1,500 Minute Challenge - Day 8

Somehow as finals creep up on me again for this summer semester, I have worked out for 403 minutes and 50 seconds. Don't take those 50 seconds away from me--I earned them! Eight days into my 30 day challenge and I'm +3 minutes and 50 seconds to meeting my nearly ridiculous goal of 1,500 total workout minutes. If this were golf, I'd have an eagle. I'm an eagle!

Source

I have done a great variety of routines and I'm feeling pretty smug because some have felt "easy." What I realize has actually happened is that my baseline fitness level is higher than it's ever been in my life. Cheerleader me at 17 years old has been surpassed and that feels really good. That cardio workout below felt like the proverbial walk in the park.

Bodyweight Cardio Calorie Blaster

Of course, I'm no where near feeling like a HIIT routine is anywhere near easy. I doubt it could actually be called high intensity interval training if it were anything but, well, high intensity.

I did this routine again and I'm not at double butt kickers yet. I'm still on four beats, but I feel myself getting stronger and I have much better stamina.

Barre Workout

If you're looking for something lower intensity, I liked the barre routine above. Tiny ballet pulses really burn during round two, as did the flutter kicks. Barre workouts seemed to explode last year--at least in New York--but I haven't heard much about them lately. Well, you can try a year old trend for free thanks to Fitness Blender.

1,500 Minute Challenge - Day 3

I've worked out for 176 minutes and 50 seconds over the past 3 days and I'm feeling good! Getting it done first thing in the morning works best for me. The weather in Brooklyn has been incredible, so I see more running in my future too.

I've tried two new workouts: a lengthy, full body routine by in-your-face trainer Jillian Michaels and a much-needed hip opening yoga class. When that woman has her knees practically flat on the ground in butterfly, mine are a good six inches hovering above the floor. I'll be returning to this one often.

I recommend both of these routines, probably best for a weekend morning when you have more time.

Jillian Michaels: No More Trouble Zones

Ekhart Yoga: 45 Minute Hip Opening Class

1,500 Minute Exercise Challenge Take Two

At the start of the month, I set out to exercise for 1,500 minutes. Then, reality struck. I had to press pause and focus on work and grad school. Fortunately, I'm over a big hump with a truly gargantuan amount of work, so I'm trying again.

The summer semester isn't over, neither is my teaching school year. Still, I'm ready to try again. Falling off completely made me feel pre-Whole 30 sluggish and added to my stress. I hope getting back to regular exercise even in the midst of more moderately busy schedule will help with that.

I worked out for 57 minutes today--cardio and yoga. It felt great to focus that time on my body. I'm thankful my body is fully functional and capable of so much more than I'm doing now.

1,443 minutes to go.

Hitting Pause

The 1,500 minute challenge just isn't happening. I have to admit, it was just to ambitious while working and taking two classes. Instead of feeling motivated to get that number, I started to feel guilty about falling behind. That's not the objective here.

I'm going to let myself off the hook until the school year ends and start again at the end of this month. Just writing that makes me feel better.

Now I'm off to write about teacher observation skills, do this workout for the first time, and head to brunch with family.

137 Minutes Short

Ouch. Week one of my 1,500 Minute Exercise Challenge is in the books and I'm looking at a deficit. To meet the goal, I have to hit an average of 50 minutes per day, or 350 per week. There were two days this week when I put up goose eggs for getting in any kind of movement. The end of the academic year has only been ramping up, so I'll need to take some serious action to close this gap.

The moral here: Don't Give Up! I'm still aiming for the 1,500 minute mark. I'm just going to have to get more crafty.

Yoga with Adriene

There were many positives this week on the exercise front. I got in a total of 213 minutes and 57 seconds. That included a 3.61 mile run, this awesome arms super set that I'll be adding to my rotation, one HIIT routine, and three short yoga routines.

I subscribed to a new YouTube Channel: Yoga with Adriene. While I have only done two of her workouts so far, I really liked them and she has a ton! So, to make up for the missed minutes in week one, I'm going to prioritize yoga everyday. I'm also going to take advantage of this beautiful spring weekend in Brooklyn and walk a lot. I'll be easy on myself because I'm doing the best I can. Sometimes that's easier said than done.

1,500 Minute Exercise Challenge

So, it turns out I really like challenges. Different folks are motivated by different factors. I've found mine.

Unlike the Whole 30, this competition is just against myself. In the next 30 days, I'm looking to exercise for 1,500 total minutes. There are no strict rules. Any deliberate movement counts as exercise. I'll continue my love affair with Fitness Blender and start running more regularly. While I won't count a walk to the subway or a trip up a flight of stairs, I will count a thoughtful decision to go on a walk after dinner or playing a sport with friends.*

This works out to 50 minutes of exercise a day. That's a lot! I'm also in grad school twice a week, so on those nights I'll likely only get in about a 20 minute routine, if anything. I'm going to have to get creative.

Think about joining me. Your goal doesn't need to be the same as mine for this month. Perhaps you want to shoot for 500 minutes or something that feels like a challenge for you. I'll keep track of my progress here a few times a week. Come back and see how I'm accumulating minutes.


*I guess I should start playing a sport of some kind. Anyone?