A New Exercise Routine

They say boredom is the number one slayer of exercise routines, and we’re exhorted to try new types of exercising to keep our big brains happy and motivated. So that’s what we’ll be sharing this week, what types of new workouts have we tried, and what were the positive and negative aspects of trying something new.

In my late 20s I had a job that kept me on my feet for most of the 8 hours, and as a result I was slim and fit. After deciding to make use of my G.I. Bill resources and go back to school, I found myself sitting in classrooms for the better part of the day. It didn’t take long for my waistline to get larger and for me to feel sluggish and sad. I needed some type of exercise I could fit into my schedule and my brother recommended Beach Body Workout – an exercise at home regime designed by Tony Horton (before the P90X business turned him tres-ripped).

What are the positives of sweating at home? Well, no one was there to see me wobble back into shape, and the whole routine lasted less than an hour so was perfect for my busy day. It had been awhile since I’d had to follow along to someone else’s instructions, and there were many amusing moments of ‘Wait, you want me to do what with my leg?’ or ‘You suck, Tony!’.

And for the negatives of a home workout? High-impact & repetitive movements with an awkward angle thrown in are murder on my knees, worse than running it turns out. Then there’s the boredom factor. Yes, there are moves to be learned but once I had them down, my enthusiasm started to wane. And I didn’t see results in my stamina or shape, which was demoralizing, big time.

Sorry big brother, but it was our sister who saved my large ass when she introduced running into my day, and things started to look up. Tony got shelved and my knees gave thanks for that…

[Img.Src: Workout DVDs montage]