Workout Schedule & printable

I try to workout just a little bit every day. I'm talking like 5 minutes. Obviously, that's not a lot, but it's do-able and it's better than nothing. And sometimes I just do 10 lunges from my bed to the bathroom before I get Jason in the morning - that's more like 15 seconds of workout. But I'm trying to do just a little more.

I typed up a workout schedule to remember what to do which days.

It's hard to read in this format, but if you want to print it, it should be clear as day. (You could always convert it to a pdf or word format with THIS site too, so you could read it before printing.) I didn't write down how many reps or sets so that you can personalize it to what you want or can handle. And I didn't want it set in stone paper for myself either, that way I can increase reps/sets without having to cross off or erase or reprint.

Basically, I do lunges (10) right away every morning. And every day I do calf raises (2 sets of 20) in the shower (that way I'm not taking more time away from Jason). And then I alternate days for push-ups (10, the girl-kind) and sit-ups/crunches (50). And since my thighs are what really need some toning, I do one extra thing every day to work on them. That varies every day so that hopefully every muscle group in my thigh gets a little attention each week. Some of those aren't obvious as to what they are, so at the bottom I put the website - the one I used to choose those extras - in case you want some explanation or a reminder.

One, however, you won't find on that website, and I don't remember how I came up with it. I'm pretty sure it wasn't my own idea though. I call it 4-square lunges. With your right leg, you do one lunge in front, then one to the side, then one backwards. Then with your left leg, you do one backwards, to the side, and then the front. So it's kind of like you're making a square. Or maybe a circle? Anyway, I do 5 rounds of those.

Philosophy: I love running, but I always come up with an exuse not to do it. I know it'd be good cardio and good leg-toning, but it just doesn't happen. But if I can do something in the house, without equipment, before I shower, I'll do it consistently. And I believe that a lot of times the trick to weight-loss or muscle-toning is to get your body used to exercise, even if it's just a little bit each day. I think it takes our bodies a while before they figure out, "Oh! I'm supposed to be burning fat!" They're just slow at "getting" it. But once they do, you actually start seeing a little progress.

Of course, you gotta eat healthy too. Other than eating well-rounded meals, I avoid soda pop and candy - pure sugar turns into pure fat. I love dessert, though, and have to have something sweet after dinner. I think desserts are a million times better than candy or pop b/c even though they have sugar, it's not concentrated sugar and it usually has other good ingredients that your body knows how to use - eggs, flour, salt, cinnamon, cocoa, fruit, milk, etc. Oh, and if you eat dessert pretty soon after dinner (like 30-45 min), at least two good things happen. 1 - Your metabolism is still working hard and your blood-sugar levels won't spike. And 2 - the saliva in your mouth is still working hard, which means you won't be as prone to cavities. Yay!

I'm no expert, by any stretch of the imagination. Those are just things I've picked up in reading or through talking to my dentist. (He also suggested if you're drinking pop to not sip away at it because that just means the sugar is sitting on your teeth longer, giving it more time to eat away at those pearly whites. I'm sure the same goes for any sweet - don't eat a bite here and there over a period of time. Just eat it!) They're also just things I've philosophized over the years. :) So, you know, grain of salt, k?