Good morning, and happy Monday! Back to work (or school) for most today – I have mixed feelings about that. 
I love routine and I’m excited to begin the Christmas holiday season, but I do miss being able to sleep in a bit and cuddle to get all warm and toasty every morning with my husband.
Breakfast this morning was fast and convenient, as I wanted to get something in my belly to start digesting asap. I had a toasted cinnamon raisin bagel with pumpkin butter.
Convenient and delicious! Now it’s time for a gym workout. The plan is to run two miles and do a full strength workout (legs, abs, arms, back, etc.). The plan is flexible though. If I start running and my knees aren’t feeling it (they’ve been causing some pain lately) I’ll obviously listen to my body and do something different. As much as I enjoy running and I love the feeling that I get from it and what it does for my body (and my brain!) you can get the same results from other cardio and it’s not worth it if it’s going to cause me pain.
What do you do for exercise? I’m sure we could all use a few extra motivating workout tips for the holiday season, so share away!
P.S. Housekeeping note – I’m sure you’ve noticed, but my weekdays (especially Mondays and Thursdays) I’ll only be posting twice a day, due to time constraints in the mornings and working until 8:00 at night. See you tonight!
I’m a strength training girl. I have bad knees so there isn’t a lot of cardio in my life. Hope you have a great Monday
Glad you’re back from the land of no-internet! My holiday exercise plan is about to get a drastic shake up because currently I’m running 40+ miles/week (and LOVING it!), but on Dec. 9 I’m having a hysterectomy. Soooooo, yeah, that will change things a bit!
My current plan is to continue running and add in some light strength training as well, doing a different body part each day. Yesterday I did lower body, today I’m doing abs, and tomorrow upper body. We’ll see how this goes, but I NEED to do it so badly. I’ve really been neglecting it.
My dr says that I can probably fast walk after a week post op and run a couple of weeks after. I don’t know how feasible this is because I’ve never had a hyst before (obvi!) and have no idea how it is going to make me feel. But I figure she knows my conditioning and my body, as well as knowing the surgery VERY well, so I’m hoping that she’s right and I won’t be down for long.
Have some good gym-time this morning, Linds! And a GREAT workday!
I feel the same way about coming back to work. Want the routine, hate to be back.
I do some intense and moderate cardio throughout the week, with about 4 strength workouts and some yoga. I have a couple posted if you’re looking.
Just last week I started a “new” workout schedule. I began implementing 2 a day workouts – to get my metabolism pumped morning & night (when it slows down naturally). Since I’m no longer working my part-time evening job for the time being, I decided to take advantage of the “extra” time and just workout twice a day. I LOVE IT. I’m already seeing positive effects – my too tight size 8s are feeling looser – yay! I have not weighed b/c of Thanksgiving goodies these past few days and don’t want the number on the scale to affect my mentality. I feel like my legs & upper body are already toning up again. Until last week, it had been MONTHS since I actually did a WEIGHT routine!
I also do 2 sessions of Stubborn Fat Protocol per week (Monday & Wednesday mornings). You can google for more information but just know that I don’t use any of the supplements mentioned in the links. Here is what I do.
FIRST THING IN THE MORNING – I.E. FASTED!!!
5 min walking warmup
20 min HIIT (you can google this too – high intensity interval training) I do work:active rest periods of 20:40, 30:60, 60:120 – the variations are endless. it means for 20 seconds I run as fast as I can and for 40 seconds I am actively recovering by jogging at a slower speed or walking.
I rest for 5 min – no movement, no nothing!
45 min cardio on the elliptical/stairmill/bike/whatever – needs to be steady state – slower paced cardio keeping a steady pace the entire time.
Its TOUGH but it WORKS! Its more for stubborn fat – good for when you have plateued or when you’ve gotten pretty lean but wish to lose more fat. LOVES IT!
I love doing strength training circuits, moving quickly from exercise to exercise and keeping my heart rate rate up. I try to incorporate jump roping or step ups to really keep the burn going. For cardio the only way I can really get my heart rate up and keep it up is with running or the step mill these days. That step mill gets me sweatier than anything else!
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
running, yoga and strength training! though the last two def not as often. i really don’t like them…haha.
Taking my dog for walks, (they are short though since she is tiny,) walks with the husband outside, Zumba classes, the elliptical machine, walking on a treadmill, the occasional game of tennis, and DVD workouts 1-2 x/week: the NYC Ballet Workout or Pilates DVDs! It is just now getting cool enough for bike rides again and I AM SO EXCITED!!!
As much as I want to like running, it makes my shins and knees hurt. Right now I am doing a mix of P90X, step aerobics classes, and short jogs. I get really bored on the treadmill and stairmaster, so I tend to stay away from them!
I am a runner at heart. I currently run about 30 miles a week but with upcoming surgery, next month will be all about rest and recovery. I do LOVE my ET and I also really enjoy other workouts like pilates yoga and ta boe. But I do try and get in at least 3 strength training sessions a week. It’s so important for becoming better at running and really makes a huge difference in your body all around. I don’t necessarily enjoy lifting, but I know it’s a good thing so I tough it out.
Hope everything is going well with the new routine!