Yogaaaa (C&F, Post 5)

One thing that isn't often talked about when tattoos come up is that your daily routine pretty much begins to work around the tattoo--at least when you're healing the damn thing. The easiest part of the tattoo part is probably actually getting inked. It's itchy, you can't pick at the scab, you can't scratch and yes, you can't exercise. This is because excessive sweating and/or tight clothing can irritate the tattoo. You also can't do weights if the tattoo is in an area that would be affected by that (bicep, back). These things'll damage the tattoo and you'll end up having to get it re-touched and done again, basically. 

Last time I got inked (on my forearms), the itching wasn't too bad and I was able to exercise again after around 3 days. I was also able to exercise today because I don't really sweat much in the arm area while doing yoga but it is significantly more sting-y on the inner arm because the flesh is so thin there. I've been a bit sad the past few days because I have't been able to work out.

(photos from VCDQ.com, via Google Search)

I am by no means an athletic person or a "fitness buff". I think that fitness is a very personal thing and what's right for one person may not be right for another person. Throughout my life, my weight has fluctuated a lot depending on how I was/am doing at the time. The lowest my weight's been was 98-108 pounds in my first year of college but that was because I was really depressed and had this evil, controlling boyfriend. The highest my weight's ever been was 135 pounds back in 2010, because I lived with my friend Marz for a bit and there wasn't anything to do but eat and drink, basically. Because I know what it feels like on those two extremes, I try to stay in the middle. My ideal weight is around 110; I used to be that weight from 2008-early 2010 (before moving in with Marz hahaha) back when I used to do Jeet Kune Do (my brother's an instructor). Around two months ago, I weighed 129 pounds and that's heavy for me because I'm only 5'1; I was 4 pounds overweight. And I just didn't feel very nice. I felt lethargic and kinda sad a lot of the time and so I did a little reflecting and figured the happiest times in my life were times when I had a regular exercise routine. 

The thing about me is that I don't like going to the gym. I don't like the equipment and I get bored doing the same thing over and over again, by myself. It's like riding the bus--except you get tired. I used to jog around my village but I've seen way too many kidnap videos to be comfortable with that, so I'd rather not. Plus, in both CSI, and Hannibal it's always the joggers that find the dead bodies. 

I used to enjoy jogging itself (I have a treadmill) but I have an injured knee (dislocated when I was 11) so if I jog for too long consistently, it gets really painful.

I prefer activities like martial arts (but my brother no longer teaches) or yoga that have pretty practical applications but that you can do on your own. I like working out at home best because it's quiet and you don't have to worry about how silly you look when you're struggling. I started off by doing Ellen Barret's Dance Pilates and ye 'old Hip-Hop Abs (which I still like, btw) but found that these work outs weren't quite high-impact enough for me. I like to be almost-dying after a work out.

Thus, begins my love affair with Jillian Michaels. I did/am doing the 30 Day Shred (doing level 3 starting next Monday) and have lost around 13 pounds in 3 weeks. I'm down to around 116 now which is only 6 pounds away from my ideal weight! Happeh happeh! However, the 30 Day Shred really takes a toll on your flexibility and on your joints/muscles because it's so intense. So I decided to take a yoga week and it's felt like fucking heaven (fucking in this context is used as an adjective, not a verb HAHAHA). I heard Jillian Michaels also had a yoga video so I downloaded that. Pretty basic stuff, but I like that she combined it with cardio because it doesn't lose the high-impact quality which is what makes her videos so damn attractive. Plus, she's a great pep-talker. I like that the "back-up exercisers" (what do you call those people?) talk back to her; really funny. Anyway.

I guess this is me saying exercise made my day. :) It really helps the happy, getting 'yo ass off the ground. The photo above is my favorite pose, next to Downward Dog; this is called the Dolphin pose. :D