After living with the shelter in place order for several weeks, I noticed I was falling back into old undesirable patterns of stress management. I have gained weight and noticed I was doing a lot more “comfort” eating. I wasn’t doing a great job of consistently working out before all of this, but my patterns were taking me further away from the healthy full life style I wanted for myself.
Last week I decided it must stop and I chose to do the following workout every single day. It’s simple and effective. It requires nothing except me and an approximately 6×3 patch of floor.
My Daily Exercise Routine
- 10 x Jumping Jacks
- 10 x Squats
- 5 x Push-Ups
- 10 x (each leg) Mountain Climbers
- 10 x Plank Jump Ins
- 10 x (each leg) high knees
- 10 x Seated Leg Pull-Ins
- 10 x (each side) Cross Crunches
- 10 x Leg Lifts
- 2 minute rest
- 3 sets (each time through the list is one set)
If you can’t do every rep that’s okay. Push yourself to the point you can’t do anymore of that exercise and then move onto the next exercise. Each rotation is a set and your heart rate is going to be way up while you’re pushing through each set and then you’ll want to do some breathing exercises in the rest period to bring your heart rate down. This is high intensity interval training.
After I go through this, I take a hot shower. This helps my muscles stay loose and keeps the heart rate up for an extended period of time. It also feels like a nice reward for pushing myself.
If you find 3 sets is easy, then start adding sets. Each set takes just about 3 minutes, so adding in a set or two does not make it a lot longer. If you’re in great shape you may want to go up to 7 sets. My goal for 2020 is to be able to do 5 sets by the end of the year.
If you’re really on it, you can cut down your rest period to 1 minute or add in a weighted vest to increase the resistance without changing the routine.
I’m sure there are other approaches that work great for folks. This is what I need to eliminate all the excuses. The only reason I have to not do it is that it’s not a priority, because all I need is a piece of floor where I can fit to do the push-ups. I can find that anywhere.
I do this because the person I see myself as is healthy, fit, and sees the value in the freedom of choice this discipline enables. I feel more energized, more confident, happier, and more capable of maintaining my health even in the face of a pandemic.
If you’re struggling to figure out how to get motivated to do this, here’s some ideas:
- Do it because I’m expecting you to do it.
- Do it because You expect yourself to do it.
- Do it because “They” know you won’t do it.
- Do it because You want to do it.
- Do it because it’s part of your identity.
You can rest tomorrow, today we work.
Stay Safe and Healthy Friends,
~Zach