Work out for that Wonderwoman feeling
With 3 weeks out of the last 7 being on travel adventure of one form or another, my usual fitness routine has been a mix of eclectic alternatives.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.
Central to my fitness dream is to have an exercise and eating lifestyle that WORKS no matter what kind of wild and woolly adventure I’m on.
So that I can have heaps of fun, eat freely, without any of the ravages of OCD (that’s obsessive compulsive dieting, in the event you don’t know) from the old days.
Happy to say it all went splendidly this time as well. Starting with our Oaxaca trekking followed closely by scuba adventure in the Dutch Antilles, I returned right in the weight range per usual. Eating foods I enjoy, and staying active, yes.
But without the structured workouts.
Or fretting about every morsel on my plate.
I enjoy theses forays from the usual workout routine for many reasons.
1) It gives a great mental break
2) It gives the body a chance to regroup.
3) When I return, I’m refreshed and motivated to get back to that good feeling that comes from a workout well done.
You know, where the muscles have been worked to the max and you feel like Superwoman?
Sure, I was plenty active on our travels. Mostly walking, hiking, and schlepping scuba tanks. For now, I”ll keep up the walking and re-up on targeting muscle work and overall conditioning.
Targeted muscle work cinches in the muscles and gives you the girdle effect from nose to knees. I love the feeling.
My Summer Super-Shaper Plan
First, I swear on a stack of legwarmers (I hear they’re back in) that I can get all the “workout” I need to stay in primo shape in under four hours a week.
Not including my walk time, which is more like an amble to the lake. That’s just fun time. Daily.
Plus, I like to keep it simple. Like this:
Workout Plan:
2x/week: T-Tapp Total Workout variations
2x/week: Bar Method – for the dancer and leg woman in me – under an hour each, including extended stretching, which is one reason I like it so much PLUS I have made it a goal to specifically include more stretching so 2 mints in one.
2x/week: extra strength training – for upper body coupled with a splash of high intensity interval training
Dietary Plan:
Easy. Mountains of veggies and fruits with whole grains and breads, nuts and seeds, with room for red wine and chocolate to sweeten the deal.
Mini-fasts: intermittent mini-fasting (IMF) is less doable for me on the road; usually I can manage 1 day every couple of weeks or so. I miss the many joys of IMF and starting back in with my 2x -a -week schedule for now. Eat Stop Eat is my favorite and recommended approach to this.
Results of my exercise and dietary plan?
Been home with this plan in place for a week and did a quick meaure this morning. Notes: down a shave in hips and stomach and feeling tightened up again already.
What’s YOUR summer shape-up plan?
Take a stand and tell about it in comments below!
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© Lani Muelrath, M.A. All Rights Reserved
Hi Lani,
Is it better to do high intensity workouts most days of the week or is it okay to double them up? For example, following your example and suggestions, I have started doing cardio intervals and I have gotten back into resistence training. I have been doing my intervals and my weights on the same days and then on the alternate days I have been just taking a leisurely walk. However, is it better for my body if I break it up and, for example, I do weights on Mon/Wed/Fri and cardio intervals on Tues/Thurs/Sat? (I typically do PBS and OIP/HF daily as well as BWO+ on Sundays.) I got to thinking that it would do me more good to have high intensity each day so that my metabolism is staying reved up but I am not sure if this thinking is correct.
Thanks in advance for the advice.
Katherine
Hi Katherine,
High intensity every day would dip into how high your intensity can be AND it would dip into your recovery time, which is important for muscle growth and repair.
I like to tag the intervals right onto weights or another workout for a couple of reasons:
1) already warmed up
2) allows for better rest on “between” days
The schedule you have in place sounds great. Remember it is the recovery from your intense periods that is also part of the metabolic rate profile.
Lani
Hi Lani-
Loved reading the ezine today!
Your travel adventures sound GREAT- but what I loved even more was the relaxed and savvy way you continued to integrate your regime while on the road.
Reading your tips really drove home the realization that healthy living is all about just that: LIVING!
We should make healthy and smart choices every day-under all circumstances- and we should also always strive for balance and enjoyment- which is much easier said than done in this crazy ol’ world.
Thanks for sharing your insights and wisdom with us!
Your Friend and Fan-
Carrie
Hi Carrie,
Ooh, what delicious commentary and thanks so much. No wonder we get along so well! 🙂
Signups are already coming in for your guest appearance on my TeleSeminar series this summer. And it’s still a month away!
Lani