Effective Exercising

Effective Exercising

April 10th, 2009 @ 3:50 pm by Mrs. Glitter
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In high school, I was in the best shape of my life: toned with a strong core. The secret of my sleek physique was that I played competitive sports. You’d never guess it now because I resemble one of those un-athletic girly girls that ducks when someone throws a basketball at her. But, believe it or not, less than ten years ago, I was a snarling, sweaty varsity basketball player on a nationally ranked team. It’s something that I am proud of, especially now that I yearn for the athleticism of my younger years.In past years, I have joined gyms, taken weightlifting and aerobics classes in college, and even sent away for DVDs on pilates and yoga. I tend to get bored, and then I fall off somewhere down the line.

Currently, my workout plan consists of a combination of walking (with my dog), occasional jaunts on the treadmill, and Jilian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred. I heard about the Shred from several sources including the fabulous, Miss Meatball. I’ve since fallen in love with it, and try my best to “shred it” when I can. I’ve gotten great results, but I often lack motivation. Case in point, I’ve had the DVD for over 30 days, and I haven’t made it past the first level (there are three levels). I know I can do better.

So, hive, I want to discuss two things with you:

1) How do you keep yourself on track? Do you bribe yourself with rewards? Do you work out with friends or your FI? I have noticed that not having teammates or a college buddy to keep me motivated has made me less accountable, and therefore it’s easier for me to skip workouts.

2) I am still on a quest to create my ultimate workout regimen. What works best for you? Are you a walker/jogger/runner? Do you swear by yoga? Do you bike to work? How are you getting and/or keeping yourself in shape?

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23 Responses to “Effective Exercising”

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Bee

Miss Snapdragon (message) 717 posts, Busy bee

This has been so hard for me! I do best when I create a schedule of classes at my local gym. Signing up for a race and then training for it has also helped me stay on track.

It’s tough.

4/10/09 @ 3:33 pm (reply)

Bee

Miss Beagle (message) 1,380 posts, Bumble bee

FI and I have a membership at the same gym… so that helps to motivate us. I love Rodney Yee’s Power Yoga DVD (Giam). We also just got a balance ball that provides a pretty good ab workout.

4/10/09 @ 3:36 pm (reply)

Member

Emilydll (message) 428 posts, Helper bee

MY fiancee and I love to run! Especially now that the weather is warming up we try to at least run a few miles 4 times a week and hit the gym together at least twice.
If I didn’t have him to keep me motivated I’d probably be a lot more lazy!

4/10/09 @ 3:39 pm (reply)

Member

lreighard1 (message) 642 posts, Busy bee

I agree with Snappy — it’s hard. And it’s personal sooo here’s what I do.
I joined weight watchers to loose weight and keep me accountable {the track your exercise as well as food in take}
I’m a pretty low key runner, about 5k every day and the occasional free weight at the office gym. Mostly I just like to sweat so anything to get my up and moving. My motivation is FOOD. WW lets me “trade in” my points for a splurge now and then and food is my ulimate reward {i wrote this while eating those FREAKING BITE SIZED EASTER CANDIES! DARN YOU EASTER BUNNYYY!!!!!!}

4/10/09 @ 3:55 pm (reply)

Member

Vic004 (message) 804 posts, Busy bee

I also shred it, but not as often as I should, I do treadmill or stair master at the gym a couple times a week and do yoga or pilates with a friend at the gym once a week. I could always do more, but almost everyone can do more. I do what fits in my schedule and when I fall off the wagon I just get back to it. My fiance and I hold each other accountable when it comes to our food choices and we have weekly weigh-ins too. On weekends we work out on one day, he shreds it with me or we each do our own thing, as long as we get our bodies moving! One thing that helps is I keep my work out clothes readily available so I just go put them on, so I wont talk myself out of it!

4/10/09 @ 4:07 pm (reply)

Member

harmonyeee (message) 688 posts, Busy bee

im really lucky to have a great gym at work, so it helps to have that as a free resource.

#1. it took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that i HATE running. i know its great exercise and always thought it should be my exercise of choice - if i could be “a runner” then i could be in shape! i also hate most other machines, and had to drag myself to the gym whenever i wanted to exercise. instead of trying to make myself run on a treadmill or do an elyptic, i found out there are free step aerobics and circuits classes at my job. so i try to stick to what i know i’ll do instead of trying to be someone im not.

#2. i try to work out RIGHT after work. once my butt hits the couch, its over. so when im itching to leave my office, i burn off energy before i can go home and talk myself out of it.

right now im taking two step classes per week and talking a few brisk walks with my dog every weekend. i know i need to add one or two more workouts to my week, but have yet to find the time or motivation….

4/10/09 @ 4:14 pm (reply)

Member

sarsk624 (message) 361 posts, Helper bee

The thing that has kept me the most consistent is signing up for a half-marathon and having a training schedule. I started out training as a mostly 15 miles a week 3 miles 5 days. Some days I’d Shred or do Pilates. But I wasn’t anywhere near as consistent as I am now.
Now, I feel like if I don’t work out the only person I am cheating is myself and I will regret it during mile 9. It has been a great motivator for me and the weight has really slipped off without doing much food wise. I also like tracking my food on Weight Watchers and exchanging exercise points for food points. I leave my workout clothes on the bed and change into them right when I get home so I go outside and run.

4/10/09 @ 4:30 pm (reply)

Member

Newport Nuptials (message) 1,230 posts, Bumble bee

I am so bad, but this past week, I have gone hiking twice. One of my bridesmaids makes me climb up the ski slope with her! We went up and down twice on Sunday, then yesterday we did the trail and ski slope one time each.

I think it helps when you have a friend to exercise with. My bridesmaid who I hike with is the same friend who made me do tae bo every day after school in high school to get in shape for Spring Break!

4/10/09 @ 4:32 pm (reply)

Guest

nina

I do this thing called CrossFit (www.crossfit.com). It’s great, there’s a national website, and we have a local group that gets together to do the daily workouts. The workouts are always different and challenging, and it’s amazing to me how much stronger I’ve gotten! Plus, I really like the “team” aspect of it all.

4/10/09 @ 4:46 pm (reply)

10.

Member

tea (message) 7,263 posts, Bee Keeper

honestly, money is a big motivator for me. if i sink any amount of cash into classes/sessions then i’ll be there working out with the best of them because i don’t want to waste the money. but since i’ve been super careful with my spending, i cut my yoga classes so i haven’t been working out at all

though i was just gifted the dvds for p90x so hopefully i can start that sometime soon. just gotta figure out a good time to start that. i need more time!

4/10/09 @ 4:48 pm (reply)

11.

Member

CHK (message) 597 posts, Busy bee

I’m great about working out, but AWFUL about eating too much. I’ll pick up a half a pound of jelly bellies on my way back to the office after a noon weights class. Its so self-defeating. With my genetics (and an offensive-lineman father whose nickname is “The Big Human”) I’ve GOT to exercise. I get that done, and really miss the endorphins when I don’t. But its the eating thing that kills me. Lately, I’ve found that thinking about my cousin’s wedding this summer is motivation enough to put that second piece of cake back. I guess when it comes down to it, I’m just vain enough to eat less and move more (and hopefully look hot for wedding season)(and hopefully not have serious body image issues when wedding dress shopping for myself next fall).

4/10/09 @ 5:12 pm (reply)

12.

Hostess

MightySapphire (message) 7,632 posts, Bee Keeper

I keep a calendar. I put a sticker on for each day that I stick to my diet, another for when I workout and a third for when I stretch. When you see all those stickers add up you feel really proud and motivated and it makes you work harder. Also when you don’t see stickers it reminds you that you can’t slack. I also write all over the calendary (my weight, my workout stats, calories burned, calories eaten that day…) It’s my moto-calendar. It totally works! I hit 20lbs today!!

4/10/09 @ 6:14 pm (reply)

13.

Guest

janieishme

This probably isn’t the best thing to do, but when I go shopping, there are times when I’ll buy a really cute pair of jeans or a dress that fits just a little too snug so that I’ll motivate myself to lose weight and then be able to wear it confidently. Right now, for instance, I’ve created an intense workout schedule for myself and after every session, I’ll try on my tightest jeans. It’s an amazing feeling when I see them fitting better and better after every week. Yeehaw!

4/10/09 @ 7:32 pm (reply)

14.

Guest

Emma

I just make working out a part of my morning routine. I get up, walk the dogs, come home, shred or run, then shower and start work. My workout’s gotta come before the shower, so it basically has to happen.

4/10/09 @ 8:15 pm (reply)

15.

Member

caeebe (message) 37 posts, Newbee

It sounds to me like you need to join some sports teams. This is totally not me I prefer to exercise solo. But I have a good friend who gets all her exercise through coed sports teams, mostly ultimate Frisbee but also soccer, softball, and sometimes even water polo. She has games 3-4 times per week and 1-2 optional games per weekend. For her it is social as well as just plain fun. You may not want to do as much as she does but start with one team, maybe something you did in high school. It may help your motivation to exercise otherwise as well. When my friend is between seasons she runs or swims so she isn’t in pain at the beginning of the next set of games.

4/10/09 @ 9:03 pm (reply)

16.

Bee

Miss Quiche (message) 3,157 posts, Sugar bee

I splurged when my gym was offering a deal on personal training sessions. I met with a trainer 3 times and we customized different routines (in order to not get bored - my number one problem with working out!!). Keep at it, cutie!

4/10/09 @ 9:45 pm (reply)

17.

Member

runrunrun (message) 82 posts, Worker bee

I’m a runner and find that having some kind of training program helps keep me motivated and on track, even if I don’t have a race to run at the end. Right now I’m doing a marathon training plan and the feeling of accomplishment after a long run on Sunday keeps me going.

But, I am HORRIBLE about going to the gym to lift weights. I know I should, and I used to go 5 times a week, but I can’t seem to drag myself into the car and to the gym and it’s only 15 minutes away! I do love shredding too, which I seem to not do enough either.

4/10/09 @ 11:21 pm (reply)

18.

Member

chicagowife (message) 844 posts, Busy bee

I am really good about going to the gym, actually. I don’t really know why/how except that I just got in the habit in college and I fel ucky if I don’t go. For years I did elliptical/cruches every single day, which is a good workout for me, but I got bored and now variety is key… I do yoga, spinning, pilates, kickboxing, weight lifting, etc….

I sound like a big brag right now. But it’s one of those few “I have my life together” things I do do!

Oh also I think one key is to never get bored –I always have a magazine or my ipod or I watch the TV at the gym…

4/10/09 @ 11:36 pm (reply)

19.

Member

JennyBryde (message) 1,168 posts, Bumble bee

I use looming wedding related events as fear factors for staying on track: fittings, reunions/meetings of people, photos, photos, photos.

Last year I did the beginner’s running workout that I found at Runner’s World magazine website. I loved it. I went from a total non-runner to a multi-mile runner. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-380-381-386-9397-0,00.html

4/11/09 @ 8:49 am (reply)

20.

Member

cottoncandy (message) 62 posts, Worker bee

Having a partner works best for me. Right now it’s my FI, but sometimes it can be a friend. It just seems to me that both of us don’t ever NOT want to work out on the same day, so we’re able to motivate each other.

I’ve also used the reward system. Like for instance: one year I made a deal with myself that for every lb that I was able to lose, I would “pay” myself (or reward) with $100 worth of clothes…

So that plan MIGHT not be realistic now that I’m planning a wedding, but at the time, it was enough to motivate me to lose about 15 lbs…yep…I went SHOPPING!

4/12/09 @ 3:03 pm (reply)

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