Cardio
30 minutes stair sprints
45 minutes aerobics
Meals
Breakfast: 3/4 cup yogurt with 1 tsp hemp seeds. 1/2 cup oats with 1/2 cup almond milk, 1 tsp honey, 1 tbsp chia seeds, strawberry, and dried coconut.
Lunch: 1.5 cups spaghetti with zucchini, peppers, onion, mushrooms, and tofu
Dinner: 2 cups chicken vegetable soup with mushroom ravioli
Showing posts with label aerobics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aerobics. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Adding Strength Training to Your Workouts
Adding more strength training to your workout routine can be as simple as doing a few bodyweight exercises like pushups and tricep dips. Focusing on strength exercises for the arms and back seems intuitive for me personally, since I mostly do high impact cardio to begin with which already works the legs.
I alternate and do one set of pushups and then one set of tricep dips on the floor for two sets of 25 repetitions each. For a total of 50 pushups and 50 tricep dips. If you can't do 25 reps at a time, then start at a number you can do while still having good form, still alternate between pushups and tricep dips, but increase the number of sets or the number of reps over time.
Once you're doing so many pushups and tricep dips in a row that you're getting bored, you can do harder variations of those exercises by using a stable coffee table or chair to put your feet on for pushups or hold onto with your hands for tricep dips.
In November and December, I stopped doing two a days and just worked out longer by adding bodyweight and abdominal exercises, or HIIT routines to the end of my cardio workouts. I, also, dropped down to only working out 4-5 days a week since I was busy with holiday activities.
Different workouts I did in November and December:
I alternate and do one set of pushups and then one set of tricep dips on the floor for two sets of 25 repetitions each. For a total of 50 pushups and 50 tricep dips. If you can't do 25 reps at a time, then start at a number you can do while still having good form, still alternate between pushups and tricep dips, but increase the number of sets or the number of reps over time.
Once you're doing so many pushups and tricep dips in a row that you're getting bored, you can do harder variations of those exercises by using a stable coffee table or chair to put your feet on for pushups or hold onto with your hands for tricep dips.
In November and December, I stopped doing two a days and just worked out longer by adding bodyweight and abdominal exercises, or HIIT routines to the end of my cardio workouts. I, also, dropped down to only working out 4-5 days a week since I was busy with holiday activities.
Different workouts I did in November and December:
Fast Paced Aerobics
Fast Paced Aerobics
Low Impact Aerobics
Low Impact Aerobics
Step Aerobics (yeah, that's Cher)
HIIT
HIIT
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Double Workouts or Two A Days
Back in September I posted how I was considering doubling workouts or doing two a days. I did end up adding a second workout 2 or 3 days a week, to the aerobic YouTube video that is pretty much standing ab workout that I did everyday. So for September and October I did a forty-five minute aerobic workout 7 days a week, plus HIIT/Tabata/strength exercises 2-3 days a week. And I did my usual gym routine once in a while.
The aerobic workouts were completely low impact, you're barely shuffling your legs around for 95% of the video, but it works your core the entire time. After the first two times I did the workout my husband said, "I think I can actually see changes from your workout in just a couple of days."
But after the first two weeks of doing 9 or 10 workouts a week he was shocked. "That workout is completely transformative. It has transformed your body. I can see it in your back and your core."
I wasn't dieting or counting calories at that time, so my energy level was up. I felt great doing the extra workouts, and on top of that I was eating super healthy and eating plenty of food. Breakfast was typically summer rolls with shrimp and pork, and fruit and berries. Lunch was usually stir-fry with rice or a curried udon noodle dish with vegetables and tofu. Dinner was a free for all depending on whether it was my husband or I cooking. I just made sure to eat a little protein with every meal.
I didn't miss any workouts in September and October. The routine was fresh and new and I super enjoyed what I was doing, so it didn't really feel like an effort to get through the daily workouts.
I lost lots of fat in my back, stomach, and arms, they got noticeably smaller. Legs stayed the same since I ran a lot before this and they were already strong, but I did notice I no longer got side cramps at all. Probably due to building up core strength to a great extant.
Here's a list of those workouts I was doing in September and October:
The aerobic workouts were completely low impact, you're barely shuffling your legs around for 95% of the video, but it works your core the entire time. After the first two times I did the workout my husband said, "I think I can actually see changes from your workout in just a couple of days."
But after the first two weeks of doing 9 or 10 workouts a week he was shocked. "That workout is completely transformative. It has transformed your body. I can see it in your back and your core."
I wasn't dieting or counting calories at that time, so my energy level was up. I felt great doing the extra workouts, and on top of that I was eating super healthy and eating plenty of food. Breakfast was typically summer rolls with shrimp and pork, and fruit and berries. Lunch was usually stir-fry with rice or a curried udon noodle dish with vegetables and tofu. Dinner was a free for all depending on whether it was my husband or I cooking. I just made sure to eat a little protein with every meal.
I didn't miss any workouts in September and October. The routine was fresh and new and I super enjoyed what I was doing, so it didn't really feel like an effort to get through the daily workouts.
I lost lots of fat in my back, stomach, and arms, they got noticeably smaller. Legs stayed the same since I ran a lot before this and they were already strong, but I did notice I no longer got side cramps at all. Probably due to building up core strength to a great extant.
Here's a list of those workouts I was doing in September and October:
Low Impact Aerobics (This was my go to daily workout)
For the workouts below, I did 4 videos 2-3 times a week plus a stretching video. So, about a 20 minute workout.
Cardio Blast
HIIT
HIIT
Strength Training (I used a 10 pound medicine ball.)
Tabata
Tabata
Tabata
Fast Paced Tabata
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Should You Exercise or Run While Sick?
The real answer is: It depends.
Most runners think along the line of, as long as it's an illness that is just affecting your head, then it's ok to run. If the illness travels any lower, like say your lungs or a stomach bug, then definitely take the time to rest and don't do anything strenuous.
We've all been recovering from a summer cold in our household. My husband kept up with his every other day run, and still managed to have at least one long run during the week while he was ill for three weeks. When it got into his lungs, he went to the doctor and quit running. Now, he's over his cold and back at his usual workout schedule.
It's in my lungs at this point, so I haven't run this week. But I did find a fun little low impact aerobics video, that's pretty much 45 minutes of standing ab exercises. So addictive, feel the burn in those arms and abs.
Most runners think along the line of, as long as it's an illness that is just affecting your head, then it's ok to run. If the illness travels any lower, like say your lungs or a stomach bug, then definitely take the time to rest and don't do anything strenuous.
We've all been recovering from a summer cold in our household. My husband kept up with his every other day run, and still managed to have at least one long run during the week while he was ill for three weeks. When it got into his lungs, he went to the doctor and quit running. Now, he's over his cold and back at his usual workout schedule.
It's in my lungs at this point, so I haven't run this week. But I did find a fun little low impact aerobics video, that's pretty much 45 minutes of standing ab exercises. So addictive, feel the burn in those arms and abs.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
My favorite exercise tapes
I've only been working out for a couple of weeks but I'm already thinking about doing exercise tapes after work. My two favorite tapes are straight from the 80's Jane Fonda's New Workout and Callan Pinckney's Callanetics. Yes, I said tapes. They're on VHS, but are now definitely available on DVD if you're interested. If you're into free weights I really like The Firm Body Sculpting Basics with Susan Harris it even has kegel exercises as part of the floor work, and if you're into step aerobics I like CherFitness A New Attitude. Workouts from the early days of aerobics always make me smile, all the spandex and bodysuits gotta love it. And they're fun with all the yipping and yelling and clapping.
Once daylight savings hits I'll probably start running in the mornings, I am totally unwilling to run in the dark with so many crazy drivers around. Or maybe I'll start running in the park after work and just do yoga and calisthenics in the mornings.
No matter what kind of exercise you do, just be smart and always listen to your body. Don't overextend your knee or back, and if you feel actual joint pain then dial it back and don't extend so far, or don't do that particular exercise at all.
Once daylight savings hits I'll probably start running in the mornings, I am totally unwilling to run in the dark with so many crazy drivers around. Or maybe I'll start running in the park after work and just do yoga and calisthenics in the mornings.
No matter what kind of exercise you do, just be smart and always listen to your body. Don't overextend your knee or back, and if you feel actual joint pain then dial it back and don't extend so far, or don't do that particular exercise at all.
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