Electric Body Rock

So I've been on a real fitness kick lately. After feeling like a worn out worthless blob for the better part of last year I've made it a point to work on getting back into better shape this year. Here we are in July and I've only now really had a break through with it all. In the past I've maintained a good workout regimen for a brief period then always seem to fall out of it, never really understood why it happens but I know a number of things have contributed to it, mainly; balancing work loads and just having a ridiculous amount of things going on.

A good friend of mine is a yoga instructor now who just recently moved to New York. I approached her and asked if she could help steer me in a good direction when it came to fitness. Right away she suggested yoga after hearing some of my physical complaints in regards to my muscles and stiffness in my lower back and legs. I've tried yoga in the past and found it to be really enjoyable but I really wasn't able to progress with it very far, in telling her that she suggested something else. PILATES - which like yoga I've had some experience with but this time around thanks to my friend I've been set in a proper direction! I'm really enjoying the pilates exercises that I've been doing now for the last month. I do a series of stretches and breathing exercises in the mornings now right after getting up (and having my morning coffee) which have totally helped me in facing my daily challenges. At first my body being what it is was having a terrible time dealing with what the pilates was putting it through; I could hear my muscles "pop" and my joints "crack" but now after working through all that I've noticed a great improvement in those areas. An example is my leg muscles - namely my calves. I've been super unhappy with the appearance of my legs... yes, a lot of that might stem from my BDD though only to a point. Since doing a number of stretches and workouts I've finally noticed a wonderful "slimming effect" on my legs - now they feel a lot more lean and the annoying cramping of my muscles has nearly washed away! Other great effects I've found is my posture has improved, my lower back pain has really lessened, tension in my body seems to have really lifted AND mentally I'm feeling less depressed. My friend referred me to a great YouTube channel; Blogilates. Cassey Ho does a whole series on her channel called "POP Pilates" which I've really enjoyed. Below is one of the stretching videos on her channel that I've been doing in the mornings and before I do my aerobic workouts...