Up in the Gym

Let me start by saying that a few years ago, I was in incredible shape. At least to me. I exercised every day. I'm not talking anything ridiculous, just some running outdoors or on the elliptical. I also tackled P90X and really got to a place where I wanted my body to be. I had abs, trim thighs, and shaped arms. Nothing too bulky, just lean muscle. I felt great!

Then, I turned 21, probably drank a little too much because I could, and began student teaching and then real teaching. When I started student teaching, the amount of time I had to work out and the motivation I had to do so really decreased. I am by no means overweight. I'm perfectly comfortable with saying that I weigh, on average, 108 pounds (this can fluctuate anywhere from 106 to 112, depending on my activity level and time of the month). But, I have a really small frame and I'm only 4'11 1/2" - that half inch really counts. So, I know that like most people I have room for improvement. I would like to tone up, slim down, maybe a little bit, and just generally feel better about myself and my health. Not only does exercising make/keep you healthy, it really does help you feel better.

So, since summer has officially started for this teacher, I thought that I could begin an exercise routine that I might be able to keep up once school starts again. Today, I found an elliptical workout routine on Pinterest. It was amazing. It lasts for 25 minutes and includes a warm-up and cool down. I mean, who can't fit that into their workout routine? My apartment complex gym has those really cool Jillian Michaels cardio equipment machines and I typically follow one of the workouts on there. However, I've had an "Up in the Gym" board on Pinterest for forever and thought maybe I should actually try one of the things I have pinned.

Hence, the elliptical workout. I was sweating as soon as the warm-up was over, maybe before that. And, I'll admit by the halfway point I was totally getting my butt kicked by this workout. But I finished and I felt awesome! It's definitely something I will try again. I think this workout is probably good for beginners and intermediate exercisers. But if you consider yourself an advanced exerciser let me know if it works for you!

 

 

P.S. The original link I found on Pinterest was reported as spam so I just included the picture in case you want to try for yourself. Good luck!