current workout routine

i get asked quite often what i do for exercise, and the answer is actually very simple. no, its not ‘oh, i just chase my toddler around, and magically i maintain my weight!’ not even close [i wish, though]. but i’m also not someone who’s really into sweating, making a workout a hassle, or to be honest, killing it in a gym. nope, i know where i feel best mentally and physically, and the base of that is walking. sounds simple, and it truly is.

pics by the extremely talented maria lloyd. peep her site — she can capture anyone and anything!

i started using walking as a form of exercise somewhere in the year after i had graduated college, and it actually led me to losing ~40-50 lbs, depending on where i’m at in my life when i tell this story [as we speak, i still haven’t lost all the baby weight, but at this point, i think i’m becoming ok with it … but that’s a post for another day!] walking is manageable, and i’ve got to the point where i can get my heart rate up and create resistance. if i’m traveling, i’ll usually always walk outside. i enjoy getting to know new cities, and there is no better way than walking the streets. my target speed outside is usually walking anywhere between a 12:30-13:50 minute mile, depending on the terrain. if i am walking on my treadmill, i’ll do one of the following workouts:

1. 30 minutes of incline 4, speed 4.4
2. 30 minutes, alternating every 5 minutes of: incline 8, speed 4 // incline 4, speed 4.3

i credit walking with keeping comfortable during my pregnancy, too. once i got over the initial first trimester zombie period, i walked 5-7 days a week up until the day i went in to be induced. i backed off on speed and incline, but it still helped to be active and keep my joints loose. although, if you ask joey, he says that motion is the reason logan had to be rocked to sleep for the first eight months of her life, ha! well worth it.

i walk not only for the physical benefits, though, but also the mental benefits. i get up before any of my family and get my walk in while the morning is still quiet, and it kicks off my morning routine. it’s my form of meditation, and it sets up my day to be successful.

in addition to walking, i also do a series of pushups every day [i TRY to do 4 sets of 25, but i usually forget to do about 50 of them, let’s be real], and sometimes i’ll do some lunges or squats, but strength training right now is mostly picking up a kid that immediately wants to be put down, and then picked up again. high reps, low weights! i also do some at home workouts, including most recently some les mills dance workouts my coworker turned me on to. i look like a total fool, but i feel like a dallas cowboys cheerleader, y’all.

what’s next for my fitness routine? getting back into yoga/group classes. my bestie [a #momboss and total babe] teaches a k i l l e r [a do-able killer] class over at yogafit, and i need to get there more consistently. if you are in the area, check out a class taught by kj or courtney — you won’t regret it!

as always, thanks for taking the time to stop by!