splendor & folly » Fitness

Happy Monday & Fitness Update

Leah — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:43:28 +0000

Remember my goal to workout (in some form or another) everyday? I’m finally starting to achieve it! I’ve switched my schedule around so I can workout in the mornings and although its sometimes hard to get out of bed and get moving, I feel so much better through out the day knowing I already accomplished my goal! Here is the basic breakdown of my morning workouts:

M – Hit up the gym for 20-30 min of cardio and 10-20 min of strength
T – Power walk/run with Raleigh (2.5 to 3 miles)
W – Cardio/Strength at the gym
Th – Power walk/run with Raleigh
F – Cardio/Strength at the gym

I like the mix and have been sticking to it so far. I also feel good about giving Raleigh really long walks a few days of the week, especially since I am less likely to go very far with him in the afternoon HEAT.

The treadmill (referred to by some as the DREADmill…) is my go-to cardio machine. I find that when you switch speeds/inclines every minute or so it really makes for a more enjoyable experience overall. One of my favorite bloggers, Tina from Carrots and Cake has some awesome treadmill workouts. Here is an example of one, but she has several others here.

A (Not Boring) Treadmill Workout:

Total time: 45 minutes

Walk at 4.0 at 7.5 incline for 4 minutes
Jog at 6.5 at 1.0 incline for 5 minutes
Repeat walk + jog 2 times
Jog at 6.5 at 2.0 incline for 3 minutes
Run at 7.0 at 1.0 incline for 3 minutes
Sprint at 8.0 at 1.0 include for 1 minute
Jog at 6.0 at 1.0 incline for 1 minute
Sprint at 8.0 at 1.0 incline for 1 minute
Run at 7.0 at 1.0 incline for 1 minute
Jog at 6.5 at 1.0 incline for 3 minutes
Walk (cool down) for 5 minutes

Give one a try and you might find the treadmill not all that bad!! She also has tons of awesome resources on her blog: recipes, workouts, healthy living tips, etc…

And because I feel as though this post needs a picture…can I totally go here on my honeymoon??

The Misool Eco Resort in West Papua, Indonesia.

Photo via Desire to Inspire

A Fitness Recap

Leah — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:18:24 +0000

Happy Monday Everyone!

I think I will try starting the week off with a fitness recap from the previous week. This may help me to stay in line with my fitness goals!

I did not accomplish my goal of exercising every day…not even close!

Mon – Nada, and I have no excuse

Tues – Zip, but my excuse was an awesome dinner at the Melting Pot, a yearly birthday tradition for me and Kara!

Wed – Nothing! My excuse here is that I had a dentist appointment and my mouth was very numb, a workout would have probably produced much slobbering.

Thurs – Muscle Works class at Club Fitness with Lindsey!

Fri – Nothing, drove to KC in a downpour, proceeded to drink beer with parents after arriving

Sat – Nothing, lots of eating with Rachel and family and playing with puppies :) Gus is the cutest puppy!!

Sun – 4 mi Trolley Run in KC with Rachel. Haven’t ran that far in forever, I’m proud of us!

I’m aiming for better than 2 out of 7 days this week. Tune in next week to find out how I do! :) And let me know if you like seeing this kind of thing on my blog

Have a great week!!

New year, old workouts – at home!

Leah — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:59:08 +0000

I really dread going to the gym this time of year. I know everyone else will be there, working on their new year’s resolutions and I don’t really like to wait for a treadmill (I’m still kind of intimidated to use the weight machines so I primarily use my gym membership for the classes and cardio machines).

Luckily I have discovered these new (they are actually from 2005, but new to me!) workout videos by SELF magazine available instantly through Netflix. They are about 30 min workouts incorporating a variety of cardio, strength and pilates-inspired moves. And the best part is you don’t have to leave your house, trudge through the snow and cold only to cram next to some sweaty dude at the overcrowded gym!