workout ideas

Spring 2018 fitness routine

 in Fitness  tagged fitness tips / outdoor fitness / workout ideas by

pictured: view of Saratoga Hills from Quarry Park hiking trail in Saratoga, Ca

Spring is here! Now that the spring season has officially begun, it is time for a new fitness routine.

Although our weather here in the San Francisco Bay Area is still wintry, I am going to try and push through my spring fitness routine, and get outside more!

One of my goals for 2018 was to get outside more, so I am trying to integrate more outside fitness into my spring routine. Since this is our rainy season, I need to ensure I have an indoor back-up plan in place in case of inclement weather on an outdoor fitness day.

Monday: Outdoor hike for 30 minutes plus 15 minute stretch routine

Tuesday: Spin class

Wednesday: Swimming workout-about 4000 yards.

Thursday: 30 minute interval workout at home, alternating cardio drills, core work and strength drills. (my schedule on Thursdays is crazy busy-so I need to squeeze something in at home)

Friday: BodyCombat

Saturday: Family Hike outside for 60 minutes

Sunday: Rest day.

The problem with my fitness routine, is that I need to add weights! So, as of right now, my indoor alternate workout for rainy days involves a one hour treadmill LifeFitness Course, and about a half hour of weights. This will help me integrate weights into my routine; unless we don’t get our weekly rainy days-then I need to re-evaluate this routine! Haha

As you know, in a typical fitness routine, there should be a good combination of cardio, interval, anaerobic cardio, core work, strength work (using body weight), and weights. This fitness routine addresses all of those components except for the weights; which I am hoping will naturally fall into my routine on rainy days.

What is your typical fitness routine during the spring season? If you like to workout outside, how do you incorporate weights into your weekly routine?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Winter workout routine and New Year fitness changes

 in Fitness  tagged fitness gear / workout ideas by

New Year fitness gear wishlist: black sweatshirt / sky print sports bra / Nike running shoes / gym backpack / sky print leggings

Can you believe we are ten days into the new year! With the new year, comes new goals and resolutions. If you missed it last week, you can read about mine here. One of my goals was to stay on track with my workout schedule. The fall season was especially challenging when I hurt my neck, and then decided to home-school my son, in addition to my middle child. My entire routine was thrown for a loop!

When you have an injury, and a life change, there is suddenly new stress. I was stressed because I couldn’t do my five workouts per week, and I was stressed out because I had to add a 4th grade curriculum to my already busy 6th grade home-school curriculum. I suddenly found myself teaching long division to my son, and how to solve equations with two variables to my daughter, at the same time. Oh my! It’s tough juggling two curriculum’s.

Thankfully, I can say with confidence that I have my routine down pat now; and since my neck injury is healed, I have been back on track with my fitness routine! Yay!

Since my days are really full with home-schooling and work, I have to be more flexible when it comes to my workout routine. Here is my new routine for the New Year, and winter season:

Mondays: BodyCombat  (cardio)

Tuesday: Spin Class (cardio-internval)

Wednesday: Home workout. 30 minutes cardio, 30 minutes strength

Thursday: Rest day

Friday: Insanity (Interval-Strength)

Saturday: BodyPump and Step or treadmill and weights; depending on my kids schedule

Sunday: Family fitness activity outside. Hiking, etc.

This is my ideal winter workout schedule, of course, my schedule can get crazy, and I may miss a class here or there. On days when I miss a class, I do a treadmill workout, or a home workout I designed for myself.

My home workout includes 30 minutes of cardio, and 30 minutes of strength exercises. It is great on days when I am pressed for time and need to squeeze in my workout at funny times during the day. I can even split it up; do the cardio in the morning, then the strength later in the day. Sometimes you have to be creative when your life is a giant juggle!

What are you doing for workouts this winter season?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy

Keeping fitness on track during the holidays

 in Fitness  tagged fitness tips / workout ideas by

Bay Club at Courtside Holiday decor

pictured: Holiday decorations at The Bay Club where I workout.

The holiday season is in full swing, and all of us are experiencing busier schedules. I feel like my days are so jam-packed, keeping to a regular fitness routine is downright impossible! Thankfully, there is a way to stay on track, and fend off those nasty holiday pounds, during this festive season.

Although I have a regular workout schedule for the winter season, the most important thing about it is that it is flexible. When the holidays hit, my schedule fluctuates, changes, and becomes extra hectic. I need to have backup workout plans in my fitness arsenal in order to keep on track, and get my five workouts per week in.

If you like to go to classes, keep them in your schedule, but have independent workouts available to you as a backup plan; just in case you can’t make it to your regular classes. Here is my holiday fitness schedule, and my back-up plans.

Monday: BodyCombat (backup-treadmill and abs work)

Tuesday: Spin class (backup-jogging in my neighborhood)

Wednesday: H.E.A.T. (interval-strength class) (backup-treadmill and weights)

Thursday: Rest Day or makeup day if I missed a day earlier in the week

Friday: Insanity (interval class) (backup- swim  workout)

Saturday: BodyPump and Step (backup-treadmill, weights, and abs)

Sunday: Rest Day or makeup day if I missed a day earlier in the week

The backup workouts are all individual, so I can do them at any time during the day. If I know I can’t make a scheduled class, I can wake-up early, and do my backup workout at 5:30am, or whenever it fits into my day. It can be difficult staying on track, but having a backup workout plan is essential to keeping fit during the busy holiday season. Nothing is more difficult then not fitting into your jeans after the New Year. Can’t have that!!

What is your holiday workout routine like? Do you have a workout back-up plan to stay on track?

Thanks for stopping by!

XOXO

Cathy