Creative exercising...

Everyone loves ecards. Even if you don't want to admit it, you love them.
Can't say the same about exercise, though...

Spring time is generally the (only) time I re-think the diet and exercise decisions I've made over Winter (and, well, my whole life!). The weather is warmer, and I can no longer wear a big jumper to cover up the belly I've been feeding chocolate, cupcakes, lollies, hot chips, and raw cookie dough almost daily... I don't eat very well during Winter. Or exercise, like, at all. I'm pretty sure my exercise has been limited to (minimal) housework, and baking... Hey. I have a really heavy oven door, and it takes a lot of effort to open and close it, okay!?

Earlier this year, in preparation for my husband and I going to America for our anniversary, I was obsessed with exercising and eating right. That was only 6 months ago!! I was in the gym (which is, no joke, in. our. garage) every morning and also some evenings. I was eating (and enjoying) salad, drinking litres of water everyday, and the weight I wanted to lose was being lost! I loved it.

Since coming back to Australia, though, I haven't quite gotten back into having health and fitness as priorities. And we were seriously only there for two weeks!! Of course, throughout Winter, I dug myself further and further into a rut of eating poorly, making excuses for not exercising, and refusing to change, yet still expected results as if I was eating healthy and exercising regularly. And then becoming disappointed in myself and depressed. We all look at ourselves and see areas that need improvement (well, if you don't, then congratulations! Thanks for stopping by, but there's no point reading the rest of this post).

I mostly missed the enjoyment of feeling great because I was exercising regularly! Yet, I still made excuses, and refused to walk 10 metres to our garage and work out. Instead, I felt that I deserved that cupcake. And that block of chocolate. And another coffee. And some lollies. And on that note, I may as well sit down and watch TV because I'm feeling depressed 'tired'. I needed to 'rest'*. I'll eat properly as of next week, so let's have KFC for dinner before my diet starts. Mmmm, secret herbs and spices.

* Rest, n. - The refreshing ease or inactivity after labour or exertion.

Laziness, adj. - Averse or disinclined to labour or exertion.

I knew exactly what I needed to do to lose weight. I just. couldn't. get my sorry arse off itself to actually do it. All I had was (totally and completely valid at the time) excuses.

Up until last week, when a good friend encouraged me to join a local Boot Camp with her. Over two days I jumped in and out of commitment to it, but, in the end, I JOINED! I agreed with my head that I desperately needed to get excited about exercise again, which I knew included having others around me (not Husband, because that clearly didn't work very well, did it) motivating me to get off my butt, come to training sessions, and work hard. I needed fresh air, and the scenery of yoga mats, sweaty backs, and people getting fit together.

Boot Camp started bright and early Monday morning. I was so excited that I was up and dressed before my alarm went off. I actually surprised myself with how quickly I snapped back into it again after being away from exercise (and salad, and water) for so long. I had forgotten all the excuses I had for why now just 'wasn't a good time to jump into intense training'. I was ready to change my life again!

And, so, I wanted to share some of my first day at Boot Camp.

As our trainer is tracking progress, we all partook in a wall-sit, and planking challenge. Note, this is different to the other kind of planking, which I'm also probably no good at - but to be honest, I haven't had the guts to try it. Pun intended!

As we were then jogging (and sweating) to warm up, our trainer said "after this warm-up, we're going to play a card game." Part of me was like "what? I thought we were supposed to work out?" and another part thought "maybe it's a get-to-know-you type of game... Sure, that could be fun."

I was pleasantly (but painfully the next day) surprised!!

Drawn onto a mini white board was something that looked like this:

Oh, it was a card game, alright!! And I got-to-know a few of the exercises that people hated! <cough-burpies-cough>

The 'rules' were basically- if you picked up:
2 of Hearts = 2 burpies
8 of Spades = 8 sit ups
10 of Clubs = 10 push ups
5 of Diamonds = 5 lunges (on each leg).

I thought this was brilliant! It was fun, it kept changing, and it was an enjoyable form of exercising with others. It can be changed with other exercises, such as russian twists, crawl outs, tricep dips, leg raises, squats, star jumps, somersaults, cart wheels, etc... You name it! Just write down your exercises, pick up a card, and do it! :)

I will certainly (at least I hope so!) be continuing this creative way to exercise long after Boot Camp finishes. In the meantime, I am loving Boot Camp. Admittedly, it's only DAY 3! But, I am trying to encourage my body to keep up with my motivation to be fit and healthy once again. As an impulsive person, I find it hard to stick with anything long term*. So please, if you know me and see me in person, ask me how I'm going with this! Or, come around and play a game of cards with me! ;)

* Except maybe for baking... Mmmm, cupcakes.

What creative ways have you found that have helped you get

excited about exercising?? I'd love to hear!