Exercise is said to relieve stress. But it's just feeling like another thing to add to the to-do list this week. Photos / Supplied
Our challengers are well and truly on the home stretch, reaching Week 8 of The Kayla Movement Bikini Body Guide challenge.
While Tina faces the added battle of trying to exercise while on a family holiday, Tessa announces her official conversion to life as a fitness freak. Don't worry, she's still up for the odd trip to McDonald's.
Last week, I took one thing off my to-do list completely: strength training.
This past week was a whirlwind of people visiting and leaving, of juggling work and afterwork commitments, on top of the daily grind of chores such as figuring out what to do for dinner and when to do a load of laundry. These are the same things anyone else has to deal with on a daily or weekly basis. I'm not any more busy than anyone else. I just couldn't juggle it as well as I could most other weeks. It was just one of those weeks...
I tried to fit in a couple of cardio sessions during the week. When it came around to 8 or 9pm at night, I faced the decision to either fit in a strength workout or get sleep. I chose sleep. Sure, I could have worked out, but then I wouldn't be able to get any quality sort of sleep. I'd be buzzed up until 11 or midnight, then wake up five hours later for the early shift.
This weekend, as I packed for a weekend away with family, I had a 30-second stare down with my running shoes. Do I bring them, or not? Working out is more fun in new and beautiful surroundings. But I decided to cut myself a break and leave them behind. I wanted to enjoy the company of my family without the stress of fitting another workout in.
Surely my family would have understood if I needed to take a little time out to work out. I've exercised at my in-laws home; my family knows I like to stay active. But I wanted to cut myself some slack.
I feel a little guilty for not keeping up with BBG at Week 7. What I can take away from this is an opportunity to reverse-engineer the week and see what the pitfalls were, so that they can be avoided in the future. Perhaps prioritising BBG and saying "no" to whatever event or task can wait would have helped.
Where does that leave me this week? I'm going to start Week 8 in the Sweat app. I looked through the new exercises this morning and there's nothing there that I haven't done. I mean, I've done the exercises, but not well. But that's OK. After a week without some strength training, I feel mentally ready to do it, and hopefully my body does too. It's not like my body has done anything super strenuous the last few days.
I don't feel bad about my lack of pushups last week. I'll pick it up this week. Onwards and upwards.
I know I keep on going on about it, but how awesome does it feel to be fit? Don't get me wrong, I still get puffed walking up Victoria St from the bus stop to work, is that normal?
However, the feeling of being fit, stronger, less bloated, having better posture and less tension is something that makes me understand the addictive nature of fitness. If you told me I would be addicted to fitness eight weeks ago, I would have laughed in your face.
Addicted to Chicken McCheese combos? Yes. Addicted to getting a manicure every fortnight? Yes. Addicted to making sure there's no little red app notifications on my iPhone? Yes. But exercise? Surely not.
Alas, I am. I'll admit it. Despite being ridiculously tired at the end of the work day or incredibly hungover on a Sunday - I actually get that little urge, that internal tug, to go to the gym. Some may laugh and say one workout a day is not nearly enough to be classified as an addiction.
I'm guessing you're the one's going twice a day, seven days a week, and your "cheat day" consists of treating yourself to cheese on your salad. Well, let me just tell you that getting myself to the gym four times a week and only having one McDonalds combo classifies as a fitness addiction for me - but each to their own.
Regarding Week 7 workouts, I have two main points:
1. I don't mind planks. A lot people hate these, but after being made to hold one for eight minutes during rowing training, one minute is bearable.
2. Tuck jumps are the most ridiculous exercise to EVER do at the gym. Why? Because you look like you are half way between having a fit and being a One Direction fangirl as you repeat your uncoordinated action 15 times.
I also find, just as I'm building up confidence and feeling like I'm tuck jumping right, I jump tuck too hard and nearly knee myself in the face. This is embarrassing - don't even try it at home.
Despite being a week behind Tina in my workouts, I am feeling okay and happy to be back on the bandwagon. However, looking at Week 8's guide... I'm starting to feel tired already.
- nzherald.co.nz
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