Home Sweat Home
Hello Sweet Shoppers, it’s Keely here and I’m going to talk a little bit about fitness. I know in January it’s popular for people to commit to being more active and getting in shape and a lot of them have fallen off the wagon by this time of year. I’ve gone through phases, I’ve been fit and I’ve been unfit. I’m a firm believer that you have to make exercise a habit and part of your lifestyle. It can be done without being a huge, dramatic undertaking that takes over your life. I have finally reached that place. While I’ll probably never be one of those people that just loves to exercise, I’m hooked on the way it makes me feel and how much better I feel about myself. I’m going to share what’s worked for me, I know that if I can get there, anyone can.
I don’t have a gym membership, I have had several in the past and I liked Body Pumping and rocking the weight machines just fine, but that means you have to GO, and shell out money, and get ready, and there always seemed to be scheduled times and hours involved. I had myself convinced that I needed the gym to make myself work out because I wasn’t self-motivated or disciplined enough. I was wrong people! I work out in a little house, on my own. I started out with a very small amount of equipment, a yoga mat, a few weights and DVDs. (Ross, TJMaxx, Marshall’s are great places to check for inexpensive mats, kettlebells, resistance bands and such) Since then I’ve rewarded myself with a few things but you can do a lot with very little.
I was feeling pretty crappy about myself and my lack of action so I owe a lot to Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred. I’ve never watched her on TV but I’d heard so many recommendations, and it was cheap so I figured I didn’t have a whole lot to lose. I made a commitment to myself to just get through the disc program, I think I gave myself six weeks. I questioned my decision after that first work out and I remember wondering if I was delusional, I was so out of shape! I stuck with it though and what I loved about it was that I got results fast. By the time that I got to the third level I already had improvements in my strength and endurance and I could see the results as well. Thanks Jillian! I bought a few more discs to add in and to keep the momentum going No More Trouble Zones, Personal Training With Jackie: Xtreme Timesaver Training
After a few months of regular work outs I was really starting to notice the benefits, finding that endorphin high they talk about. We all know in our heads that exercise is good for us but you can’t really feel your cholesterol level balance out, your metabolism kick up or your bone density increase. When you notice that you’re sleeping better, that you have more energy, that you’re less moody, less stressed (seeing muscle!) it’s a good incentive to keep going. But the starting has always been the hard part for me, I mean I’m never sorry after I work out but some days it’s really hard to get going. A few things that help with that are, one to remember that point LOL I like to keep a calendar so I can see the days I exercise, I feel more motivated and accomplished with a visual aid. Mix it up. Doing the same things over and over, well it’s boring and your body acclimates. When I started to keep an exercise log it helped me tremendously, especially when feeling unmotivated or stuck. I can see what I’ve been doing and I can tell if I’m making progress. Set goals. The day I started doing Shred I was doing a lot of it modified, I had to do all the push ups on my knees, and there’s nothing wrong with that but the first day that I busted out commando push ups, I felt like GI Jane. I’ve learned not to sell myself short, I’m a stronger than I think. I’ve also learned that it’s not an all or nothing endeavor. If you’re making yourself feel guilty for an off day or bad week ( overdoing it isn’t good either) you’re less likely to stick with it. It takes some time but it really can get to the point where exercise is just what you do, it’s a part of your schedule and you’ll find a way to work it in because you want to and because you deserve it.
I got tired of doing discs, I go back to them every once in a while but I discovered how much is available on the good old interwebs and that’s mostly how I work it. I’m a huge proponent of HIIT or high intensity interval training combining strength and cardio. I prefer to get a lot of bang with less time. While there are days that I work out for longer periods, you can get a good work out in 30 minutes easy, including a warm up and cool down. One of my favorite things is my Gym Boss interval timer
I have the fancy version that does complex intervals (great for Couch 2 5k) but you don’t need the fancy one and I’m pretty sure there are some free apps available that do the same thing. And finally, here are some of my favorite spots for web workouts: (Some easy, some hard, there are a lot of variations available out there. And don’t be hesitant to modify to your needs and fitness level.)
(Don’t let the questionable pics scare you off , these work out are awesome!)
Until next time, happy scrapping (and sweating too!).
