Exercise Quantified
Last year when I found myself "adulting" by my lonesome in a new city it was clear that I had to build some habits. Habits and a daily routine enable you to take control of your future and ultimately better yourself. Even with my average work week taking up 50 hours of my time, I had more free time than I knew what to do with. I began reading regularly and managed to read over 36 books in the span of a year: a new personal best. Vegetarianism became my M.O. bettering my overall health yet diet change was only a piece of this health puzzle. I also began a normal workout routine.
My workouts were not ground breaking. Youtube and Google were my personal trainers and I never did abide by a leg/arm/cardio day rotation (though I did rotate routines). I did a little bit of this and that for 45 minutes 5 times a week and it worked fine. Workouts began with stretching, then cardio on the treadmill or elliptical for 10-15 minutes and later lifting weights or doing the usual push up/curls/dips body exercises. A blended protein shake would top off the routine. Though initially I felt dumb stepping into my apartment's fitness center, I quickly made it a habit. Early morning workouts were something I looked forward to and I enjoyed seeing my body become more sculpted and lean. What I really loved most was how much better my mood would be throughout the day. In August 2015 I began Go-Go dancing weeknights which also helped keep me in shape.
It is my desire to keep this habit up indefinitely but I no longer have convenient access to a gym. Once my life settles down after my new job begins I will look into a gym membership but in the meantime I have a make shift alternative. I recently purchased a Garmin Vivoactive smart watch to help keep track of my health. Obviously technology alone won't better your overall health but it does present incentives. These incentives come in the form of data. Something about going for a run, seeing a map of your route and getting a breakdown of your stats is addictive. The Vivoactive features GPS to track runs but it also can record daily activity (steps, calories, etc.) and is water proof so I could even record swimming stats! It is a robust smartwatch that hopefully will encourage me to reach new PB's and continue to stay active. I purchased a separate heart rate monitor as well that pairs with the watch and will provide even more insight into my workouts.
Currently the watch is shipping in the mail but I can't wait to use it while I exercise around my parent's place on the trails nearby. My overall health is highly important to me and I hope to continually better myself both physically and mentally.
My workouts were not ground breaking. Youtube and Google were my personal trainers and I never did abide by a leg/arm/cardio day rotation (though I did rotate routines). I did a little bit of this and that for 45 minutes 5 times a week and it worked fine. Workouts began with stretching, then cardio on the treadmill or elliptical for 10-15 minutes and later lifting weights or doing the usual push up/curls/dips body exercises. A blended protein shake would top off the routine. Though initially I felt dumb stepping into my apartment's fitness center, I quickly made it a habit. Early morning workouts were something I looked forward to and I enjoyed seeing my body become more sculpted and lean. What I really loved most was how much better my mood would be throughout the day. In August 2015 I began Go-Go dancing weeknights which also helped keep me in shape.
Currently the watch is shipping in the mail but I can't wait to use it while I exercise around my parent's place on the trails nearby. My overall health is highly important to me and I hope to continually better myself both physically and mentally.
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