Maybe you read my post on Peloton and you felt like none of the things I said on there spoke to you. I am writing this post because I feel very strongly that some type of exercise is extremely important for our physical and mental health. I am obviously not alone in this belief and hopefully, if you are reading this today, you agree as well. There is no one size fits all in fitness but below are some other tips for those of us trying to exercise whenever we can in whatever way possible.
If you can get to a gym and that is what you like doing, then stick with that. If you are an outdoor runner/hiker, or play sports, then keep doing that. My posts on exercise are for people, like me, who don’t have time to get to a gym and/or don’t like the outdoor options, especially during winter months. Or maybe you don’t like gyms or working out around other people.
The two best options I found online are YouTube and Beachbody.
If you don’t want to spend any money at all, YouTube is great. I really got into doing YouTube videos while pregnant, since I didn’t really know where else to look for pregnant workouts without spending a lot of money. My favorite channel while pregnant was BodyFit by Amy and she also had great videos for after pregnancy and regular workouts. Once I felt like I was ready for more intense exercise, I started following HASfit for HIIT and Tabata routines. There are tons of exercise channels on YouTube, all you have to do is search for what you like! There are options with and without equipment, any length, and you can even do it on your phone.
I also used YouTube for yoga. Peloton has yoga as well, so I have not been using it for this anymore but the channel I looked at most frequently was SarahBethYoga. She has an amazing 10 minute bedtime yoga for stress and anxiety that was incredibly successful in helping me fall asleep. I highly recommend checking her channel out since she has lots of really good options.
Beachbody is another online resource for working out. You may have heard of P90X but I never liked those work outs. I found Tony Horton, the guy that teaches the videos, to be annoying and I also didn’t like that you needed a lot of equipment.
My first experience with Beachbody that I enjoyed was Insanity by Shaun T. The name really appealed to me and made me feel like I was getting a great workout with no equipment. I was able to get the program for free but even if you buy it, it is not a lot of money (like a Peloton) and it only requires a one time investment. I did it in 2011 for the first time but went back to it over the years. The last time I did it I got pregnant towards the end of it with my first child and it was such a good feeling to start my pregnancy in great shape!
Below is the full set. This is an affiliate link and if you buy through it, you help me out! There are some cheaper versions but it seems like the quality is not as good and I think it is worth investing in it if you are going to use it more than once.
You may have heard about Beachbody coaches and joining their website. I never did that and was quite annoyed by the people that flooded my FaceBook page with their promotions but I do know that this method works well for a lot of people. I ended up purchasing 21 Day Fix, which is also a Beachbody product and did that right before my daughter turned 1. I had not worn a real bikini since before she was born and I wanted to feel confident while doing so. Until then, I kept wearing what I called my mom bathing suit, which was essentially a tankini but flowy with a bikini bottom. I got really good results and felt comfortable going back to my regular bikinis.
21 day Fix worked really well for me because it combines diet and exercise. Most research around weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight shows that the mainstay of losing weight is what you eat. Exercise is fantastic for many reasons but exercise alone is not how you lose weight or maintain it. I liked this program because it allowed me to do both things. I am a sucker for routines and planning, so this program spoke to me. You can get little color-coded containers that you use for different food groups and you are only allowed to eat a certain amount each day based on what your calorie goals are. Then, there is an assigned 30 minute work out that required minimal equipment. I’ve also done this program several times with or without the food planning. Below is an affiliate link for it (containers can be bought separately).
These are only a few of the many options that are found at no cost or very low cost. Even within Beachbody there are many other programs I have not mentioned. You can also subscribe to their website, instead of purchasing DVDs. I hope I was able to inspire you to never give up the dream of working out! The more times per week, the better.
Comment on the blog post or message me here or on any of my social media pages if you are interested in a post with my 21 Day Fix menu.
As Shaun T would say, get ready to “dig deeper”!