Exercise update, Week 5

Ever since the 19th of August, I’ve managed to maintain a minimum of three workout sessions a week and it feels great. I’m definitely stronger and fitter today although there is still a long way to go because I only just started a month ago.

What I like about my exercise routine is that it is quite fluid and I don’t feel the need to keep pushing myself to accomplish an ambitious result. My only goal is to get that three sessions of sweat out a week, even if it is only for 15 to 20 minutes.

On a typical week, it may look like this:

• Monday – Rest day
• Tuesday – Insanity Plyometric workout (40 minutes)
• Wednesday – Rest day
• Thursday – Jogging while pushing my baby around (20 minutes)
• Friday – Light jog on treadmill and weights before cell group (25 minutes)
• Saturday – Rest day or basketball (1.5 hours)
• Sunday – Hiking in the morning with the baby (1 hour)

So within the whole week, the only time I really feel the ‘torture’ of pushing is Tuesday during the Insanity workout but I do it because it definitely helps with my fitness and conditioning. At the same time, the proper Insanity programme is supposed to be daily and I’d much rather do it once a week and not try to be superman.

I think that many times when people start an exercise programme, it’s easy to give up after awhile because they go from zero to a hundred too quickly, or they do something they don’t enjoy at all.

Insanity is like that. There’s an intense workout 6 times a week with only one rest day in between and it is probably one of the most tiring cardio workouts you can squeeze into a 40 minute session. If you don’t pace yourself and listen to your body, it will start breaking down pretty quick with strained muscles and you’re going to feel absolutely miserable.

And for me, running isn’t something I enjoy as well. I run for less than 5 minutes and I feel so very tired because I get bored quickly. In comparison, running full out up and down a court for an hour of basketball doesn’t feel tiring but I find far more sweat on my back after basketball.

So I’m going to maintain what I’m doing for now. I’m eating anything and everything I want because I’m not trying to lose weight. I get to spend lots of time with my daughter because most of the exercises can be done with together with her or with her close by (except basketball and gym).

One thing I am starting to realise is that for skinny people like me, cardio programmes are probably not the best route to take because I’m just going to look scrawnier and more haggard as time goes by. However, the alternative to this is to do more weight work at the gym and this is something I can’t find extra time for because of my daughter during this phase of life.

I guess I’ll just have to focus on building up my stamina, strength and conditioning for the time being.

Categories: Health