Scheduling

Well, Week 1 is complete! YAY! I can honestly say I accomplished a lot this week. I had a few bumps (inevitable) but overall I feel good about this past week and I am proud of what I've accomplished.

The first thing I did was make a schedule. This is so important for anyone starting out on a new journey. If you don't plan ahead, you'll likely end up not doing many, if not most, of the things you had set out to do. Scheduling is about making time for the things that are important to you. This includes all obligations with your daily life...work, taking care of loved ones, appointments, spending time with friends and family, down time, etc. This is often one of the toughest things for many people as they have trouble prioritizing their overwhelming to-do lists. Well, what I would suggest, and what I myself am implementing, is making my exercise and nutrition a priority!

I am a student so classes are mandatory and cannot be missed or skipped for any reason other than being sick. So, I've decided to think about my workouts just like a lecture. I'm exercising 6 days a week, sometimes more than once per day. Now, I know that's not realistic for most people, and it's also not really necessary to commit such a huge chunk of time to exercise. Realistically, 3-5 times per week is essential, anything beyond that is bonus! I'm just being more diligent in my workouts because I have a deadline...the wedding!

So back to the schedule: I'm going Mon/Wed/Fri mornings from 9-10am for strictly cardio. During this time I'll be doing any mixture of things including running, rowing, skipping rope, stair-master, jumping on the spot, elliptical, etc. Then after class, I'll be going to my 45min spin class. Spin is beautiful because it's completely tailored to you and your capabilities. A spin class has the potential to be a brutal or as brisk as you want it to be. Personally, I go with how my body is feeling in that moment and push myself accordingly.

Some days I can be my own drill sergeant, other days, like when I'm overly tired or sore, I just go along with the music and push myself as far as I feel comfortable that day. Later on in the evening, I'll be going to the gym for weight training. Weight training is an essential component of any fitness regime. Many women have concerns about weight training because they believe it will bulk them up and make them look masculine. Well ladies, lemme tall ya, its not gunna happen!! We have way too much estrogen, and not nearly enough testosterone to allow us to bulk up like a man by doing a weight training program. So please don't concern yourself with this, its a myth! Plus, weight training allows you to gain added calorie burning AFTER your finished exercising! Not to mention that it helps build strong bones and prevents osteoporosis later in life. If that isn't enough, it will also help lean you out while you lose weight so that there's less likelihood of loose skin. Don't you want to be toned and gorgeous? I do!!

As for Tues/Thurs, I'll just be going to the gym once on these days and doing a well rounded workout that includes cardio and strength training as well as flexibility training.
Saturdays will be my off day of the week to rest and replenish. One down day per week is essential for recuperation. Sundays will be my light day as I'll only be doing cardio for one hour.
So that's all folks, that's my exercise regime. Of course I will be implementing good nutrition choices with each meal. I'll discuss nutrition a little more in depth next week.


Image Source: stuorg,  cbsnews