Last updated on May 5th, 2024 at 02:23 pm
In the last two years, I have been on a mission to better my health and fitness. As a parent, our lives are busy with routines and schedules and it’s hard to get those workouts in. When the kids were small it was about finding the time for my workouts and learning how to eat healthier along the way. I wanted my kids to know what a healthy lifestyle looked like and live one themselves.
Last year, I focused on the eating healthier aspect to my mission. I learned how to limit the bad food that I ate but still live life fully when we ate out for celebrations. Recently, I started tracking the sugar that I consumed too which helped so much. I started paying attention to the sugar in the kid’s food and snacks too. Whilst I thought I was providing them with healthy meals and snacks, I wasn’t at all. Now, I am more aware what has hidden sugars in it for the kids as much as for myself.
This year, it’s now time to focus on my workouts and change the way I exercise for good. I want to get more out of my exercise than just losing a few pounds. Since having kids my goals have changed drastically in my workouts too. I have challenged myself with 5 healthy changes to my workouts to maximize my health and fitness program.
5 HEALTHY CHANGES TO MY WORKOUTS
1. ADDING VARIETY to my workouts:
My old workouts when I had the time had no variety. I used to jump on the elliptical/cross trainer machine and do it for 45-60 minutes depending on how much time I had. That was it. I thought I was getting cardio in and I didn’t know how to use any other machines in my gym. We have recently join David Lloyd Gym and right away I was assigned a personal trainer to help me tailor a workout as well as educate me on how to work all the machines in the gym. I used to hate working out because doing the same thing was boring, day after day. Now, I love going to the gym because each day it provides something new and different for me. Each day I have a variety of options I can choose depending on how I feel and what I want to accomplish. I can do a variety of workouts that have been tailored to me by a trainer and I know how to switch it up and use a variety of machines and weights too. If I get bored of doing one, I can switch it up with another. I have really noticed my body shape changing for the better because I am not doing the same old workouts every week.
I also never knew how much weight lifting can benefit me. With my PT which is included in my membership, I have guidance along the way. It’s one of the biggest benefits of joining a gym that provides so many different services. Weight lifting has also made me feel more energetic not just look leaner. I put this down to also having a variety of weight lifting options at my disposal to work different parts of my body.
2. CUT ROUTINES out of my workouts:
This goes along with variety but most importantly I am challenging myself not to get stuck into one routine. By this I mean, doing the same class over and over or doing the same machine over and over. I used to be one of those that finds a good workout class like pilates, yoga or zumba and sticking to only that, religiously. Then I stop going because I get bored. I have been going to Zumba twice a week for a year now and slowly starting not wanting to go. While it’s great exercise and I did love it, I wasn’t giving my body the variety it needs. I am loving the various classes that David Lloyd provides and actually surprised how many there are scheduled each and everyday. I love they have a class schedule app so I can quickly see when I have time to hit the gym and choose a class to do or my PT workout that was tailor made for me.
I am really pushing myself to try every class at least once. I refuse to fall into my comfort zones of my past and stick with just one class. I have experienced BodyPump which pushed my muscles to their limit and used muscles I probably have never used before. I have attend pilates, yoga and zumba, all giving me energy that my body needs and stretching and caring for those muscles I have been testing. Even more recently, I braved a spinning class. Something I never thought I would do and survive to tell the tale. I love that I have no routine set at all. Most importantly, my body shape is loving this new variety of workouts and toning. I have never felt more energetic and fit ever. The best part is my kids love the creche and DL kids activities too. I have the opportunity to work out more now and know they are having fun and benefiting from it too.
3. INVITING FRIENDS to workout with me:
I have always worked out harder and longer when I have worked out with friends. It never occurred to me to ask friends to come workout with me or take a class with me. Normally, I have made friends in a class or bumped into someone I recognized from another part of my life. Lately, I have realized I have friends that attend my gym more than I thought and we have got together to workout in the gym and take a few classes together. It’s been great hanging out with friends and working out at the same time something I don’t get to do often with two young kids. I feel like I push myself further and set my goals higher being motivated by friends. One of the best things you can do is team up with a friend to workout with and help keep each other on track. Most likely you will push him/her when they don’t feel up to the challenge or vice versa.
4. ENJOYING my workouts more:
I will freely admit I hated working out. I used to get bored of what I was doing. I wasn’t seeing results that I wanted to see. I felt a little lost with it all to be honest as I am sure everyone does at times in their workout life. I have learned how to get the most out of what I am actually doing instead of doing it because I had to. I have learned which workouts make me feel really happy and ones that are challenging but that I still am proud of accomplishing.
5. #MUMMETIME: I have never looked at working out as me time but essentially that’s exactly what it is. Now that I have a 3 and 4 year old on my hands, #MumMeTime has never been more precious. I say that in the most loving way because I love my two kiddos more than anything in the world. Me time, allows me to recharge my batteries in more than one way so that I can be the best parent I want to be. Whether this is when they are with Daddy in the pool at our gym and I am working out or taking a class or they are in creche while I take an hour to workout and enjoy some adult time. I am really impressed with how much an entire family can do at David Lloyd because it has all the facilities to have me time and family time. Soon my kids will be able to participate in so many DL kids activities too.
I can’t tell you how much of a difference it make to my health and fitness just making these changes in my workouts and setting goals that are attainable for myself. With all the activities for both adults and kids at David Lloyd I know I will be able to meet all my goals this year and so much more. It’s a place we improve our health and fitness but also make family memories at too.
* We have been given a six month membership to David Lloyd Gym to achieve our health and fitness goals as a family this year and share our experiences with all of you. I know I will be a member long after my six months is over. It’s more than just a gym it’s a family lifestyle facility. You can read more about it at this link here.
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