I go in waves with the type of workouts I do. Sometimes I get in a really intense mode, where I am super motivated to push myself hard almost every day – this happens more in the summer when the weather is nice outside. Then there are other seasons, like the one I am in right now, that are more restorative. This is when I tend to take my time with slower, longer workouts and sweat less, but still move my body. For me, this helps to keep things interesting and seems to keep me from getting bored with exercising.
Since winters in Michigan tend to be pretty nasty, pretty much the only time I am outside from November – March is when I am going to get in my car or when I am begrudgingly going to an outdoor activity (skiing, festival, walk, etc.) that someone has magically convinced me to participate in. Therefore, my workouts are limited to my living room or the gym almost half of the year. As soon as the weather gets nice I am outside as much as I can be (running, walking, hiking, bike riding, strength training at a park, etc.), but we aren’t quite there yet this year.
So lately, this is what a typical week of workouts looks like for me:
Monday: AM strength training at the gym
Tuesday: PM barre class + a walk at some point during the work day
Wednesday: PM spin class
Thursday: PM yoga class
Friday: AM cardio at the gym
Saturday: AM yoga class or strength training at the gym with Chris
Sunday: rest
There is certainly some variation in this from week to week, but I am always interested to hear about the routines other people are in, so I thought I would take a stab at telling you mine the best that I can right now! To elaborate a little more on what all of those workouts look like, here is a deeper description:
Strength training: I have been trying to make an effort to do this at the gym more than I do it at home (we are paying for the membership, so might as well use it as much as I can!), but sometimes I end up workout out with some weights in my living room while I watch the Kardashians. Better than nothing 😉 Anyway, a typical strength training workout for me comes from the Tone It Up app most of the time. They also provide the daily moves on their website, but the app is super convenient to just swipe from one exercise to the next. This takes the guess work out of planning a workout for me, which sometimes I love to do and sometimes I hate to do. Their program focuses on a different body part group each day, ranging from abs to upper body to lower body to HIIT and a bunch more options. I would highly recommend downloading their app if you don’t have it already!
Barre class: I am so picky with group fitness instructors, so I feel really lucky that I love an instructor who teaches a class at a time I can actually go to it! I’ve talked about it before, but barre is such a great, low-intensity workout that tones you up in this secret way, because it doesn’t actually feel like you’re doing all that much during the class. You absolutely feel your muscles working, but I always walk out of there feeling great and not like I got my butt kicked. I rarely sweat in class, but when I get out of bed the next morning…oh man! Plus, it’s rare for me to exercise for a straight hour, and this class forces me to, but it feels like it just flies by.
Spin class: Throughout my whole life I always thought I disliked spin/cycle, but now I know that I just wasn’t going to the right instructors or type of classes. A good friend of mine teaches a class that I am really enjoying going to, and she actually gets you doing things that aren’t just pedaling your legs. It’s a great way to get some sneaky cardio in, because the class just feels like a party for the most part. I think I smile through the entire thing.
Yoga class: You all know about my intense love for yoga. It keeps me sane and gives me an opportunity a few times a week to just reset everything. I love that I do it with my mom most classes, and our instructor always leaves me with something new to think about. It makes my body feel so good and really compliments the rest of my fitness routine. Although I guess I don’t really consider yoga “fitness.” I think of it more as just time for myself to be still, which is so rare in this world nowadays.
Cardio: Cardio. Ugh. I used to love it – now, not so much. So when I do it, I really need to mix it up. I’ll do an incline walk/jog on the treadmill for 10 minutes, alternate front and back on the elliptical for 10 minutes, stairclimber for 10 minutes, and rower for 5 minutes. That way I don’t get too bored. And I actually feel like different cardio machines work different body parts a little bit, too. At least for me, I notice my glutes (obviously) on the stairclimber, my hamstrings on the elliptical, my calves on the treadmill (when I’m on an incline), and my upper body while using the rower. I know cardio is important for me to do, but I just prefer it so much more when I can do it outside when the weather is nice.
Anyway, there you have it! If you like this post and want me to do more like it in the future, I absolutely will. Like I said above, I find it so interesting to see what other people do in this space, so please leave comments below about what your routine is like right now!
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