Daily Routine - Exercise - It's all apart of life's pageant

The WINNER is: MARYD!!! please contact me [email protected]

Update: taking a break on Thursday - but check back on Friday!

I wonder if exercise is the most dreaded word in the world? This has been the hardest thing to incorporate into my daily routine. I am doing much better - but there is always room for improvement.

Personal Trainer.
I know in this economy it probably isn't feasible to hire a personal trainer. But because of the economy there may be some great programs at affordable rates. Read here on how I found mine. Just like in Weight Watchers I needed to have accountability, going to a trainer gives me that. The trainer is also someone that pushes you to your limit and is there to guide you through this process. We don't belong to a gym anymore because it was a total waste of money for us. Plus if you wanted to get any kind of training you had to pay additional on top of your monthly membership. On a normal week (not traveling) I see Cory twice a week for 45 minutes to an hour at noon, usually on Wednesday and Friday. We do mostly strength training but it seem aerobic to me because I am constantly moving and readyt collapse. During the workout I can't wait for it to be over but in the end I am always glad that I went! Since I have been working with him my % of body fat has gone down, very happy with that.

Aerobic exercise.
Since I don't have a gym membership anymore and the weather in the Pacific NW is less than desirable right now, Cory suggested that I look for a stationary upright bike on Craigslist.com. I needed to do some aerobic exercise at least 30 minutes everyday and if it was raining or freezing outside I wasn't doing anything! I liked this suggestion because the footprint of the bike wasn't going to take up a lot of space - not like a treadmill. There is a ton of hardly used equipment out there for sale. Check out those options before buying anything new. Since getting it back in January I have used it almost five to six days a week when I am home. Kirk thought for sure that this was going to become a clothes hanger but I have stuck to it. I really like the ability to go upstairs, wheel it into the bedroom and watch my DVRd shows anytime I want. My ideal time would be in the morning before I head to yoga but most of the time sleeping in is WAY more important so I jump on when I get back from yoga and hit the shower. Cory is now having me monitor my heart rate so we can start some interval training on the bike. I use a Suunto heart rate monitor, I see they don't even have my model anymore it's like the t3c. I have had it for a year now and still don't know how to use all the bells and whistles - so my advice to you is get a basic one! I think this is very important to monitor because you want to be at our optimum heart rate for whatever goals that you have. Whether it be losing weight or improving your cardiovascular. I am very anxious to get in better shape to start this type of training - right now my heart rate races up and takes too long to come back down. This is my winter aerobic exercise - the spring/summer plan will be different so stay tuned.

Strength Training.
I also do this at home with the TRX Suspension Trainer. This contraption is amazing! We have ours set up in the door jam of the guest room. If you have time watch the videos - it will show you all the exercises that you can do with just two straps and your own weight. The trainer recommended this because it also travels really well. I have yet to bring it with me on any trips, but I see using it when we take longer ones. This is the one thing that I don't do often enough - even though I HATE my flabby arms and back boobs, yes back boobs. UGH. By the time I am done on the bike I need to get in the shower and get down to work. But in reality if I just took another 15 minutes to do my back and arms workout it would make a huge improvement.

Yoga.
I could do a whole series of posts on Yoga. It is the one thing that I will get out of bed for (well not the only thing, but you get what I mean) and drive 15 mintues to get to the studio. I say this because the gym was not even a mile from our house and I NEVER went. For me Yoga encompasses many things; exercise, mindfulness, flexibility, strength and calming my mind. I regularly attend twice a week but strive for four or five. I attend the flow classes with the Friday class being a restorative Yoga class. My practice is definitely helping with my core strength, as I can see improvements when I work out with the trainer and also in some of the balancing poses. I am fortunate because there are several Yoga studios in my area. I researched a couple and felt most comfortable at Satsang. This is very important because Yoga can become a very personal thing.

Walking.
This is a given since we have three dogs. Right now we don't make it out that often but we do try to go to the park behind our house. Walking the dogs for me is rejuevenating because I try to go towards the late afternoon. Usually by then my shoulders are up to my ears and I can't stare at my computer screen any longer - I need a break. Around 3pm Jesse is usually the one that comes around to get my attention. I find it very odd that dogs can tell time, because at 6pm he is back in my office to let me know that it's time to feed him. By 6:15 he is really upset and jumps on my leg until I get up. Like they are going to starve any time soon. But I digress - the walk is for me as much as it is for them, even if it's a quick 30 minute jaunt around the neighborhood or 15 minutes in the park. I don't take my phone - it's just me, two dogs (selby HATES to go on walks), and poop bags!

Shoes & Clothes.
This may seem silly to talk about, but it is sometimes something that is overlooked and can really make or break your experience. Before you start any program make sure you get good shoes to exercise in. You cannot skimp here - sorry! I, more than anyone would love to buy my running shoes at a discount store but it's not going to work. Not if you want to protect your feet, knees, back, etc. I go to a shoe store, we have two by my house: Fit Right NW and When the Shoe Fits - at both of these places they put you on a treadmill and video tape you running and/or walking. They are trying to determine whether or not you are a under pronator or overpronator. Once they figure this out they have you try on shoes that are specific to your pronation among other things. The discount shoe store cannot do this! So when you think that walking is making your feet hurt or your knees sore - it may actually be the wrong shoes that you are wearing. Bad shoes can make and cause injuries. I am an overpronator and always buy the same brand of shoes - Asics. Since I am not running at this time I push my shoes to the four to six month period. When I was running more - it was every three to four months.

Okay clothes, my favorite subject (save that for another post)! Be comfortable, but don't be sloopy. Even if you are working out at home like me. I don't want to dive to deep into this but be comfortable and be supported! Work out clothes that I love: Target - they have a great selection at affordable prices. Lucy - my all time favorite because they do their pants in short/petite, but all of their stuff is very well made. Zella - so soft, but on the higher end. This Zella jacket is so comfortable. Lululemon - I like their yoga tops (with bra) and pants, but expensive. For when I do go outside Ice Breaker - we discovered this company while in NZ. The technology with the wool is amazing - these are definitely investment pieces, but if you spend anytime outdoors this is great stuff. I think it is way better than the UnderArmour pieces. Another important item (at least for me, 34D) is the workout bra. I go to Title Nine and you can actually talk to a live person about your needs. The first time I ordered a bra from them I thought for sure I would be sending it back, because I had no idea of the fit. It was perfect - made by Champion.

So how do I make it all work at least three times a week? I took out all the excuses, I made a list of why I don't exercise on a daily basis or what the hurdles were.Then I put all the pieces in place and made an investment in myself. I bought a used stationary bike and strength training system so I wouldn't have to go to the gym, I hired a trainer... making that list was an important step for me and being very honest with myself. If I wasn't, the bike would have become a clothes hanger by now!

So what keeps me motivated... seeing the results is definitely numero UNO. I feel better and my clothes fit better. Supportive people around me - I try to surround myself, Weight Watchers meetings are good for this. My health keeps me motivated - I want to die of old age, not something like heart disease!

Just remember it can be an ongoing battle sometimes. You need to give yourself those days where you do just the minimum. It's okay!

Here is the next giveaway