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For those that may have missed the post a couple of weeks ago, here's a link to it: Arthur's Inspirational Transformation.

The reason I'm posting about this is that I showed that video to my husband who, like me, was wanting to exercise indoors this summer due to the extreme heat here in the SW desert. After watching Arthur's video, we checked out the DDP Yoga website and my husband said he thought it looked like fun. He was bored by regular yoga when he tried it years ago but knows flexibility would help his running.

So, we ordered the beginner DVD pack and finally got it last week. (Delayed due to the tremendous response to Arthur's story!) We spent the weekend learning the basic poses, which already showed us we had a long way to go in strengthening and flexibility. This morning, I tried the first workout and was impressed.

If you don't think yoga can kick your butt, you haven't tried yoga combined with dynamic resistance. It's a good workout and I can recommend this to anyone who might have been intrigued by the previous post. It's great for me because it is no impact yet will still give me a good cardio, strength-training, and flexibility workout while my injured heel recuperates.

For those curious about the nutritional recommendations, there's good and bad. The good: eliminate processed food, sugar, and dairy. Eat unlimited vegetables. Eat whole foods, preferably organic and local. The bad: eat lean meat (buffalo) and eggs for protein. Whole carbs okay but somewhat limited due to the recommendation to eat protein servings.

There is, of course, no reason to give up following a low fat, whole foods, plant-based diet just because you choose this exercise program. So, eat the right way as you've learned here and check out a different kind of exercise here.

I was very impressed with Arthur's transformation and checked out the DDP Yoga site. I'm too poor to buy things on a whim so I'm glad to know that someone here has gotten them and is impressed with them.
They're on my wishlist!!

-Norm

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I felt the same way. If someone in Arthur's condition could do this and succeed, then anyone could. I also read in DDP's story that he started yoga while recuperating from serious back injury and in several of the transformational stories on the website that people started with a lot of physical issues besides weakness or obesity. Since I have enough physical "issues" that the last personal trainer I had a session with threw up his hands and said, "I can't work with you until you go to the doctor and get 'cured'," I hope this style will help. So far it has not hurt anything worse and I feel free to modify as needed.

It's also cheaper than a summer gym membership yet lets me stay indoors. This is important as I am still overly sensitive to the summer heat after getting heat exhaustion last spring. Right now I can ride my bike in the early morning before it gets hot but that may not be possible in another month when the overnight lows are in the mid-80s so the pavement never cool off. This spring, I got overheated running on a day when it hit a mere 75 degrees during our morning exercise. Considering that two people DIED last week from heat stroke in the Tucson area, I do not consider caution in this regard to be overly paranoid!

If anyone is interested in more details about the program, feel free to ask or to PM me.

DDP yoga sounds very interesting. I may check into it eventually, but we recently bought a family membership at the YMCA so we could do more stuff outside the home together. [There are several YMCA branches in your area. If at some point you decide you want a fitness membership somewhere, you might consider the Y. They have all kinds of indoor fitness activities, including yoga and mat pilates and and Zumba and resistance circuit. They have stationary bikes (regular and recumbent), elliptical machines, stair steppers and treadmills. They have a pool and water fitness classes. The atmosphere is down-to-earth, not snooty like some fitness clubs. There are all kinds of people there, people of all ages and fitness levels, not just gym rats and jocks. http://www.tucsonymca.org/locationsMap.cfm ]

I can certainly identify with the extreme heat thing. I don't do heat as well as I once did. It can suck the life right out of you, and I've had a few close calls, so I'm more careful now. We went up to Payson (which is a good bit cooler than Phx area) last July and hiked one of the trails at Tonto Natural bridge http://azstateparks.com/parks/tona/index.html. (Poor husband had to trek it with a backpack full of frozen bottles of water.) I survived, in part because I took a thin cotton towel and poured icy water on it then wrapped my head in it. We had visited this park several years previous to this. That time, I went down a trail about 10 steps, felt the pain in my knees, said "no way" and turned around. I knew I couldn't do it. I've had a lot of improvement in my health since then.

How much space (square feet) does the yoga dvd require? More than the Wii? I have limited space.

I know you can too!! And if there is anyone in our community who could benefit from this more than you, I don't know who they are. That is why I am going to step out on faith and order a copy for you, even before I order a copy for myself. I have the faith that you can do this. I also have the faith that others here would be glad to chip in and help cover the costs.

Prices are: DDP Yoga Pack 1 (Beginners): $69.95
DDP Yoga Pack 2 (Advanced): $59.95
Combo Pack (1 & 2) : $99.99
I assume there is some shipping/handling tossed in too.

I plan on ordering Pack 1 which will get you started. If others wish to contribute and there is enough, maybe we can spring for the Combo pack.

Anyone wish to help, comment here or PM me.

-Norm

I can't say enough about having yoga in one's life. It creates an environment in which can thrive and create a beautiful, healthy life. Coupled with McDougall's way of eating, I really think you can find the fountain of youth.

Anyone can do yoga. Anyone.

I haven't looked into to set, but I'm very curious about it. I'd love to hear more feedback about it and the positive results one gets.

Update!

I have heard from more than one person who is willing to contribute to this cause, so I am going to order the full Combo Pack for Ege. I also want to apologize for jumping head first into this without first asking Ege if this was something he'd even want others to do for him. I have heard back from him. Ege, thank you for letting us do this for you! You have been an inspiration to us all and doing this can let us feel like we have a part in your success!!

If anyone would like to get in on this, PM me!

Ege, you are loved!

-Norm

Ege,
You are one lucky dude! Everyone loves you.
Keep up the good work!

Yes! I am in. Norm's kindness and support is infectious and I want to be a part of it. But I expect full progress updates from Ege!

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Update:

There has been more than enough donated to cover expenses. We have some really great people here! More than one person wanted to do more for Ege than just buy this DVD set for him. Between them they gave enough to help out with some of the ongoing hardships Ege and his wife are going through.
In addition, some know that I am on a limited income myself, and wanted to help me purchase a set too. At first I was going to refuse this offer. For the same reasons I would have understood Ege refusing our help. Mostly pride. But Ege is man enough to set his pride aside and take an offer of help. I shall too. I can cover most of the cost myself, but a little bit of help allows me to buy a set this month instead of waiting till next month.

I am not one to rush into things. I have been thinking about some kind of exercise program for months now. I have looked into Tai Chi classes. I spoke with a local yoga instructor. I inquired about a membership at the YMCA. None of them seemed right for me. Then I saw the video of Arthur's Transformation and I thought "This might be it!" Cheaper than taking classes and something I can do at my own pace in my own home. I looked their website over and told myself this should be something I consider strongly in the next month or two.

And then Ege mentioned how much he wanted to try this and I realized that he needed something like this more than I did, and so I took a big step of faith and started this whole thing. Had nobody else joined in I would have purchased the starter set for Ege and held off on getting my own for another couple months. But I knew I wouldn't be the only one to feel that way and I believed that several of us would go in for $10-$15 each and we'd get Ege started with the first half of this program. Now look at what it's snowballd into! I started out wanting to be a blessing to someone else and to offer the opportunity for others to join in and now I'm one of the people being blessed! Incredible! And while I'm getting PM's telling me what a good thing I'm doing others are choosing to do their good deed anonymously, which brings to mind a passage of scripture that talks favorably about those who do charitable deeds in secret. (Matthew 6:3-4)

You people are the best!

-Norm

I am so pleased that others, with help!, are taking the leap to try this out. I'm eager to hear how it works for you once you try it.

Incidentally, Norm, I drove all over Tucson today to hit up the 3 big used bookstores hoping to find a used copy of the previous edition of this yoga program to get for you. Sadly there were none. They are even sold out on Amazon. If anyone wants to look for them in your own area, it used to be called "Yoga for Regular Guys."

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