Friday, September 1, 2017

I'm Coming Out!! -- Of the workout closet

Happy September my lovelies! So sorry I have been away from here. Summer has been a blur of writing, in fact the entire year has been. Somebody please pinch me I feel so incredibly lucky to have been working. As a writer you never know when that next job is going to come.

But I've missed you. I've missed being here and blogging and hearing what you all have been up to. I don't think I've actually posted anything since January *Gulp* do you forgive me? Are you even still here? I'm dying to know how your summer has been.

I feel as though 2017 has really spun me through a wringer. 2016 was challenging and I felt like the biggest lesson I needed to learn was surrender. You can't control everything, sometimes shit just happens, sometimes (as hokey as this sounds) the universe just knows better, and you've gotta give it up to a higher power. Yeah, well that lesson wasn't learned evidently because 2017 has been making me cry "Uncle". 

Not only was I asked to juggle two primetime shows for two different networks, there was a point that I was doing it at the same time. So it shouldn't come as a shock to learn that there have been some repercussions on my health. 

Got to feeling exceptionally worn out, as if my tank was totally out of gas. My doctor kept telling me that I was anemic and needed simply to take more iron. I was taking enough to probably kill a horse already and if I took any more, I'd likely never poop again. (iron supplements constipate you btw) Eventually I grew so weary I could no longer workout and I gained ten pounds and I looked like crap.

Long story short - I'm still in the weeds and not feeling great. But, after going to a naturopath and spending a fortune on blood tests (nearly every damned thing came back normal) I learned that I have hypothyroidism and I've fried my adrenals from stress - cortisol levels were through the roof. Hey, no wonder I wasn't sleeping and had a spare tire.

All this is to say that I could not keep up with my beloved Katia and Court at Dancebody. Oh, don't get me wrong, I still do their little shortie workouts but no dancing. I could barely climb stairs there for a while.

In case you haven't been around here even longer than me, I quite streaming and the Tracy Anderson Method at the start of the new year and committed to DB. I'd been streaming for 2 years straight and my results were in the crapper. I wasn't able to do half the workouts because of a pre-existing neck injury so was always having to modify and as a result I came to really dread working out. In June of 2016 Katia Pryce came out with her own streaming and I was in love. The music was great, she gives instruction which I definitely need, and she was teaching me to dance. But learning to dance when you are not a natural born dancer takes time, time I did not have. So I found (because I had neither time nor energy) I could only do the 12 minute classes or 20 minute classes. I love those options but I needed more. But not more intensity. I guess I just needed something different. Something I had yet to find.

I was longing for those Meta days. You feel me? Any of you know what I mean? A full body workout that doesn't kill you and doesn't consume two hours of your day? Back in the good old days of Mastering the Method, we'd do 30 minutes of sculpt and 30 (read 15) minutes of cardio and that would be that. Tight, trim, and in top form. So what's an old girl like me to do? We can't go backwards. Such is not the way of life. We have to keep moving forward, onward and upward.

Again, I'm lucky. Lucky lucky lucky. And I have genuine lovely friends, people like you all, and my beautiful buddies Melissa and Shaina who on one fateful day, reached out to me to ask how I was doing? What I was up to? And to share a new workout with me that they were loving.

CONFESSION TIME - when I first saw the workout I was like nope - no thanks. I sort of thought it was more of the same as where I had been and did not want to go back there thank you very much.

However... I love to workout. And I hadn't been because I was feeling so darn tired all the time, yet I knew if I just moved my body I'd feel better. Maybe I'd sleep better, manage my stress better, and even lose a little weight? Too much to hope for? I'm a dreamer. So, I did what the past year's lesson had taught me -- I surrendered. Everything happens for a reason right? 

So I signed up for a free 7 day trial and lordissa, you guys I'm finally home. I've found my workout sweet-spot.

It's been four weeks and I've been able to do the workouts 5-6 times a week without burning out and feeling completely sapped and unable to do anything else for the entire rest of the day (which was what was happening to me if I exerted myself too much) 

I've lost 4 pounds! And do you want to know the absolutely best part? Those dreaded over-developed obliques that I have been carrying around like a freaking muffin-top after two years of other streaming -- are shrinking! Shrinking I tell you. It's a miracle. I used to call Tracy the Muffin-Top Slayer and in Meta Abcentric she definitely was but the method has evolved into something that was no longer managing my dreaded roll. 

But this is a blog about hope. And I believe that things always have a way of working out. And workout they have. Pun intended.

Please allow me to introduce you to the amazing LOVE HANDLE HANDLER, the BOOTY BUFFER, LEG LENGTHENER, ARM SCULPTER, AB-TRIMMER - SOUL SOOTHER (because she does it all) LAUREN KLEBAN of LEKFit.



Do I want to go so far as to say she's changed my life? Um... yeah. I do. In fact fuck yeah! Okay? She's a full time mother of two - and her little babies even sometimes pop into class and she always has time for them. Everything about her is real. I love that so much. 

So why do I love her? Why has she changed my life? What makes her so special? How much time do you have? Never mind I can keep it simple. But to do that, I need to take you back in time.

I was yogi, and in my heart of hearts I still am. I lived and breathed yoga. I taught yoga for nearly ten years. But I bad neck injury prevented me from doing most conventional types of yoga because deep stretches aggravate my injury. Enter TA and her Method. I fell in love with her Mat workout because it was simple, straight forward, but oh so hard. You worked all the little muscles with supreme control. And it was a lot like yoga. Streamlined and kind of meditative. Once streaming came around, it was definitely way more fun. The energy was higher, the music was better, but it was also harder, and somehow less specific. The movements didn't have the same focussed intensity. 

Then, the past 8 months, working with Katia of Dancebody (and Mary Helen Bowers of Ballet Beautiful) gave me a new passion for ballet. And something occurred to me. Turns out - every single thing I've done up to now that I've loved has had a foundation built on either Ballet or Yoga. 

So why not both? Both indeed.

Enter LAUREN who's entire practice is built on these same foundations.

This recent quote from her IG page will tell you:Dance was always my first love and passion plus it made the most sense in my body + mind. As I began creating LEKfit, I wanted something that provided all the good vibes of yoga, beautiful lines of ballet, benefits of Pilates with an uber feminine feel (a la burlesque) so I created SCULPT.

And her classes really are all of the above. The music is smooth and groovy, the pace is uber controlled, reps are counted, instruction is given in a continuous flow so you rarely have to crane your neck to see if she's changed positions on you without telling you, the camera is close enough so you are actually able to see what she's doing. And - AND - she releases two new classes a week. On Wednesdays and Fridays. Like you actually get an email in your inbox saying Hi, come on, new workout is up, come workout with me. On Time. Every week. No excuses. Sounds radical, but isn't that what a great service provider does?

Can I get a hell yeah!

I love lots of reps. I love slow and controlled movements that make you cry uncle, I love getting prompts explaining to me what to do and why the hell you want me to do it. But that's just me - always the remedial student who needs everything to be explained.

There is no single workout that is right for everyone, but every workout is right for someone - and LEK? I am the someone that workout was made for.

OMG and I forgot to mention the best part. The best part is her cardio. It's done on a rebounder! Can you even believe it. All through Meta, I modified my cardio and always did it on the rebounder. Bye-bye modifications. So long not being able to keep up with the dances. I can now bounce, stretch, lift and sculpt my way into my best most healthy feeling self.

I know that there are a lot of people who are loyal to other programs for all their own reasons. I love loyalty. I'm a cancer. It's my jam. But you've got to be loyal to your own well being first and above all else. I felt that I needed to share this with you because it just might change the way you move, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about working out in general. Life is too short to dread any moment of your daily routine. And that daily routine makes up your life. Good habits are hard to form - just ask Gretchen Rubin, she wrote a whole book on the subject. 

Without Melissa I would have never found my way to LEK. If you're dancing to Dancebody - get it girl, if you're tamming your heart out - you go sister! I applaud you. If you dance, walk, hike, yoga, swim, run, soul cycle - whatever. Be healthy and go live your best life. As for me - I'm getting LEKFit ladies!

Loads of love and a happy autumn to all!
xo
Shan



22 comments:

  1. Shan! So great that you wrote this piece, it's been a while...
    I'm so happy you found a workout that makes you happy AND works for your body without you having to kill yourself to get it done. LEK Fit looks like an amazing workout and I love that you can put short sequences together and that you don't need much equipment. Once my knee is fixed, I think I'll try the trial and see how it feels.
    I know you suspected thyroid for a while so now you have a diagnosis, I hope you'll be able to get the treatment you need to get your body working how it should again. For me, it only took a few weeks to lose the tiredness, anxiety and everything that seems to come with under-active thyroid.
    Can't wait to see the fruits of your labour on the screen, I think it's all coming together for you!!!
    Janice x

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    1. Yes Janice, I'm delighted to have found my goldilocks workout. It's just right. Hope that knee heals up my friend. Talk soon.

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  2. Shan!

    Thank the Lord you have a diagnosis and can start feeling better!
    I discovered LEKfit back in March and my gut said, "Shan would like this! "

    It is so nice to read updates from you! Please continue healing and don't be hard on yourself!
    Xxoo

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    1. Girl, you should have told me. I would have loved to have found her sooner. But glad I got there in the end. Are you loving it? I hope so, I hope you're feeling well and good in your own skin.

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  3. I'm so thrilled you found something you like & is working for you. Plus - bouncing. I know how much, you like the rebounder. Boing-a-boing-a-boing-a. Damn. Now I'm kind of missing our trampoline.

    And YOUR SWEET LITTLE ADRENALS!!! Geez Louise, friend. No wonder you were dragging. I'm prone to anemia, so I know how weird that feels; but with the adrenal fatigue on top of it?? Lordy-loo! You take care of yo'self! I'll send extra Niblet pictures. Because, obviously, squirrel photos are correlated to health and wellness. (She ate ten whole nuts yesterday...I kept thinking, "that's got to be like seven squirrel sandwiches. Or if Nate ate three pizzas. She is an amazing vacuous pit of hunger - wrapped in a tiny little squirrel body")

    xoxo - Myla

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    1. Yes bouncing. Love bouncing.
      More Niblet please. Always. Everyday lol. I bet she is storing some of those squirrel sandwiches for the winter.

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  4. Hi Shannon,
    I followed your mastering the method blog when I was doing Meta with Tracy Anderson in 2011. We exchanged a couple of emails then and when I was having foot pain, your advice kind of shook me out of denial. Although I loved your words and following your journey, I was going through such a hard time I stopped reading. Long story short, my foot would not heal and eventually needed to get a bone removed. Through that process a lot of underlying health issues unfurled, leaving me with 30 lbs of weight gain, honestly would have been the worst thing, if I didn't feel so horrible. A few years later I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme, among other things and am slowly recovering. Through the years I tried to go back to TAM and since I was always in pain, I wouldn't be able to move for a few days after doing 10 minutes of a beginning video. Last year I started doing stretches with a foam roller, mostly for pain management and to just move a bit, eventually adding in gentle movements on the rebounder. This past spring, I saw an article about LEKfit and she used the same rebounder and was a dancer (was one for most of my life) I tried it. I had to put my ego aside and go slow and did the gentle pregnancy video for quite some time. After I left my demanding job as a therapist at a high school, I started the bounce and sculpt workouts, pretty regularly. I have to make modifications and sometimes that means not doing it for a week, I'm not losing weight or getting in the shape I normally would, but what I'm gaining means more. I saw a comment on her instagram last week and thought it was you. It led me to this new blog and it's so funny although our journeys have been different, there are similarities too. I can see you have had a lot of success, brava btw!!! You have struggled and it hasn't been easy. I wish you all the best and am glad I found your words again ��

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    1. Hi Erica.
      I'm so sorry I had no idea you had to have the surgery. And Lyme is the absolute worst! My very good friend has it too and she suffers something awful. But sounds like you are finding ways to manage it.
      Any sort of chronic or immune illness is so challenging because you really do have to set ego aside and let your body dictate what it can and cannot do. I guess that is why I love LEK because of the pace and the options. I can choose what is right for me on the day and no one is on my shoulder saying you have to do this or workout for this long or this many days. Plus my body is responding to it so I'm thrilled.
      So happy our paths have crossed once again.

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  5. Hello Shan, nice to see a post from you. Sorry you were feeling poorly but am glad to read you are feeling better now. The LEKfit thing looks interesting. I've been doing different things sporadically, but nothing intensive or consistent. Seems like a good time to try something new. And wow, you should have mentioned the cost! The second you said 'streaming' I was like 'oh no,' because even though I wanted to do TA streaming, I couldn't afford it and probably couldn't justify the cost even if I could. But $15.99 a month! Now that's more like it. I definitely want to try it since you've recommended it so highly, I could use a new workout, and it won't break the bank! Thanks, and keep in touch (lol), I know you are busy but I like your blog posts. Congratulations btw on being so busy with writing work. Very happy and proud of you.

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    1. Hey Heidi, Great to hear from you love. Hope you were able to give the workouts a try. I'm so enjoying the pace and rhythm. It's exactly what I've been longing for forever.
      xoxo

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  6. Thank you, Shan, for writing this blog post. I can relate to so much of what you have experienced! After 6 months of streaming (including the GYBG challenge and our Zerodark team that I loved being a part of!) I had to cancel my subscription to TA. I was not seeing the same results as I did when doing Tracy's earlier workouts plus the cost of streaming is just to much for my family's budget. I love love love to workout on a rebounder too and I am super excited to start LEKFit!! Thank you, once again, for sharing it! Much love, Sonya

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    1. Yay! Sonya, I'm so happy that you love to bounce too. You'll have to let me know how you like LEK. It's been a long time since I couldn't wait to get to my workouts every day. Enjoy.

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  7. Ok. I found this and immediately thought "Shan!". Workouts and mediation. I haven't tried it yet...not sure about the "Woo"! LOL!

    https://kaithurley.com

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    1. I will totally check this out! Thanks lovely. xo

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  8. You are back!! I am so happy. I was looking for your old blog and can`t believe that i was lucky enough to find you here. How are you? Will you be writing more? Lise

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    1. Hi Lise. It's been a really busy year, but yes I do write a wee bit here on occasion and I'm hoping to share some thoughts over the holidays! Nice to see you here. xoxo

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  9. Thank you for recommending LEKfit. I like it so much better, no circus moves and crazy bridge moves like another streaming method that gave me a shoulder injury. LEKfit is the best, just the right amount of strength and stretching and cardio without being so much that I dread it. I am losing inches and looking forward to the workouts each week!! --Sara

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    1. Hey Sara,
      I am thrilled that you love her as much as I do, isn't her work just perfection. Always pushing us but never in a way that makes you want to quit. I feel the exact same way you do!
      xoxo

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  10. I love LEKfit too! Just discovered it recently. I love how Lauren often finishes with, "You made it." Always so encouraging and calm. Also, I've never understood the total adoration for that streaming service that routinely puts up content late. It's not like it's being given away, so it damn well should be done on time.

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    1. Hey Tanya,
      I'm so happy that you love her too. I just really enjoy the workouts, her prompts, her attention to detail and making sure that we're getting the most out of the workout as if we're right there in the class.
      I with you on that last point as well.
      xox
      Shan

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  11. What do you think happened to Tracy? She looks like she's not even enjoying her own workouts. And the results are simply bizarre--everyone with big, hulking shoulders and square torsos? The original method work was so beautiful, so balletic, so fluid. Where did that go?

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    1. I'm really not sure. I haven't done the method in over a year and a half. But I agree on her original work being wonderful for sure.

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