So, I've seen this feature when lurking around Joy's Book Blog and decided that now that I've finally incorporated steady exercise into my life, I should give it a try and join in! For the literally years my New Years' resolutions have always been to lose weight and become fit, but I honestly have never really made any steady attempts to incorporate regular exercise into my schedule - either I'd try something for a little while and then give up, or I'd put it off in the first place.
Since it was becoming pretty obvious to me that my discipline was lacking, and I was tired of wanting to lose weight but not really doing anything about it, I decided to take my supervisor up on her offer to sign up for a Fitness Boot Camp together at a not-so-nearby gym (it's really far, guys!). The class meets four times a week, Monday through Thursday, for one hour (6 pm - 7 pm), which means that I can change right after work and go straight there (work ends at 5 pm).
So far, I've been going for about five weeks, and I've been seeing some results! The class is mostly strength training with a bit of cardio thrown in to mix things up, and it's ladies-only, so I don't have to feel too self-conscious about myself. Even though the numbers on the scale aren't dropping as much as I'd hoped they would, I've discovered that I've gone down a pant-size, and can run further than I could when I started before running out of breath, lol!
Here's a breakdown of what we did during yesterday's workout:
Ran laps around the building
Jump-roped
Side-squats with hand-weights
Lunges with hand-weights
Flipped large tires
Performed Toe-Taps, Mountain Climbers & Push-Ups against the tires
I don't know if I left anything out, but we did a nice mixture of the above exercises, switching back and forth between each one until the hour was up. So far, my biggest challenge would be push-ups, since my form is terrible and my upper-body strength is still greatly lacking. But before this class, the only form of exercise I did was cardio (if any), so strength-training is completely new for me. I'm glad to be gaining some muscle, though - my legs already look noticeably better, haha! Now if only I could improve my diet....
Are any of you fellow readers out there incorporating exercise into your schedule? If so, how do make yourself stick with it? For me, I really need the scheduled class with a trainer that tells me what to do, otherwise I'd give up too quickly. Also, if any of you have any recommended reads for health & fitness related books, please share them in the comments below - I sure could use them!
That boot camp sounds great, especially doing it with someone else. I'm usually on my own when it comes to exercising. I really have to have a plan or I just kinda put it off. I need to lose some weight too, which for me means eating better.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, this boot camp is what's keeping me on track. And even if I were able to manage steady exercise on my own, I would never even attempt half of the stuff that we have to do in boot camp - it really challenges me a lot!
DeleteSounds like you're doing a great job! I'd like to join a fitness group but I live an hour from anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThanks! An hour is a pretty long way - and I was annoyed that my gym was half an hour away...
DeleteI do my workout at home when I have time. Usually, it lasts for 45-60 minutes. I used to do it everyday but because of school, I lie lowed. Workouts are addicting and this boot camp seems so fuuun!
ReplyDeleteIn high school, I was disciplined enough to do that - everyday, I'd put on some rock music and I'd do at least 200 sit-ups (on my bed though, 'cuz otherwise it would hurt my lower back), as well as some leg lifts & wall-sits, etc. I don't know what happened, but I am no longer that disciplined, lol. This class helps a lot, though, and the girls that are in it are really nice to talk to. We push each other to do better!
DeleteCool that you're seeing some results. It even sounds like you're enjoying it! Happy to have you as part of Readers' Workouts. I just discovered the on-line game SuperBetter (http://www.superbetter.com) to help us stick to healthy lifestyle changes. I'm going to write about it tomorrow when I review the book Reality is Broken by Jane McGonigal.
ReplyDeleteJoy's Book Blog
I LOVE GAMES!!! I am a huge fan of anything that involves "quests" or earning trophies. I'm actually fortunate enough to work in an office with employees who are very competitive, and are thinking of starting a "competition" of sorts to see who can lose the most body fat...I'm looking forward to when that starts, because I have a feeling it will really motivate me more. Thanks for sharing that link - that sounds right up my alley!
DeleteUPDATE: Okay, I've already started SuperBetter, and I kind of like it! Feel free to add me as an ally - I signed up under thegirlwhoblinked@gmail.com :)
Delete