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Exercise DVDs for Sick Day Couch-Fusion Relief

Contrary to what your mom tells you when you call to whine, you can still exercise when you're sick. The general rule of thumb is this: If it's above the neck, and you don't have a fever, rock out with your fitness loving self. If you have a fever, and well anything involving the rest of your body, chill out, take a nap, and watch 9,000 Law & Order episodes. Having said that, there are some general rules of sicksercise ettiquette, like skipping the gym. The gym is a confined space with bad circulation, and spreading disease is just so rude. Let's be civilized, shall we. So basically, sick time is exercise video time. If ever there was a day to get down with Denise Austin, it's when your nose is rocking a crimson hue.

Without further ado, I present a whole bunch of lovely, lowish impact workouts that will keep you from fusing with your couch this cold season: 

Online & Video

Classes

Spinning Spin-Offs

Yesterday we reported that SoulCycle was expanding its offerings with SoulDance, a class designed to "ignite your inner SEXY SOUL! ...[with] everything from basic ballet to simmering chair routines." Unclear whether or not those simmering chair routines would be performed on a bike seat... But today we got another email from SoulCycle, this one introducing "Soul Pilates," and this one made it very clear: "This class is taught entirely OFF the bike." So it's really just Pilates, taught at SoulCycle, which I guess is what makes it "Soul Pilates." Which makes you wonder, when a spin studio starts offering lots of different fitness classes, does it just become a gym, but more expensive? Or is this just a nice way to give spinners some cross training? Debate and discuss. (I think it might be Option A, but maybe that's just me being mean).  

New York

Workout

2 Classes + 0 Shopping = 100th workout!

We got out of work an hour early yesterday so I had some time to kill...I wondered through Anthropologie and tried some stuff on...but made no purchases! (consequently I felt like I *saved* money. Not true).  I did Body Pump for an hour and because we got out a few minutes early, I decided to do Pilates also. So my muscles/core got an AWESOME workout yesterday!

My Body

Jon Togo of "CSI Miami" on L.A. Gyms, Boxing, and Body Dysmorphia

Golden Oldie alert! Reaching back to late summer 2009 for a classic from our My Body series. ~ The Eds.

I used to do Pilates for exercise when I first moved to L.A. I was really good at it. It was all the Beverly Hills housewives and me. The place was called “Pilates Plus.” This French guy ran it, and he used to grab all the cougars' asses who were in the class while they were working out. It was a great workout, but I couldn’t take all the yentas. It was fifteen Joan Riverses and me.

I haven’t been to the gym in a long time. I box now. The regular gyms in L.A. are horrible. Literally, Fabio works out at my old gym. Once I saw Vin Diesel working out with a giant wooden staff. It's so douchey, it's unbelievable. It’s irritating and horrible. Once I was in a spin class and the teacher was like, "This is why you don’t work as actors! You don’t push yourself!”

I like the idea of going someplace where what you do for a living doesn’t matter. When you go to a boxing gym, you’re treated the same same no matter who you are. There’s no posturing in boxing.  You can put on any front you want, but, once you get in the ring, you have to back it up. Everyone is really friendly, but they beat the shit out of each other. I get my ass whipped all the time. Some of the guys I train with fight for a living, and they have nothing to prove. There’s something very America about it. It’s like jazz. It’s a throwback sport. It’s the hardest workout there is. Because you’re working out and trying to not to get punched in the face at the same time. It would be like if you were holding a position in yoga trying to breathe and relax, and at the same time the yoga teacher was kicking you in the face. But boxing doesn’t hurt. It’s not a painful experience. You wear so much padding. You learn how to do it.  I got the shanan punim. I got the money maker. I can’t get hit in the face. All the actors wear headgear because they don’t want to get punched in the face.

On The Street

Barack Obama Really Wants You To Go To This Pilates Studio

Same West Village Pilates studio as last week, continued love for the Obamas. Not anything on the order of the Times Square Obama coat ad, but still seems a little suspect. At the same time, the Obamas do get me all excited to work out, so...

New York

Workout

Taking advantage of half day friday

I walked around a ton after getting out of work at 1 and still managed to make it to the gym for a quick run on the treadmill and pilates.  The pilates class was fun and challenging, though a bit easier than the other class I've been taking.  I'm really glad I got something in though since this weekend is promising to be alcohol heavy...

Presidential Fitness

Michelle and Barack's Super Secret Love of Pilates

Who knew the Obamas were into Gyrotonic? According to the internet, no one other than this West Village Pilates studio. The closest documentation I can find is Michelle telling Oprah she'd like to try Pilates. Maybe when the studio says the Obamas, they mean some cousins, also surnamed Obama...

Workout

almost crapped out but worked out instead

I was THIS close to skipping my workout but decided to shape up and go to pilates.  This class is getting marginally easier, but it's still ridiculously intense.  My legs and abs are shaking the whole time and I'll be sore tomorrow, but good sore.

Workout

I did an assisted handstand today!

I went to yoga and pilates today.  Yoga was great, in spite of the ridiculous amount of sweat coming out of my body.  My mat was a slippery mess.  We worked in groups of 3 to do assisted handstands and I did one!  One of my partners was very good and gave me a lot of great tips.  He helped me get up but once I was up he had a lot of helpful pointers.

Celebrity Fitness

The Serena Williams Body Roller Coaster

Things that make me a little sad: Serena Williams telling Harper's Bazaar she didn't like her body growing up. "I'm super-curvy," she says. "I have big boobs and this massive butt. [Venus] is tall and she's like a model and she fits everything. I was growing up, wanting to be her, wanting to look like her, and I was always fitting in her clothes, but then one day I couldn't." Things that make me feel a littler better: Serena Williams telling Harper's Bazaar she's okay now:"Since I don't look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good."

But then the body roller coaster gets a little more complicated.