CONFESSIONS OF A FAT GIRL

Get Active & Well In 2013 With Streaming Fitness Videos From Gaiam TV

UPDATE 3/21: Gaiam has repaired the situation and all is well. Thank you to their reps.

UPDATE 3/12: I want to follow up and let all of my readers know that Gaiam has turned out to be a less than stellar company to work with. I was made promises in exchange for my honest review of the product and promotion of their site. And they have completely vanished off the face of the earth. I gave their representative fair warning and multiple chances to rectify the situation but as I'm being ignored now, I wanted to make you all aware and recommend to any of my fellow bloggers who happen up0n this to not work with them nor their media reps at Single Edition Media. Thank you.

 

Original Post: Januar 22, 2013

For the unfamiliar, Gaiam (that’s  "guy-um") is a provider of information, goods and services to customers who value the environment, a sustainable economy, healthy lifestyles, alternative healthcare and personal development. They sell products in all the stores you and I love to shop in (Target, Whole Foods, etc.) and here’s a fun fact (I love this kind of stuff): the word “Gaiam” is a fusion of the words "Gaia" and "I am". Gaia, mother Earth, was honored on the Isle of Crete in ancient Greece 5,000 years ago by the Minoan civilization. This civilization valued education, art, science, recreation, and the environment and believed that the Earth was directly connected to its existence and daily life. The concept of Gaia stems from the ancient philosophy that the Earth is a living entity.

Thank you, Wikipedia. You know everything. And thus concludes our history lesson of the day and onto the good stuff! This one is dedicated to my homies who just don’t wanna leave the house…

Ok, so Gaiam TV, an innovative service, is the first streaming fitness video subscription service designed to reach those interested in health, wellness, yoga, fitness and personal development. With over 2,000 titles, Gaiam TV is like Netflix for you exercise/health-lovers out there. They seem to have hundreds of hours of online yoga, Pilates and cardio workouts with top instructors like Seane Corn, Jillian Michaels and Kathryn Budig. 

Gaiam’s yoga and fitness videos are flexible, simple to use, and customizable by things like weight loss, total body sculpting or increased energy. Then you can narrow down your options based on level, style, instructor and amount of available time (quickie Pilates for everyone!). You can make a playlist – it’s like Spotify but with yoga. Namaste, kids! (Whenever I write the word “Namaste,” I feel this weird itch to italicize it. I have no idea why.)

This is a pretty engaging way to work out and not leave your house. And obviously the benefit of it being sourced online is 24/7 convenience with streaming capabilities (iPad, smartphone, etc.).

And for you, since I love you all so much, I’ve been sponsored by Gaiam to not only write this post, but also offer you a 10-day free trial via http://bit.ly/GaiamTVActive. (Normally $9.95 a month, which is pretty on par with going rates, right? You can cancel anytime.)

Let me know if you give it a whirl! I hope you enjoy.

Let's Get Behind This

I think I must say "there's an app for that" a few times a week these days. 

Here's one I liked. NEXERCISE. First of all, and perhaps most importantly after we've all just bankrupted ourselves for the holidays, it's FREE. That's awesome. And it's aim is to help you lose weight by making the journey fun and motivating. It's app blackmail at its finest -- it motivates you to exercise more consistently by using your smartphone to deliver an engaging game, automated tracking, a social support network, and real rewards.  

They also have some testimonials on their website that are pretty hard to ignore -- people with high blood pressure getting off their meds, diabetics with amazing bloodwork results, and people losing pounds, dress sizes, and pants sizes. 

Coolest part -- and this is something I haven't seen yet in any exercise-related app I've checked out -- as I mentioned, users can earn gift cards at leading retailers like Amazon, Sephora, JC Penney, Barnes & Noble... That's just really cool to me. It's similar to Viggle, who rewards TV viewing with points that you can trade in for gifts... But these are far more attainable (I will probably NEVER get to the 30,000 points Viggle requires for even a tiny prize). 

Hell, you get bonus points just for logging in daily. And it's FREE, people. Free to download. (Did I mention it's free?)

And then lastly, another cool feature: Linking to friends. Thanks to EVERYTHING being routed through social media, you can hold yourself up to what your friends are doing. OR, if you want to bare our soul, to what strangers are doing. 

It's a really fantastic idea and I don't know why no one thought of it sooner and also, why more people aren't using it! 

 

Even Exercise Has an Infographic

Wasn't I JUST lamenting about thew rash of fitness apps coming out?

I didn't get to try this one, but I love the inforgraphic they sent over (click to enlarge):

Work Out Genius (No, no, not ME!)

Has anyone noticed a sudden rash of fitness apps out there? Well, kid-tested, AJ-approved, this one is my favorite. It gets the "COFG Seal of Approval" - which probably doesn't count for much but as a gadget junkie, I hope you trust me enough... 

But just in case, you should at least trust that WOD Genius was designed, tested and approved by CrossFit coaches, Navy Seals, and Marines (hard core, right?!). Through extensive research, development, and testing, they have been able to create technology within a Crossfit mobile application that gives the user flexibility in their workouts without the need of a CrossFit gym.

I like the WOD Generator, which allows you to select the equipment you have access to and creates a WOD that fits your equipment. It's like carrying the gym trainer in your pocket. (If only!) 

But also, love the "Movement Library" -- access to an extensive library that gives you a full description and video of the workout. Because I never know how to use machines at the gym or what exercises to do. 

And it comes with the timer, stopwatch, etc. type functions you expect. 

For $1.99, it's basically a steal of a deal. Download it here, homies.

Zombie Preparedness

This is no joke, people. The Center for Disease Control is taking this shit for reals! 

Thus, my friend and I decided fencing classes were the most sensible idea. (Also, it checks off another item on my "33 in 2012" list.) Now, when the zombie apocalypse comes, Danielle and I will be ready. 

Go on. Judge me if you want. But when I'm kicking zombie ass with my bad-ass sword skillz, you'll be like "AJ, you're my hero! You should be our new planet ruler!" 

And I'll be all "Oh, okay. If you insist."

FYI, my first decrees after I've destroyed the zombies will be shorter work-weeks, puppies for everyone who wants them and more tickets for ass-clowns who drive to slow on the freeway. (I may also insist on cupcakes for breakfast.)

You're welcome. 

I should also tell you that my body HURTS. We were all geared up to learn about fencing but really thought our first class would be like "Look, kids! This is a sword. And THIS... is a HELMET. Can you say HELMET?"

We were wrong. There was parrying and thrusting and lunging. And a bit of getting whacked in the ass by Danielle's foil because homegirl takes her swordplay to new levels of agression. (This is why I am glad to be on her team however it did catch me by surprise to feel the poke in my butt.)

The good news is, I expect I'll sleep quite well tonight. 

But before I crash, I just wanted you to see what pops up when you google image search "Zombie Apocalypse." Other than some funny photos of President Obama kicking zombie arse, you get a lot of funny pie charts like this one:

Be alert, folks. You never know when they'll come for you.