Workout Routines

Recently, I’ve been getting a few questions in regards to my workout routine.  What do I do? How do I find the time while raising and building my family? How do I keep it fresh?  Should I workout with a trainer?  When it comes to fitness, I am not an expert.  Far from it.  But I’d like to share with you how I fit activity into my everyday life.

What I Do

After I had Ethan, I wasn’t able to jump in to exercise right away.  I started verrry slowly.  For the first few months, I just started walking.  A few months after that, I started dance classes at my local Y and then Zumba at a neighborhood studio.  Since hitting a plateau, I’ve started to create a more a focused routine.

First, almost all of my workouts will incorporate a cardio exercise.  Whether it’s the elliptical, stair climber or treadmill, I do at least 30 minutes of cardio everyday.  After cardio, I try and do some strength training everyday by splitting up my workouts everyday focusing on different areas of the body (legs, arms, back, abs etc).

Finding Time

Ever find yourself saying, I don’t have the time to do ______?  I’m just so busy to do ________?  Familiar?   Here’s the thing about time.  We all have the SAME amount of time in a day.  It’s HOW we choose to use our time.  That being said, when it comes to exercise, I try and fit it in any chance I can.  Whether it’s coordinating with Adam about when we will both go to the gym to sneaking some “fit breaks” throughout the day (carrying my son in the front carrier is a great workout), we all have the time.  If there’s a will, there’s a way.  It just takes some organization, communication and a will to fit is all in.

Keeping it Fresh

Let’s face it, I get bored very quickly (I literally have the attention span of a goldfish).  Every 4 weeks, I try to introduce something new.  Whether it’s a heavier weight, or trying a new exercise, switching it up every now helps me stay focused and motivated.  Also, fun factor.  Nothing beats doing an activity with a friend that is completely ridiculous.  Some of the past adventures included trampolining, studio surfing, rock climbing, mermaid swimming (it’s a thing and it’s amazing) and yes, even pole dancing.

Here’s where you can do some of these workouts:

Skyzone  – An indoor trampoline facility that will put your cardio skills to the test. Be sure to test out the giant foam pit!

Surfset – A series of classes that encorporate real surf movements.  Everything minus the water.  And sharks.

The Rock Oasis – An indoor rock climbing gym that is great for strengthening your upper body.

Brass Vixens – Everyone needs to try a pole dancing class workout.  Honestly, this full body workout will challenge your body in so many different ways.  Plus it’s a complete confidence builder.

Working with a Trainer.

Not everyone can afford a full time trainer.  That being said, working with a certified and experienced trainer is a great way to introduce yourself to exercising.  A trainer will be able to assess your current state of fitness and create a plan and help you set goals.   Even one or two sessions are a perfect jump start to getting you acquainted with becoming more fit.  Working with Kelly has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my health.  Not only am I learning to set REALISTIC goals, but I’m discovering how important it is to be active.  Being fit is so much more than just losing weight:  it’s a way of life.  If you have the opportunity, definitely consider booking a session.

Do you have any favourite workouts? How do you incorporate activity in to your life?  Do you have any valuable tricks and tips for being active?  Be sure to share in the comments below.

I’ll be back tomorrow to share my progress and meeting notes from Weight Watchers and I will be setting some new goals for the week.

See you tomorrow!

Jen