I always enjoy getting glimpses into other people’s routines whether that’s what they’re eating, how they start their day, or move. Today I thought I’d share a bit about how my thoughts on exercising have changed over time, and what exercising looks like for me right now.
I would say that I like being active but haven’t always loved exercising for its own sake. I played soccer for many years growing up, and loved playing defense. Sprinting for the sake of clearing the ball was exhilarating; running just to run? Not so much for me. When I stopped playing soccer in college, I didn’t really exercise much. I occasionally went to the gym with friends. More successful for me were the occasional yoga, dance or HIIT classes I signed up for.
After college, my roommate and I went through periods of working out, especially when we lived two blocks away from the best gym ever, and it was easy to pop in for fun workout classes. I occasionally tried running and signed up for 5ks or 5 mile races, but it never really felt like my thing, and as soon as the race ended, so would my running routine. This pattern continued when we moved to Colorado except I got really into hiking, so we would do that a lot more on the weekends.
Once I had my daughter, I felt drawn to the benefits of exercise, but also had very little free time between caring for her and work. I struggled a lot in the postpartum period and eventually decided to focus on what would feel easy to do every day. I ended up doing the 7 minute workout every day. If I had extra time I would do 2. Was it the greatest workout ever? No, but it really shifted how I thought about working out. I could listen to music or a podcast, workout quickly and move on with my day. I rarely skipped working out because it felt easy, and I felt more energetic. For me, the biggest benefit of working out is my mood. I’m happier and centered when I am moving my body regularly.
How I’ve worked out has changed throughout the last 7 years, and I don’t do the 7 minute workout anymore. But I think that I still look for the same qualities of that workout. I prefer working out at home to reduce transitions and also because I’m an introvert. There’s a set routine that I don’t have to think about. I adjust it as I get bored or my schedule changes, but I don’t wake up each day wondering what I should do. It always feels doable, with options to scale up or down. For me, being consistent is more important than having an optimized workout.
Here’s what that looks like right now. 3 days a week, I do strength training. I’m using the Nerd Fitness beginner dumbbell training plan. Each week I either add reps or increase the weight. It’s short (about 15 minutes), but I notice the workouts getting easier and I’ve increased the weight and number of reps. 2-3 days a week I do an emkfit dance or pilates video on youtube, which I believe I found from Kae. They are super fun because I can pick one with music I like, and I generally choose one between 15-25 minutes long. Right now this works well for me, but I’m sure I’ll adjust the routine when schedules or priorities change.
What does working out look like for you right now? Do you prefer to work out at home or at a gym or class? Has your approach to working out changed over time?
I would say that I like being active but haven’t always loved exercising for its own sake. I played soccer for many years growing up, and loved playing defense. Sprinting for the sake of clearing the ball was exhilarating; running just to run? Not so much for me. When I stopped playing soccer in college, I didn’t really exercise much. I occasionally went to the gym with friends. More successful for me were the occasional yoga, dance or HIIT classes I signed up for.
After college, my roommate and I went through periods of working out, especially when we lived two blocks away from the best gym ever, and it was easy to pop in for fun workout classes. I occasionally tried running and signed up for 5ks or 5 mile races, but it never really felt like my thing, and as soon as the race ended, so would my running routine. This pattern continued when we moved to Colorado except I got really into hiking, so we would do that a lot more on the weekends.
Once I had my daughter, I felt drawn to the benefits of exercise, but also had very little free time between caring for her and work. I struggled a lot in the postpartum period and eventually decided to focus on what would feel easy to do every day. I ended up doing the 7 minute workout every day. If I had extra time I would do 2. Was it the greatest workout ever? No, but it really shifted how I thought about working out. I could listen to music or a podcast, workout quickly and move on with my day. I rarely skipped working out because it felt easy, and I felt more energetic. For me, the biggest benefit of working out is my mood. I’m happier and centered when I am moving my body regularly.
How I’ve worked out has changed throughout the last 7 years, and I don’t do the 7 minute workout anymore. But I think that I still look for the same qualities of that workout. I prefer working out at home to reduce transitions and also because I’m an introvert. There’s a set routine that I don’t have to think about. I adjust it as I get bored or my schedule changes, but I don’t wake up each day wondering what I should do. It always feels doable, with options to scale up or down. For me, being consistent is more important than having an optimized workout.
Here’s what that looks like right now. 3 days a week, I do strength training. I’m using the Nerd Fitness beginner dumbbell training plan. Each week I either add reps or increase the weight. It’s short (about 15 minutes), but I notice the workouts getting easier and I’ve increased the weight and number of reps. 2-3 days a week I do an emkfit dance or pilates video on youtube, which I believe I found from Kae. They are super fun because I can pick one with music I like, and I generally choose one between 15-25 minutes long. Right now this works well for me, but I’m sure I’ll adjust the routine when schedules or priorities change.
What does working out look like for you right now? Do you prefer to work out at home or at a gym or class? Has your approach to working out changed over time?
This is a soar topic for me. I never worked out. E.V.E.R. and I was at 120lbs and 5'7'' my whole life. Granted I grew up starving, mostly, but even when I came to this country and saw the abundance I still wouldn't gain weight. And I wanted to, b/c I wanted boobs and I wanted a butt.
ReplyDeleteFast forward to middle age. I am now in my 40s( soon to be 45) and I still don' t work out. I mean, I walk a lot at work (teacher), I hike but it is very haphazard. And kind of careless.
My weight crept up to 135 at 5"7'' which is still not a concern. What I do want are the mental benefits. On the days that I do lift a little bit, I mentally feel better and I feel like I have more energy. But I'm also lazy.
Daria from momofchildren.com