Body-Weight Blast Workout

Hello, hello! I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend are well on your way to a great week. I've had my coffee fix, so I know it's going to be a good day :)

I spent the weekend on Hatteras Island with my parents and celebrated my dad's birthday (which is actually tomorrow) and made him a Boston Creme Pie (cake?) for dessert. Happy Birthday Daddy!!! Though I never look forward to the driving part, it was nice to be spoiled by my parents and to spend time with my friend, Mary Beth. I miss them all so much! The weather this weekend was less than glorious (as was most of February), but I'm so excited that spring will soon be here.

And speaking of spring... it's already March!! Time to get my butt in gear and get ready for summer! Time to get back to a more plant-based diet and more consistent workouts. I'm ready and I'm excited.

With that in mind, here's a super fun workout inspired by the Insanity classes that I've been taking at 02 Fitness. Jana is the instructor and she rocks! She is so motivational and inspiring. Even though I feel like I'm going to die in the middle of her class, I leave feeling so refreshed and alive.

As always, please listen to your body and take breaks when you need them. Modify the intensity as needed and be sure to hydrate! If you have questions about any of the exercises I've listed, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below :)

Cheers to a healthy and happy week! 
I'll be back on Wednesday with a fun diy beauty project.

Back to the Grind + This Week's Workouts

Hi, friends. It's Thursday! I hope all of you are having a great week.

I'm in recovery mode from all holiday festivities. We had Christmas with my parents last weekend and we have just now rid the house of all junk food. I'm pretty sure that there's some homemade cookie dough in the freezer, but I'm going to let that stay hidden. And I'm going to convince myself that it's not in there...

I thought I'd share this week's workouts with all of you. My gym offers so many fitness classes, but I had never taken advantage of them until last week. Group fitness used to by myfavoritething, hello I taught group fitness for a living, but I had not seen the inside of a group fitness studio since moving to Wilmington in August. Like I said, last week everything changed.

I took my first Spin Class! It was actually a Les Mills class, RPM. It was also my first Les Mills class, as these classes were not offered in my small town. I had a blast! My legs were burning and the climbs felt oh so good.

I also took my first Zumba class at my gym. Oh how I have missed it! It was with a new instructor (she has been teaching for three years, but it was her first class at my gym) and she rocked it! Great instructors really do make all the difference, but I had almost forgotten how much I love Zumba and how great of a workout it is. I had all sorts of muscle soreness from using muscles I forgot I even had.


And on to this week's workouts...

Monday- Rest day

Tuesday- Spin Class

Wednesday- Body Pump

Thursday- Spin Class

Friday- 30 minutes easy cycle + circuit workout

Saturday- Rest day

Sunday- Zumba


How are you getting your sweat on this week?

New Year, Stronger You {Workout}

Hi friends and Happy New Year! I can hardly believe that another year has already come and gone. It seems like we were just ringing in 2014. So crazy!

If your goal is to become healthier or more fit for 2015, I'm right there with you. I'm committing to exercising 4-5 times each week and I'm really going to be more conscious of what I'm eating. I hope I can get more of a handle of the whole intuitive eating thing instead of the dreaded 'd' word, dieting.

There's no better way to start the new year off right than with a great sweat session. Hopefully today won't be your first, but if it is, I won't tell :)

May this new year bring a stronger and healthier you!

Happy sweating, friends :)

December Plank Challenge

I hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far :) It's my second day back at work after the Thanksgiving holiday and though it feels good to be back in a routine, I'm missing time with friends and family and not really having a schedule or deadlines.

But, I do have a lot to look forward to. It's December after all and that means Christmas! Christmas is my favorite holiday and it's such a magical time of the year. Decorations make me happy and the Christmas playlist on Pandora is making me even happier. We haven't decorated our apartment yet, but I'll be getting around to that soon :)

I thought it would be fun to add a fitness challenge to my normal workout routine and thought a December Plank Challenge might be fun. We use our core everyday, with every movement, so it's important to build core strength.

#decemberplankchallenge

Feel free to adjust the length of time based on your personal fitness level. Start with a manageable length of time and add 30-second increments each week to really challenge yourself.

Plank everyday for maximum core strengthening :)


See ya Friday with a fun holiday DIY gift idea for the ladies in your life!

Turkey Day Workout!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! I have a lot to be thankful for, especially for all of you!! I hope this day finds you in good company, surrounded by lots of friends, family, and good food :) 

We arrived at my parents around 11 pm last night and enjoyed sleeping in this morning. My mom made breakfast and we watched some of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (as we do every year), and she’s been cooking all day long for our feast. Thankfully, I only had pie and sweet potato duty :)

In the event you get a little too carried away with the food, I’ve got you covered with a quick workout that’s sure to make you burn off some of those holiday calories. Give it a try, even if it’s just to justify another slice o’ pie!

Here's what to do: Set your timer to 50 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. Perform up to 3 rounds for an awesome workout.

A few reminders: listen to your body and take breaks as needed, stay hydrated, and always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.

Have a wonderful day :) 

Lunge Attack Workout

Hello, friends! I hope all of you are enjoying your week so far. It's been a crazy few days back at work for me and I'm wishing it was Saturday already. Why are weekends so short??

When I have a lot going on, it's easy to not find the time to exercise. But the funny thing is, all I really need is exercise in those moments. A quick sweat session is all I really need to clear my mind and get me feeling sane again.

This quick Lunge Attack workout will do just that. It consists of just five exercises with either 15 or 20 reps of each exercise, repeated three times through. I guarantee your body and mind will thank you and I'm hoping your legs will feel the burn. Mine did :) Hurts so good!

Remember to listen to your body, stay hydrated, and always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.

Enjoy, friends! And you will definitely want to stop by on Friday. I have a delicious recipe to get your weekend started right :)

Make Your Legs Cry (Full-Body HIIT Workout)

Hello, hello. It's Monday again! Hope you all had a lovely weekend.

It's really feeling like fall again and I couldn't be happier. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and if everything goes as planned, I'll be making a trip home to see my family, get my hair cut by my favorite stylist, and even run the Turkey Trot 5K. I'm so excited. Fall is my favorite season for sure.

Please don't let the title of this post scare you. It's really not that bad :)

I've said it before... HIIT workouts rock. I love how quick and efficient they can be. So much better than an hour of steady-state cardio and I always feel so accomplished and proud afterwards. This 9 minute 35 second workout works your entire body, but will really target your legs. Get ready for the burn! Repeat the set 3x for a killer workout.

p.s. If you don't know what the 1, 2, 3 Push-up is, here ya go.

*As always, please honor your body and take breaks as needed. Start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down.

This week's workouts look a little like this:

• Monday: "Make Your Legs Cry" workout + 1-mile run (fast)
• Tuesday: 3-Mile run
• Wednesday: HIIT workout + 30-minutes cycling
• Thursday: Rest day
• Friday: 4-mile run
• Saturday: "Make Your Legs Cry" workout + 1-mile run (fast)
• Sunday: Rest day

What workouts are you planning this week?
Make it a great week :)

Monday HIIT Day Workout

Hola! Hope you all are having a fabulous day and had a wonderful weekend. I'm blogging live at Starbucks. 

Gotta have a little passion tea in my life... that and I'm bumming their Internet! Ha! It's funny to me that the second Halloween is over, Starbucks whips out the Holiday drinks. They don't waste any time, but it will be a while before I'm ordering the Peppermint Mocha or any of its other holiday-drink counterparts. 

The kitty is getting spayed today. Poor thing. She doesn't even know it's coming. We're really hoping she might calm down a bit after her surgery. Don't let her fool you; she's never this calm. 

I've been in a little bit of a workout rut lately. I had been concentrating more on running than anything else, training for an imaginary 10K really. Though I sometimes truly enjoy running, I'm not the fastest runner and I need to work on lowering my heart rate before I can work on speed. It was getting frustrating, so I decided to switch things up and do what I love: HIIT training. 

I find HIIT training to be a lot of fun. I love the quick bursts of energy and the fact that even if you hate a specific exercise, it will be over in 30 seconds. Anyone can do anything for 30 seconds.

So if you're in a workout rut like I was, get your HIIT on and try this workout. Each set will take 9 minutes and 35 seconds. Complete the set 3 times for a quick, but effective full-body workout. You can do it!

*Please remember to honor your body and take breaks as needed. Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Happy exercising :)

"Run, Lift, Run" Workout

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend. 

I'm still enjoying mine, but will be back to work tomorrow. I was so lucky to get to spend some time with my parents and friends last weekend (and very lucky that Dad sent me home with tons of fish), but I do enjoy getting to spend time in my wonderful new city. We're already getting into a weekend routine... Sundays at Java Dog and walks downtown and brunch on Mondays at Salt Works II. It's glorious!

Interval training doesn't have to be very difficult with tricky moves and fancy equipment. It doesn't have to be intimidating and require a special timer. Sometimes simple is better and this workout is just that! 

This workout consists of intervals of running and weight training. There are three intervals of each. The running consists of a mile and the weight training consists of bicep curls, overhead tricep extensions, and wide bicep curls. Choose a challenging weight to get a good burn, but don't go so heavy that your form is compromised. Sub walking or jogging for the running if you would like, but try to challenge yourself. If you're just getting back into running (like me!) or if you're just starting to run, try to run each mile faster than the last. Splitting the 3 miles into 1-mile segments makes the running much more do-able and allows you to focus on your speed rather than the distance. If 1-mile is a bit much for you, go for a half-mile. 

*Remember to listen to and honor your body. Take breaks as needed, stay hydrated, and always start with a warm-up and cool-down. 

Happy exercising, friends!

And have a lovely week :)

This week's workouts

Hello, hello and happy Friday. I'm so glad that the weekend is here. After work tomorrow, I'm hitting the road to go visit my parents. I'm looking forward to a home cooked meal (let's just face it, I haven't been doing much cooking), big bear hugs from my parents, and I'm excited to see my friend Mary Beth. She's so dear to me.

This week has been a crazy one. I'm adjusting fairly well to my new job, but there's a lot to learn and seeing my calendar fill up fast is sort of freaking me out. At least they're all fun obligations. Just breathe :)

Anyway... I've made it a priority to work out this week, but I've switched my schedule around a little to accommodate other priorities.

Workouts

Sunday- rest day

Monday- ran 4 miles, med/hard

Tuesday- 30 minutes of cycling, hard

Wednesday- ran 3 miles, easy.

I also did 5 rounds/10 reps. (50 total reps. each) of the following: crunches, sit-ups, and push-ups.

Thursday- rest day! (Read: laundry day)

Friday- ran 4 miles, med/hard

Saturday- tabata blast!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!! Hope it feels like fall wherever you are :)

30-Minute Gym Interval Workout

Hello, hello. It's Friday!!! I'm having a wonderful Friday so far and I hope you are too. I got a jump start on the weekend, as yesterday was my last day of working at New Balance. I start my new job on Tuesday and I'm so excited... more on that later!

Anyway, the fall bug has officially "bit" me. I've been in baking mode and I'm craving indoor workouts. It may have something to do with the lower temperatures and the abundance of rain we've been showered with all week...

Aka, the perfect opportunity to curl up with a cup of coffee and my kindle.

And speaking of indoor workouts, here's a gym-inspired interval workout, which can be done at the gym, outdoors, or at home. It only takes 30-minutes and it's sure to make you sweat! If you're not a fan of running, just walk the 5-minute treadmill intervals. The goal is to get your body moving :)

*Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Remember to listen to your body, rehydrate, and modify each exercise as needed.

Here's a glimpse of this week's workouts:

Sunday- rest day & stretch

Monday- 2 mile run at the park

Tuesday- HIIT workout and 30 minutes on the stationary bike

Wednesday- 3 mile run on the treadmill

Thursday- rest day & stretch

Friday- I plan on a killer HIIT workout and some time on the stationary bike

Saturday- I plan on running 3 miles on the treadmill

Hope you all have an amazing weekend. 
I'll be back on Monday with a yummy recipe for you :)

Triple Threat Workout!

Hello, friends! I'm writing from Panera Bread. Why is their soup so good???

I have a quick, but killer workout to share with you today. But first, I had to share this photo of Arthur. 

She went for her 16-week shots today and she was not a happy camper! She's usually crazy and all over the place, but she actually acted like a good little kitty today. Don't worry, as soon as we got home she was back to her normal monster kitty self!! 

So back to this workout... It's a butt kicker, but you'll love it! It consists of three exercises, performed for one minute each, for four rounds. I understand that not everyone will have a basketball court to work with, so choose any starting/stopping point for running suicides. 

*Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Remember to listen to your body, rehydrate, and modify each exercise as needed.

Hope you all have an amazing weekend :)

If you try the workout, let me know how it goes!!

Tabata Wednesday

Hi, friends. I hope you are all having a wonderful week :)

Our park workouts have become quite the regular thing. I think the extra dose of Vitamin D is doing awesome things as well. There’s something nice about moving to a new city, doing bear crawls and Russian kicks at the park, and not knowing any of the people that stare as they walk by! The fitness instructor in me almost wants to make a sign that says “feel free to join us”.

I have a fun tabata workout to share with you today. Ok, so you might not feel like you’re having fun while you’re doing it, but this workout will leave you feeling fresh and revitalized. This triple tabata is super quick and effective- just 12 minutes long. Finish this cardio quickie with a walk around your neighborhood or in my case, the park.

If you don’t already know how a tabata works, it’s really simple. Each exercise is performed for 20 seconds as hard as you can go, followed by a 10 second break. This 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest cycle is repeated for a total of four minutes.

The first tabata (squats and jump squats) will look like this:

10 seconds rest

20 seconds squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds jump squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds jump squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds jump squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds squats

10 seconds rest

20 seconds jump squats

Take a break between tabatas or even within the tabata if you need to. They’re meant to be tough, so get your game face on! It’s only for 20 seconds at a time; you can do anything for 20 seconds :) If any of the exercises are too tough or if you feel like you can’t go on any longer, feel free to swap out the exercises for something else... jumping jacks, regular lunges, butt kicks, skaters, etc. Anything that gets your heart rate going is great.

Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Remember to listen to your body, rehydrate, and modify each exercise as needed.

If you try this workout, let me know how it goes in the comment box below. Have a wonderful day!!

Countdown Workout!

Hello, hello. I hope you all had a wonderful Labor day. Hopefully it wasn’t spent working!! 

It’s been so hot here; I’m really looking forward to fall weather! Even with the heat, I’m still trying to spend time outdoors and get in workouts. Babe and I have been going to the park for HIIT workouts and walks after work.  I love having a workout partner—I always push myself harder when there’s someone watching me :)

I came up with a super sweaty countdown workout that we did last week. It was rough, but in the best way!

Countdown workouts are simple. Perform 10 repetitions of each exercise. Then perform 9 repetitions of each exercise, then 8, 7… all the way to 1 rep! By the time you are finished you will have completed 55 reps of each exercise. Most of these exercises are pretty basic and familiar. The burpees are full burpees with a push-up. The butterfly sit-up is similar to a basic sit-up, but the bottoms of your feet are together and your legs are open to the sides (like the butterfly position we used to sit in in PE class as kids). When you come up to complete the sit-up, try to reach past your toes.

Take as many breaks as you need to, but try to move quickly from one exercise to the next. Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Remember to listen to your body, rehydrate, and modify each exercise as needed.

And play some tunes to get you moving. I can't get this one out of my head!!!

If you try the workout, let me know how it goes in the comment section below. Hope you have a wonderful week :)

10, 20, 10 Workout (15 Minute Total Body Blast)

Hello, hello. Happy weekend!!! 

It's been a while since I've shared a workout on here. This 10, 20, 10 Workout is quick (around 15 minutes) and doesn't require any equipment! BUT, don't let that fool you... it totally kicked my but! If you do the workout as written, you will have completed 50 burpees, 100 squats, and 50 lunges. Your legs will be crying for mercy in the best way possible :)

Give this workout a try today. Remember to honor your body and take breaks as needed.

Oh and maybe take a bath afterwards...

to relax those muscles.

And catch up on your guilty pleasure...

mine being Devious Maids.

What's your guilty TV pleasure??

Manic Monday Workout

I hope you all had an awesome weekend! The weather was absolutely gorgeous on Saturday --it totally felt like spring-- but by Sunday morning, the temperature dropped and the wind returned with a vengeance. Fingers crossed for a road free of ocean overwash!

Anyway, it's Monday. My mind is already racing with a revolving to-do list! Is it the weekend yet??? Take some time for yourself today and let out some steam. Your body will thank you, I promise.

*As always, consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program and always listen to your body.

Here's to a great week!

Medicine Ball Circuit Workout

Hello, friends. I hope everyone is having a great week! The next few days will be very busy for me-- lots going on with work and life outside of work! When I'm pressed for time, quick efficient workouts save the day. It's so important to move and get your sweat on every day, even when you're tired and your schedule is full. A quick workout might just leave you feeling energized and refreshed-- ready to tackle the rest of your day. 

The workout I'm sharing today utilizes a medicine ball, but dumbbells can be substituted if you don't have one. 

Tips, Tricks, and Explanations

Trunk Swings- Hold the medicine ball at chest height out in front of you. Rotate your torso to one side (keeping hips centered) while your arms are extended out. Rotate back to center. Stand up straight and keep your core engaged!

Wood Chops- With the medicine ball in your hands above one shoulder, step out to the opposite side while swinging your arms down across your body in a chopping motion. Step back and return to your starting position. Keep your core engaged and your back flat!

Squat Toss- Squat down as if you are sitting in a low chair, keeping your core tight, your back flat, and making sure that your knees don’t extend past your toes. As you squat down, toss the medicine ball up into the air, catch it, and repeat the exercise.

Ball Swings- This is like a kettlebell swing. Hinge from your hips with the medicine ball in your hands. While keeping your back flat, drive your hips forward to propel the ball up to shoulder height. Keep your core engaged!

Medicine Ball Push-Ups- Start with your left hand on the floor and your right hand on the medicine ball. Perform a push-up. Shift the ball so that it is now under your left hand and your right hand is on the floor. Perform your second push-up. Continue the process until you have completed all of your repetitions.

Single-Leg Butt Lift- Lying on your back, place one foot in the medicine ball and extend your other foot straight out. Raise your hips to the ceiling, placing your weight on the foot that is resting on the medicine ball.

Rock and Press- This is a basic sit-up with a medicine ball press. As you perform a sit-up with the medicine ball at your chest, press the ball toward the ceiling as you come up. 

Let me know if you try this and of course, ask away if you have any questions. 

Hope you enjoy the rest of the week!

Booty Burner!

I fell of the wagon and I hit the ground hard! It's embarrassing to admit when you fail, but oh my goodness, I have failed! I've packed on double-digit pounds and my diet has slowly turned into a wreck since starting my job seven months ago. I'm not going to list a bunch of excuses and I'm not going to sit around and feel sorry for myself. Instead, I'm going to get with the program and get back to where I was last summer. It may take time and it probably won't always be fun, but I know I'll feel much better and that's what matters. 

I'm starting today with purpose and motivation. I know that I can get back on course (after all, this is a blog about my life and trying to stay on course) and I can't wait to share my journey with all of you.

If you're looking for some inspiration, here's a workout that will be sure to get your booty burning :)

Do you ever backslide when it comes to your diet or exercise? What helps you get back on track with your healthy lifestyle?

Quick Ab Burner

Thank goodness it's Friday! Before we get the weekend started, I thought I'd pop in with a quick Ab Burner for you guys. These are really basic exercises that don't require any equipment and they don't bother injured feet (the foot is still hurting)! Hooray!

Repeat the set up to three times throughout your day for optimal ab burn :)

Along with my regular work schedule today, I'm going to sit in on a Pilates class at a local YMCA to see if it's something I might want to learn to teach. I'm excited!

Any Pilates lovers out there? If so, what do you like about Pilates?

The Office Workout

Has everyone had a good week so far? It's almost Friday :)

It's been a good week so far. I had to pick up a shift at work on Saturday, so I was lucky to have Tuesday off. Babe and I were lucky to have a chance to spend the day together. It's tough when you don't have the same days off as your significant other. Anyway... we went to one of our new favorite coffee shops in the northern part of the Outer Banks and I saw a magnet for sale that really spoke to me (apologies for the blurry phone pic).

On another note, it's been too long since I've posted a workout on here!

This one is actually inspired by the limited-mobility older adult students that I work with. They're such troopers and even though they have difficulty getting around, they still show up and give it their all!

This quick workout can be done during breaks while at the office-- while seated in your chair! I know that you all have a few free moments in your workday (I know I have a few) so in the spirit of the new year, take advantage of these moments and get in some strength training. You will return to work feeling energized and ready to tackle that to-do list!

For this quick workout, all you need is a pair of dumbbells.

I haven't really talked bout it on the blog, but I've been having to keep exercise really low key lately (for weeks actually), as I've injured my foot. The doc instructed me to stay off of it, as it could take 2-6 weeks to heal. I've been going crazy not being able to do the intense cardio that I love, but thankfully, I've been able to do a few exercises that don't bother my foot. I never quite realized how important exercise is for my mental health-- until now, when I can't exercise!


Do you physically need to exercise?

Exercise really seems to lift my spirits, helps me sleep better, and makes me feel great about myself. Toning the booty never hurt, either ;)