30 Day Workout: The Finale

March 2nd marked the end of this short journey of mine. I suppose I should write a wrap up post about it. First off, I am glad that I decided to do this and decided to do this "publicly". It was great having a sounding board to yell at when things got hard. Secondly, I need to figure out exercise routines that don't involve DVDs. There are times when I just want to workout and watch TV at the same time.

So, how did I do? I want to tell you that I was amazingly triumphant through the entire 30 days. I was a workout machine and they are going to write biography about my success. I was that impressive. That is what I want to tell you. What I'm going to tell you is the truth. I wasn't perfect. There were times when I only worked out once during the week, instead of 4. I ate fast food this month.  I drank soda. There were plenty of stumbles along this 30 day journey.

However, I worked out more this past month than I have in quite a while. I actually followed a morning routine. There were a number of things that went right this month and they out number what went wrong. So many times I have wanted to beat myself up because I didn't fall in line perfectly, but that only leads to quitting. So this time, I'm not going to.

I did something this month, which was more than last month. And for that I am giving myself a gold star. While the challenge is over, this journey is not. I have seen what I am capable of doing and I am taking that with me into the month of March. I would love for you to come along with me.

30 Day Workout Challenge: Day 11 - Injured. Now what?

Some days I feel like I have the most injury prone set of ankles and knees on this planet. This issue is not anything new. I have been banging my knees up since high school and turning my ankles since college. So, when I start going full tilt during workout sessions, I am always concerned about injuries.

My first mode of action is trying to prevent injury at all costs. I wear supportive shoes as much as possible. And not just during exercise, but in my every day comings and goings as well. I have invested in decent braces and wraps over the years. So if anything does feel a bit out of sorts, I just brace it or wrap it up for a few hours and take it easy. Most importantly, I rest what is hurting. Sometimes pain is a sign that you need to slow down a bit and recuperate. But what do you do if you have already injured yourself? 

This used to be the death card for my exercise regimen. I would get into a good exercise routine and then suddenly everything would come to screeching halt because I hurt my ankle or my knee. I would tell myself: "Hey, no problem. I just sit out a week and then get right back up on that horse once I feel better." But that would never happen. For some reason, that much time out of my exercise routine would end everything. I kept saying, "I'll go back to the gym tomorrow" and tomorrow never came.

So instead, the better idea is to change up exercises. Instead of doing normal cardio workouts, I should have switched to something that would let me workout without putting any weight on my injured joint. There have been no injuries for me as of yet (Thank God), but I have noticed my ankle ache once already. Instead of sitting out, I came up with something else to do. I traded in my Zumba for an ab intensive workout. This way I didn't fall out of routine.

Minor injuries doesn't mean that you are forced to quit altogether. It just means that you need to be creative with how to workout in the safest way possible.

30 Day Workout Challenge: Day 5 - I'm Tired

I am nearing the end of my first week of this challenge and so far, everything is going well. I wake up in the morning, get my work out in, eat breakfast and start my day. However, Day 4 did bring about a bit of a problem. I was extremely tired.

My pillows were whispering in my ear.

It wasn't the kind of tired you get from not sleeping enough. This felt different. After 3 days straight of Zumba and Taebo, my body physically felt like it just couldn't take another morning of me jumping, kicking and dancing about. I thought about just rolling over in my bed and calling it a rest day, but Frankie had a better idea. Why not do something with a lower intensity instead?

So yesterday, I put my cardio DVDs aside and pulled out my New York Ballet workout DVD. Something that I have not touched in years. Surprisingly, it was exactly what I needed. I got my workout in, but I didn't feel like I was going to drop on the floor when I was done. I got the chance to have a more relaxing workout session (if there is such a thing). One that my body was able to handle. Aside from the fact that I am no where close to being as flexible as those guys in the video.

 I am going to have cardio days and non-cardio days on rotation from now on or else I am going to wear myself out before the 30 days are up. Plus, having days where I do yoga, pilates, or exercises in that vein will probably help any sore or tight muscles I get from bouncing around during my higher intensity workouts.

30 Day Workout Challenge

So, January went by really fast. New Year's feels like last week. And this is usually the point where keeping those promises you made to yourself at the beginning of year start to slip. So, I decided to do a workout challenge.

Keeping an exercise regimen has always been a tough thing for me to do. Without fail, my plans always seem to fall apart at day 3. I don't know what it is about day 3, but that is what happens. It wasn't always like this. I used to keep a decent workout schedule. And it would happen when I was motivated and/or had an exercise partner that was motivated as well.

So, why am I doing this 30 day workout challenge? I feel that something like this would be a good kickstart for getting back into the groove of having (and keeping) a workout schedule. Plus, committing to something for 30 days feels less daunting and intimidating. Why am I making this public? Why not keep this to myself? Two words: Support and accountability. When I had a exercise partner, I was more likely to go to gym, because I knew that she would be waiting for me. I knew that I couldn't slack off if she wasn't slacking off. Seeing her putting in the time and effort made me put in the time and effort as well. This is me making the virtual equivalent of that relationship. Putting myself out there, so that I have someone who is waiting for me to clock in.

What if you want to join me on this journey? Well, first off, you are awesome. Thanks for considering it. The rules are simple. (I like simple). The goal is to work out 4-5 days/week for 30-45 minutes. The start date is Sunday, Feb 1st. I am going to do a lot of tweeting for the next month while this is happening. If you wish to follow me, my Twitter handle is @desnarose

I'm a bit excited about this next month. Yes, I know it is going to be challenging. And some days are probably going to down right suck. But, I'm ready. Let's do this.