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Year-long workout challenge spreadsheet

How to Get Your Butt to the Gym Consistently – Join a Year-Long Fitness Challenge

written by Parita 9 Comments

The truth of the matter is I’m no longer waking up at 4:30 am to squeeze in my workouts.  With Kaiden waking up every 2-3 hours EVERY night for the past few months, I decided to prioritize sleep over exercise.  This is not to say I’ve stopped working out altogether.  Even though I don’t love evening workouts, I found a way to get to the gym (or do Barre3 Online!) a few times a week after Kaiden went down for the night…errr…few hours.  I’m also choosing to walk to work on the days I go into the office instead of taking an Uber or the train.  Unless the temperature is in the teens, you’ll find me making that 1.2 mile commute by foot.

Now here’s the thing, my workout standards are A LOT lower than they used to be.  Lately, I’ve been reading old MIS posts, and even though I didn’t feel this way back then, I’m amazed by how dedicated to exercise I used to be.  Again, this isn’t to say that I don’t love it anymore or that I’m not motivated, but time/sleep/sickness all play a much bigger role in my life than they used to.  And sometimes exercise falls to the bottom of the priority list.

So what are my standards now?  Well, for one, workouts max out at 30-35.  And two, my goal is to fit in 3 maybe 4 workouts a week.  I try to make each one count, but sometimes, the goal is to solely move in whatever way feels good and makes sense.

Other things I know a lot of people, mamas or not, struggle with when it comes to exercise are time, guilt, motivation, etc. Been there, done that with all of those plus some…

…insert the brilliant idea to host a year-long fitness challenge!

Now, I can’t take credit for the idea at all.  All the credit goes to our friends Kartik and Rathna.  Back in October, Rathna sent an email to a bunch of people and asked if anyone was interested in joining a year-long fitness challenge group.  Of course, I immediately replied with an enthusiastic yes!  This is exactly what I needed to get my butt to the gym consistently.

Year-long workout challenge spreadsheet

Our group’s challenge works in the following way (taken from Rathna’s original email)…

Challenge – Workout 12 times a month (even if you do multiple workouts a day, you only get credit for one) for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Results – If you hit the 12 workouts (or more), great!  If you don’t, you owe $10 to each person in the group who did.

What’s a workout? – Moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. This can include a run, weight training, a fitness class, yoga, outdoor activities such as hiking/biking/walking.  It has to be a solid workout for at least 30 minutes.

How is it tracked? – Via a Google spreadsheet where everyone inputs their workouts using the honor system.

Fun fact #1 – If I recall correctly, I’ve already made $40 by being a part of this challenge!  Ha!

Fun fact #2 – I read Rathna’s initial email so quickly (in true Parita fashion) that I missed the whole part about this being a year-long challenge.  I thought it was only for the month of October.  It took someone commenting on me doing this as a new mom for me to pull up the email again and read it again…carefully.  Ha!

If you need a little extra motivation to workout, I highly recommend starting a challenge like this one.  The idea of losing $$$ only because I didn’t work out kills me, so I don’t let it happen.  Also, I like being the newish mom in the group who gets her 12 (usually more!) workouts every month!

Your turn – have you taken part in a fitness challenge like this?  Would it be enough to keep you motivated?

Written on March 15, 2018 Related:Fitness, Uncategorized, Workout

FREE At Home Fitness Resources

written by Parita 6 Comments

I’m tired.
It’s too cold outside.
I feel lazy.
I’ll do it tomorrow.
I’m busy.

Excuses.  And if I’m being honest, all ones that I’ve used before and sometimes still do.

Motivating yourself to exercise when you really don’t want to is the entire battle!  For me, having a handful (or more!) of workouts in my back pocket ready to go when I need them is absolutely key.  And being able to do them in the comfort of my own home immediately negates most of the excuses I come up with, especially during the holidays!

I was putting together a list of all my favorite free at home fitness resources the other day to take with me to Atlanta (we’re heading home on Saturday!). Vishnu’s parents have a big semi-empty basement that’s perfect for at home workouts.  I figured if I have a bunch of options to choose from, I’ll be more likely to move my butt.

And because I can’t keep a list this good from all of you, I thought I would share!

Happy sweating! 🙂

Free At Home Fitness Resources

Jessica Smith TV

POPSUGAR Fitness

  • 30-Minute Full-Body Workout to Burn Calories

FitnessBlender

  • Refresh, Relax, and Restore: Stretching, Pilates, Yoga Workout for Tight Muscles
  • 39 minute at home barre workout
  • 37 minute at home cardio workout

BeFIT

  • Jillian Michaels – No More Trouble Zones
  • Jillian Michaels – Boost Fat Blast Metabolism

The MIS Pinterest fitness board

Not free but an affordable option – Barre3 Online!

What are some of your favorite fitness resources?

Written on December 23, 2015 Related:Fitness, Health, Uncategorized, Workout

Age is Just a Number

written by Parita 9 Comments

How many times have you said that you feel old, are getting old, are too old for something, etc.?Well, I’m about to [hopefully] change your perspective on things a little.  And I’ll admit, I’m one of those I’m too old for this, that or the other types, but after my experience at the gym this morning, I’ll be thinking twice before even uttering the word old.

im old

So, I headed to the gym this morning to complete a 3-3.5 mile run/walk workout on the treadmill.  My desire to run this morning was not very high, but I dragged myself out of bed regardless.  When I got to the gym, I picked a treadmill that was smack dab in the middle of the televisions, as I wanted to be able to watch several channels at once (low motivation, people!).  About 10 minutes into my run, a familiar looking 80 something year old man gets on the treadmill to my left, and a few minutes later, a 40 something year old woman gets on the treadmill to his left.  It was obvious that they’ve known one another for a long time.

As I was run/walking my way through my workout, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop overhear their conversation.  The woman was talking about the 10k she’s training for, how she usually runs three miles every morning, and how training is different now that she’s older.  She then asked the older gentleman about his running experiences (this is when the conversation caught my attention).  He then proceeded to tell her about the FIVE marathons he ran between the ages of…are you ready for this??…66 and 72!!!  Yes, you read that right!  I couldn’t believe my ears, and I couldn’t stop stealing glances his way.  Here I was huffing and puffing my way through mile number two while this man ran five freakin’ marathons.  And here’s the real kicker, he still gets up between 5:30 and 6:00 every morning, goes to the gym, and walks 3-4 miles.  He was familiar looking because he’s at the gym every morning!

After catching me looking at him one too many times, he engaged me in the conversation.  I asked him how he did/does it.  I also wanted to know how he stays motivated and finds the energy.  He laughed a little at my questions and told me it was quite simple really…

…cook at home as much as possible,

…avoid fast food as much as possible,

…take one step, then take another,

…don’t let self-doubt get in the way, you really can do whatever you put your mind to,

…never forget that health is true wealth,

…and always remember, age is just a number!

age

And with those words of inspiration, I completed 4 miles this morning.

Are you an “I’m too old for this” kind of person like me? 

Written on March 9, 2012 Related:Inspirational, Running

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