Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Another Hobby!

Aside from taking care of my small children and creating jewelry, I workout 6 days a week , 45 mins a day. I began this workout regimen 2 years ago after deciding to get my body and health in shape.

I have so many people ask me, how do I find the time to workout, what type of workouts do I perform and why do I workout. Well, I am posting my responses here on my blog.

First question, how do I find the time - my answer - I do not find the time, I make the time. When I first decided to workout, I had a 1 year old and a 5 year old and very little time. Nevertheless, I knew the time to get my body in shape had come and I had to figure a way to squeeze in exercise.

I started to workout at home with Taebo DVD's, http://www.billyblanks.com/ I exercised when my little girl napped, at night, or whenever I felt I had a solid 45 mins. At times, I would get up very early in the morning and exercise while everyone was asleep. Taebo workouts were incredible. I learned how to workout properly and effectively. The workouts were fast paced and challenging. They helped me burn an average of 450 calories per day. My favorite Taebo DVD was the Get Ripped Series. For 7 months, the Get Ripped Series, pushed me way beyond my expectations.

Second question, what types of workouts do I perform - my answer - For a year I was really into cardio. However, I recently learned the importance of resistance or strength training and incorporated training with weights into my workouts.

The following links are helpful in understanding the importance of resistance or strength training.

http://www.nwhealth.edu/healthyU/getMoving/resistance.html

http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness/workouts/benefits-of-strength-training.aspx

I never did strength training. I always shied away from picking up weights, However, let me say, I now love it. I see a huge change in my body because of strength training. I feel healthier and stronger. I am toned in areas I never thought possible.

Currently, I do strength training with dumbbells 3 days a week for 45 mins. I use DVD's from Jari Love http://www.rippedworkout.ca/. These workouts are phenomenal for challenging muscles I never knew I had.

I also do a push up workout inspired by this website http://hundredpushups.com/. I must say, push ups are the best for toning your upper body. Push ups also help me burn tough hard to get rid calories.

As far as cardio or aerobic workouts, as I mentioned before, at home fitness DVD's were my only option due to my children still at home and having no child care alternatives. However, now that my children are older, I now attend gym classes 3 days a week. Attending gym classes are very motivating and also break the body plateau gained from performing the same workout routines.

I also keep track of my target heart rate. Tracking my heart rate helps me stay focused and pushes my performance. I found these articles very helpful in learning how to track my heart rate.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5139_calculate-training-heart.html

http://exercise.about.com/cs/cardioworkouts/l/aa022601a.htm

http://www.extremebodyworkout.com/blog/2008/09/29/what-is-my-target-heart-rate-for-weight-loss/


Last question - why do I workout - my answer - I need too. I truly believe that my body is the most important thing I have and I intend on taking good care of it. I intend on keep it as strong and functional as I possibly can. There are no excuses for me.

For anyone who intends on working out, check with your physician prior to beginning any workout regimen. Also, start slow. Make sure you live, love and enjoy taking care of your body and health.

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