Using Changing Routines to Re-Energize Your Workouts

I can't believe that summer is over and the kids are back in school! What the heck happened. For me, the days flew by in record speed.
It was a summer of small trips with family and entertaining guests too. How did I keep with my exercise program...? Let me tell you how I did it, and how I modified it when necessary.

On my June trip to Palm Springs, it was seasonally cool so I was able to fit in a 4 mile jog one morning and tennis on the other mornings, or evenings as the case may be. What I call "fun fitness".

In San Diego I was able to do one morning jog, while my boys slept in, and on the other day I walked and rented bikes for the boys and I to explore Coronado Island (see photo).

Then there was the Goat Herder hike up Refugio Mountain with a group of friends. This has proven to be a great workout that I have repeated several times throughout the summer with various friends (sans goats).

The trip to WA was amazing with a hike in Big Sur, tons of walking around San Francisco and a great hike up Mt. Scott at Crater Lake. See all you need to do is keep on moving!

Once I was in Seattle I have a great friend who kept me challenged when it came to workouts. We did sculpting classes or step classes every morning at the gym followed by a 20 - 35 mile cycling exursion. When we went up to the town of Leavenworth near Wenatchee WA, we rode 25 miles on road bikes one day and 16 on mountain bikes the next. Never a dull moment, and great workouts!

When I found myself in Carmel, CA without a car due to an unexpected event, I had to give up my plans to explore the coastal trails. Instead, I walked my dogs all around town including nice long beach walks everyday. Lucky for me the weather was perfect! Carmel is a very dog friendly town so it was easy to visit shops or even restaurants with my furry friends.

Staying fit was the challenge this summer. If you can be flexible and willing to change up your routine when the situation calls for it, you can still get your daily exercise and enjoy healthy fun. I found that when it came time to fall back in to the normal routine, that I was ready to give 100% again. Sometimes having that little break is what we need to become re-energized for our workouts.

Staying Fit & Having Fun - A Healthy Spin on Things!

About Three years ago I decided that jogging was going to do my knees in and it just wasn't so enjoyable for me anymore. That's when I started evaluating my choices based on my age, my location and my exercise time constraints

I live in California (I'm lucky to have decent weather most of the time), in a small town with beautiful rolling hills and lots of horse ranches and vineyards. I looked around at what people who came to visit did, (besides all the touristy things like wine tasting and eating pastries), and realized that a majority of them cycled. Turns out there are an amazing amount of great cycling routes right outside my front door.

I started my cycle fitness by taking spin classes. It may not be necessary for everyone to start this way, but it gave me the confidence to know that I had built up the stamina for staying out for an hour or two on my bike. Another way to do this, is to purchase a "trainer" for your road bike. It is a stationary device in which you place your bike and do your work out without leaving your house, garage or where ever you place your trainer and bike combo. This is also a good way to get to know your bike, how to shift the gears, where to place your hands, etc.

Now it was time to do some serious cycling, so I signed up for a few local events. I started with the 50 mile rides and worked up to the 100 miles rides. Now I am hooked! What a great way to get out, see the beautiful countryside and get invigorated.

Burn calories and boost your cardiovascular health. Biking is a low-impact way to accomplish both of these. It's an idea activity if you have lower-back or knee problems.

Before exercising, Stretch out. Do gentle movement-based stretches like arm circles and walking lunges to increase your range of motion. After your ride, when your body is sufficiently warm, switch to held stretches, like hip flexor stretch (good for hips tight from sitting at a desk).

When considering which bike to purchase...
First, decide what type of riding fits your lifestyle and agenda. For trail riding, choose a rugged mountain bike. For riding long distances on paved roads, choose a lightweight, speedy road bike. For commuting to work or running errands (a great way to burn calories while you accomplish daily tasks) consider a hybrid bike, which combines some features of mountain and road bikes.

Does your bike fit you properly?
As a general guideline, you should be able to stand over the bike, with your feet on the ground, with an inch or two of clearance between your tailbone and the top bar of the bike. The saddle should be sized to support your sit bones but not your entire rear-end.

Choose a bike based on how comfortable you feel on it, how easy it is to switch gears and whether you feel confident on it.