Dear Fat Jesse,
I gained a pound. Which doesn't stress me out much, because I've been nursing an awesome calf cramp and have been banned from exercise by my husband since Saturday. All the more reason to purchase that foam roller that I know I need. It's times like these, when I am sore and don't want to move forward, that I need to remind myself that I have no excuse to not work out.
Having two kids under the age of three is a death sentence for a woman who wants to exercise. What am I saying? Having one kid, no matter the age, can kill your best laid plans to work out on any given day. That's why, this time around, I've dropped my perfectionist standard of having to be able to go the gym for two hours every day in order to feel like I've done something worthwhile.
These are my favorite ways to get in a super quick workout while the baby swings, or the toddler colors. Although she will inevitably drop what she's doing, stand three inches from me, and copy what I'm doing. That's okay too. I'd rather have her copy my exercises than be able to recite my drive-thru order from Burger King. You laugh, Fat Jesse, but that day wasn't far off before we quit the King.
1. Leslie Sansone. I have been a fan of Leslie's DVD's for years, because it's a great way to get in a nice walk on those days when you don't want to go to the treadmill farm. She has workouts on every level, from walking a quick mile, all the way up to 5 mile walks with optional resistance. Her walk/jog and walk/kick DVD's are no walk in the park either. I even use her pilates, yoga, and stability ball DVD's. She is friendly, gives good cues, and her stuff is cheap and can be found at pretty much any Walmart. (F.J. Difficulty level: 3-6 out of 10, depending on the DVD)
2. EA Sports Active 2. When the Wii first came out and people started exercising with video games, I really brushed it off. Maybe it was the silly looking characters or possibly my intense association of video games with laziness that I couldn't shake. When we got this game two years ago (for PS3), I thought it would be fun, but not much of a workout. Boy, was I wrong. That calf cramp I'm rocking this week? This game is the culprit. It's not your ordinary video game. You strap on arm and leg sensors that track your heart rate and form. Then it takes you on a crazy roller coaster of interval training using basketball, soccer, boxing, cardio, and resistance. At the end of the 26 minute session, I am left panting on the ground, questioning the pivotal decision I made to do that workout 26 minutes ago. It's that awesome. (F.J. Difficulty: A solid 7 or 8, at least in the beginning)
3. Kettlebell. When I first announced my interest in kettlebell, I quickly received a phone call from my brother urging me to take my time and learn proper form. I am so glad he did, because the fact is that kettlebell done improperly can rip out your head and spine like a 1990's Mortal Kombat finishing move. I may be exaggerating a teeny bit, but I want to emphasize that form will make or break this amazingly intense workout. I personally have only busted out the kettlebell in those times that I really wanted to punish my body into submission (like weight gain days). My brother taught me how to do Tabata drills, which are intervals of kettlebell swings, rest, and longer 'active rests' with jumping rope, jogging in place, etc. All in all, the workout adds up to 16 minutes. I can only do half of that. But since it's been proven to burn 20 calories per minute (!), I'm okay with that. It really is the most intense workout a person can get in such a short period of time. I hope to be able to get to the point where I can do the drills multiple times per week, but that will be a while. I'm still pretty wimpy, Fat Jesse. But you knew that. (F.J. Difficulty: 10. Times 10.)
4. Fitbit. Not technically a workout, but it has the potential to make life a workout. Nothing more than a fancy-schmancy pedometer, but it has changed the way I see my day. I just strap on my Fitbit (come to think of it, I don't have mine on yet...) and it tells me how many steps I've taken, stairs climbed, calories burned, etc. But the best part is the free access you get to their website with food and activity logs. I now get calorie burn credit for things like dressing and changing my kids, doing laundry, and vacuuming. Logging my food and seeing the comparison with how many calories I'm burning has truly changed my relationship to food. I now see it as fuel, and I will only lose if I burn more than I take in. Simple as that. (F.J. Difficulty: Facing how much you're really eating in relation to your activity? A whopping 11.)
Someday, Fat Jesse, we will be more focused on one thing. It is my goal to train for a 5k, or to take an hour Zumba class at the gym every morning. But right now, I have to commit to work with what I have. Something is always better than nothing, and I will never let anyone tell me differently ever again. Because at the end of the day, I am the only one I have to answer to for my own health.
Gainfully,
New Jesse, +1 pound
No comments:
Post a Comment