Tag Archives: fitness

Improving My Fitness in the New Year

I am excited to be increasing my fitness this year. I have always loved to be physically active. With middle age, I am struggling with increased weight and fatigue. Along with eating better and getting more rest, I am working on improving my fitness in some specific ways. First, I am working to increase my cardiovascular fitness. I do this through several activities that I enjoy. My favorite activity is hiking in the beautiful desert mountains near our home. These last few months, I have attempted to go on at least two hikes a month or at least four hours of hiking a month. I also run outdoors once or twice a week, and go to the gym to use the elliptical machine or stationary bike. I would like to add swimming to my cardiovascular fitness plan in the future.

I know that cardiovascular fitness is only one part of my overall fitness. I will also be adding strength workouts and flexibility workouts to my fitness plan. At the gym, I have learned to do a three day approach to strength training. I will focus on back and bicep muscles on one day, the chest and triceps muscles on another day, and my legs and core on a third day. Adding yoga to the mix can increase my flexibility and add more strength to my core. I am excited to bring all these elements together to improve my fitness this year.

P90X Workout ‘Extras’

How do people become the “extras” on exercise videos?  Is it a volunteer type of program, do they get paid for their sweat and tears?  When you look at the physical results people can achieve by undergoing such programs, it really could go either way.  I assume they are getting paid, but who knows, maybe some people really love the idea of trying a new exercise program and would enjoy volunteering.

When you look at some routines like the P90X workout program though, there must be some kind of screening process.  That program is intense and people who complete P90X seem to undergo almost a complete transformation process.  A person of average fitness ability can complete it, but the people who developed P90X are probably incredibly familiar with the intensity level of that workout and probably had some sort of method for choosing their exercise extras.

It would be kind of fun to be an extra for something like the P90X workout program.  Since no one has ever done it before, you know you’re breaking ground and probably going to benefit from it as well.  There is a definite sense of adventure in that.  Very appealing, but probably not in the near future.  For now, the exercise videos will have to do.