Tag Archives: Physical fitness

Adjusting Your Workouts When Life Changes

16 Monday Jan 2012

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Lately, I have been receiving a lot of requests for new blog postings. Yes, I am guilty of being MIA. My life took some unexpected bumps and turns – as life can be. I needed to revamp my current comfortable day-to-days to a new unfamiliar and out-of-sync schedule to meet the change and challenge.

Shifting and rearranging one’s days and weeks can sometimes take weeks and months to settle into a new routine and to feel comfortable once again. The change can impact everything, even your eating habits and your workouts. I know it has for me, including even finding time to write my blog.

Whereas before it was easy for me to get my daily workouts in, the twist in my weekly schedule at first made it a challenge for me to hit the gym. My crazy new hours left me little time and energy for “me,” but I refused to give in to the infamous cliché, “I just don’t have the time.” Life is about priorities, and getting to the gym and staying fit is one of mine and hopefully one of yours.

So when a bump in the road hits, it’s simply time to reroute your workout another way verses taking the easier route of throwing in the towel. Change is always good in a workout anyway (“The Change Up,” October 5, 2011), so embrace your new allotted time, location, or whatever the change may be and turn a lemon of a situation into lemonade by remaining fit as a fiddle.

How to Adjust Your Workouts

Okay, there’s been a change of your life. Good or bad, staying healthy and fit needs to continue to be a priority in your life regardless of your new situation. Working out will help you to continue to feel good about your body and the released endorphins will give you that natural high of well-being. Two added pluses to any type of situation.

React, reconfigure, rearrange and redo to retain. This is what needs to occur when adjusting your workout when life changes. For me, my weekends remained the same during my change, but long gone (at least for now) are my two-hour early morning workouts, unless I want to be up at 5am every day. So to modify my fitness schedule, I had to start to plan ahead – which is key – as to when I would be able to get to the gym during the week and when I would also get in my outdoor runs, indoor swims and other fitness endeavors.

Make the most of your time. Some days require that I do a split workout; some of it in the morning and the balance in the evening. Even if you have only 15 minutes in the morning, walk up and down the steps for the 15 or do an abs workout. Combine it with another 15 minutes in the evening and now you have a 30 minute workout.

Be effective and efficient. Don’t even have time to get the gym or would rather same the drive time for working out at home? Invest in some home equipment or in fitness DVDs (“My Top 10 Favorite Fitness DVDs,”December 11, 2011). I love my treadmill. It’s always readily available when I have limited time. There are also so many effective DVD workouts that can bring you the same results as being in the gym.

Have zero time right now? Then you might also have to get creative. Park your car further away from the front doors of your destination. Take the steps instead of the elevator. Spend your lunch hour going for a walk. Going to the game? Get tickets high up in the bleachers. Have a stationary bike at home? Ride it while catching the news or your favorite show. You get the idea.

The bottom line is that there may be many changes during one’s life and you need to learn to go with the flow and just adjust and adapt to a new workout schedule. Yes, there may be times it’s tricky to get it in. But believe in yourself and get it in. Your health and well being is essential, so never lose sight of the importance of staying fit – no matter what.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

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The Change Up

05 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by in Exercising, Health and Wellness

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Now that autumn is falling into place with its brisker weather and shorter days, what better time than now to restructure your workouts to not only to accommodate the cooler days and shorter daylight, but to jolt your muscles into getting even stronger and fitter.

In order for your body to keep developing and becoming more fit, your workout program has to keep changing. When you continue to repeat the same workout over and over again without altering it, you prevent your body from evolving and making any gains. Your mile times won’t approve. Your bench press won’t make an impact. Your exercises won’t be effective. All because you forced your body to hit a plateau. You muscles have become accustomed to what you are doing and are no longer responding at the level they once did.

Muscles react to change. They actually thrive on it by growing stronger, bigger, firmer, and toner. Change is their fuel. Fat also reacts to change. If you change up the exercise routine, not only will your body be continually challenged, but it will also burn more calories, resulting in a more successful weight loss. In addition, you avoid boredom and prevent possible injuries.

You should switch up your exercises about every four to twelve weeks or whenever you feel like you aren’t improving anymore. Typically, I change my workout routine four times a year, often coinciding with the change of the seasons. So now that autumn is falling into place with its brisker weather and shorter days, what better time to restructure my workouts to accommodate the cooler days and shorter daylight. Now my workouts occur mainly indoors, starting with a 6:00 am fitness class three days a week for one hour. This is following by a run on the treadmill and then abs. Alternating days I continue my runs and abs but add weight training and Pilates. Plus two days a week I swim and one I bike. I will also be starting with a new trainer to continue with the change up and help me target particular areas.

But a changeup shouldn’t be just for your workout routine. When it’s time to change your exercises, you should also take the opportunity to re-evaluate your diet. Is it as healthy as it should be? Is there any way you can improve your eating lifestyle? Have you been slipping back to past bad eating habits?

For me when it’s just me by myself, I often fall into the rut of eating almost the same foods for at least breakfast and lunch. So with the changing of my gym workout in combination of less availability of fresh seasonal fruits at the supermarket, I have also changed up my daily diet. Breakfast is now oatmeal with unsweetened applesauce, walnuts, cinnamon, blueberries and strawberries while lunch is a boneless chicken breast and a green vegetable. Snacks are nuts, banana or carrots. Dinner is usually on the run and may be as simple as organic peanut butter on 100% whole wheat bread or a fresh fish dish at a favorite restaurant.

The bottom line is that with dedication and determination, your fitness goals are achievable. Stay discipline and remember to change up your exercise routine regularly. Get creative and explore new and exciting fitness routines. If you feel you are at a loss as to how to change your workout, seek the advice of a trainer from your gym who may provide wonderful new moves for you to try. Any way you change it up, it’s the change that’s the key to your fitness success.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

When Packing Your Bags, Pack Your Sneaks!

27 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in Exercising, Health and Wellness

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Staying fit and healthy is a lifelong commitment. It entails being faithful to your workout regimen, maintaining a healthy diet, and living the other cardinal rules of living fit and well, including getting enough nightly sleep, taking care of your skin, flossing and other healthy practices.

Many people, who when they leave the comforts of their own home for business travel or, better yet, a personal getaway, oftentimes also take a vacation from their workouts and healthy diets. They are on away from home, so their thinking may be, “it’s also time to take a break.”

Being fit and healthy knows no breaks other than your normal days off from your working and a sweet treat on occasion. Getting on a plane, train, or automobile to take you to a different destination other than your home is not a reason or excuse NOT to keep your commitments to yourself. If anything, it’s an opportunity to change up your workout and diet which should be exciting and enticing!

When traveling, I always try to stay at a hotel that has a gym. Most hotels and resorts have fitness rooms to continue your workouts. They may not be like your gym back home, but it’s enough to get you by. If your hotel does not have one, there are often nearby gyms that may even offer discounts to hotel guests. Check with your hotel when checking in.

After registering, one of the first things I do after dropping my bags in the rooms is to check the gym and ask about the hours. If I am traveling for business, then often I have to get creative when I’m going to get my workouts in. If it’s for pleasure, I typically go early in the mornings just as I do when at home.

If you don’t have access to a gym while traveling, then pack along a few pieces of portable equipment, such as a jump rope, resistance bands, and even exercise DVDs if you have a laptop. Exercise wise, you should also be able to perform several in your hotel room, including lunges and squats to keep your quads, glutes, and hamstrings in shape; pushups, sit-ups, leg raises, and side planks for  your arms and ab; and dips using a chair for your tris.

Traveling can sometimes play havoc with your healthy eating. From the airport and airplane food to hotel and restaurant meals, it’s easy to be VERY tempted and fall off course. So be prepared to remain discipline and don’t lose what you’ve worked so hard to achieve! Keep making your healthy eating choices. Look at this as a great opportunity to continue with your diet by trying different healthy recipes from eateries. Also, pack some of your favorite healthy snacks. I always do this, in addition to my vitamins. Mixed nuts, raisins, and granola/power bars are easy to take along. I also often bring grapes that I nibble on during the first day and a bottle of water to stay hydrated.

Often a getaway is an opportunity for new or different physical activities. Put it in this light and it can be another incentive for your getaway. It can be as simple as walking around a great city, rock climbing at a national park, trying surf lessons for the first time, or cycling around to see the new sights. So get out there and remain  fit, active, and healthy. Eat well by making wise meal decisions and enjoy your days away. And remember to pack your sneaks!

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana