I’ve been an athlete my entire life. I remember my mom put me into gymnastics, soccer, and basketball when I was a kid. With everything else in life, I enjoyed some of the activities more than others, so I tended to put more effort into the ones that gave me the most joy. I remember having a keen interest in gymnastics, and I remember my friend begging me for ages to join her at somewhere like this tumbling center houston so we could improve on our skills, and maybe even become professional gymnasts as we got older. But for reasons that I can’t quite remember, this never happened, but it did for her, and she has been doing really well ever since. My mom just kept me so busy that I didn’t have time to add anything else to my list. She never allowed me to do the cheerleading or the dance classes. I was playing with the boys, getting knocked over but getting back up stronger, and sticking it to them. In high school, it was mandatory to play a sport which is a testament to the importance of staying active is (it also kept some of us out of trouble).
Working out has always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had to get in shape for varsity high school soccer, which meant running four to five times a week in the summer, so I could keep up with the upperclassmen when our season started. I had to lift weights and get in shape to play collegiate basketball and softball, if I wanted any playing time. But now that I no longer need to stay in shape, I still find it imperative to workout in order to feel good and stay healthy.
Last week we talked about how to build body confidence. One of my tips was exercising to feel good, not to lose weight. As a curvy woman, even after my sports teams commenced, I’ve always had a huge desire to stay active and healthy as an adult, but have never had a goal to lose weight. I think it’s extremely important that we are healthy while we maintain our curvy figures. Some people even opt to use plastic surgery such as Broadway Plastic Surgery for Colorado breast implants, facelifts, and various other procedures to make them feel more comfortable within their own bodies.
However, it is not enough to just do lots of exercises and adapt our bodies but in order to make ourselves stronger and more powerful, it means fueling our bodies with healthy foods that will help boost our energy and lead us to a more healthy lifestyle.
Exercising to lose weight can be daunting…which in turn, puts an immense amount of pressure on us. Let’s change what exercising means to you! It’s a great tool to shift our minds, more than our bodies. We shouldn’t think about it like a chore but rather to feel better, get stronger and more powerful.
I switch up my workouts, weekly; I run, play basketball and create my own workouts that don’t involve a gym. This is easier than it sounds as you can get your hands on plenty of equipment that replicates the machines you’d find in a gym, but don’t take up nearly as much space. For example, you can do a lower body kettle bell lift that works wonders on your legs and bum. It can sometimes be challenging to get motivated but I hold myself accountable for getting it done. When I’m done, I’m so glad that I did it. If you also struggle to find the motivation sometimes, try to take some of the pressure off yourself. Instead of completing a workout, why not consider trying a dance fitness class? That will help you to stay active, whilst also having fun. A lot of people tend to turn to DivaDance for online dance classes, so it might be worth looking into their classes. Hopefully, that will make exercise more fun for you. However, if you prefer a workout, then be sure to do that. Here’s an example of a workout. Follow along and let me know how you liked it!
This is a typical workout that I do in a park. For my warm up, I usually run 1.5 to get to the park. If you don’t run, I’ve included an alternative warmup that can be done anywhere!
Warmup: (No static stretchy! Save it until the end)
40 seconds – jumping jacks
20 seconds – high knees
40 seconds – bear walk
20 seconds – freeze mountain climbers
Workout
15 – bench dips (find a park bench, tree stump or cement structure)
40 – walking lunges (20 there, turn around, 20 back)
15 – bench push ups
40 – walking lunges
30 second break
20 – plank to twist (10 each side)
30 – standing bicycle (10 each side)
20 – plank to twist
30 – standing bicycle
30 second break
15 – bench dips
12- squat leg lift
15 – bench pushups
12 – squat leg lift
30 second break
20 – plank jumping jacks
40 – walking toe touch (20 there, 20 back)
20 – plank jumping jacks
40 – walking toe touch
30 second break
15 – push up taps
20 – bench step ups (10 each side)
15 – push up taps
20 – bench step ups
30 second break
20 – reverse leg lift (20 each side) (hold onto a railing or wall for balance)
30 – waist pinchers (15 each side)
20 – reverse leg lift
30 – waist pinches
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Great job! Now spend about 2-3 minutes cooling down with some static stretching. Hold each stetch for 20-30 seconds each.
