Yes, today is the dreaded day that I talk about exercise!
We all know we gotta do it but it seems that its always on the bottom of our lists. It needs to be on top of the list!! Get away from that old feeling that you are taking time away from your family to have selfish time for yourself! So not true!! What is the best gift you can give to your family??
A Healthy You, of course!!
Exercise helps us to live longer, be healthier and be more pleasant to be around:)) So by exercising you are giving to your family! I could do the whole spill about you deserve this time to yourself but you are not eating bon bons, this is your life and your families life!!
Ok, I am now off my soapbox and will not lecture but just remember I am also lecturing myself. I don't have all the answers but I do know what I need to do to be healthier and I am backed up by any doctor I have ever met.
But you already know this, so our problem is making time for exercise. Everyone is different and so everyone's exercise regime will be different so you must discover what works for you and your family. If it is a major battle, switch it up, change it around and find a way to make it blend! You do that with all your other responsibilities and desires and I know you can do that with your exercise plan:)
We all have the same amount of time each and every day. I understand hectic schedules, remember I raised three very active children (last two were 11 years apart) and my hubby and I both worked shift work with some shifts extended (yeah that happens in Law Enforcement) and we still had a very busy social life.
My point is don't let that "I don't have time to exercise" defeat you. Been there and done that!! Another reason I was carrying around 30 extra pounds.
I will share my exercise plan and how I have blended it into my life. I am not an expert on fitness, no degrees, no training and no medical expertise. I merely sharing what has worked for me and what hasn't.
My sweetie took on the responsibility of our training program. I call it just plain exercise, to him its "Training", he never skimps on responsibilities, he does everything to the max right down to the smallest detail. No cutting corners for him and thank goodness for that! He called resources into play (factors are different for us at this stage of our lives, harder to put on muscle after 50) and has tweaked our training program into what works for us!
Our Training Schedule
Mondays-Cardio
Tuesdays-Chest/Triceps
Wednesdays-Cardio
Thursdays-Back/Biceps
Fridays-Cardio
Saturdays-Shoulders/Abs
Sundays- Rest
I always start any goal with a written plan. Since exercise needs to be tweaked and shaken up ever so often, we used white boards to jot down our schedule and to keep up with weights and repetitions for each exercise. This way we are able to continually update to get the most out of our time.
Everyone has exercise equipment gathering dust, so pull it out and organize an area for your workout. We are lucky enough to have an extra room to assemble our training equipment but a corner of a room will work! The patio will work! And of course you could buy a gym membership if that works for you.
If you only buy one item, you should start with dumbbells. We have acquired dumbbells ranging for 3 lbs to 50 lbs over the years and they are not gathering dust. Don't let that "old wives tale" scare you, you will not look like Arnold if you start a weight training program.
Advantages of Weight Training
1. You will be physically stronger
2. You will lose body fat
3. Decrease risk of osteoporosis
4. Reduce the risk of injury, back injury, and arthritis
5. Reduce the risk of diabetics
6. Will improve your attitude and fight depression
7. Will gain strength without bulk (women have 10-30 times less of the hormone that causes hypertrophy than men so you will acquire muscle tone and definition not bulk)
The point is it's not just being vain to take time out for your exercise. Your overall health is greatly improved with weight training and cardio. So organize an area to work out and do it daily.
I will be going into more detail on the actual exercises that I do daily and will explain how I am able to have a rigorous cardio program with two burned out knees (yes, those babies are 50+). So stay turned each Tuesday and I will be sharing my training program step by step.
And remember to check with your doctor before beginning any program:))
Next week: Cardio
And if you missed of this series, How I Lost 20 lbs in 3 months
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