5 New Workout Tips

I am happy to say that I am finally a treadmill owner :)  Trey bought one for me (us) on Valentine's Day- I thought that was a great gift!  So, I have finally gotten motivated to really start getting in shape (especially now that I am playing volleyball on the weekends and have another league starting up soon too)  This time around I have figured out a few new tricks to keep me going and make working out more fun and effective.  Hope they help some of you too.

1. Find something that you like:

I don't like just weight training, or just running, or classes, etc, I finally figured out that if I interval train with a mix of walking on incline, lunging on a slow speed, jogging, running, sprinting, and mixing in weights between intervals I am constantly challenging my body and not getting bored. 

2.  Mix it up:

This is pretty much just what I explained...I get bored so easily, so I change paces and motions constantly.

3. Entertain Yourself

I CANNOT run without music or a TV show to watch.  It is a MUST.  Don't even try to workout unless you've got a really good mix on your iPod- it will make ALL the difference!

4. Hydrate

Water Water Water...but not so much before and during that you have to pee every 5 minutes of exercise...drags it out so much longer than it needs to be.  I always drink a big glass right after working out and then fill it up again and take my time to finish it.  Do any of you have a favorite water bottle to use while running?  I am in the market for one...these Camelbaks look pretty easy to use while running.

5. Decrease Negative Side Effects 

(skin breakouts and weight gain)

Anytime I start playing a sport or start working out again my skin does not like me.  I breakout so easily, so this time I was determined to clean my skin really really well and RIGHT after workouts.  I've been using these Dickinson's Towlette's and then the Neutrogena Rapid Clear Pads after that and its kept my skin from breaking out. 

I also notice that when I start working out/playing sports again I gain some weight rather than take it off (which is ok since I feel better overall) However, since I didn't lose as much weight nursing this time around I don't have as much wiggle room and have limited my late night eating (I eat no later than 8pm usually)  That seems to do the trick for me. 

So I hope that these new little changes will help you achieve better overall health as some of you start a new workout routine this year as they have made a difference for me!