Exercise!!!!!

The key to working out on a regular basis, for me, is finding something that I don't mind doing five days a week! I used to go on Tae Bo sprees, or do Jillian Michael's 20 minute power workouts, and I even tried P90X...but I got bored with all of those...I would power through the dvds a few times a week then I would get bored and not do any form of working out at all.

Pre-babies and husband, I worked out at the gym- ALL THE TIME (when I was in the weight loss phase of my weight cycle). I would be at the gym for at least 1 1/2 hours and most days 2 hours. Once I got married and had kids, the time I had spent at the gym was spent with people I love instead. Thus the intense weight loss/gain swings.

I don't like the gym now. Unless I have a babysitter (which we can't afford and I know no one here yet) I won't go. I know gyms have the childcare areas but, I'll be honest, I'm a germaphobe and don't want to put my kids in there for hours. I also don't like that I have to spend time to make myself look decent, drive to the gym, and drive back, all wasting the precious little time I have to work out.

So, a little over a year ago, we purchased an elliptical off of craigslist. It's nothing fancy, was only $400, and squeaks a bit, but it folds up and fits perfectly in the corner of my living room.

Every day, during my girls' coinciding nap time, I pull it out of the corner, plug it in, set up one of my recorded shows from the night before, and get moving! I love the fact that I can watch my favorite tv programs while getting a good workout in. I love that I don't have to look presentable, and that I can hop off and get right into my own shower and not have to drive home from a gym. For me, this is ideal. I would much rather get my workouts done in the comforts of my own home, where I can watch whatever shows I want (the gyms I used to attend always seemed to have news shows on...not very distracting for me 15 minutes in to a tough elliptical session), wear whatever I want, and not have to waste time driving.

I do at least 30 minutes on the elliptical, three to five times per week. Some days I do a low resistance level and keep my speed high, some days I do a high resistance with low speed. Some days, if I have had a "baking" day with my daughter, I add an extra fifteen minutes to help burn off the cupcake I ate. I do a two minute cool down at the end to bring my heart rate down slowly. Some weeks, I add in strength training two days per week (I usually do the strength training on Tuesdays and Fridays as it makes me pretty sore). Some weeks I have zero energy and the strength training seems too daunting so I just do the elliptical. I always ask myself though, "do I really have no energy (thanks to my 7 month old who still is up all-the-time at night)? Or am I being lazy?" because the strength training I do is quite difficult to me!

When I say "strength" training, I am referring to a thirty-minute workout that mainly uses my own body weight, as I don't have a bunch of free weights laying around at home. I start by doing one of the following- two minutes of "nose to the grindstone push ups*" (I'll explain below what these are) OR one minute of jumping jacks- to get my heart rate up. Following that exercise, I do a series of lower ab/oblique workouts, butt workouts, and squats (I'll also do something for triceps if I start with jumping jacks). Then I go back to the jumping jacks or push ups for another one to two minutes and continue that cycle for thirty minutes.

I also started doing a half and half day- I do fifteen hard minutes on the elliptical, then fifteen minutes of strength training.

I know sometimes, right before a workout, you don't want to do it. The couch and a snack seem soooooooo appealing, especially after dealing with kiddos all day- but I try and remind myself of how great I always feel once I'm done. Post workout I always feel better about my image, my health, and I feel accomplished.

I am definitely not a Professional Personal Trainer- these are just the things that work for me on a regular basis. Do-able exercises that I can commit to and am not dreading day after day. And when the weather warms up, I love to get out with my girls and be active outdoors as well! I just know that the more effort I put in, the faster I will reach my goal, and THAT is what motivates me to put on my tennis shoes and pull out that elliptical day after day!!!

*Nose the the grindstone push ups- I learned these when I was home in CO for the holidays; my parents have Comcast Cable in their home, and under the "sports and fitness" section they have TONS of free workout videos! I found a quick 20 minute one, and the "nose to the grindstone" move is the beginning of the workout. Anyway, here is how it's done:

-Stand up straight with your arms up and fingertips pointed to the ceiling.
-Bend your knees and go straight out to a push up position (I lack enough upper body strength to do a real push up so I go to my knees then do the push up, keeping my butt down and going down as far as I can so I work my triceps and chest)
-Push yourself up from your push up back to the "bent knee position"
-Then stand straight up again, fingertips to the ceiling!

Trust me, after two minutes of these, I'm feeling the burn!!!