and leaves a blank spot.  Which I guess can lead me right back to my post.  I had a blank spot for it.

I even found myself click on “random articles” on Wiki.  I figured I was safe clicking on “random” on wiki it is not like video roulette where I don’t know what I’ll get.  I got a few about people I had never heard of.  One person had been in “Charles in Charge” so I have been signing that for an hour.  But another was about “Feather Bowling”.  Made me laugh.  Apparently:

Feather Bowling is a game played with wooden balls shaped like wheels of cheese. The balls are rolled down a dirt or synthetic alley towards a feather sticking out of the dirt at the other end. The object of the game is to get the ball as close to the feather as possible.

The only place to play the game in the United States is the Cadieux Cafe in Detroit, Michigan.

Who knew?  Well now we do.  And some of us might even have the theme song from Charles in Charge in our head.  Either way, I posted and I shared and that is where I am right now.  How about you?  Signing?  Dancing?  Writing down thoughts and forgetting them?  Feather bowling?  Staying on track?  Talk to me . . . .

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Workout Distractions

Posted by terrepruitt on July 9, 2011

It is difficult for me to do Nia at home.  In Nia we actually move our head.  “Huh?”  You say.  Well next time you are in a cardio workout out class or an exercise class you might notice that you don’t often (or at all) move your head around purposefully.  In Nia we look up, we look around, we look down, we out.  We could just be moving our head to sense the sensation of it, or we could be doing it to allow action to follow intention or . . . well, whatever idea we are using at the moment to move our head, we move our head.  ALL AROUND.  Which, makes it difficult for me to workout at home. When I look up I see spider webs.  When I look around I see dust.  When I look down I see Spot.  When I look out I see squirrels.

We have cathedral ceilings, so there is never a time when we don’t have spider webs or something way up there.  When I see it I start thinking, “I need to get the duster and the ladder and get that.”  Then there is the dust.  The dust never seems to NOT be there even right as I am dusting.  Then there is the cat.  She either wants to go out, or be pet, or  she just chooses to lay right in the middle of my workout floor.  And I have learned that I absolutely have to keep my curtains closed.  I don’t care what the weather is, I don’t care what the temperature is, I have to keep my curtains closed because I get REALLY distracted when I don’t.  Here are two examples of what I see.

First he comes to the door.  Tentative.  Then he will stand that like that for a long time.  I have tried to just keep on going and just let him watch me dance, but after a while I feel bad.  He will just stand there with his paws at his chest and look at me.  He has stood like that for at least an entire song.  I always end up stopping and giving him or, more accurately, them nuts.  When one gets peanuts the others come along.

 

Then this is what they do.  This was taken on a very hot day.  The mat was in the shade and had been for a while so he just plopped down.  I think he was enjoying the shade.  A little snack in the shade.  He just looked at me while he ate his snack.

They have come up to the doors and windows and put both paws on the glass and looked inside.  I imagine I hear, “Hey, you in there!  Where are the peanuts?”  It is rather funny.  I am not certain, but I think it is one in particular that does that.  My hubby named him Brutus.  When he comes up to the door, he will stay there and take a peanut from me.  Sometimes he barely lets me put the peanut out the door.

Yes, one of the things we do in Nia is to not think about things like spider webs, dust, the grocery list, the things we need to do after class and when I am outside of my home I can do that much better.  In my house I get distracted.  There are so many distractions.  So one way I eliminate at least one is I keep the curtains shut.  On the days that I took these pictures I had obviously not done so.

Posted in Just stuff, Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Cucumber Uses

Posted by terrepruitt on July 5, 2011

Day flew by, even thought I didn’t teach a Nia class today, I am just now getting to my post.  I received this list a long time ago.  My plan was to research each fact to see if it was true. I realize that I could spend my time looking up each item and not really find out if it was true.  AND, I realized that my readers probably know better.  Some of you might have received this very same list.  Some of you might have tried some of these things.  And better yet, some of you might venture on this very post to comment on what you know.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

6. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

7. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

8. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

9. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

10. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

11. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

I am adding that a cucumber is mostly water.  And while their flavor is in their seeds, I have heard that it is the seeds that might also cause gas for some people.  In case you have received this list in an e-mail you may notice a couple missing, yeah, I removed them because I didn’t feel comfortable posting them.  I didn’t check on these except for the vitamins.  I wanted to give you an idea about that.

According to About.com a cup of sliced cucumbers contain the follow amounts of what is listed above:

•Calcium: 8 mg
•Iron: 0.15 mg
•Magnesium: 7 mg
•Phosphorus: 12 mg
•Potassium: 76 mg
•Zinc: 0.10 mg
•Vitamin C: 1.5 mg
•Thiamin (B1): 0.014 mg
•Riboflavin (B2): 0.017 mg
•Niacin (B3): 0.051 mg
•Pantothenic Acid (B5): 0.135 mg
•Vitamin B6: 0.021 mg
•Vitamin B12: 0 mg

As I typed this I made me want some cucumber water.

Have you tried any of these tips?  Do they work?  Let us know.

Posted in Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Wahoo! Nia!

Posted by terrepruitt on June 29, 2011

Yeah, I get excited when I have a Nia class.  I love to teach Nia.  I love to get up in front of a class and show them anyone can move and have fun.  So with that in mind, the fact that I have a Nia Class this morning, I will be back to let you know about the Ten Minute Workout.

With yesterday’s post assisting you with ideas on how to do the ten exercises without the exercise ball, the resistance band, and the BOSU, maybe you’ll join me?  Why not try it for ten days?  It’s ten minutes.  Ten exercises, ten times, in ten minutes, for ten days.  Now the ten minutes is the time frame, so if you can do more than ten exercises go for it.  Well, what do you say?  Got ten minutes?

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June 29, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Ok, DONE!  And it was pretty funny.  I had been out today in my MBTs and I decided to practice the Nia routine Sexi in my MBTs.  So after that, I decided to do the ten minute workout in my MBTs.  Ha.  Fun-ny!

I normally just do the workout in bare feet.  So shoes — MBTs in particular — provided different sensations.

You may recall I bought the MBTs because (I’ve always wanted them but couldn’t bring myself to spend that on shoes) I thought they would help me re-learn how to walk properly.  Rolling through my entire foot.  I was thinking that I could do longer lunges in my MBTs because I could be on the ball of my foot but really rolled to the ball of the shoe.  Well, that went as planned.  I did the lunges as I originally thought when I put them in the workout.

MBTs on the BOSU . . . . different.  It definitely engages even MORE muscles.  I had thought of that too when I thought to do the workout with them on.  What I didn’t think about was how I would notice the shoes when doing the V sit up.

Anyway . . . I’m done.  Just wanted to let you know.  I think I should also confess that I almost skipped it today because I had a tentative phone appointment.  But I decided that I could do it even after that.  But it turned out that feel through so I just did it.  I mean, c’mon, it really IS only ten minutes.

Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Twenty-five out of Twenty-Seven

Posted by terrepruitt on June 28, 2011

So far I have done twenty-five days out of twenty-seven.  Today is the twenty-eighth day.  I will do my Ten Minute Workout, but I will go to bed first.  It is 12:21 am and I am posting so that you can see that I am still here.  And before I go to bed I plan on doing my ten minute workout — at least.  So I know if I don’t get to any other exercise or workout at least I have my ten minutes workout done.

For me when I do it in the morning that I don’t have a Nia class I usually have time to do more, but I understand not everyone has the time.  That is why I think setting aside ten minutes at least gives you something.  I think it would be cool to do it three times a day.  Remember that ten minutes probably won’t result in major gains.  The ten exercises to do in ten minutes is just something to start you off or to combine with something you are already doing.

Anyway, I will check back in with my “DONE!” and also another post.  Tuesday is “regular” post day.  What have you got planned today in addition to doing your ten exercises to do in ten minutes? 🙂

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June 28, 2011 at 11:10 am

Ok, I can make that twenty-six days out of twenty-eight days.  Got up this morning and did it.  Not first thing but almost.  It has just taken me a while to get to the computer to comment.

So try this ten minute workout for ten days, twenty-one if you want to make it a habit.

Have Make it a GREAT day!

Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Monday at Midnight

Posted by terrepruitt on June 27, 2011

It is a little past midnight, I am putting up the placeholder.  I have not yet done my Ten Minute Workout for Monday, but I am hoping you will and you will comment on it.  I am rooting for you.  I know it is not always easy to find time.  I know how beneficial exercising can be.  What can happen is you squeeze in the ten minutes planning to do ten exercises ten times and you realize you have time for more.  You do more.  Then you realize how great you feel and you do a few more.

But you gotta just do it first.  Did ya?

I will be back to let you know I did.  First I have a Nia Class.

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June 27, 2011 at 7:05 pm

Wow!  I think it was the same time last night that I was posted that I had done it.  Here I am again, 7:00 pm.  But I did it.  I almost forgot.  I was just about to do it then I got a phone call.  Took me another hour to get to it, but I did.  And I am glad I did.

After my Nia class this morning another teacher and I went to a park to practice.  That was fun.  I didn’t have the correct shoes, but I think we still made some progress.  We figured out a few things.  NICE!  Will make it that much easier when I learn the routine.

So how was your Monday?

Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

It’s a Mystery

Posted by terrepruitt on June 26, 2011

Oh wow!  Last night we went to a mystery party.  It was so fun.  I really was just amazed at the craziness of the character and the twists and turns and just all that was going on.  Since this is a public blog, I don’t want to tell too much because I never know who is reading this and if you were invited to a mystery party with this story line and you got all the details here that wouldn’t be fun.  It was my first party like that and so I was a bit overwhelmed to say the least.

We were on a ship in the 1700’s and we all had goals to accomplish, with abilities, secrets, and information.  Oh and we had “items too”.  And EVERYONE was looking for something.  It was hilarious.  It was fun and I am telling you this because I was so involved in it I forgot to post a placeholder for anyone doing the Ten Minute Workout.  But alas, it doesn’t look as if that was a problem.

I just did mine, but I am going to tell you I actually took out the lunges.  Yes, yes, I know, one of the prime exercises to target the glutes, but it is my foot that I am trying to save.  I have been practicing a Nia routine called Sexi.  I am thinking about doing it this week and it has a lot of ball of foot.  A LOT!   So much so that I might wait until Wednesday to do it, so that I can do it once for my San Jose Nia Class and then once for my Los Gatos Nia Class.  Then have a few days where I am not doing it.  Then pick it up again the following week.   One of my students requested it.

Which reminds me:  YES, there is Nia in San Jose at 9 am on Monday, the Fourth of July.  So come on over.  Many people have that day off so join us.  It will be fun.  We will be doing Sexi!  And Sexi is sexy and fun.

Even though I didn’t do lunges I did target my glutes with the ol’ donkey kick.  But I added some weights to see how that worked.  Remember those donkey kicks?

So what about you?  Did you do the ten exercises?  Did you do ten minutes of any exercise?  That is a great start/addition/quickie.  So let me know.

Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Another Day Another Workout

Posted by terrepruitt on June 24, 2011

Friday the weekend is almost here, so close. Get in your workout, talk about it here. 🙂 I have a Nia class this morning and a million things to do this afternoon. I’ll let you know when I do my Ten Minute Workout. It’s fast and easy because it is only ten minutes. If you have time you can always make it longer by repeating any or all of the ten exercises or adding additional exercises.

It is great as a starter workout or an additional workout.

Got ten minutes?

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June 24, 2011 at 5:34 pm

So late!  I got up this morning to do my ten minutes because I knew that I would be busy this afternoon, but when I step out of bed, my foot went, “HELLLLLLOOOOOO THERE!”  So I debated.  And I decided that I need to soak it in ice water for the ten minutes instead.

Then, things came up, as they often do.  That is why I like to do workouts in the morning because things always come up in the afternoon.  But I did it.  And I think I am going to have to make some adjustments to it.  I don’t want to do it faster, but add some weights or something . . . we will see.

How about you?  Gotta stay in the habit.  :-)

Posted in Ten Minute Workout check-in | Tagged: , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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