We are in our kids’ sports era!
I spent the evening running around practicing soccer and basketball with my kids and the coolest thing is I can run around with my kids and not be exhausted from it!
When I was 240+ pounds, just walking around doing my daily life was hard. My feet hurt from the moment I woke up in the morning. My knees ached going up stairs. I couldn’t imagine a life where I was exercising for fun.
And I’ve never been someone who enjoyed exercise, even when I was thinner for most of my life. Here we are on my oldest daughter’s first birthday. I was 130 pounds and never worked out ever. It just wasn’t my thing!
When I started on this health journey in 2023, I knew that exercise was going to be a big part of my plan. Not for weight loss, but for health gain.
I started with walking and gave myself small, realistic goals. Like the goal was just to take a walk in the morning. Sometimes it was 10 minutes. Sometimes it was a little longer.
But every day, I took a walk.
How to run when you’re not a runner
When walking became easy and I was down 100 pounds, I started to run. Couch to 5K was way too hard for me! So I did my own thing with small goals.
I started running for 30 seconds at a time. My starting run routine:
5 minute walking warmup
Alternate 30 seconds running/3 minutes walking for 20 minutes
5 minute walking cooldown
I did this routine for months. Then eventually started increasing the running time.
After about 6 months, I was up to running 3 minutes at a time.
After about 8 months, I decided to try running a mile straight. It was HARD, but I did it!!
Now a year later, I mostly do a routine of:
5 minute walking warmup
Alternate 6 minutes running/2 minutes walking and repeat 4 times
5 minute walking cooldown
I time to run these intervals 2-3 days a week and every Monday I run a mile straight. My latest mile was at a 9:57 pace- under 10 minutes for the first time ever!
Strength Training
Since I started my health journey, I have done all of my weight lifting at home. It’s just easier and saves me so much time and allows me to fit it in as a busy mom of 3.
I have and love a Tonal Home Gym. I don’t know that I could be where I am without this machine. It has been a huge part of my journey.
My strength training routine has varied aver time but I generally aim for 4-5 days of strength training each week.
I am naturally inclined to be lazy and do the least amount possible. I love that Tonal chooses the weight for me and continues to challenge me every single workout.
Real Life & Fitness Options
Having different options for working out has been a game changer for me. I carry my jump rope around so that if I have 15 minutes to spare while I’m waiting on my kids I can get in an awesome jump rope workout.
I have a treadmill for when the weather doesn’t cooperate with walking or running outdoors.
I add in stretching and mobility 3-4 times a week to keep my body feeling good.
Whenever possible, exercising outdoors is an amazing way to boost my mood. I love to pair exercise with social time and often plan long hikes with friends or family on the weekends.
I also started playing pickleball as a way to pair fitness with fun and social time. Pickleball is a great way to improve cardio fitness and agility in a fun way.
The Why Behind Fitness
Finding fitness at 40 has been a weird thing! I am more fit now than I’ve ever been. I have visible muscles, and I get asked about them all the time.
The strangest part for me is that I still don’t love working out, but I am dedicated and committed to doing it for longevity.
My fitness routine has not only completely changed the way my body looks, but it has given me the gift of being able to do whatever I want to do.
I can go on an 8 mile hike with friends, I can play 4 hours of pickleball, I can shoot baskets with my kids, I can run home if it starts raining!
These kinds of things are my “why” and what keep me working out consistently because I know my life is more full and better than ever because I am strong and fit.
What’s your “why”?
Some links to things I mentioned in this episode (some may be affiliate links):
LMNT Electrolytes- my favorite flavor is Citrus Salt
My favorite starter jump rope
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