Diane Raymond's Blue Sky Blog

Working out without a gym

Diane — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 01:28:50 +0000

Gyms have their positive points: they are convenient, house lots of equipment, and often have childcare available to parents who need to tote their tots to the gym (this includes yours truly). Gyms also can offer a range of fitness classes and most have personal trainers on staff. If you’re not a huge fan of [...]

Why are you working out?

Diane — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 11:39:08 +0000

Maybe you’ve been on a workout train for some time, diligently going to the gym and happily taking your dose of cardio and weight training, maybe even a few classes too just to challenge yourself. Perhaps you’ve been on this train, per se, for years, then all of a sudden, you’re okay with missing a [...]

Yoga and Pilates resources

Diane — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:06:47 +0000

Because I love yoga, and Pilates, but am by no means a guru of either practice, I felt compelled to pass along some helpful resources so that you can learn more. Yoga is one of those activities that evolves as you evolve. The yoga you do today will not be the same yoga you do [...]

Strength training and cardio: What to do when

Diane — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:38:35 +0000

Even though I have addressed this topic before (a-hem, at least twice before), I’m circling back because A) I keep getting asked, “I did strength training today, what should I do tomorrow?” and B) I keep getting asked, “Is it okay to do both strength training and cardio on the same day?” If you want to [...]

A Primer on PilatesP

Diane — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:36:42 +0000

You have probably heard about Pilates, or possibly know someone who talks of “reformers, chairs, straps, pulleys” (and other contraptions), and silently wonder, “what the heck is Pilates anyway?” The Pilates Method (or simply Pilates) was developed in Germany in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. The core-strengthening and posture-improving benefits of regular practice have [...]