This Is How A Perfectionist/Procrastinator Goes Back to Exercising

I probably had my mouth agape while sleeping last night. And I probably was snoring. And it seems like I was stuck in place like an immobile statue to the bed. And I am aching all over. It’s especially brutal when I go down the stairs.

Whatever!

I’ve put it off for long enough …

I am finally exercising again! (Squeal!)  🤗 🤗 🤗

I didn’t think it would be such a feat, but now that I think about it, my worrying about what to wear, where to exercise, how to exercise, how long to exercise, how often … that was just the perfectionist me procrastinating. I didn’t get it at first because I love to exercise. And I have no problem doing it at home. But I guess the body is a sneaky little thing, it likes to be lazy.

Well, lazy won’t get rid of my kangaroo pouch 😤 I’ve lost some post-baby weight already but, this pouch out front that’s just ruining my silhouette, it won’t go away without some deliberate physical activity.

First I had to get me a drill sergeant whose role was to tell me motivation started with getting off my fat ass 💥 (she actually said it like that!) and that, if it’s proving to be such a gargantuan effort to do something, that I should just start with blocking off the time. It didn’t matter if all I did was walk in place. Just honor that time as exercise time. Rinse and repeat until momentum builds up.

Well that’s what I did but the standing in place was a 5 min warm-up video by my favorite exercise team Daniel & Kelli, because as I stood there I thought “might as well”. And I followed that with a 5 minute cool down video because, having already warmed up I thought, “might as well”.

I allowed the first couple of days to not be perfect. To spend time tweaking stuff including creating a routine that would include feeding time for my baby. By Friday I had it down pat 👏 Which brings us to today’s glorious muscle soreness 🤩, proof that all I needed was to start where I was and improve from there.

So what’s the lesson here?

For fellow perfectionists/procrastinators it is this:

1. Get a coach/cheerleader/drill sergeant (whatever works) to motivate you because it really starts with your head. And if there’s nobody in your life that fits the bill (or you don’t want to spend the money) there are podcasts. I first had to sift through a few podcasts before I found Corinne, and her no-bs style of telling it like it is was just the kick in the arse I needed.
2. If necessary, start ridiculously small. So small that you tell yourself, “Oh what the heck, I can do more than that”.
3. Keep doing it and build on from there. You’re looking good, sexy thing! 🤩

I Did It Anyway: A Fitness Update

So there really is something about Fitness Blender videos that keep me coming back for more. After agonizing through sore muscles and a scary HIIT-induced increase in appetite, I went ahead and did their Free 5 Day Workout Challenge for Busy People anyway 😀

And I did it!

The strategy:

1. workouts must be within the 30 minute range only (this 1 week free program fits the bill to a tee!)
2. must be open to low-impact modifications
3. I’d allow myself a rest day guilt-free if I truly felt a need for it
4. I’d substitute another video if there was one I didn’t particularly enjoy

Review:

I reserved the high-impact versions of the exercises at the start of the workout, and continued with the low-impact versions towards the second half of the videos. I did not beat myself up if I couldn’t follow exactly along but made sure to finish each video instead of quitting half-way through.

Day 4 of the 1-week program is a strength and yoga combo which I was definitely not in the mood for XD Who can do yoga with sore muscles?! Tell me! XD So I just substituted with another upper body strength routine to keep with the schedule for the day.

By Friday (Day 5) I was getting quite sore and so used a visiting friend as an excuse to skip the day’s workout XD But by then I also felt better able to perform according to the same or similar program the next round along.

And the bottomless belly?

As far as appetite increase is concerned, it’s no longer as uncontrollable and overpowering ever since I tried some tips I got from last week’s fitness post. In particular, I had to move my workout schedule to around 10-ish in the morning (instead of 8AM) so I could have food before and after my workouts, and this seemed to help a lot.

So that’s my fitness update for this week 🙂 What’s yours?

Happy Monday beautiful people! ❤

Something New In My Exercise Department

 

Hello everyone 🙂 Happy Lunar New Year!

For this Monday’s fitness post I’d like to share about something new I’ve taken on to shake up my home exercise routine.

As you probably know by now I’ve been doing mostly cardio from Zumba and Dance Fitness. Lately though I’ve been feeling the need to level up by way of taking on a structured strength training program.

A good structured training program ensures you’re doing the right amount of the right things in the right order and frequency. I like that it gives you focus, and the satisfaction of completing one is motivating.

And so last week I finally purchased and started one from my favorite online trainers Kelli and Daniel of Fitness Blender.

 

As a home exerciser, Fitness Blender has been and still is my go-to for online workout videos that are effective without doubt. The videos are 100% free on YouTube and they even teach you how to create a program for yourself here and here.

However, if like me you want the pros to take care of that for you, then purchasing one of their structured workout programs is a great way to go. (And it’s not even expensive, by the way).

Although Fitness Blender programs are mostly drawn up for 5 days a week, I still wanted room to do my body rolls and twerks XD (We gotta keep it fun, right?!) Good thing they have the 8-Week Maintenance/Cross-Training program which only requires doing their workouts 3 days a week.

And so since last week I’ve been on the program and it’s been great. I have all bases covered as far as working out all muscle groups are concerned and I still have room for variety 🙂

How about you, what’s new in your exercise department?

Motivated To Move!

An amazing Monday to you beautiful people! 😀

Mondays are my time to review goals that are usually fitness related, and this time around I’m happy to sum everything up with the words “motivated to move“.

The catalyst is undoubtedly the group fitness classes I’ve been attending since last week.  They are fun and energizing both physically and mentally 🙂 Being in the company of people has also somehow given me back my exercise mojo – which I had lost since my daughter started school back in July.

So why motivated to move?

1. Group fitness classes. Initially I only intended to attend twice a week, but I have now increased that to thrice a week 🙂
2. Strength training with my all time favorite, Fitness Blender.  I bought myself another Fitness Blender workout program to take care of the strength training part of my fitness routine.
3. I’ve also joined this at home 14-day power yoga challenge to help me gain more flexibility for my in-studio yoga classes.
4. On rest days, I am going to walk/jog at the oval, while listening to Indonesian language classes on my iPod.
5. On some days, go swimming with my daughter.

The general plan is to do a combination of 2 exercises on most days to -hopefully- see results in the shortest amount of time.  I’ve learned that there’s no better way to motivate yourself than to see immediate results.  So I’m starting strong and deliberate with variety and fun in mind 😉

So that’s what’s up with me fitness wise for the month of September.  How about you?  How are you getting your fitness on? 🙂

Mondays Are For Recommitting to Fitness & Vanities 😗

I am convinced that no matter how challenging things may get, there’s never an excuse good enough to not take care of yourself. For me, this is usually in the form of exercise and proper grooming, or what I fondly term ‘vanities’.

Admittedly I have allowed my fitness to fall by the wayside ever since arriving in Indonesia. Diet has especially taken a big hit, so as sleep and exercise. Nevertheless, whenever Monday comes around it always reminds me not to let myself go just because.

The last time I talked about exercise was when I found solace in a huge oval for runners/walkers. I had vowed to make good use of that oval, even buying myself some fancy neon colored Nikes for added fun. However, a consistent schedule has been difficult to lay down. There’s the irregular rains as well as my new responsibilities as a homemaker.

So what’s a domestic diva to do? Yep, purchase a structured exercise program by trusted fitness experts to do indoors at any time of the day 🙂

I’ve slid so much down the fitness ladder ever since my last program that I needed to start with something basic. I also do not have dumbbells yet. So I chose the 4-week Fitness Blender Reach program for flexibility and toning. The combination of pilates, yoga and stretching is perfect to serve as a warm up to a more strenuous program eventually. (I’m already excited about their 4-week bodyweight only program!).

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The beginning is always the most difficult, it’s easy to postpone or skip an exercise, making sore muscles and/or a loose schedule an excuse. But therein lies the danger as we all know. I started the previous Monday and am happy to report that – with the help of my daughter whom I’ve designated as my coach – I haven’t missed a single day of the program yet 🙂 We’ve also started to add a 5-10 min Zumba routine for some cardio.

On the vanities side, I bought myself a new toy. Ta-daaaah!

I’ve never been particular about curling & straightening before but I figured there’s always space for something new in your life so, might as well 🙂 And it’s purple ❤ ❤ ❤

How about you, how are you taking care of yourself lately?