Yoga with Joanna

Yoga Flow today with Boho Beautiful

Today was a busy day at work followed by a night at the rink.
I needed a minute to come back to the present. Come back to my breath. Check in with my body and move with self-love and gentle care.

Sometimes I swear YouTube knows what my body needs more than I do. Initially, I wanted a faster flow, beginning in a mountain pose.
I searched for a 30-minute yoga flow in the Boho style and this video popped up.

It began seated, moving slowly with deep stretches and breaths, and then moved into a standing sequence.

As I began I thought to myself, "Oh, this is actually what my body and mind needed".

A reminder to check in and realize we are not our to-do lists. We do not need to take on our tasks as our identities and emotions.

Those tasks will always be there, but it's often a good practice to zoom out your perspective and come back to a survival needs-only viewpoint.

When a major life event occurs like a birth or a death, it's as if a curtain is quickly drawn away and you realize "Oh! None of that stuff matters". You will carry this realization with you for some time, but as time passes, it's amazing how quickly the curtain begins to close again.

You begin to identify as your job, as your chores, your responsibilities, and you begin to compare yourself and your life to others on social media.

As the saying goes, "Your job will be posted before your obituary".
Remember to take some time for yourself to check in with gratitude and remember what is REALLY important. Remember those you love and those who love and need you.

You show up as your best self when you take the time to remember who you REALLY are, at your core, behind all the chaos. That's how you can best serve others.

As Ram Dass said, "I can do nothing for you but work on myself. You can do nothing for me but work on yourself".

Namaste 🙏

30 Min Yoga Flow For Full Body & Mind | Breathing Into Blissful Being This full body yoga flow for releasing stress & anxiety, will also wake up your being and reset and energize your mind. This 30 minute Boho Beautiful yoga cl...

Today I asked my 12-year-old son if he wanted to work out with me. He said, "Only if we do squats and legs".
I wanted to do upper body strength, so we compromised on this Head-to-Toe Total Body Strength video by Move Daily Fitness

This video was a challenge because we were using the same weights for many of the exercises. We had to make accommodations by moving up or down in weight or using plates instead of barbells.

I must say, it was fun having a partner today and truthfully I always love it when I see them struggling and they can admit that maybe Mom's exercises aren't "easy workouts just for girls".

Considering my boys and husband are hockey and baseball players (and I am not), I always love it when I can find something active to do with them that we both enjoy.

This was a no-repeat video which was a perfect introductory class for my son.
As Tracy says at the end of this video, if you're just looking to move daily, this is a perfect video, but if you're looking to gain muscle, you would need to add more sets.

Who knows, maybe I can get the whole fam in for my next strength session......💪

30 Minute Head to Toe! No Repeat Strength Workout 30 Minute Head to Toe! No Repeat Strength Workout -This is a total body strength workout, from head to toe. We are going to work down the body and hit the mu...

Restorative Yoga with Jessica Richburg Yoga today 🙏

This video is also a favourite of mine.
I have done this video with my Mom and my son as a gentle practice to help stretch out.

This was the perfect practice for me today, as I didn't sleep well last night and didn't have the energy for a big workout.

My body was missing this practice.
It felt good to slowly stretch out all the tight muscles from strength training and walking.

It was so nice to practice with my eyes closed and feel the targeted parts of my body that the pose is meant to bring attention to.

This practice was just what I needed today. It is a good reminder to listen to your body and the type of movement it asks for.

Restorative Yoga Flow - No Props | 35-minute Class This video is a restorative 35-minute class, no props needed. We'll be holding the postures longer to get a deeper stretch and encourage the body to relax an...

Today was meal prep day for the week.
I like to cook/ bake a lot of food on Sundays so that we have some healthy meals ready for the week.

Today I roasted 2 whole chickens with tomatoe sauce. I then shred the meat into a glass tupperware for salads and sandwiches for the week. I use the carcasses from both to make soup.

I made a double batch of black bean brownies for the week because my kids love them, they are high in fiber and protein and low in fat (and gluten free if that's your thing).

I made up a pot of rice to keep in the fridge that I'll put on salad bowls with the chicken for my lunches this week.

As always, I make up banana, frozen fruit and protein powder smoothies for my breakfast for the week and freeze them in mason jars.

I find meal prep is so helpful in a busy household to have healthy food ready to grab and go. Otherwise it's easy to reach for pre-packaged convenience over nutrients.

Another gorgeous sunny day 🌞
Temps are a little cooler but perfect for walking 🚶‍♀️
Had a break between gardening and hockey, so I decided to walk and listen to my audiobook 📖

Perfect autumn day 🍂

Muscles in Menopause with Move Daily Fitness today!

Reasons for selecting this video:

I will be 45 this year, so 'tis the season!
While I don't personally notice any typical symptoms of menopause, I know it's coming and I'd like to be prepared for it.

I remember women joking about how cruel it was that women usually go through menopause while their kids are teenagers and how we are cursed with a house full of raging hormones 🤣
I'd like to do all that I can to mitigate as much of that as possible moving into this season of life.

Storytime 📖

I once saw an elderly woman lying beside her car in a parking lot in the dead of winter, while her elderly husband was trying to lift her up and into the driver's seat.

I immediately pulled over to help, but because this was in the Covid era, she didn't want me to help her. Her husband was looking at me pleadingly because he wasn't able to help her up. For her personal comfort only, I went and put on a mask I had in my car. She kept saying, "I'm fine once I get my feet under me", so I assume this had happened more than once.

As I began to lift her, and others came to help, I realized she had no muscle. It was as if clothes were hanging on broomsticks. No wonder she fell and couldn't get back up, she literally had no muscle to help herself.

The scarier part was that she got into the driver's seat. When I asked her husband if he should be driving instead he said he just had his license taken away because he was losing his eyesight. I asked if they wanted me to drive them home, but they said no. I asked if they had children who lived nearby and he said yes they did. I told him he should inform them of what happened today and maybe they could help run errands from now on.

Now I know we will all be here one day, but the term "Use it or lose it" kept coming to mind.

As we get older, we get more tired. As we get more tired, we tend to slow down. As we slow down, we tend to drop physical activity that we once did and therefore our muscles begin to atrophy.

I'm not saying seniors should be doing the same exercises as 20 year olds. Lord knows, I don't want to be doing the same exercises as 20 year olds.

I'm just saying, my goal is to maintain as much mobility as I can while I age, so that I can still see this beautiful world we live in and not have to say, I'm too old for that, or my body can't do that anymore.

You can't stop Father Time, but you can do your best (within your control) to age with less suffering.

My thoughts on this video:

I was nervous about the single legged lunges, but was able to manage them without knee pain!

I had to add 20lbs to my bar for the deadlifts!

I have definitely moved up in weight for all triceps exercises.

I definitely struggle with biceps and need to move down in weight and am fatigued by the end.

The sprint exercises at the end made me nervous.
I did test each of them out at least once but for the most part I just jogged on the spot.

Surprisingly I was able to do the skaters no problem at all.

I have low blood pressure, so I'm not a big fan of multilevel exercises like burpees because I tend to get light headed, so again I just squatted in place or jogged on the spot.

You do you boo! Whatever season of life you are in, just keep swimming 🐠

45 Minute Muscles in Menopause | Total Body Strength with Sprint Finisher 45 Minute Muscles in Menopause | Total Body Strength with Sprint Finisher - Burn 401 Calories*Back to some heavier lifting while we try to maintain and even ...

Here is the Boho Beautiful arm video I did after the Pilates video today.

10 Min TONED Arms Workout | 10 Easy Arm Exercises For Quick Results (No Equipment) This quick & effective 10 minute arm workout is the best way to tone your arms and bring definition, and weight loss to your upper body and shoulders. Throug...

Wow! Today's exercise with Boho Beautiful was a struggle for me!

I felt like doing a grounded, body-weight-type exercise with lots of holds, and boy did these 2 videos challenge me! (I'll post the new arm workout video above).

This was my first time doing both of these videos and let me tell you, it's been a while since I had to stop in the middle of a Pilates set.

Exercises like these with long holds are so important because they teach you how to breathe through discomfort. This allows us to build trust in ourselves and our abilities. It's so easy to say to yourself, "No. This is hard. I'm quitting. I don't HAVE to be doing this right now. I'm going to switch to an exercise that I know I can do."

But just like in life, you don't grow unless you challenge yourself in some way. Is it a good feeling when you rock a workout and get through all of it without struggling? Of course! But what if you just continued to do that same workout every day for the rest of your life? Eventually, it wouldn't be a challenge. Your muscles would adapt and your mind would begin to wander, disassociating from the present.

As in life, I've always found that when things got too easy or monotonous, I had to change them up to bring back excitement and passion. That doesn't mean abandoning them, but it means adding in something different and unexpected. Not only does this help your body, but it also helps your brain to continuously learn new skills.

I have found that I am more attentive when I'm learning something new and don't know what's coming next. Maybe I'll love it, or maybe I'll hate it, but you could be missing out on something you love if you don't at least give it a try.

Pilates Intense Mat Workout ♥ Tools For A New You | BELIEF This class is one of the most effective pilates workout videos we have created for both beginners and advanced. A floor Pilates workout that targets and fine...

This was the very first Move Daily Fitness video I ever did and I put it on repeat!

I actually googled "low weight high rep women workout". After clicking through multiple YouTube videos, this one was the winner and I saved it to my desktop.

I was interested to see what had changed coming back to this video today after doing other strength videos, and here's what I noticed:

I was able to up the weight on all of the exercises!
Now, when I say up the weight, I mean going from a 2lb weight to a 4lb, a 4lb to a 6lb, and a 10lb to a 15lb. Nothing crazy, but it does mean that I am stronger now than when I started.

The lateral raises are still a struggle for me, and that fire hydrant gets me every time, however, I am only fatiguing right at the end now. I used to have to switch legs halfway through because I couldn't get through the set, but today I made it to the end without switching halfway!

I remember beginning a circuit class years ago and the trainer told me while I was struggling, "Come on Joanna, you can do it!". I remember thinking, "No, I can't right now, but I will be able to".

Returning to these videos proves that you don't have to go all out in the beginning. If you set a goal and work toward it a little bit every day (or most days) you CAN achieve your goal.

30 Minute HIGH REP, LIGHT WEIGHT Total Body Workout for BEGINNERS 30 Minute HIGH REP, LIGHT WEIGHT Total Body Workout for BEGINNERS -Today we are going to grab a lighter set of dumbbells, but that doesn't necessarily mean t...

Not a lot of time today, so I decided to squeeze in my, old faithful, go-to, yoga-in-a-pinch, video by Jessica Richburg Yoga

I ended up working a little later today than normal and, then once again, plans changed and it turned out I had to bring my son to hockey.

I had about a half an hour between getting off work and driving him. I knew I had this go-to 20 minute video saved on my desktop and because I do it often, I know what to expect.

It's a great yoga flow with all the core poses fit into a nice tidy 20 minute practice.

To be honest, I also needed the yoga today. September is a busy time in all aspects of life as everything ramps up for a new year.

If you haven't already, check out my post below about Yin Yang and Modification 👇.

My work and home life feel a bit yang lately, so in order to balance my nervous system, I like to incorporate more of a yin workout.

This works the opposite way as well. If work and home life are slow and quiet, I like to incorporate a yang exercise into my day.

Personally, I find I thrive when I feel balanced
Too much yin can feel like depression
Too much yang can feel like anxiety
Learning these tools on how to balance and regulate my nervous system has been such a blessing.

Also having these videos on YouTube alows me carry these tools with me, no matter where I am.

If you can balance each day, then you can balance your life ☯️

20 Minute Everyday Vinyasa Yoga Flow This is a 20 minute yoga flow perfect for everyday practice. Re-visit whenever you need a quick pick me up. :) If you enjoyed this video, be sure to give it ...

Another gorgeous day today 🌞

Last year the snow came on October 28th, so I'm going to take advantage of this weather any chance I can get!

I wonder how many of these warm days we have left this year. The leaves have just started to change at the tops of the trees.

Although I am looking forward to walking in the autumn tree tunnels, I do prefer the warmer weather.

All that to say that today I decided to get my exercise outside.

Saw this new video posted on Move Daily Fitness social media and thought it looked perfect for today!

This video was fun and here are some things I noticed about myself:

I am much stronger now than when I started!
I will admit, I hadn't lifted weights regularly since my 20s, so when I started doing these videos I was shocked that a 2lb weight was a struggle at the end of my sets.
I am amazed at how quickly that became easier for me and I challenged myself to move up in weight.
Again, my rule in order to move up in weight is that I should be able to complete my set without struggle, and then I know it's time to challenge myself.

Another thing I noticed was that I definitely have stronger muscles, and muscles that I obviously don't use as much. In hammer curls, I can move up in weight, but in bicep curls, I need to move down.
This is what I love about working out at home. I can listen to my body depending on the exercise and choose my weight accordingly.
I also noticed that, like in yoga, my practice can change daily depending on many factors.
Maybe the last time I did this exercise I used a 10lb weight to the end of my set, but today, for the exact same exercise, I am fatiguing at 3 reps with a 10 lb weight.
I know that I can switch weight in order to complete my set, even though I was able to finish all the sets with a higher weight the last time.

This can be for many reasons, including sleep, diet, hydration, hormones, where I am in my cycle, maybe I overworked that particular muscle group the day before exercising or even doing daily chores like gardening.

Be gentle with yourself and listen to your body and what is best for you. The goal is to get a little stronger every day, and injury is not health.

Give yourself a pat on the back for showing up for yourself.

Like Frankie said, "I did it my way" 🎶

30 Minute Head to Toe Beginner Workout | No Repeat Strength 30 Minute Head to Toe Beginner Workout | No Repeat Strength - We are targeting a little bit of everything in this beginner workout today! Grab your dumbbell...

Yoga flow today with Boho Beautiful

I actually started another yoga video, and thought, "No. I want more of a flow today".

I do try to do this video at least once a week.
It is the perfect amount of challenge and ease for me.
Somedays I just want a good stretch, so I'll do a restorative/yin flow. Somedays my body wants to be challenged by poses, but not to the point of exhaustion and (for me) this video is perfect for that.

It's the perfect video to stretch out after last night's upper body strength.

Also, my wrist has healed so much, I knew I was ready for downdogs and chaturangas and truthfully, my body was missing them.

This video is also shot in front of the Three Sister Mountains in Canmore, which makes it feel more homey.

I personally like to do a variety of different exercise practices because that's what works well for me.

I don't ONLY do yoga, or ONLY do strength, or ONLY do cardio, or ONLY do Pilates. I like to choose intuitively by asking my body what it needs in that moment.

I find this works best for my physical and mental health. Considering my overall goal is health and mobility as I age, I'm not looking to target specific areas of my body.

We are all different, and in the words of Amy Poehler, it's ok to say, "Good for her. Not for me."

30 Min Total Body Yoga Flow | Breathe, Stretch, & Feel Your Best After this 30 Minute full body yoga flow don't forget to grab some Cacao Bliss by clicking the link: https://earthechofoods.com/bohobeautiful and using the ...

Upper body strength video today by Move Daily Fitness

If there was ever a day I thought about skipping, it was today.

Today was a rare occasion when I had to work at an event.
I am an introvert at heart and large groups tend to overwhelm me.
When I got home, my social battery was depleted, so I put on my pajamas and watched some Netflix to recharge.

After I watched 3 episodes, I felt energized enough for a shorter strength video, but not cardio.

I saved this video to my desktop, which means I liked it enough to put it on repeat.

It was the perfect video for how I was feeling today.

Despite how I was feeling, I still moved my body today without causing adrenal fatigue.

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”
― Martin Luther King Jr.

25 Minute Beginner Upper Body Strength Workout in Rep Range 25 Minute Beginner Upper Body Strength Workout in Rep Range - We are hitting all of those upper body muscles today in this beginner workout. We will hit 15 ...

Change of plans today....

Had to take my son to hockey immediately after work.

My plan was to sit in the warming room and watch or read, but the glass is all fogged up, so I can't see him.

I was wondering how I'd move my body today, so instead, I started walking from the arena.

I brought an umbrella, but the rain held off and it felt good to feel the cool breeze and fresh air.

The more time I spend outside, the better I usually sleep too.

So even though my plans changed today, I was still able to move 🚶‍♀️

Today I tried a Barre & Cardio Kickboxing video by Move Daily Fitness.

I was hesitant to try this one.
I once showed up at the gym for a yoga class, but the gym had switched the class to a Barre class.
I decided to stay and try it out, but it was all single-legged lunges and high-impact. I tried to modify the moves, but my knee hurt for days after.

This video was really fun and not something I would usually do. Again, Tracy gives modifications for any lunging, so I was able to squat or stand and still feel the burn.

I chose this video today because I had a lot of energy when I got off work. I went to town and did a bunch of errands. When I got home my body craved cardio, but it was raining.

Normally I would hop on my stationary bike, or walk my dogs, but my bike wasn't set up yet, and I didn't want to walk in the rain.

I remembered in one of Tracy's other videos, she talked about how she saw muscle definition when she was doing a lot of Barre exercises, so I thought I'd give this video a try.

There are no exercises in this video that put pressure on the wrists either, which was a huge bonus.

A reminder that you aren't being lazy by modifying exercises. You showed up wanting to work and move your body and you can do that without injuring yourself, and without judgment.

Remember, the hardest part is showing up 😉

35 Minute Barre and Cardio Kickboxing 35 Minute Barre and Cardio Kickboxing Workout - Burn 278 Calories*Here's a fun combo of barre and cardio kickboxing! I'll show a little preview before each c...

Here's the Boho Beautiful 5 minute arm video I talked about in the previous post.

Give it a try!

5 Minutes Arm Workout For Toning | How To Lose Arm Fat An incredible 5 minute arm workout that will tone and sculpt like never before. If you struggling to lose extra arm fat or simply looking for a way to gain m...

Pilates today!

Today I chose this video by Boho Beautiful.
Funny story, I actually saw them in Kananaskis one day.
I yelled, "Hey! They're from my Yoga videos", as we drove by.

This one was an abdominal challenge for sure!
Long ago, in my 20s, I used to get up at 4:30am to do a 20-minute Pilates VHS before I went to work. My abs seem to have forgotten that.

I forgot about the side plank sequence in this video, so made modifications on my right side for my wrist.

After I do a Pilates video, I also do the Boho Beautiful 5 min arm video. I was happy to find this one because I used to feel like my arms were being left out. I once got my husband and sons to do the arm video with me. They thought Mom's 5-minute video would be so easy, but they all struggled.

I'll post the arm video above this one 👆

It's colder today, so this was a nice one to stay inside.

Another day of moving my body 💪

Pilates 21 Day Challenge ♥ Full Body Workout For Results you enjoyed The Ultimate Pilates 21 Day Challenge from Thailand (https://youtu.be/ouv_isD5mZ8) then you will love thi...

Well look at that....
I still had this Sarah Beth Yoga Hands Free Yoga video shortcut saved on my desktop from the last time I burned my wrist.

I really loved that there was still a flow sequence to this practice even while excluding any downward dogs or poses that put pressure on the wrists.
I really enjoy a good flow and this video checked that box.

I understand that this video is more for wrist injuries than burns, so there were still some poses that I had to modify including placing my hands under my bottom while lying down, and instead of a forearm plank, I had to do an elbow plank. Again, that's just my particular needs at the moment and I always love it when it's easy to modify.

My glutes and hamstrings were still stiff from the squats and lunges, and walking yesterday, so this yoga practice also helped stretch me out.

First day with wrist injury done ✅
That wasn't so hard at all.

See, you can always find a way to move.
Just do what's right for you.

30 minute Hands Free Yoga for Sore Wrists | Sarah Beth Yoga Add this 30 minute hands free yoga practice to your regular routine whenever your hands, sore wrists, elbows, shoulder pain or upper body need a break. Check...

Fool me twice, shame on me 🤦‍♀️
2 years ago, while pulling a roasting pan out of the oven, the lid slipped off and the steam burned my wrist. After painful blistering and peeling my wrist finally healed.
Well, last night I did the same thing AGAIN! (hence no follow-up yoga video).
The burning actually continues long after exposure. I spent the night with my wrist in a bowl of ice water. Then I covered it in polysporin and wrapped it over night.
I was so disappointed in myself. How could I let this happen again? Why wasn't I more careful?
Anyway, I'm going to have to figure out how to move my body daily again with limited wrist movement.
It's not impossible, just an added challenge.
I'll keep posting what I come up with, it just might look different.

Glutes are a bit sore today after the squats and lunges yesterday.
We're having some gorgeous weather this week, so I felt like walking outside and listening to my audiobook.
Take advantage while we can 😉
I'll probably do a 20 minute yoga video later to stretch out.
I'll post the link if I do.

Another day off work.
My body tends to crave a higher-energy workout on my off days because I have more energy and am not mentally drained.
YES! Even though you are not using your body, being mentally stressed can physically exhaust you.
I chose this particular video today because one of my goals is to maintain and slightly grow and define muscle to aid in my everyday life.
It's important to remember that not everyone's goal is to lose weight and look good in a bathing suit. While there is nothing wrong with that, it is important to remember that it is not everyone's goal or focus. Some people just want to stay healthy and maintain mobility while they age. That's why I like Move Daily Fitness videos because that tends to be the focus.

Pros about this workout: I am now able to move up in weight. At the beginning, I was using 2s, 4s, and 6s and was fatigued by the end of my set. Now finding that is too easy, I can select a higher weight. I think it's important to not let your ego take over and immediately go for the heaviest weight if you are doing high reps. More than likely you compromise your form, not targeting the intended muscle, and are therefore more prone to injury. Listen to your body and put the ego aside. You should be fatiguing close to the end of your set, not at the beginning. If that's the case, choose a lower weight and as you get stronger, you can move up to challenge yourself.

Con (for me) with this video: My knee does not love any single-legged lunges. HOWEVER, Tracy does give the option to do squats instead of the lunges which was perfect for me.
I love working at home with these videos because I can make these adjustments for myself.

Once you've moved your body, you should feel proud of yourself. Remember it's you today vs you yesterday and that's it.

Comparison is the thief of joy!

33 Minute Upper and Lower Body Strength Supersets | Strength Workout at Home 33 Minute Upper and Lower Body Strength Supersets -Ok let's pick up some heavy stuff! As we age our risk for sarcopenia and osteoporosis increases. The loss ...

I have the day off work today, so I had a bit more time.
I like to do these strength workouts on my days off.
I've been seeing a lot of videos and podcasts talking about introducing weight training as we age and begin to lose muscle mass to build muscles and strengthen bones.
I found Move Daily Fitness videos and have done them at least once a week since.
I enjoy the workouts. I feel fatigued at the end and not too sore to continue on with my daily activities.
I love her motto to "Move Daily" and she has lots of different videos of different styles of exercise for varying levels.

30 Minute Beginner Full Body Strength with Dumbbells 30 Minute Beginner Full Body Strength with Dumbbells - This is your full body strength workout! This workout is intended for beginners, but you can always ki...

Today I did this 30-minute Vinyasa Flow video by Jessica Richburg Yoga.

Why I chose this exercise today:
When I was blow-drying my hair while inverted this morning, I noticed that my hamstrings felt very tight.
With back to school and everything else that begins in September, there is always a busy energy, and my sleep is affected.
Therefore, 2 days this week I drank regular coffee (which I haven't been doing for a while). While this does give me energy, it also gives me anxiety (maybe that's why I felt like walking and biking).
I slept well last night and decided not to drink regular coffee today and I was falling asleep at my desk.
My body craved the body resistance, long holds, and gentle voices of a vinyasa flow.
I like Jessica's videos and teaching style; today, her yoga was calling to me.
I am really enjoying this intuitive daily body movement and maybe you will to 🙏

30 Minute Vinyasa Yoga Flow | Full Body Practice This is a 30 minute full body vinyasa flow. The class starts with a standing warm-up and sun salutation before moving into the main sequence where each pose ...