Must haves

I got this idea from Janetha's series of Things I Use & Love posts over at meals & moves. This is going to be about my workouts, because that's what I feel like focusing on right now. And even though I'm tired, I'm really looking forward to my workout tonight since I had to take last night off. So, these are the things I use when I workout that a) I LOVE and b) really work for me (that's why I love them so much!).

My treadmill

Not the best pictures, I know. But I kept forgetting to take these pictures until it was night and there was hardly any light, and my phone is my camera. Blah blah blah.

Isn't she pretty? I love my treadmill. I'm not really a gym person because I prefer to work out solo. I've always enjoyed walking, and that's how I started getting into shape oh so many years ago when I finally determined to be healthier. Back then I was living in a tiny little room with too much stuff, so my walking consisted of going back and forth in an L shape, wearing a rut in the carpet and leaving blue marks from my shoes when I turned. I've come a long way, baby. At some point I remember getting one of those dinky stepper things, which I wore out in no time. Then I got a manual treadmill. That was fine for a short time, but I wanted one with a motor to help keep me on pace. It took some time, but I finally got this one when I moved into my last place and there's been no going back. I can walk, I can jog, I can run. I can change my incline. I can do one of the preset workouts. I LOVE it so. I learned quickly though not to watch funny things, because I will fall off the treadmill and hurt myself if I laugh too hard. A painful lesson to learn, but it has stuck with me.

Running shoes
Shoes are important. I'm more of a walker/jogger than a runner, but a good running shoe is critical. I feel it when I'm not wearing good shoes, or my shoes have worn out. I've tried several different styles in the stores and I like New Balance. My last new shoes were actually Asics, but I discovered after a while that they do not work well for my feet. I was not getting the proper support where I needed it or something, because my feet always hurt. Which is why I got rid of those and went back to my old New Balance shoes, which took better care of my feet despite being well past their prime. So New Balance it is. There is something about them that works just right for me. They manage to give me the support I need for my flat feet and overpronation, AND for my ankles, without being too restrictive (which is surprisingly difficult for me to find).

As I mentioned previously, I got two new pairs of shoes a few weeks ago:

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 12

New Balance 860v.2

So far, I've mostly used the New Balance because I really prefer them for walking and running. But I want to try the Brooks a bit more, both on the treadmill and for cross-training, to see what works best for me.

Weights
I am not good about maintaining my weight lifting regimen. I'm the first to admit that. My name is Elizabeth, and I am a cardio addict. It's true. I just feel better about myself when I'm all sweaty and out of breath and beet red from a good cardio workout. BUT I also know how important weight lifting is, both for weight loss and for overall health. So I do try to fit it in 2-3 times each week. I know that it helps me. And I love the results, I just don't find it very enjoyable. I mostly alternate between 5 and 8 pound hand weights. I have resistance bands, but I don't use them much. I am considering Les Mills Pump to improve my weight training. Plus the deluxe package comes with a step/bench thingy. I'm still thinking about that though because it's a video based workout. (See the next thing on my list for why that may not work for me.)

Netflix/DVDs/Music
I like watching something or listening to my iPod when I'm working out. It's what keeps me motivated.

Right now (as you can see and as I've mentioned before) I'm watching Friday Night Lights. Sometimes when I walk I will listen to an audio book. And when I'm running, I really enjoy listening to Bloc Party because they keep me pumped and give me a really good beat to maintain my pace. But my favorite thing is to watch TV. Here's why:
1) I get drawn into the story, so the workout goes by faster
2) The pretty people make me want to be in better shape
3) 43 minutes (the approximate length of an hour long show minus the commercials) is a good length for me. Depending on if I'm walking or jogging or running, or a combination, that's usually the time it takes me to go anywhere from 2 to 4 miles. My normal workout is either treadmill for one episode and weight lifting for one episode OR treadmill for two episodes. That seems to work really well for my body and for my schedule.

Workout DVDs
For those times when I'm into a video workout I like to do Turbo Jam

or Rockin Body

Both are enjoyable for me and give me a good workout. Both incorporate dance to a certain extent (Rockin Body more than Turbo Jam). I'm slightly more partial to Turbo Jam because I've had it longer and done all the workouts, so it's more familiar. And I know that I burn 800-900 calories in a 45-50 minute cardio workout. I don't know what I'm burning with Rockin Body because my Bodybugg doesn't really work anymore (hence why that is not on this post).

Peripherals (kinda)
Just as important to me as anything else is this:

I use these to pull my hair up into buns when I'm doing hard cardio. Not necessary for just walking or weight lifting or anything like that. But if I'm going all out, either jogging/running or a video - anything that leaves me a sweaty mess - I'm going to use these and here is why:

Before my workout

After my workout

I do believe this was a 3 mile walk/run. Notice that I have a few wispies and my face has more color, but otherwise it looks the same. THAT is why I love this. My hair isn't bouncing around bugging me when I'm working out AND it stays put throughout. I think I got the idea from a magazine to pull my hair into a bun to keep it in place, but I modified to two buns because my layers kept falling out and one bun was just too much hair for my little clippies to hold.

So there you have it. My workouts in a nutshell. Have a great weekend! xoxo

What is/are your favorite workout(s)? Anything you've been wanting to try? Any workout items or accessories you can't live without?