18 Minute Ab Workout

Posting videos is new for me and I will admit a little unnerving. This is completely out of my comfort zone but that's the point. I'm always saying that during a workout the magic happens when you are outside of your comfort zone. I'm thinking the same can be said in other areas of our life. Let me know if you give this a try!

Post by Gettin' Fit With Jess.

Adding In Some Extras

While running is my first love, I know that adding in some cross training and other workouts is ideal.  I already do weight training in addition to running but have been looking for some time to add in something else. 

Here are a couple of things I'm excited to try....

PiYo is high intensity, low impact workout which means it is friendly on your knees, ankles and feet.  As a runner, I put a lot of strain on my knees, ankles and feet.  Adding in a workout that doesn't add additional strain will really be a nice complement to running.  It is on it's way to more doorstep right now and I couldn't be more excited!  I'll share more after I've given it a try.

Lap swimming.  Last year about this time I started lap swimming for the first time and loved it!  I let it fall by the wayside when the weather got nice because I wanted to be outdoors.  But I'm looking forward to donning my swim cap and goggles and getting back to it.

Small Steps Lead To Big Changes

I came across this graphic and it really spoke to me.  Often times we get caught up in the happenings of our daily life and we forget about this simple little things.  I'm making an effort to be more aware on a daily basis.  It's the little things!

Speaking of little things...through my fitness journey, I have learned that often time it is the little changes that we make that have the largest impact down the road.  Sometimes it is just adding a serving of vegetables to each meal.  It's not a big deal but it will make you eat less of the other foods that maybe aren't quite as nutrient dense and over time, that all adds up!

Recently I purchased a FitBit.  I have read about them for a long time and always wondered what the big deal was.  I decided to give it a shot.  I was honestly surprised at how little I move throughout the day.  Of course I get a workout in at some point during the day but the rest of the day I don't move much. The FitBit has made me more aware of that. I get up and move a lot more when I see how few steps I haven't taken.  Sometimes that means I walk around the office to talk to coworkers instead of sending an email.  Other times I walk when I have an errant that needs to be done such as going to the bank or post office.

Try to incorporate small changes in your daily life and you may just be surprised at what big changes come as a result!

Welcome

Have you ever been unhappy with where you were at in your life and felt so overwhelmed that you weren't even sure where to begin?

That is where I was up until a few years ago.  I was only unhappy with certain parts of my life.  I had a wonderful boyfriend (now husband) and an awesome son who is my whole world.  My job isn't so bad either.  My health is where I was stuck.

I was overweight....ate junk....felt terrible about how I looked and felt.  A few different times I had started a workout program or started to eat better (or what I felt like was eating better at the time) but honestly it was a lot of work and I didn't want to do it.  Time and time again I fell back into the same old rut. 

I'm still not sure what the turning point was for me but something in me changed.  The specific day is one that I can't pinpoint.  I'm not even sure there was a specific day.  For me it ended up being a bunch of small changes that eventually turned into large changes.  The weight started coming off and I felt confident I could do this. 

I started with the Couch to 5k program.  It was hard.  It sucked.  I wanted to quit.  I signed up for a local 5k so I felt like I had to keep going.  I thought to myself....just get through this darn race and then you can give it up.  So I kept on chugging along.  It was the middle of summer, and while I live in Minnesota, it was hot!  Once in a while I would convince my son to come along with me but he didn't necessarily enjoy it either.  During this time, I also started taking Zumba classes and thought to myself....this working out thing isn't so bad.  A week before the 5k, my son decided he wanted to run the race too. 

The  morning of the race I was a nervous wreck.  My son was too but I put on a brave face and insisted we could do this.  And we did.  We ran the entire 5k and any new runner knows that running the whole thing is kind of a big deal.  We stuck together until the finish line was in sight.  In training, I would tell my son....when you see that finish line, sprint!  And sprint he did!!  I had nothing left in me so I just kept at my same pace.  I finished about 20 seconds behind him. He made sure to let everybody know that he beat his mom!  Proud mom moment for me too!

I didn't give up running after that.  In fact, I am now a pretty avid runner. I can't wait to share more about my almost weekly running adventures as well as sharing healthy eats and other inspiration.

Oh yeah....I have also lost about 65 pounds in the process.

Stay tuned.....you never know what may come next!