Tag: fitness

DDP Yoga, the exercise program developed by former professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page, is best known as the workout that inspired disabled veteran Arthur Boorman’s incredible transformation.

When Boorman started DDP Yoga, he had been told he’d never be able to walk again without crutches. After 10 months of DDP Yoga, he had lost 140 pounds and was able to walk and even run unassisted. (Click here to watch the viral video of his amazing journey.)

The DDP Yoga workouts rely heavily on 13 poses known as the Diamond Dozen. The poses are loosely based on traditional yoga poses, but adds dynamic resistance so you’re flexing all of your muscles as you move from one position to another. This increases your heart rate and gets your body into the fat burning zone.

At first glace, DDP Yoga looks really easy. Even though I’m not in very good shape at all, I got through most of the poses without too much trouble. The ones I couldn’t do had modifications shown to make them easier. The next day, however, I was sore all over.

DDP isn’t joking when he says dynamic resistance will give you a good workout.

For me, the main appeal of this program is that DDP gives off a down-to-earth vibe. I’m not a huge fan of traditional workout videos because the instructors always have a fake perkiness that gets on my nerves.

DDP comes across as a normal, everyday sort of guy-which was surprising to me because I was expecting all of the over the top theatrics I’ve always associated with professional wrestling. If you want an instructor who manages to be motivating without being annoying, DDP is the guy for you.

If you are looking for an exercise program you can do with your spouse, DDP Yoga is a great choice because it has more “macho” appeal than most other workout options. The DDP website is filled with testimonials from wrestlers, boxers, and football players who swear by the program, as well as amazing success stories from everyday men and women.

I was thrilled when my husband expressed an interest in trying this with me since we both need to make fitness a priority in 2014. We also really liked that the program only 20 minutes a day three days a week, so it seems doable even if you have a super busy schedule or just hate breaking a sweat.

DDP Yoga is available exclusively through the DDP Yoga website. There are several different options, but I’d suggest getting Pack 1 with the workouts, poster, and program guide. I found the poster helpful in jogging my memory regarding how to perform specific poses and the program guide has nutrition tips that can help with your weight loss efforts.

Disclaimer: Product samples were provided by the manufacturer for the purpose of preparing this review.

Photo credit: DDP Yoga

If you’re trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, you’ve probably noticed that staying motivated to exercise and eat right isn’t easy. Words to Sweat By aims to encourage women of all ages to reach their healthy lifestyle goals by providing fun and fashionable fitness accessories.

Their motivational bracelets are my favorite item. The bracelet comes in two parts. The grey part is a small jersey knit band with the actual silver charm on it. The other part is a long colored cuff that can be wrapped around your wrist multiple times.

I actually ended up cutting this part down slightly so the bracelet had a cleaner look. (It’s just knotted at the ends, so no special jewelry making skills are required.)

At first, I thought the bracelet would be too small to fit my wrist. But, the material is extremely stretchy. It would fit a young girl or an adult woman.

The bracelets are designed to be fitness accessories, but they’re cute enough to wear all the time if you want. After all, what mother doesn’t need the occasional reminder to be more patient?

Visit the Words to Sweat By website to check out all of the motivational bracelet options. All of the jersey knit bracelets are $11.99. Each charm design has a number of different color options for the cuff portion of the bracelet, ranging from basic black to hot pink or neon green.

The bracelets come in a cute little drawstring cloth bag, so they’d be a nice option to consider if you’re looking for affordable holiday gift ideas.

Disclaimer: A sample motivational bracelet was provided for the purpose of preparing this review.

Photo credit: Words to Sweat By

Do you pay any attention to the ads that pop up on your Facebook news feed? I normally ignore most of the ads, but these pants caught my eye due the promise of helping you burn more calories during your workout. I hate exercising and I’ve got about 20 pounds to lose, so I’m all for anything that makes the process a bit easier.

Zaggora is a clothing company that makes workout gear made with Celu-Lite Technology. This is a patent pending, multi-layer fabric technology that harnesses your body’s natural heat during exercise to help you burn more calories.

Zaggora Hot Pants are supposed to increase your metabolic rate during exercise by up to 18% vs. a standard garment if you wear them for at least 30 minutes. However, they’re supposed to be safe during high-intensity aerobic exercise because your core body temperature will not exceed acceptable exercise-induced elevations

In addition to helping your burn more calories, Zaggora Hot Pants also have a compression fit that is supposed to help smooth out your silhouette for a more flattering appearance while you’re at the gym.

Zaggora Hot Pants are available in sizes ranging from XS to XXL. There are quite a few color choices available, including pink, purple, and blue. Matching workout tops are available as well. (For best results, Zaggora suggests wearing both Hot Pants and a Hot Top during your workout.)

Zaggora Hot Pants sell for $97.50 and the Hot Tops are $75. That’s too pricey for my limited budget to manage at the moment, but I’d love to hear what you think if you’ve had a chance to try these out.

Do they live up to the hype or are they just another marketing gimmick for people desperate to lose weight?

Photo credit: Zaggora

You know those workouts that are intense but somehow still relaxing? Shiva Rea’s Daily Energy Vinyasa Flow is that. I love that it comes with several short workouts so I can pick the thing I want to work on most (backbends, upper body, balance, relaxing, or everything all at once).

The seven workouts are about 20 minutes each and you can combine them however you’d like or just do one at a time. Read more…