Getting Into Shape

Most of you know that I have been an avid runner most of my life. I have had gym memberships over the years, but all I have ever used them for was the treadmill. At this point in time Greg and I cannot justify spending money on a gym membership so I have been "forced" to become creative. I admit that from November-December I did not do much when it comes to working out, but now I feel like I am back in the swing of things. I thought I would share some of the variety of workouts I'm doing - all of them at home, and they don't require any gym equipment or weights.

RUNNING: I couldn't seem to find the motivation to get out there and run for 20-30 minutes straight. I would end up only making it 15 minutes and get discouraged. Then I found this running schedule on Pinterest.

                                                                            Source

Week 1: Run one minute. Walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week. 

Week 2: Run two minutes. Walk one minute. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week. 

Week 3: Run three minutes. Walk one minute. Repeat six times. Do three times a week. 

Week 4: Run five minutes. Walk two minutes. Repeat four times. Do three times a week. 

Week 5: Run eight minutes. Walk two minutes. Repeat three times. Do three times a week. 

Week 6: Run twelve minutes. Walk one minute. Repeat three times. Do three times a week. 

Week 7: Run fifteen minutes. Walk one minute. Run fifteen minutes. Do three times a week. 

Week 8: Run thirty

I am currently on week three of this routine and it has been wonderful! Having that one minute of walk time to look forward to has been a huge motivator as I build my endurance. Another thing I love is that it is open for modifications. If you need to jog and walk you can. If you need to speed walk the longer portions and slow down your pace for the one minute, you can. Sometimes if I finish my last set and think I can get one more in then I do (Monday was one of those days for me, but today was not, and that's OK).

STRENGTH TRAINING/PLYOMETRICS: I have never been much of a weight lifter. Anytime I have been on a weight schedule I end up growing out of my clothes and getting "big" which I did not want. I even met with a physical trainer at a gym once and she put me on a program to help me become strong and lean... I once again grew out of my jeans... NOT COOL. I found this circuit drill workout on Pinterest and have tried it a couple of times. The first time I could only get through it once. The second time I got through one and a half times. I'm hoping my third time I can get through the entire thing twice!

                                                                         Source
YOGA: I never thought I would be into yoga. I always pictured it as a lot of meditation and weird breathing and sissy stretching, I'm an athlete darn it! Well, I have crossed over to "sissy land" and am never going back! My cousin introduced me to the dvd Yoga for Athletes a few months ago and it has changed my life.

                                                                             Source
I have never been very flexible, and as a runner have always had tight hips, calves, and hamstrings. Yoga has helped my muscles immensely! The thing I particularly enjoy about Yoga for Athletes is that it is designed for athletes and also includes several poses where I use my own body weight as a strengthening tool. I can already tell a huge difference in my body. You can check out Yoga for Athletes for more information if you're interested in the dvd.

ZUMBA: I got into Zumba a couple of years ago as one of my colleagues and friends became a Zumba instructor and it consumed her life. I was skeptical at first because I have never been very coordinated when it comes to dancing, but I LOVE Zumba! If you are not familiar with Zumba it combines latin music with dance moves that sculpt your body. I don't have a Zumba dvd, but after attending so many Zumba classes/parties I have memorized several routines. When I Zumba at home I plug my iPod in and dance away for 30-60 minutes. By the end of a Zumba routine I am almost always dripping with sweat.  I highly recommend it if you have been skeptical about Zumba as a workout.

ABS: One last thing I have incorporated is some ab exercises to help jumpstart me for the month of February. I also found this on Pinterest.

I just started this today and it was a piece of cake. However, day 29 kinda terrifies me... a 2 minute plank! Seriously?!

Well, I hope this was informative/helpful for some of you out there. I know many of you work full time and cannot fit much exercise in and that is completely understandable. I don't do ALL of these exercises everyday. The running is 3 days a week, I do the circuit training 2 days a week, the abs everyday this month, yoga every other day, and Zumba is a fun way to mix up my workout when I'm in a slump. Saturday and Sunday are normally my veg out and relax days. Happy exercising everyone!