The Best Cycling Workout Collection

I have found the perfect DVD collection for those of us who must escape the soaring Texas temps and can't afford those high dollar gym memberships or coaches that cater to cyclists specifically. For $75, you can purchase the Global Ride Hawaii Boxed Set which includes rides along the coast of Hawaii, music, the option to use a professional coach, as well as post ride workouts to include yoga, pilates, and strength training. I would have loved to have this series when I was in Boston and trying to get a workout at home on my spin bike. I've tried alot of different DVDs that promised a great workout but they often left me uninspired and just spinning in place. This collection is different because of the beautiful scenery and the coaching. You can even choose whether you want an professional American, Australian or Italian coach! How awesome is that.

What I value most about this collection, is the 30-minute sessions of pilates, yoga or strength training. Since I no longer have my spin bike or trainer, I've incorporated these workouts into my regimen and I am loving them, especially the strength training segment. There's no other strength training program outside of a book and you all know as well as I do that it's tough to replicate an exercise properly from a book. Visit Global Ride to learn about this collection and another collection that's currently in production... Italy!

A little chi is always good

So as promised, I checked out the Tai Chi class at Ruta Maya Coffee House with Angel Quesada. I was a little nervous about it but was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the group was and impressed with Angel's teaching style. Angel conducted the class outside near a fountain because the weather was amazing. The sun was warm and the fountain in the background added much to the experience. For those of you who have never seen tai chi practiced, the practitioner's movements are as fluid as water and as light as air. This takes years to achieve but I was pleased to learn a few movements. The results were immediate both physically and mentally. I felt very relaxed and aware at the same time. I will be back! Cost of class - Purchase of an item from the coffee shop plus gratuity for the teacher.

Yoga for the price of a cup of coffee

Ruta Maya Coffee House on Congress Avenue offers yoga (and tai chi classes) during the day or after work for the purchase of an item from the Coffee Shop. So basically, if you're a coffee shop-aholic, you get to practice yoga for free. But that's not all, there's always something going on whether it's live music, open mics, art exhibits, Cuban night, there's something for everyone. Sound like an ad? Sadly I haven't visited Ruta Maya yet as I only recently heard about it from a couple of coworkers. I will be checking it out for myself in the next week or so and will post my review. But still, what a unique concept not to mention fabulous marketing! That's what I call creative thinking.