I’ve fallen off of the Workout Wagon, you guys. I simply haven’t felt motivated to move my body much at all in the past few months and as a result I’ve been in a bit of a rut. I find that that feeling usually happens when I’m not moving my body enough and not spending enough time outside so I decided to add a bit of exercise back into my weekly routine. I hate to admit it, but it’s been so beneficial for both my body & mental health and has helped to pull me out of my slump.
I’m taking a different approach to exercising this time: I want to keep my goals attainable and practical for the season of life that I’m in. I think balance is really important (in everything in life!) and being ALL HEALTHY ALL THE TIME just isn’t realistic or sustainable for me because I’d like to be able to enjoy a glass of wine here and there or occasionally share a pizza as a family, etc.
Taking those things into consideration, my plan is to incorporate daily movement and just to have a generally healthier approach to meals (just making smarter choices / exercising moderation), but not being so restrcitive that I’m miserable. I’m trying to create a new long-term lifestyle for myself and avoiding the pitfalls of the stupid diet culture of my youth that really messed up my perspective on what “beauty” and “healthy” mean.
I struggle to stay consistent doing exercise — anyone else?
This may be a “me thing”, but I recently had the revelation that I don’t need to have an epically long workout session for it to be effective or to “count” as exercise. I had this mental block around a preconceived notion that if I wasn’t spending at least 60 minutes on a workout that it wasn’t “worth it”, but to be honest that kind of time is hard for me to come by in my current stage of life. I think the most that I could consistently commit to would be 20-30 minutes a day… and that will just have to be enough for now (even just acknowledging that helps to take the pressure off!). Building the habit of consciously adding intentional movement to each day is going to be my biggest hurdle.
My movement goal is to exercise at least 3 days a week; 4 days if I’m feeling really motivated. I want to do a mix of cycling on the Peloton, barre / Pilates and strength classes, taking “hot ‘mom’ walks” (read: stroller walks with Sophie), and stretching. I like to acknowledge stretching as a form of movement, especially because those exercises will be in heavy rotation for the week of my period — I am always super fatigued during that week and have truly zero motivation to exercise whatsoever (anyone else?). That’s the part of the month where my workout consistency usually drops off so I really want to make sure to avoid this pitfall.
I try to mix up my workouts throughout the week so that I can work different muscle groups and the exercises don’t feel monotonous, BUT I do like having a bit of a routine so that I generally know what to expect each day. To accomplish this I have been dedicating the same day every week to a specific type of workout. Of course, I’m flexible if a certain kind of workout makes more sense than what I had predetermined (swapping days to avoid rain for our stroller walk or skipping arm day ahead of traveling because I know that I’ll be carrying Sophie, her gear, our luggage, etc.). Even though my plan isn’t to work out every day, I want my workout “calendar” to be ready for me any day that I have the time and motivation!
I really appreciate the flexibility of being able to customize my workouts to be as long or as short as I can manage (shorter on weekdays and longer on weekends when my husband has more bandwidth to help me watch Sophie), but also having some parameters to choose within so that I don’t waste time / get overwhelmed trying to choose from ALL of the class options. If I’m really ahead of the game I can pick out my workouts ahead of time and add them to a Stack, but let’s be honest — I am rarely that prepared. 🤣
Lately I have been following a couple of Peloton’s Programs / Challenges because they’re basically an “autopilot” for your workout plan since the classes are already set for you. I can just turn on the screen on our Bike+ or access the app on a streaming device and take the next available class. So easy! 🙌🏼 I also rely heavily on the Bookmark feature within the Peloton app; super helpful for narrowing down your options and you can utilize it to plan ahead!
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— THE [LOOSE] SCHEDULE —
MONDAY — ARMS
Peloton Upper Body Strength Classes
Peloton Arms with Tunde Program
Blogilates 30 Day Sleek Arms Challenge
–
TUESDAY — LEGS
Peloton Lower Body Strength Classes
Peloton Barre Lower Body Focused Classes
Peloton Strength Training for Runners
Blogilates 30 Day Thigh Slimming Challenge
–
WEDNESDAY — REST
Mobility Stretching
Foam Rolling
Outdoor Walk w/ Ankle Weights
–
THURSDAY — CORE
Peloton Crush Your Core Programs (1 & 2)
Peloton Straight to the Core Program
Rebecca’s Standing Core Collection
Blogilates Flat Tummy Challenge
Build a Solid Core — Lower Abs
–
FRIDAY — CARDIO
Peloton Bike Ride
Peloton Dance Cardio Collection
P.Volve Workout
Dance Church
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SATURDAY — REST
Mobility Stretching
Foam Rolling
Outdoor Walk w/ Ankle Weights
–
SUNDAY — LENGTHEN / SCULPT
Peloton Beginner Pilates Program
Peloton Build Your Barre Collection
Rebecca’s Standing Core Collection
*Side note re: Stroller Walks — I use the “Just Work Out” option within the Peloton app on my phone to track my stroller walks too. There’s a little button on the bottom of the Home screen where you can activate the tracker for any activity outside of a Peloton class (and you can pause when you need to! an absolutely essential feature for #momlife 😅). You can track just about every activity, but the 3 most popular are: Outdoor Walking, Outdoor Running, and Outdoor Cycling!
If I didn’t already have access to the robust Peloton workout class library, I’d definitely look into memberships with Melissa Wood Health (*pre/postnatal classes available), The Sculpt Society (*pre/postnatal classes available), P.Volve classes, or Blogilates.
ACCESSORIES
Activity Tracker
When I take cycling classes on the Peloton, the bike tracks my output metrics (calories burned, etc.), but when I participate in any other strength or cardio classes I like to wear my activity tracker to monitor my heart rate, steps and general output.
Hair Treatment
I also take the opportunity to do an Olaplex treatment during my longer planned workouts (*note: I personally avoid floor exercises like Pilates when I am rocking soggy hair) and then shower afterward. This takes a bit of planning, but I never regret it!
Dry Shampoo
When I don’t have time to shower afterward or simply don’t get that sweaty during a workout, but could still use a quick refresh I reach for my dry shampoo mist. Disregard the instructions on the bottle and do this instead: completely soak your roots with this product and then blow dry your hair using a round brush to refresh your hair, lifting at the roots — the product works like magic!! There’s a slight residue feel afterward, but MUCH less than powder-based dry shampoos. I will say that the scent is pretty strong (assuming this is to help mask any sweat odors?), so if you’re sensitive to fragrances I would be a bit wary. It smells nice, it’s just… powerful. 😅
Hair Tie // Hair Clip
These hair ties are my absolute favorite for working out because they have such an amazing grip and STAY.PUT. However, sometimes I want my topknot to be extra secure for high impact workouts such as Dance Cardio (or to use when I am doing an Olaplex treatment) I’ll use one of these octopus clips to secure my bun high on the crown of my head.
HYDROJUG // Stanley
Depending on the activity, these are the “water-carriers” that I use. For most workouts I simply fill my 40 oz Stanley Quencher with water, but for stroller walks or 45+ min Peloton cycling rides I prefer to use my Hydrojug. I especially like that the Hydrojug has the option for a sleeve (+ a strap!) for even easier carrying or attaching to the Bike (I’m always nervous about knocking my Stanley off of the drink holder area because the 40oz size just doesn’t quite fit).
Ankle Weights
I have the 1lb pair of weights that I wear for a little added resistance to stroller walks or low-impact Peloton rides. They’re great because they can be used for multiple applications, but I mostly use them as ankle weights on my walks.
I have a few additional Peloton-related posts if you want to know more about our honest experience with it. If you have a Peloton machine or account, let’s be friends! You can find me at @natalie_maria — let’s stay accountable together!
I am also doing my best to eat healthy for at least two out of my three meals a day. If we want to have a more indulgent meal, I’ll balance that by eating healthier options for my other two meals. I’ll be sharing a roundup of healthy-ish, no-fuss meal and snack ideas soon!
Sending [sweaty] hugs —
xx, Natalie
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