Spring into a Morning Workout!

 As of late I have received some interesting, smack bang in the face, punch to the gut, eye opening news on all things health related. (I'm fine! Promise!) But having gone from a few years of taking very good care of myself to going cold turkey on exercise and fitness my body pretty much is in shock. I mean, who was I kidding? There was a time I had mini muscles, abs and could actually walk up a stairs without losing my breath and I'll be honest, I loved the feeling that I was strong and in my own way awesome!

However, I'm a small person anyway and being that bit leaner and toned would lead to lots of nasty comments, and the odd "I'm really concerned about your health" talk from people who didn't have a clue what they were talking about. Fed up with feeling bad about my dedication to health and fitness I quit. I literally stopped dead in my tracks. Fast forward a year and while I luckily haven't pilled on the pounds I have noticed HUGE changes in my physical health. I am more susceptible to colds and flus, my sleeping patterns are terrible, and I'm generally unhappy.

 So, armed with that, and lots of reading that I have been doing on my current prognosis I decided it was high time to take matters into my own hands and say ‘Feck the naysayers – let’s do this!!’.  That has what has led me to writing this post, how on earth do I get started again, with proper focus and results? I could re-join the dance classes that I adored but my confidence has taken more than enough sucker punches than it could handle (for now), or I could try something totally different that another friend of mine teaches. But both of those options boil down to the million dollar question, or rather,  the lack of millions of dollars to spend on classes that combined with my crazy schedule it would be hard to commit to.

So I really have one other option, squeeze in workouts at home and motivate myself. It all starts with me, and ends with free. Wahey this I can do! So from here on out I solemnly swear to wake up that bit earlier (thankfully Mr Sun which has been acting as my personal alarm clock of late already has this covered) and make a few simple promises to myself;

1. Make sleep a priority: wind down properly in the evening, so I have zero excuses to ‘need a lie in’

2. Set One Alarm…: I’m offender number 1 when it comes to multiple alarms in the morning to get the ‘ahh  I have another half hour of snuggliness..’ NO MORE SNOOZING!!

3. Mix it Up: I have a tonne of different workout DVD’s from Yoga to Dance to everything in between, so even if it is lashing rain I have no excuse to get some sort exercise in. When its dry and bright I have got to get out into the fresh air and walk my tush off!

4. Preparation is Key:  Like all good things, you have got to plan – it’s as simple as laying out my workout gear the night before so I’m not wasting precious time in the morning, have some fruit cut in the fridge and that’s my quick morning snack in place – no excuses!

5. Be Realistic: Ok I’m not going to climb Everest in the first week, nor am I going to be some sort of Jane Fonda Fitness Queen after week one, perfection takes time, and a touch of realism. Cheat days are key, maybe Wednesday Hump Days and Friday Fun Days can be my lie in days? Who knows, but At least I don’t expect myself to be up at the crack of dawn every day!

Now here comes the fun part Luxers… who wants to try this with me? We could challenge each other, encourage each other and share tips? Let me know what you think and how you get on!

Mwah

xo