No Sweat Workouts!

I would much rather sit on a leather sofa set with my legs cast over the side as I savor a chocolate soufflé than lift the cold, 15 pound , germ infested weights at the gym. I would much rather spend the day at my sisters dining room set creating scrapbooks as I leisurely listen to life advise from wise older women wearing cute antiqued broaches than run on a treadmill as I twist my neck trying to watch the Today show on the opposite TV in the gym. I would much rather lay on the beach and read the latest issue of In Style Weddings show casing the greatest and latest LA Wedding Photographers than surf. Physical activity is not my forte. However just like you I know the whole kitten caboodle about how women who don’t exercise are more likely to develop cancer and the inability to jump higher than their nephews on the backyard trampoline. My immature need to show up a five year old has put me in search of workouts that I like. I’ve broken down all of my fav’s by F.I.T.- Fun, Interesting and a Tip for you. Stretch your mind with this thought, “If Aunt Nini can do it. I can try it.”

Yoga

Fun- Not only do you tone your body and develop a slender physique but you also develop your spiritual side. I remember my very first yoga class we did a posture called “Mountain Pose.” My instructor said, “Stand like a mountain. Standing completely still, unmoved by whatever may cross in front of you; always strong, always observing.” I thought this was such a cool way to calm myself, as well as see nature and myself as one in the same. Whenever things bother me now I think, “Be like the mountain.”

Interesting- As a novice yogi I thought, “it’s just a bunch a stretching.” Wrong! The trick to Yoga is the ability to calm your body. When you are calm your metabolism speeds up and your breath is deep. Keeping you slim and trim. The stretching and pulling allow blood to circulate to the organs in your body which are ignored.

Tip- My favorite Yoga teacher is Patrick of Freeman Yoga in Fullerton.

Pilates-

Fun-This is ab-mazing! Not only do my abs burn for three days after my workout I don’t break a sweat the entire time! There is also one instructor leading you at all times so it’s like having a personal trainer the entire time.

Interesting- The thing about Pilates is the slow and controlled situps, curls, leg work and arm work done on the machines. The slow pace of 10 sit-ups is equal equals the work of 100 situps. The pilates machine not only uses weights but uses your whole body as resistance training. Which is so good that Lance Armstrong does it!

Tip-My favorite Pilates instructor is Bristin from Escape Pilates in Newport Beach.

Jogging-

Fun-I have self diagnosed myself ADHD. I don’t take drugs to calm my hyper activity that starts at 6am and ends with crashing into my bedroom set at 1 a.m. Instead I go jogging. However I’m way to hyper to be confined to a treadmill in the gym. Born and raised a California Girl I am a “Sunshine Junkie.” I love being outside and petting all the dogs that are being walked before their owners go to work and checking out the hot business men buying their $4 lattes.

Interesting- The sun outside gives you Vitamin D which supports the healthy functioning of neurotransmitters in your body which keep your good morning smile very bright.

Tip- My favorite place to jog is at the beach and my favorite running shoes are New Balances.

Hiking

Fun- You don’t have to bribe me with gourmet cooking to make me be in the sunshine, look at beautiful flowers, furry animals and talk to my friends. I consider hiking to be a “vaca-day” disguised as exercise. It works for me!

Interesting- “They say” (My dad always asks me, “who the heck is “They”? Does he have a last name?) that walking has the same health benefits for your body as jogging.

Tip- My favorite place to hike- Take PCH to Corona del Mar. Park on Poppy street. Walk down PCH (stay to the right and be cautious of the cars ) on the right hand side you will see some hiking trails along the side of the beach! They are so beautiful. They lead down to the beach. On the way back up you can grab a date shake from the “Shake Shack.” A long hike like that you will sleep well that night in your bedroom furniture guranteed!

Bicycling

Fun-Did somebody say, “Sunday Fun day?” The opportunity to ride my fire cracker red beach cruiser with my friends will have me jumping off of my living room furniture faster than you can say, “ A round of Pina Coladas, please.”

Interesting- Laughing and relaxing are as good for your health. Research (and this is “They” talking again) proves that laughter plays a key role in a healthy human life. A good laugh loosens muscles, lowers blood pressure, and may lower levels of hormones that create stress and weaken immunity. When laughing your body moves blood to your heart and lungs, boosting your energy level and making you feel better instantly. It also aids communication and creates a sense of closeness between you and the people you are with. en

Tip- Don’t hold up the party! Check out your bike tires before you take it out for the day.

What do you think? How do you exercise and keep it fun and entertaining? Do you think I would like it? I’d love to know your thoughts. Please let me know at

Irvina@furniturefromhome.com

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You don't know what it's like to have a bestfriend, until you have a sister....

I saw my nieces who are 8 and 11 yesterday. They are my two favorite girls. One is super smart and engages easily in conversation. The other gives really tight hugs and is always asking you to play. Oddly these two girls with great personalities annoy each other. Some would say, “Their sisters. They’ll grow out of it.” I wish I could give them a simple recipe to accept each other the way they are. I think life is too short to make the mistake of hurting the person who will one day be the best friend you’ll ever have.

It’s not like I’m some far off idealist. I know what I’m talking about. I have four sisters. Three older and one younger. My older sisters love to tell me the stories about when my baby sister Walesa was born and how I took on the role of her big sister. I would translate her baby gibberish to, “She says she wants a peanut butter sandwich. No jelly.” I would pour a whole box of cheerios on her high chair and say, “She told me she wanted some….a whole lot of them…she’s really hungry.” When she would try and stand up on the swing in our backyard she would cautiously watch for my discriminating eye as she did it. The moment I would see her I’d yell, “Sit down!” and she would immediately comply. We had the perfect relationship. We all knew who was boss…ME!

That was all until the dark and gloomy morning at our dining room table when my sister learned to talk. Not that she didn’t have the cutest baby voice in the world, it was what she said that morning that shattered our relationship of two years. My mom had just given us both bowls of rice crispies. We were told to add a spoon full of sugar and stir and my mom walked back into the kitchen. I told my little sister, “I’m not stirring my sugar. I’m leaving it on top. You can taste more sugar that way.” My little sister then did the unfathomable, she yelled, “Mommy! Irvina isn’t stirring the sugar into her rice crispies she just letting it sit on top!” All I could think was, “Backstabber!” How could she? After all I’ve done for her! Did she forget that I was always the one who did the James Bond operation to sneak her out of her crib to go peek on our parents dinner parties downstairs? Did she forget that whenever our mother lost her in the mall that I was the only one who could ever find her? (No one had the sharp eye that I had to find her little white Keds.) Did she forget hat I was the one who told her “back up and cover your eyes” when our dad showed us how to crack open a coconut with a hammer and a nail? And what about the time that there was only one more glass of milk for chocolate milk and I had “chocolate water” so she could have chocolate milk. Yes, that bowl of rice crispies marked a turning point in our relationship.

Over twenty years have passed since the morning in the dining room, and if I put emotions aside I would realize that I am blessed. I am blessed that I have four women in my life that aren’t afraid to tell me when I am in the wrong and eating too much sugar. No one quite like my sisters. Of course while growing up my little sister and I fought and at times couldn’t stand to be in the same with each other. The age difference with the older ones left me feeling distant at times. I remember being annoyed that my mom let my older sisters correct my etiquette at the dinner table. But, now more than ever I appreciate having all four of my sisters. Each one of us with different personalities, tastes, values and beliefs.

I have friends who tell me, “You’re like a sister to me.” As nice a gesture as that is to hear I don’t know if a lot of people would put the time into a friendship as the amount of time it takes to have a sister. I mean how many friends do you have who have completely forgiven you after you have hurt them for years? How many of your friends still call to hang out with you when the two of you have nothing in common? How many of your friends totally accept you for the way you are and your differences and don’t try to change you? How many of your friends really understand your mother? Maybe I’m the odd one out, but I don’t know many of my friends that would or have done that for me. Except for my sisters.

It makes me sad to know that at one time we were able to all sit on the same leather sectional sofa and watch a movie without making an appointment to do so. Now, flights have to be arranged, vacation days need to be requested and husbands need to watch children in order for quality sister time to take place. I feel foolish for having taken my sisters for granted. Yet, I’m glad that at least now I know what it really means to be a friend, it’s being a sister.

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Love,

Irvina

xoxoxo