Fitness Friday

You may have seen that I put my fitness blog on hiatus. Partially because the time I can dedicate to exercise is really limited right now and there also is no time to maintain a 2nd blog.

But I was inspired by this blog today to keep my fitness a priority and there's nothing like forcing yourself to blog about it for accountability! So for now, I will aim to blog about my fitness each Friday--both a report of my week and also general tips, ideas and thoughts on health and fitness.

My report for this week is so-so. With my schedule and current pregnant state, my personal goals are 3 days of cardiovascular activity and a few days of spot focus (arms, legs/butt, abs etc). I ran 4 miles on Monday, did arms and lower body on Wed and did about 50 min of cardio/toning today. I needed one more day of cardio in there...but maybe next week!

One of my favorite exercise programs is Slim in 6 by Beach Body. That's what my 50 minutes of exercise was today. My mother-in-law gave me her VHS tapes a few years ago because she wasn't using them. When I exercise, I like to feel like I worked hard. There are very few video/dvd programs I've found that I like. Either they are too complicated (STEP programs!) or too slow-paced.

The Slim in 6 program is a major butt-kicker!! It's a series of 3 workouts and you work up to the 3rd one. For a long time I just did the 2nd workout but finally made myself start doing the 3rd one. And boy does it work you! You break a sweat--but it's not dancing around cardio. All of the exercises focus on a body part and tone while you sweat.

Another reason I find this program user friendly is the first 25-35min (depending on which workout you do) is the "cardio" portion. It's followed by short focused sessons on arms, lower body and abs for a total of about 60min. Many days I just do the cardio portion and only do the rest if I have time. Even just the cardio portion can make me sore!

Even while pregnant, I find the exercises pretty easy to do (so far). I have to watch my balance on lunges and the ab routine is out as it's done laying on your back. One of my goals with this pregnancy is to pay close attention to my arms and lower body. I know I will gain weight in these areas...but they can also be toned while pregnant and maybe I won't hate the hospital gown photos so much with chubby arms and legs!

If you are looking for a great home workout--check out this program. And of course...buy it on ebay!!! A few years ago I bought my sister a DVD with all the workouts on it for about $20 on ebay. Just make sure you're buying an original DVD, not a burned copy. The full program comes with printed material and exercise bands...but they aren't necessary. I prefer using 3-5lb weights.

Feel free to join in on the Fitness Friday accountability blog!