*DISCLAIMER*
I am definitely no health expert, I am not a nutritionist, and I am not a professional athlete. I just really enjoy working out and eating clean. What works for me may not work for everyone, and that is OK!
Being an athlete my whole life, I have always been very into fitness and trying to stay healthy. After joining the “NARP” life, I kind of hit the reset button on my fitness journey and had to figure out what would work for me in my new lifestyle. This post is meant to (hopefully) motivate you by going into detail on my typical workouts and what I eat to try and stay as healthy as possible.
MY WORKOUTS
For those of you that know me, I am addicted to spin and you can probably find me at Wheelhouse any given day when I am home in Andover. Indoor cycling has changed the way I view my workouts and has seriously improved my overall quality of life. I cannot wait to end my long distance relationship with spin in less than two weeks (and I may be doing something exciting with it when I move back home; stay tuned!). That being said, living in Ithaca for 4 years with no place to go spinning has forced me to go to the gym and try some new things on my own. I try to workout 6 days a week and usually spend about 60 minutes at the gym! Here’s a look into a typical gym day:
TREADMILL WORKOUT
0:00 – 3:00 walk at 4 MPH
3:00 – 7:00 run at 8.5 MPH
7:00 – 10:00 walk at 4 MPH on an incline
10:00 – 14:00 run at 8.5 MPH
14:00 – 17:00 walk at 4 MPH on an incline
17:00 – 21:00 run at 8.5 MPH
21:00 – 24:00 walk at 4 MPH on an incline
24:00 – 28:00 run at 8.5 MPH
28:00 – 31:00 walk at 4 MPH on an incline
*inclines between 8 and 9*
Following my treadmill workout, I usually hop on a stationary bike for 10 minutes to stay in my ~cycling groove~. After I finish my cardio, I usually pick a couple of different exercises to do in a circuit form. Some of these may include:
- Rowing
- Rope slams
- Stair sprints
- Jump rope
- Box jumps
- Burpees
- Back squats with light weight
- Dips
- Pull-ups
I have also been targeting my arms lately because I have so many events coming up where I need to wear a dress!!! I try to do 10 minutes of body weight/light weight arms everyday. I’ve gotten a lot of my exercises from watching videos on the Love Sweat Fitness Youtube Channel. I always finish my workouts with 5-10 minutes of abs!
FINDING THE MOTIVATION
Let me tell ya, there are plenty of days where I literally drag my ass to go workout. But, I have NEVER regretted a workout. For me, working out can help solve a lot of my daily struggles. Stressed? Angry? Go workout. Hungover? Sweat it out. Easier said than done, I know; it can be very difficult to find the motivation and can be so much easier to keep pushing it off for the next day. Here are some tips that help keep me motivated:
- Treat your workout as “me time”: This is YOUR hour of the day where you have complete control over what you want to do. You have this time to take a break from work, social media, texting, studying, group projects, etc. Take advantage of it!
- Switch up your workouts: Not only is this best for seeing results, it will also help keep you interested and excited about working out. Try a new workout class, watch videos of new exercises, test out different machines. There are so many ways you can continue to switch up your workouts which is so good for your body and mind.
- Write out your workout schedule: Sometimes writing out your plan for the week really helps you stay on track. Also, if you’re like me, it’ll feel weirdly satisfying to cross it off when you finish it.
As great as working out can be for your mental and physical health, ALWAYS listen to your body. If you need rest days, take them! You will benefit more from resting when you are tired rather than pushing yourself too far and hurting your body.
WHAT I EAT
*ANOTHER DISCLAIMER*
I try to eat healthy because it makes me feel. fricken. amazing. It helps with my overall digestion and bloating. Eating well makes ME feel good and you should do whatever makes YOU feel good. If that means eating whatever you want, whenever you want then I hate you do that! ☺
Anyone else feel like summer always sneaks up on you? Like one minute you’re scarfing down Christmas cookies and hiding under 20 layers and the next minute it’s 90 degrees out and time to hit the beach!? I swear this always happens. Anyways, I’ve been trying so so hard to stay on track through all the end of the year festivities. For me, I try to be really good with my eating throughout the week so I can splurge a little more on the weekends. That being said, eating at home and making my own meals has really helped me stay on track (and save money). I’ve definitely been having more frequent cheat days lately, and that’s totally ok! I’m going through a lot of changes and fun times in my life right now and I know everything will get back on track once things slow down. Here’s a look into what I typically buy at the grocery store:
BASICS
- Eggs
- Lettuce (Mixed greens and spinach)
- Olive oil
- Lemons
- Avocado
- Turkey/Chicken
- Bananas
- Apples
- Veggies (Green beans, carrots, asparagus, zucchini, etc.)
SPECIFIC THINGS I’VE BEEN LOVIN’ LATELY
lol who knew washing and cutting your food ASAP will make you more inclined to actually use it!? I always buy a couple containers of fruit, depending on what I am in the mood for! Hopped on this train and so happy I did. This shit is actually GOOD. My absolute favorite sauce. I use it on the cauliflower gnocchi, chickpea pasta, zoodles, etc. I am not a vegetarian but these are so easy and delicious. I like to put some tomatoes and mustard on them. I’m always trying new granolas to snack on. This one legit tastes like Cocoa Krispies, you’re welcome. My fav peanut butter. PB was one of the things that made me realize how important reading labels is. There should be 3-4 ingredients in your peanut butter! My favorite rice cakes, super healthy and crunchy. One of my favorite snacks! Rice cake, PB, banana, and cinnamon.
Just like with taking rest days, it is OK to have a cheat day! You need to give in to your cravings so you don’t go on a crazy binge from resisting for so long. One of my biggest tips is give in to your craving but get right back on track after, don’t just give up because “you’ve already ruined the day or the week” (can you tell I’ve done this before?).
MY WORKOUT ESSENTIALS
Always lookin’ for some healthy recipes and new workouts; please send them my way and share with me if you have any! xo