workout

Need Motivation? Add A Plus One to Your Workout

The PE team often tries new classes together. This was when we tried ballroom dancing. No matter what we try, it’s always fun being together.

We have a guest blogger for this post: Travis White enjoys showing LearnFit.org visitors how to cook restaurant-quality meals at home.

Everything’s better with friends, and this includes your workout. While it may seem silly to ask a friend to join you, it is actually a wonderful way to stay motivated to keep up the same routine. A recent study showed that those who work out with a friend are more likely to stick with their routine instead of giving up. Here are some ways to include friends to mix up your workout routine and stick out your fitness goals.

Challenge yourself by working out with a friend who is a gym pro

Do you have a friend or colleague who is a fitness fanatic? They are the runner who can go for miles without breaking a sweat, or who knows which machines at the gym will get your body summer-ready. Call on your friend to kick your workout up a notch with some hints and company. […]

Need Motivation? Add A Plus One to Your WorkoutMaggie Downie2018-02-14T16:20:36-05:00

Ashtanga Yoga: More Like Pilates than I Expected

Slowly perfecting my headstand.

After agreeing to attend an Ashtanga yoga class for the first time, I recieved an email of the movements we’d be doing. When the attachment opened, I started laughing. Half the starting positions looked impossible. I had visions of the teacher helping me into a headstand and walking away as I toppled over taking out the other participants in a domino effect. Sometimes I worry when people presume I’ll be good or like a certain type of movement. I think because I’m good at Pilates people think I’ll be good at yoga, kick-boxing—all of it, but I’m not. When I was younger and was good at field hockey people presumed I’d be good at other sports, but I wasn’t. It requires a lot of practice to get good at anything.

I went into the class with all sorts of preconceived notions and misconceptions. Chanting turns me off because I can’t carry a tune. I’m worried about over-stretching, and I presumed the class would have a lot of over-stretching. I was wrong. The client who told me about the class mentioned that the instructor […]

Ashtanga Yoga: More Like Pilates than I ExpectedMaggie Downie2017-12-29T21:37:10-05:00

Working Out in the Morning is Making Me Fat!

I’m a morning person. Most of my life I would get up early before work to exercise. And it wasn’t a chore. That was my time. I enjoyed it. But as I’ve gotten older my sleep has also become more important to me. So I have a new rule. I won’t get up to exercise if it means I’m setting the alarm before 5:30am. I’ll make an occasional exception.

That means I’m not getting in as many or as long workouts as I used to in the morning. And it’s taken some adjusting. I prefer exercising in the morning. I’ve had to learn to try to fit in exercise in the afternoon. But here’s the thing, I wasn’t feeling good. The workout felt fine (once I get moving I always feel better), but by the middle of the day I was drained.

A friend of mine said, “I think working out in the morning is making me fat.” It may sound laughable, but I related. I was so tired from getting up so early to work out that by midday I found myself snacking on anything I could to stay awake. The snacking was defeating the workout. I have a hard enough […]

Working Out in the Morning is Making Me Fat!Maggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:50-04:00

Time for Exercises

If you read my blog last week you may have noticed that I planned a pilates workout one day and then skipped it. When I skipped the workout in the morning I promised myself that I would make up for it later and fit in an afternoon workout. I don’t know why I continue to promise myself things like that. Ninety percent of the time I don’t follow through.

It is really important to make the time for exercise when it works for you. If I don’t exercise in the morning it is really unlikely that I will do it at another time. By mid afternoon I’m tired. I’m at my peak in the morning, and I have the most energy. It’s just not in my nature to want to work out later in the day when my will power is exhausted.

It’s okay to skip a workout now and again, but planning a workout for when you know you will make the time is essential to staying on track. If I planned to exercise in the afternoon every day and didn’t get up early to exercise, I wouldn’t never move.

Personal Euphoria

Time for ExercisesMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:31:42-04:00

Workout Schedule

If you’re finding it tough to fit in your workouts, maybe you should consider creating a schedule. You can do this for each week, so you know what’s coming. Sometimes planning for a month is a lot to take in. One week at a time is something we can all commit to. Think of making time to work out as important as a meeting you have planned. If you only have twenty minutes one day that is okay. Use that time to walk or do a few stretches.

Here are a few tips to help you stick to your schedule:

• Pick a type of movement you like, even if you wouldn’t normally think of it as exercise.
• Have variety in your workout.
• Schedule it at time that will work for you. If you aren’t an early riser maybe it’s better for you to plan workouts at the end of your day.
• Ask a friend to join you for two or three of your workouts. Working out with groups helps the time go […]

Workout ScheduleMaggie Downie2017-10-25T15:49:55-04:00