Because of dance (and other normal kid running around), I was always fairly consistent with being active and getting exercise growing up. As I got older and busier, it got harder, but I still had dance. I probably did the very best practicing dance/doing core workouts everyday my first year of college.
After I got married, I tried to continue this, but between school, work, and newlywed lazing around, it got harder. I continued to exercise, just not as consistently. That consistent thing would always get me.
Then I got pregnant with Ashtyn. I continued to go to dance, but practicing was really hard. I felt sick and tired all the time, but I didn't want to let my class down. I continued to dance almost five months into my pregnancy, until our big summer performance. Then I stopped dancing, knowing that Irish dance isn't the safest thing to continue your entire pregnancy. I tried to do other exercises, but I wasn't very motivated to do so. Between a very heavy workload with school, work, and all of the things I was already doing to prepare for labor and having Ashtyn after, it was easy to let exercise slide, having the extra excuse of "I'm pregnant, I have to be safe. I don't want to overdo it."
I let that excuse keep my exercises sessions wimpy and infrequent.
After Ashtyn was born, I waited the appropriate amount of time to let my body heal before trying to do anything very exerting. Then I tried to get back into a consistent exercise routine. It didn't happen. I tried for maybe a couple weeks and then just sort of gave up and let it slide. I also went back to dance, but quickly realized that going to dance was too much for me at the time and stopped after only a couple months.
A little while after we moved to Vernal, Ben's mom started a program called The 21 Day Fix Extreme. It combines half hour exercises with a clean eating nutrition program that tracks portion sizes. As she was doing it and telling us about how much she liked the program, I decided I wanted to try it. Ben agreed to do it with me.
We bought the program and followed it. We ate tons more vegetables and protein and cut down significantly on our carbs. We also followed their exercise program, Monday through Saturday. I could feel myself building muscle, though I didn't actually lose any weight. I also felt very good about eating so many vegetables and not wasting the produce I bought.
One of the first signs that I was pregnant this time around was that I couldn't wake up and exercise without eating first. I simply couldn't make it through the workouts like I could before. Then at week six of my pregnancy, I got sick. I could hardly eat anything, I had to force myself to eat anything at all. I lost eight pounds and didn't have the energy or motivation to even eat, but less exercise.
Thanksgiving day, I began feeling better. I could eat again. I remember how good the turkey smelled as it was baking all morning, something that hadn't happened for months. It was a Thanksgiving miracle to me that I could eat and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner. When we got back from visiting family, I spent a week eating and building my strength back up. I began doing little things, like ten knee push ups or a set of lunges, on my own to help myself ease back into being active.
The next week, I began doing the work out videos again. I didn't do them full out--I would only do one or two rounds or I would step the exercise instead of jumping it. It still really pushed me and I felt it was important to ease into getting back to where I was before the morning sickness.
My New Year's resolution this year was to work out four times a week every week (except the month or two right after having the baby, of course). My schedule is set up to do a workout Monday through Friday, but I did four in case I sleep in, am sick, or am travelling. I really want to hit this goal and be consistent for once.
Monday is plyo day, which I think means jumping day. It's mostly jumping squats and lunges. It's a hard day, but usually Monday I feel rested after the weekend and motivated to get exercising again.
Tuesday is upper fix day. This is basically arm day with a few ab exercises. This day isn't as hard, because it's mostly lifting weights. The push ups are the hardest part. I also modify some of her exercises, because I don't like them.
Wednesday is yoga day (if you are following the program, this is actually supposed to Pilates with yoga on Sunday; I don't actually like the Pilates video, though, and since I don't workout on Sunday, it is the perfect day to substitute). Yoga isn't easy, but it's the easiest out of the five days. I love yoga day.
Thursday is leg day. I hate this day. It's just as hard or harder than Monday, but it's Thursday. I'm getting tired of getting up and this workout really pushes me. The last round of the exercise isn't as hard, so I just tell myself that if I can make it past round three, I'm good to go. It usually works.
Friday is supposed to be cardio day, but I've substituted this for Saturday's workout, which they call the dirty 30. It's thirty minutes of some intense, one minute workouts. It's hard, but easier than leg days, so I don't usually mind it (especially once you get past the first round).
And then Saturday and Sunday, instead of getting up to exercise, I get to snuggle in bed with my husband. That's my reward for being consistent with my exercises the rest of the week.
It's the best reward anyone ever had for exercising.
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