I work out a lot and I’ve been told to scale it down before I hurt myself. It went in one ear and out the other. Sometimes, I think that I live to workout! However, life has showed me that sometimes that is not possible. After my OP, I was told NOT TO workout except for a few rounds around the garden! It was a huge scale down from working out 40 to 60 minutes a day and that walking around the garden was for the birds! However, I did comply and am now doing 10 to 12 rounds along with another 30 minutes of something else. So far, so good.
I started out slow and as they say, where there is a will, there is a way.
Here are five favorites that don’t put too much stress on a wound and if you’re just starting out, you’ll be done in no time and FEEL like you’ve achieved much in a short amount of time.
Walking
This one doesn’t require open spaces, you can do it barefoot and within the confines of your room without too much effort. However, even five minutes gets your heart going. Just put on your favorite music and start moving! That is all it takes. Worked wonders for me and before I knew it, I was doing 20 minutes without much effort and it was fun.
Strength Training
This is a necessity. Cardio and strength are both needed to balance out your workout. I have a small set of weights, nothing heavy, and I do several reps of shoulder workouts, triceps, biceps, and the back as well. All you need to do is just 5 to 10 reps and you are well on your way to being fit.
Stretches
This is important as well. Your muscles tend to get tight after a workout so don’t skip those stretches. Just five minutes of stretching in all directions keeps you limber and flexible and who doesn’t want that right?
Breathing
This one is not considered exercise in the true sense of the word but you can turn it into one by doing specific breathing methods. I like diaphragmatic or rather belly breathing. This one engages and strengthens your diaphragm and this is how you do it. Sit comfortably. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other on your belly. Inhale slowly for 4 counts, exhale gently for 4 to 6 counts. You’ll feel your belly working. Continue for 5 to 10 minutes. Believe me, it will feel like a workout and the added bonus is that it relieves stress as well.
Yoga
This is my go to stress buster and it keeps me looking and feeling young! There is a reason why yoga is called the fountain of youth. All you need is a mat and you are ready to go. Five or ten minutes and you will feel like a million bucks, well maybe not but headed in that direction!
Those are my five simple exercises to do at home. It doesn’t take much effort but it takes willpower to keep at it and to achieve results. Good luck!
How can you build a regular fitness routine? Start out by knowing why you’re doing it. I do it for myself, not for anyone else. Knowing this, I work at what makes me feel good, if it fits my schedule, and if the workout routine adds or detracts from how I feel. This is important. If it makes you feel like you are not ENOUGH, there’s that word again, then it is time to look for something that works for you.
I start slow, no gung ho moves here, meaning being over-zealous. It is easy to get caught up in different workouts because you are motivated but that motivation fizzles out at some point and sometimes quickly, so start slow, take your time, know what works, what makes you feel good, and go from there.
My routine embraces different formats. I do cardio, strength, yoga, and Pilates. Not all at one time but some days I get ambitious and I go for all of it. My body lets me know the next day what I did wrong! Add breathing, walks in nature, eating right, and that about sums up my routine. It works for me. I’m exactly where I need to be, weight-wise, and I feel good. However, I work out seven days a week because a day without workouts is like a day without sunshine for me. That’s me, this doesn’t work for everyone.
Get motivated, stay motivated, add routines that work for you, watch your progress, and most of all DO NOT overdo it. Consistency is the key and knowing what you want to achieve the other. Oh, one more thing, think of working out as doing something good for your body because it’s a temple and you, my friend, are the goddess!
I think anything is fun if you enjoy doing it. I love walking and I walk almost everyday and what makes it fun is that I am surrounded by nature which is an added bonus. I am not only getting fit but I find peace and calm while I’m doing it.
Yoga is another go to method of getting fit. I can do this beautiful fitness routine in the privacy of my home and that makes it fun. Chachi, the cat, joins me most days and sometimes doing the Downward Dog pose gets challenging with him running in and out and some days I burst out laughing and we wind up cuddling. I think that was his goal all along. 😉
Cardio and weight training is a must. I say a “must” because in my mind it is. I am a fitness fanatic and I workout seven days a week. I’ve been told to back off and take a break but it goes in one ear and out the other. Workouts keep me energized and those cheesecakes I keep talking about don’t have a chance of adding a pound or two meaning I am where I should be weight-wise but it takes effort and focus to keep it going day in and day out.
I love working out so whatever I do to keep fit is fun and I don’t need props or anything else to make it fun. However, I love having Little Chachi as my trainer or rather he thinks he is. Some days he sits on the bed and watches me and when there is a break, I reach over and plant kisses on his forehead and that is his reward for staying out of my way. He loves it and it makes working out fun.
I love walking. It is my go to form of physical exercise. Just 20 minutes out in the fresh air is all it takes to rev up the engine and to get my mindset in the right place. Add the serenity of nature to it and my mind gets a much-deserved break. There is a new kind of walking, called barefoot walking, not really new because I used to do it all the time in Singapore. However, I wouldn’t do it these days with whatever is down there waiting to grasp and make its way up! Nope, no thank you. I’ll stick to good old-fashioned walking with my shoes on.
The other thing I do is weight training and exercises to stretch the muscles and to keep them limber and well-toned. I use 1 pound weights, nothing too heavy but it does the job. Pilates, Barre, and Yoga workouts help to stretch the muscles out and to keep them lean and strong.
These are my favorite forms of physical exercise but I keep adding to the regiment and before I know it, I’ll be into 60 or more minutes of working out each day. A friend once told me, “Cut back on the workouts!” I whispered, “I hear you but I can’t help it!”
I’ve always worked out ever since I was way younger than I am now and I don’t see me stopping any time soon. Nirvana is just a workout away and it is, as far as I’m concerned. If you want to feel good, go for a walk, breathe for all you’re worth and keep those muscles limber, toned and strong!
I think anything is fun if you enjoy doing it. I love walking and I walk almost everyday and what makes it fun is that I am surrounded by nature which is an added bonus. I am not only getting fit but I find peace and calm while I’m doing it.
Yoga is another go to method of getting fit. I can do this beautiful fitness routine in the privacy of my home and that makes it fun. Chachi, the cat, joins me most days and sometimes doing the Downward Dog pose gets challenging with him running in and out and some days I burst out laughing and we wind up cuddling. I think that was his goal all along. 😉
Cardio and weight training is a must. I say a “must” because in my mind it is. I am a fitness fanatic and I workout seven days a week. I’ve been told to back off and take a break but it goes in one ear and out the other. Workouts keep me energized and those cheesecakes I keep talking about don’t have a chance of adding a pound or two meaning I am where I should be weight-wise but it takes effort and focus to keep it going day in and day out.
I love working out so whatever I do to keep fit is fun and I don’t need props or anything else to make it fun. However, I love having Little Chachi as my trainer or rather he thinks he is. Some days he sits on the bed and watches me and when there is a break, I reach over and plant kisses on his forehead and that is his reward for staying out of my way. He loves it and it makes working out fun.
