Upping the Routine

Even though I could tell it wasn’t something she was thrilled to do, my buddy sacrificed part of her lunch break to walk a mile with me yesterday. After the second lap (you need to do 7.5 to get a mile) you could tell she wasn’t loving it, but she totally stuck with it. She gets mad props for that! In fact, she inspired my workout last night. I really do need to include more non-DDR cardio work in my routine, so I busted out Crunch gym’s Burn & Firm Pilates. I wouldn’t really classify this workout as pilates, but whatever. This isn’t a workout I normally find myself reaching for, because workouts involving lots of squats and lunges and mamboing with weights aren’t what I call fun. The fact that I can play DDR for 20 minutes before I begin to sweat, and this workout has me overheating after the warm up shows that I really should make it a regular part of my routine.

“After a brief warm-up, Barrett gets your heart rate going with “four limb movements,” which emphasize balance, control and core strength for optimal fat-burning. Then, she moves on to a series of traditional Pilates mat work. Both parts of the program require 1- to 3-pound dumbbells for a more intensive workout and better body positioning.”

The weights are a great addition, actually. I don’t think I would have been quite as sweaty without them. I’d prefer this to have more mat work at the end, but I can always throw on some Pick Your Spot sessions when I eventually get better at this. I’m feeling it today, but not in a bad way. Just in that good “you were working out, weren’t you?” way.

As a side note, I’m continually pleased with how supportive my partner is with my exercise / health initiative. He always knows the best way to encourage me, never lets me get away with whining when I’m being a big baby about stuff, but also makes sure I don’t overdo things. I’ve been getting all sorts of compliments lately for my return to (proper) meal planning and many thanks for cooking all this delicious, healthy food. He’s even gotten on the floor to do pilates ab mat work with me when I’ve invited him to give it a try. He’s also pretty darn good at making me feel beautiful, special, and all around amazing. Support is awesome!