Some time back I announced on my Facebook page that I would be writing about my recent fitness endeavors on my blog and all things fitness or health related during my personal journey to fitness. However, I must put out a disclaimer first: I am in no way experienced in this area nor have I received any sort of education in the subject. So why am I doing it? The reason is much like the motivation behind my hair blog and food blog; to learn as I go and share knowledge with like minded readers. An added benefit is also that since I’m actually recording my activities, I’ll feel more obliged to do them since they provide my blog content.
Why am I on this fitness journey? Simply put, I’ve gained weight and I want to lose it. Not that I suddenly woke up a whale but I have gone 2 sizes up and I’ve had to ditch a few items in my closet because my thighs are no longer forgiving.
Generally I’ve always been small/slim but I never had to work for it. Well my metabolism has suddenly decided that I now have to work for it. Since I know it’s only downhill from here (babies and age don’t make weight loss any easier), I have decided to get used to an active lifestyle before it’s too late and I’m playing catch up. I started by joining a gym and took classes 3 times a week. I’d go for aerobics, spin class and step class/aerobics. I would also make sure I squeeze in some ab work to try and get my slowly expanding belly under control.
The classes last an hour and they are quite intense. If you keep up with the instructor, your body should respond in no time. I thrive in group situations, they motivate me to keep going. Whereas on my own my commitment to working out wanes quite fast. My problem though is a lack of consistency. The gym is great but I’m unable to stay committed due to my school schedule. In addition to that, the classes don’t change. The routine is always the same so once my body gets used to the workout, it’ll stop responding. Gym would probably great for maintaining fitness but not for weight loss within a certain time period.
For all the reasons above I have decided to follow my sister’s lead (she’s a fitness buff) and try out a home fitness DVD. Specifically Jillian Michael’s 30 day shred. In short, the DVD has three 20 minute workouts – Levels 1, 2 and 3. Each workout is made up of three circuits which comprise of 3 minutes of weights, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of ab work. Sounds like it would be child’s play right? So wrong! You’ll be surprised at how much such a simple short workout can burn! Check out level 1 below.
I’m currently on day 7 of the shred and it’s making me pant, huff and push myself but it’s doesn’t make me feel like I’m going to die either. It’s easy enough to keep up with and none of the exercises are too complex, plus there are beginner versions of some of the workouts if you’re new at this working out thing. Another reason I love it? You don’t need much space or equipment: a couple of weights, a mat and enough space to be able to lie flat on the floor.
Why am a Jillian follower? Well unlike me she’s done the appropriate education in the fitness field and when she formulates these workouts, she knows what she’s doing. She also has a great body herself, toned and not too much muscle definition. That is exactly what I’m aiming for, I want to be on the slim side of things but I don’t want look hungry either, I want to look healthy! And from the looks of things, Jillian can get me there. I’m loving it so much I’ve already planned to do her “Ripped in 30” DVD straight after this one. The video below shows some of what I’ll be doing.
Diet wise I’m making changes a little at a time but I’ll write about that in future posts. As I get better and stronger I will move on to more challenging DVDs (Insanity is scheduled to be done after Ripped in 30) and maybe add in jogging and other outdoor activities too.
So who’s with me?! What do you do to keep fit/lose weight and how’s it working out so far?
Soul Canvas 
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