Monthly Archives: October 2008

Do You BOSU?

29thOctober2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

I bought a piece of fitness equipment that makes me look incredibly silly and uncoordinated. Even better, I did it on purpose. How could I resist, when this blue half-dome has the potential to be used in so many different ways? Not only that, it provides an additional challenge to regular exercises by forcing you to use your core for stabilization. I am, of course, referring to the BOSU.

BOSU stands for “Both Sides Utilized” and they retail for around $100. (I bought mine with a coupon I found in a local entertainment book, giving me a $20 discount off a $100+ purchase at a sporting goods store.) I did attempt to find one used — I kept an eye on Craigslist classifieds for a few months — but I could never find any for sale (the only time I was able to find one, it had already been snapped up by the time I emailed the seller the next day).

The main reason I wanted to buy my own was that I couldn’t bring myself to use the ones at my gym. I’ve seen other people using them, and they look silly. I don’t like to look silly unless I’m trying on purpose to be silly, and even then I want people to laugh with me…not at me. (I apologize to all you brave, public BOSU-wobblers out there! I know that not everyone is as self-conscious as I am — MizFit, for instance, demonstrated her lack of balance by posting a video for all to see.)

The thing is, I feel comfortable at my gym because I purposefully make myself as un-noticeable as possible (it’s a very male-dominated place, but I chose this particular location because of its proximity to my home). I don’t go there because I want people to stare at me — and it’s precisely because I don’t want people to stare at me that I avoid their BOSUs at all costs. Will you see Zan bobbing and wobbling and fighting to maintain her balance (and most likely not succeeding) while standing in the middle of a very large room? I’d have to say that’s an incredibly unlikely scenario, especially now that I have one of my own.

I had a bit of an issue in the beginning, just trying to figure out how to get the darn thing inflated. You see, when the nozzle of the manual pump is removed from the bottom of the BOSU, the air starts whooshing out immediately. After a few tries, I finally learned to over-inflate it so it would be just the right height by the time I was able to insert the plug. (The more air it has in it, the more difficult it is to use. I let myself have some “give” since I’m still getting used to it.)

Warning: once inflated, the BOSU takes up more room on the floor of my small bedroom than I anticipated (the ones at my gym are located in a cavernous space with soaring ceilings, naturally). But that’s okay! Luckily my bed frame is high enough off the ground that I’m juuuuuuussst able to slip it underneath the bed when it’s not in use.

Right now, my BOSU is making me feel totally unbalanced and uncoordinated — exactly what I feared I’d look like if I were to use it in public. But I plan to undertake this as my new personal challenge, and I’m looking forward to seeing an improvement in my balance and coordination.

Have you tried a BOSU? Do you like it?

Related Reading:

Serial Trainer has been a personal trainer for over ten years. When she was introduced to the BOSU, it quickly became one of her “favorite training elements both personally and professionally.”

Chickenbells wrote about her first time using a BOSU at her gym. It’s a funny post (especially the part about balancing on what she called a “BOSU Slip-and-Slide.”)

Bethany had never used a BOSU before either, and she said she “underestimated it’s cantankerous nature.” (Remember to be careful! She ended up injuring her ankle.)

Teresa graduated from doing regular planks to doing planks with her feet propped on a BOSU. (Boy, what a difference it can make…)

Mark Salinas does an hour of BOSU training 1-2 times a week, and outlines a sample workout. It sounds challenging!

Hula-hooping on a BOSU? I think that’s something I’ll have to build up to.

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer, Fitness | Comments (8)

Am I Writing a Post About Break-ups? Really?

28thOctober2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Every so often in my blog reading, I’ll come across a post about the ending of a romantic relationship. If the post is especially good and/or thought provoking, I’ll save the link for later. I figured that at some point, since I do write about single life for BlogHer, a post about break-ups would fit right in.

The only thing is, it’s a little difficult to write about break-ups if you’re not currently going through one yourself. I mean, the topic can be a little depressing — why would you want to bring up those memories if you don’t have to? And if you’re like me, maybe you haven’t had enough break-ups to be able to talk about the subject only in general terms (indeed, maybe there have been so few break-ups in your life that the people close to you will know exactly who you’re talking about).

If I really wanted to, I could write a doozy of a break-up post. It has drama and unexpected plot twists (including a visit to a tattoo shop — something my protective friends had a hard time comprehending). And you know what? A lot of it has already been written. I wrote the post months ago.

I wrote the post with the intention of putting it up on my blog with password-only access so it wouldn’t be available for the entire world to see. But when I was finished, something unexpected happened: I found that the writing itself was cathartic. All those thoughts that had been churning around in my head were finally out in black and white, and I no longer felt the need to post the story for other people to read.

I’m not saying that I would never post it (with password protection intact, of course). It’s just that, if I posted it now, I’d have to deal with the comments and I’d have to respond to them. These events are in my past, I’ve moved on, and I don’t feel the need to re-live it.

When writing a break-up post, some people use the phrase “broken heart” to describe how they’re feeling. I never used that phrase myself. Maybe the feeling of having a broken heart will apply to me (God forbid) in the future, under different circumstances — but it didn’t apply in this case. My heart was, however, cracked. And once a heart has been cracked, nothing is quite the same after that: you’re more wary; you’re less likely to trust as easily.

Here’s the short version of my break-up post: I had good times, I had bad times. I loved, I lost, I learned. I’m a different person than I once was, but I’m happy with who I am.

Would the short version of your break-up post sound anything like that?

(P.S. Sassymonkey commented on this post at BlogHer, where she shared the wise words of author Margaret Atwood. When Margaret was challenged to write a 6-word story, she wrote: “Longed for him. Got him. Shit.”)

Related Reading:

Stefanie: Top 20 Superficial Reasons I’ve Broken Up With Someone and More Superficial Reasons for Breakups

Surfergrrl wrote about the first anniversary of the end of a five-year relationship — how hard it was to force herself not to contact him, and how difficult it was to go through holidays and birthdays as a newly single person.

Hey Pretty ended a relationship not long ago — she called the experience “undeniably sad…but also strangely exhilarating.” I know exactly what she means.

Shine: 10 Dating Red Flags

Yahoo Personals: Why Guys Dump Girls They Dig

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer | Comments (11)

Is It Really Possible For Us to Love Our Bodies?

20thOctober2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

I really like the idea of Love Your Body Day. If you normally don’t take the time to celebrate your body for what it can do, and rather focus strictly on what it looks like, here’s an opportunity to change things up a bit. After reading through some of the posts written that day, though, as well as some others related to body image that didn’t specifically mention Love Your Body Day, I couldn’t help but wonder if it really does any good.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not overly pessimistic about the state of women’s attitudes towards their bodies. I know that it will never be possible for every woman to feel 100% comfortable with how she looks, but there are plenty of women who have great relationships with their bodies. It’s just that I’ve been involved in the online dating world for the past few months, and like it or not, physical looks are a huge factor. I’ve admitted that I’ve rejected people just by looking at their photos, without ever bothering to read their profiles, and I know that the same thing is being done to me.

The thing is, I know at least two other women right now who are doing online dating. It’s really interesting to me how we all have such different experiences, and look at the results we’re getting in such different ways. Liz, for instance, wrote a great post about Love Your Body Day here on BlogHer. It’s a good example of how females will always struggle to look a certain way, but in certain situations they’re able to feel pretty darn good about themselves.

But then, the very next day I read a post written by my friend Zipcode (an anonymous blogger). Zipcode recently re-joined Match.com, but she hasn’t been having a lot of luck so far — and subsequently, she’s not feeling very good about herself at the moment. (I’ve met her in person, so seeing this is a gregarious woman with a say-anything attitude reduced to feeling bad about herself is a little bit humbling.)

Its one of those days were I am feeling blah and hating myself. My self esteem is in the crapper. [...]

As I peruse stupid ass match dot com — it appears every man wants this: slender, petite, supermodel. I am none of those — gah even when I was in the most fabulous shape of my life busting doors and climbing in windows — I was never petite or slender. I got hips, I have a chest. [...] I am tall — get over it superficial dudes.

Why, as beautiful, strong, funny, successful women are we so easily reduced to feeling bad about our looks? Why, when we’re otherwise so competent in our daily lives do we allow strangers to tear us down?

Related Reading:

Hil says, “It drives me crazy to see how much women define their self-worth based on their dress size. How much they compare themselves to others. And it drives me crazy that so many women seem to think that self-acceptance is great for other people, but not for them — they still need to lose weight/tone up/meet the impossible ideal.”

Amazeingteacher has been trying online dating, but she says, in her mind “Men don’t want to date or fall in love with fat people. They. just. don’t. I’m 33 years old and I’ve dated through the years. I’ve seen men call, respond, act interested when I’m thinner…at this size it’s as if I’m nonexistent. I’m not the biggest person in the world, but sometimes it feels like it.”

Manya has received compliments on the photos she has on her dating profile, but she’d rather not be told that she’s beautiful and sexy before that person has even met her.

Susanne at Creative Mother said it’s taken some time for her to learn to love her body but “it was really worth it. Yes, I am overweight (that’s a fact) but I don’t really feel that there is something to hide.”

Live Science: In Romance, Looks Matters Most to the Beautiful

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer | Comments (15)

Bored With Your Fitness Routine? Consider These Options.

15thOctober2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

It’s a phrase you’ve heard many times: Do what you love. Something you’ll look forward to, something that doesn’t seem like exercise, something that doesn’t make you want to rip your hair out with boredom.

I can’t help it. I think about this every time I go to the gym and see all the blank-faced people slogging away on treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes. I’m not saying that exercise machines are bad — certainly not everyone has the option to get outside in the fresh air, due to factors such as current weather conditions, taking care of children, or living in an unsafe area.

But if you do have the choice to do something other than climb on a machine, shouldn’t you take advantage of it? I don’t know about where you live, but here in northern Virginia the weather is pretty grand right now. I’ve taken quite a few 5-mile power-walking loops around my neighborhood in the past few weeks. And it’s not because I care about whether I’m burning more calories on this hour-long walk than I would if I spent thirty minutes on a machine — yeah, maybe I’d burn more calories in a shorter period of time if I did something else. But I walk outside because I enjoy it. The time flies by. When I’m on a machine, I spend the entire time wishing I was anywhere else but there.

I’m selfish when it comes to certain things. One of the ways I embrace my fitness-selfishness is that I don’t force myself to do things I don’t like. Since I find cardio machines to be extremely boring, I avoid them as much as I can.

A few months ago when the weather was turning from spring to summer, I wrote about my aversion to running in the heat. Even though I considered the possibility of using a treadmill, I never actually did so — I changed the time of day I went outside instead. I waited until later in the evening, after the sun went down and the temperature cooled down a bit. There were many times that the air was stifling and humid, but I still found it preferable to being inside.

If you need some new ideas, consider these…

Playground workouts: Utilize equipment such as monkey bars, ladders, poles and ropes for climbing, and even slides (try climbing up instead of sliding down).

Adult P.E. classes: Relay races? Duck, duck, goose? Try some silly fitness fun.

Jump ropes and hula hoops: Not only are they cheap, they don’t take up a lot of storage space. Madonna has used a jump rope on stage. And you can buy weighted hula hoops and even take special hooping classes.

Trampolines: My mom used to have a big trampoline in her yard when she lived in a rural area, but she got rid of it when she moved to Richmond about six years ago. I loved jumping on it when I went for a visit. You can buy smaller versions for home/inside use, though — Monica Neave from BellaOnline says you can burn up to 700 calories an hour.

Unconventional classes: Ever thought about trying something like laughter yoga or aerial conditioning?

Learn a new skill: Interested in belly dancing or ballet? Swimming or surfing? Classes are offered at gyms and recreation centers, or you can learn via DVD or by private instruction — options are all over the place.

Local amateur leagues: Here in the Washington DC area where I live, groups of people get together all the time to play flag football, volleyball, softball, soccer and kickball, among other things.

What do you do to keep things interesting?

Related Reading:

When PastaQueen decided to get back on track with her fitness goals, one of her resolutions was to do “something fun.”

Raegan at Elastic Waist wrote about a woman at her gym that she sees all the time, who always uses the same machine. It’s a good example of the importance of changing-up your routine.

When Sagan realized she didn’t like running, she stopped. But did she quit exercising entirely? Sagan says: “On the contrary, I threw myself into the fun of exercising; experimenting with belly dancing, boot camp, biking, and the one hundred push ups challenge. I figured out what didn’t work for me. Then, I experimented to see what did.”

MSNBC: How much do you [i]really[i] have to exercise?

Times Argus: Blurring the line between work and play can help boost fitness

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer, Fitness | Comments (11)

The Economic Crisis Hasn’t Affected Me. Should I Be Worried?

13thOctober2008

(This is cross-posted at BlogHer.)

Bad things happen all the time, here in the U.S. and around the world. It seems like every day there’s a headline about a mudslide consuming a remote village, or a bus overturning, or a bomb exploding, or a plane crashing. Nobody likes hearing these things, but when they don’t impact you directly it’s a lot easier to put them out of your mind and go about your daily life. Right now, that’s the way I feel about the economic crisis. It’s not affecting me.

Look at some the things that have happened this year:

Gas prices have risen. I only drive my car a few times a week. Unless I’m going to Richmond to visit my family, the local trips I take are within a 10-mile radius of where I live.

Food costs more. I only buy food for myself, so I haven’t noticed a huge difference.

A lot of people have lost their jobs. I may not have the career of my dreams, but my job security doesn’t appear to be in danger.

Working multiple jobs to make ends meet. I do computer-based work in addition to my regular job, but I did that before the economic downturn and at this point it’s just extra money.

Home foreclosures. I don’t own my own home.

Retirement accounts hit. The downturn in the stock market means a lot of people have lost a lot of money and may have to work longer before they can retire. But I’m still in my 20s. I contribute to my retirement account, but it seems so far off that I don’t worry about what’s currently happening with it.

It’s not that I don’t feel bad for the people who have been affected by these things. Of course I feel bad. I realize these scenarios are hitting a lot of people harder than they’re hitting me.

I know I’m not the only one who’s taking a “wait and see” approach. When I talk to my friends, they’re not discussing these things. In the blogs I read, if someone does happen to mention the economy, or money being tight, it’s most likely a question of “I wonder if anything really bad is going to happen in the future?”

If I stop to think about it, I do wonder if what’s going on right now will have long-term consequences. The questions I have are the unanswerable ones. How bad will it get? Will my living standards change? If I ignore it, will it continue to not affect me?

Rather than looking for a new job, some people are staying with their current jobs because they have to do what seems safe. As Brett McKenzie says, I Worked My Butt off in School and all I Got was this Crappy Economy.

[T]hanks to a host of issues beyond our control, we are stuck. Because in this crap economy, you’d have to be flat out, shave-your-head-bald bonkers to walk away from a steady paycheck, health insurance, and the ability to afford a bottle of wine [...]

Can the generation that mastered the text message, Facebook, camera phones, and YouTube really be expected to stay in one place for longer than 19 months or else sacrifice our high standards of living? As far as this Millennial is concerned, I don’t have a choice. I mean, the day I got my first real paycheck, I climbed up on the milk crate that served as our kitchen table and declared to my roommates, “With God as my witness, I’ll never eat Ramen again!” That is a promise I intend to keep. Something about the shiny silver packet with the words “shrimp flavor” printed on it truly frightens me.

Christa in New York has good advice: don’t quit your job if you don’t have another one to go to.

If you’re quitting your job with nothing else to go to, you need to reconsider immediately. And change your mind — do no leave your job without another place to go. There will likely be nothing for you to go to. Now, I do think you should be networking and watching out for new employment opportunities that sound interesting. Actually, I think you should ALWAYS do this, even if you are 100% in love with your job. You need to cover your bases and in this day and age, getting a job interview (and probably getting your dream job or even just your next job) has much more to do with who you know rather than what you know.

Kat Wilder asks, Would you feel embarrassed if you took a job “beneath” your abilities?

[My friend's] career change? Waitressing at a “good” restaurant, where she could potentially make $10,000 to $20,000 more a year than she makes now … as a professional. (Go figure!)

The reaction she got? A horrified look: “Ugh, waiting on people?”

Heather Barmore is tired of hearing about economic woes and says (tongue-in-cheek) that she’s going shopping instead.

So many people cannot afford to shop right now so we should do what we can to boost the economy. And if it means that I own a hell of a lot of argyle then so be it.

Karen recently bought a Wii, but she’s feeling a little guilty about it.

[W]hen I look around me and see all this stuff (and really, we don’t have that much) it is making me feel about an inch tall. We have so much, and most of us tend to get it right away. When’s the last time I really saved up for something and got it through sacrifice? I think that’s something that many of us have forgotten and with the economy being what it is, something we might have to relearn. (Mind you it did not stop us from buying a Wii this week. Oops.)

When’s the last time that you really saved up for something? Did you “enjoy it extravagantly” when you reached your goal?

Econo-Girl asks us to imagine a “radical shift in the U.S. economy.”

Imagine a radical shift in the U.S. economy such that everything is paid for up front. That businesses have cash on hand for payroll, people have the money before they buy a car, and no one uses credit.

I understand the wails of the financial industry: our economy does run on credit. Maybe that’s the problem. Maybe we need to shift our mind sets to saving first.

Something I’ve noticed about saving for something before you buy it: you don’t want to pay as much. Even if you have the full amount that you might have borrowed.

We are in for a tough transition, folks.

Kim at Elastic Waist says she’s going to save money by using the food in the kitchen she already has.

[W]aste is a huge problem in this beautiful country of ours. The U.S. Agriculture Department reports that Americans on average waste about 96 billion pounds of food. I know that I am certainly guilty of waste. How many bags of salad have I not gotten to eat before they got a bit too brown around the edges? I’m pretty sure that lemon isn’t supposed to be hard as a rock. And that smell, the one coming from that chicken, that’s not normal. Let’s just say I am fully Americanized in my wasteful ways and this week (albeit not on purpose) my mission was to be mindful of the foods I already had.

Vered considers herself to be a careful, long-term investor, but her strategy in these fluctuating times is to ignore it.

To me, the only way to calmly accept a bear market is to IGNORE my portfolio. In a bull market, I check my portfolio every day. It’s fun and thrilling. In a bear market, I check it once a week, if that. It’s kind of like checking your blog stats too often: NOT a good idea.

So what do you guys think? Will we be all right? Have your daily habits changed at all?

Related Reading:

MSN: 6 financial milestones before 30.

Brianne says, “I can’t help but think ‘When is this financial crisis going to catch up with ME?’ [...] How worried should I be? How much ‘oh crap!’ planning should I be doing? Should I wait for problems and then react? Or take steps that may prove unnecessary in the long run?”

Jane at Dear Author asked if this current economic downturn will affect our book spending habits. A majority of respondents answered, “I will maintain the same buying pattern because I think we’ll be all right.”

FruGal shares five tips for “frugal lovin’.” In other words, she says she’s “bringing frugal sexy back.”

Fat Fighter TV: Are you eating comfort foods in these tough economic times?

Shreveport Times: Retirement concerns weigh heavy for women

MSNBC: Retirement account losses near $2 trillion

By Zandria | Posted in BlogHer | Comments (15)