yoga – Page 2 – Jenna Jamieson, Author

To workout or not? …WORKOUT!

By Jenna Jamieson | March 15, 2014 | Comments 2 comments

Do you ever have one of those days where you aren’t sure whether you want to workout or not? Of course you do, because we all do at one point or another. The point when you say to yourself, do I really want to workout today or should I take the night off. It’s one of life’s burning questions! Well, maybe not exactly one of life’s burning questions for all of us, but you know what I mean! 🙂 You get off work at 4:30, the kids have soccer practice at 6:30, and you aren’t sure whether you have time to fit in a workout, shower, and get the kids fed before practice. Trust me, time management will allow you to do it and you will thank yourself later! Skipping workouts is one of the worst things you can do for yourself because it takes you out of your routine. Even if you can’t do your regular 30-45 minutes of cardio, strength training, or yoga, go ahead and fit in a small workout whether it be a walk or 30 minutes of stretching and at home exercises (i.e. jumping jacks, lunges, squats, push-ups, etc). Maintaining a routine will help encourage you to stay on track, reach your fitness goals, and make you feel healthier and happier (aka less stress)!

The question at hand: Should you workout today? Answer: See the infographic to the left! There aren’t too many reasons that will get you out of the workout, so if you are looking for an excuse you will need to look elsewhere! There are too many benefits of working out! If you are considering skipping a workout this infographic will reaffirm to you why you SHOULD get up off your butt and go workout!

It’s March, which means it is time for 5k runs, outside workouts, yard work, walking on trails, swimming, etc so no excuses! Go WORKOUT! Why? Because you will thank me later (and yourself too)! Plus, your physical and mental health will be happier as well!

~jj

Find your “happy workout” :)

By Jenna Jamieson | March 9, 2014 | Comments 2 comments

What is a “happy workout”? A “happy workout” is finding a routine or exercise that you are tremendously passionate about and love so that you can enjoy your workout and what it has to offer you! One important thing to remember about being consistent with your workouts is making sure you have a workout routine or exercise that you look forward to rather than dread. The key to being consistent is trying different workout routines and exercises and finding one you feel comfortable with, works the part of the body you want to improve, and makes you look forward to working out. For example, you might consider zumba classes, cross training classes, walking, running, swimming, yoga, etc. Once you find an exercise or routine that you enjoy, stick with it. Don’t feel like you need to change it, especially if you are considering changing to a routine or exercise you don’t like to do. You are far more likely to give up or not follow through if you don’t like your workout, leaving you frustrated and stressed.

If you become bored with your workout and no longer look forward to it, you know it is time to change it and find something new to keep you going. You don’t have to keep the same workout every day or every week, but I do suggest that you find a workout routine or exercise that makes you look forward to it. This will encourage you to workout each day and increase your chances of seeing success. It may be a workout routine that lasts 2 years or it may be a workout routine that lasts 2 months, but either way it is to your advantage to not only find something you love, but something you love with a passion. It can be something as simple as jumping rope, a routine you do with an app on your smartphone, a YouTube video, or a routine of pictures you found online. No matter what it is, if you enjoy it and find it to be something that helps you relieve stress and break a sweat, then you have found “your” workout. A workout that you have a passion for and look forward to doing sometime during your day.

So, get EXERCISING, have fun, and make sure you LOVE it! If you don’t love it, then ditch it and find something new (such as some of the options above)!

~jj