• Fitness

    How I Made Working Out Into A Lifestyle

    When I was younger, I was surrounded by sports. I started playing softball when I was only 6 years old and started to play volleyball when I was 13. So, the majority of my life consisted of practices, games, lifting sessions and more practice. But, that all comes with somebody telling me what to do. That was the hardest thing I had to let go when I stopped being an athlete. It is so much easier when you have a coach telling you what to do. When I ended my athletic career I found myself not ever going to the gym, because I just didn’t have a reason to anymore. I eventually found my way back, but it was not easy to stick to. Follow along and I’ll share with you some ways I made working out a part of my lifestyle.

    Start Small

    This was something that helped me get through the hard days of working out. When I start exercising, I always start with a lot of energy and think I can do more than I really can. However, doing too much, in the beginning, leads to burnout, which leads to quitting. When you first start making working out a habit, your body is most likely not used to it. Ease into it, do not do anything your body isn’t ready for.

    Don’t skip a day

    It is so easy to say “Nah, I’ve been doing it for four days…I’ll just skip today!” For the first time getting into working out consistently, you need to be consistent. If you do skip a day, don’t beat yourself up. Get back into the next day and continue to keep doing it every day. I work out almost every day, but when I skip a day I know I won’t make it a habit. Since when I started working out a lot I did not skip a day for as long as I could remember. This helped me so much when making it a lifestyle for me. I now feel weird and not myself when I don’t get a workout in during the day.

    Listen to your body

    I live by this motto so much throughout my life, especially when it comes to working out. Some days you want to push your body and have the best workout of your life, but if your body is just not feeling it, don’t push it!! Pushing yourself is good, and you should always try and do things you normally do not do, that’s how we reach goals! But, pushing ourselves too hard in the face of pain and putting ourselves in danger, that’s not good. If you get to the gym and had a long intense workout in mind but your body isn’t up to the task, don’t push it. Exercise is good, but it has to be the right amount with the right intensity for you. Next time you head to the gym and your running that mile with 3 more to go, but you’re about to pass out, stop! Your goal can be reached when your body is letting and is ready you reach it.

    Go to the gym!

    This has got to be the most common tip when starting to workout consistently. But it truly is the best tip out there when finding the motivation to workout. There are so many times when I truly do not want to get up and go workout. But, getting your workout clothes on and heading out the door is the hardest part sometimes. Some days I am so tired and sick of the gym, but I go anyway. I can’t tell you how many times I tell myself I am just gonna go do a quick, easy workout but end up doing the most intense workout that ends up being an hour and a half long. You really can surprise yourself when you get up and just go! I still live by this tip and will for a very very long time.

    Make it a journey

    The one mistake people make when they first start working out is making it a destination, not a journey. Sure, making goals and reaching them is great, but stopping once that goal is reached is too common. When you are trying to make working out a lifestyle you can’t think of it as an endpoint, you need to take it day by day.

  • Fitness

    Cardio Exercises That I Have Been Loving

    I used to HATE cardio, and I don’t think I’m the only one. I hated running and for some reason, I figured that was the only way I was going to look any better. Don’t get me wrong, I still run, but I actually enjoy doing it now! Your body can get used to doing the same routine, which can cause you to plateau. To challenge your body and improve your stamina, switching up your day-to-day cardio exercises will improve your overall endurance and boost calorie burning.  I wanted to share my favorite cardio exercises that I have enjoyed doing!

    Sprint intervals:

    • This is my go-to cardio exercise on days I have a ton of energy and am ready to hit the gym hard! Sprint intervals require you to use maximum effort and they helped me get rid of the stubborn weight. Sprint intervals is a great workout if you have a busy schedule because it does not require a lot of time. Since sprinting is an intense workout, I usually start with a 1-mile warm-up. After my warm-up, I start the sprint intervals. I usually sprint for .10 miles and then walk for .05 miles. I do that until I get a full mile in. Afterwards, I am sweaty and exhausted but feel great! This cardio exercise usually takes only about 20 minutes! If you haven’t worked out in awhile I would start with sprint intervals slowly. Listen to your body! If you feel like they are to difficult or just aren’t for you, check out the other cardio exercises I have listed below!

    Treadmill Incline: 

    • This workout is my favorite cardio exercise if I am looking to sweat a lot but am not wanting to put in the maximum effort that day in the gym. I usually wear a sweatshirt whenever I plan on doing this treadmill incline exercise so I can sweat like crazy and get the most out of it. I put the treadmill at a 9.0 incline and walk at a 3.5 pace. I do this for 45 minutes or sometimes 40 if it’s really kicking my butt that day. I know 45 minutes seems like a long time but that’s the amount of time I have to put in if I want to burn a lot of calories and still get the most out of the workout. I put on my favorite playlist or watch some Netflix during this certain exercise so I don’t get bored and want to stop.

    Stair Climber:

    • This stair climber workout makes for a great lower body workout. Targeting your glutes, calves, quads, and hamstrings, you’ll burn fat, and build lean muscles. On days I choose to go on the stair climber I go for about 20 minutes. Some days I can push it for 30 or only 15 minutes. Listen to your body and do what feels comfortable for you. I will start at a level 6 for the first 5 minutes and then push it up to 8 when I get to 10 min. I will stay at 8 till about 15 minutes and that’s when I start changing it up a bit. I will jump to a level 13 for 30 seconds and then back down to a level 5 for 30 seconds. I will do those 30-second intervals till I get to 20 min. These intervals are what is going to target fat burning. Once you’re done with that stair climber workout I guarantee you’ll be dripping with sweat and feeling amazing!

    Cycling: 

    • Lately, I have been loving taking cycling classes! These cycling classes are 60 minutes long and are such a great cardio workout. I usually choose to take cycling class on Sundays after a long weekend. I enjoy taking these classes because it is someone telling you what to do and there is no room for slacking!! On Sundays I feel sluggish and don’t feel like working out I will tell myself to sign up for cycling class and I never regret it! Since Saturdays are usually the night I like to go out on the town with friends and have some drinks, these classes are a great opportunity to just sweat it all out.