Physical activity is such an easy thing that anyone can do every
day to improve multiple facets of their lives. And it’s free.
Studies show so many positive effects from
physical activity that it's impossible to ignore or deny its importance in our
daily lives. It reduces stress, is a natural antidote for
depression, aids with digestion, improves heart health, helps with circulation,
increases brain function, gives you energy, lowers blood pressure, improves
your mood, combats disease, promotes better sleep, etc. Do we really need
any other convincing that working out is hugely important? The
following aren't facts but when I workout I find that my food tastes
better, my sleep feels sweeter and my overall outlook is more positive and
productive. When I was pregnant, working out made all the difference in
how I felt. I was less sick, slept better, had more energy, drank more water,
had less overall issues and felt incredible on the days that I worked
out. There is nothing like a good workout when you are big and pregnant
to make you feel like you are the woman! =)
Before I get into some of my workout
routines, I'd like to share some tips to helping you get started with a
regular, habitual time that you dedicate to physical activity.
1.
Do what is fun for you. If you hate working out, you can't expect to force yourself
to
get up every day and muscle through
something that you despise while hoping it becomes a habit. So
don't. You have to ease into things. Give yourself something
practical that you know that you can stick to because honestly, the biggest
part of the battle is setting a habit first. Set a habit of a specific
time everyday (or every other day) that you set aside for your
activity and stick to it. Once you have the habit set, you can
introduce new things into that workout. You can start with just putting
aside time to stretch or go sit outside for some quiet time. Then maybe
take a little stroll and enjoy some time to just think and be outside.
Once you have that habit, you can increase your pace or try a little jogging
here and there while you walk etc. You get the idea. Just ease into
it.
2.
Be proactive in making time in your schedule. You have time - you just have to make it
a priority. Pick a time that you can be consistent with several times a
week and stick to it. A tip with this is to pick the time of day when you
can give your best to your workout. Pick a time where you can focus, work
hard and have the right mindset. If that means getting up early or doing
it late at night that is fine. Just find which works best for
you where, again, it can be habitual.
3.
Commit to a # of days a week that you want to get in a workout in and
stick to it. Pick the number rather than the days because life is
unpredictable so some weeks will look different than others. Picking the
number rather than the days allows you to be flexible week to week with which
days will work for you.
4.
Utilize the friends in your life who are on this path and can help you with
yours. If you know people who have this interest as well then use
it to your advantage. Ask them to work out with you or to help give you ideas
for your regimen. When Simon was 3 months old, my dear friend Grace was
my faithful, workout "drill sergeant". We would meet at the
mall a couple times a week (before the mall was open) to jog with our strollers
and do some circuit training. Once the weather was nice we switched to
meeting at parks. I knew that I was in a season in my life where I needed
the extra help with being faithful in my workouts so I called up Grace.
Find those people.
5.
Remember it's the quality not the quantity. How hard you work during your workout
will trump how long you go for. Your workouts do not have to be long at
all. I have some days where I take 10 - 15 minutes to crank one
out. If you are working hard enough, your length of time can be shortened.
I love circuit training for this very reason. It is a whole body workout
that combines cardio with strength training (often time using your own body
weight for resistance) and usually is very easy to do at home. Crossfit
is a great example of circuit training. I love that you can do it
anywhere and use the principles with anything. I say that if you leave
the gym or your workout looking the same as when you entered then you are not working
hard enough. A great way to gauge this is by your sweat. I have to
work up a good sweat to know that I worked hard enough. Obviously there
will be days when you don't have the energy or your body is telling you that it
needs a break and that's okay too.
6.
Something is better than nothing. I have to remind myself of this
constantly. When Simon was only a few months old and I was struggling
with dropfoot, my workouts felt like a big let down because they were not
nearly what I had worked up to before birth. I struggle with feeling like
my workouts don't count unless I can feel it and see it (aka the
sweat gauge). But this is absolutely not true. Spending time doing
a physical activity is always better than doing none at all. Don't listen
to that voice that says otherwise.
In the future, I would like to share
some of my workout routines with all you ladies - both my at home ones and at
the gym ones. Let me know if you have any questions or requests!
XOXO
Joy
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