May 11th, 2010 | 
Author: Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to post on Mother’s Day. I did make it to the gym, though! I did 35 minutes on the treadmill and it said I burned 192 calories, better than last time. 
I did 20 minutes of weight training. I did the lower body, I am supposed to do 30 minutes of weight training but somehow I got done early. I did all the lower body machines… I think I will just have to start adding in more sets or something. Since I got done early with weight training I filled up the last 5 minutes by doing it on the bike. So I got in my 1 hour of workout. I thought I did really well!
I was supposed to weigh in on Sunday but because it was Mother’s Day I couldn’t go before eating as we went out for breakfast. So I weighed after eating and it said I had lost 1.5 lbs, so I think I probably lost at least 2 lbs for the week.
Yesterday was my off day for exercise but we ended up taking a walk to the park. So I did exercise for about 30 minutes, so that is just an extra. 
Today was upper body and treadmill at the gym. I did 30 minutes of weight training using all of the upper body machines. I’m discovering I’m pretty week, so it was definitely a workout! I then did 35 minutes of cardio using the treadmill. The treadmill said that I had burned 177 calories and I think that I would burn a similar amount doing the weight training. So I think I would have burned about 300 calories today. I would like to build up this amount until I am burning about 500 calories a day. I am still working on my endurance with the cardio machines. I am ok with going 30 minutes or longer on the treadmill but am still building up the speed. The cardio bikes I find a lot harder to use for extended periods of time!
I can tell you that my Shape Ups are working out really well! I haven’t had very much foot pain at all with all of the exercise that I have been doing.
Running is a beneficial exercise for everyone, but women may find added benefits. Running helps to burn more fat from the waist and hips, where women normally store more than men. In order to loose unwanted weight a person needs to burn 3500 more calories than they intake daily. That roughly breaks down to 500 calories each day. Dedicated runners can burn that amount of calories in less than an hour, running at a steady pace. If you combine running with a reduction in the amount of calories that you intake daily, you can burn even more.
Studies have proven that certain health conditions are greatly improved by running, some of which include high blood pressure and cholesterol. It also helps to lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The more a woman runs the more benefits she experiences.
Along with improving your internal health and weight, running can also help fight the signs of ageing. As we age our bones weaken, but running can help prevent the bone loss that occurs naturally due to the ageing process.
Where other exercises only target certain areas, running works the entire body. This is accomplished by engaging most of the muscles in the body including the legs, back, arms, and abs at once. New runners are often surprised by the areas that are sore.
Running also has several physiological benefits. It helps to release endorphins, which make you happy. This is often referred to as “runners high”. Running has been used to help treat conditions like depression and addiction over the years, and those treated have reported a reduction in the amount of stress, tension, confusion, and fatigue.
Many runners find that the challenge of how far they can run becomes rather addicting, so they keep pushing on to the next level. If you are worried about staying motivated, sign up for a race. Once you complete your registration you are more likely to keep training, even on days when you may not feel like it. Once you decide to sign up, it is a good idea to create a timeline for your training. One of the shortest races that can be accomplished with a short amount of training is the 5K, which is 3.1 miles. Most people can reach this distance within a couple of months. Although you may be excited about your running routine and the race, you should be careful not to overdo it. You do not want to injure yourself.
There are several groups and clubs especially for runners. Once you begin your routine, you may find that you would like a running partner or group. The running community is large, and very welcoming. Even if you do not have a group in your area, you may want to start one. There are probably several runners in your community who would like company as well.
It is important to remember that it takes practice to become good at your sport. When you are just starting out, do not let sore muscles or a slow time get you frustrated. With persistence you will see results. The more you run the higher level of endurance you build up.
Written by Tim Collins of Ultimate Fitness Gear, Get Insanity Workout and begin the process of changing your body.
I talked to the personal trainer guy at the gym today and made up my exercise schedule. I plan to go every other day (or 4 times per week) for 1 hour each time. He thinks that I should do 30 minutes of cardio and 30 minutes of weight training.
So here is my schedule so far:
Monday – upper body weight training and 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill
Wednesday – 30 minutes of cardio on the bike then lower body weight training
Friday – upper body weight training then 30 minutes of cardio on the eliptical
Sunday – 30 minutes of cardio on the treadmill then lower body weight training
Then the next week it would be Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday so it’s every other day. He said that I should always go back and forth on my exercises so that I create muscle confusion so that I will get better results and not hit plateaus. He also said that if I do it right I should start to see results pretty quickly then I might want to add in a little extra time after a while.
I am actually pretty excited to be going and feel good (and sore and tired!) after I have gone. I feel that I am doing a good job and am excited to see how things change in the next few weeks. I am hoping it will really go well!
I’m feeling very sore after starting at the gym, I guess it’s working! I forgot to add my exercise for yesterday. I was so tired!
Yesterday I did the upper body training course. I learned my upper body is pretty weak. So I did about 30 minutes of the training using all of the upper body machines. Then I did 32 minutes on the treadmill then about 10 minutes on the bike. My thighs especially have been really killing me.
Today I am going to take a course on making a plan for exercise. They are supposed to have a personal trainer help me to figure out when I should exercise, how often, what machines and so on. I’m pretty excited to get this done and know what they think I should be doing and how often. Yesterday the trainer told me he thinks I should do weight training at least 2 times per week. My plan so far is to go to the gym 3-4 times per week. Today is my 4th day in a row!
Today I worked out for an hour and a half at the gym. I went there and signed up for a class they have where it teaches you how to correctly use the workout machines. Today I did lower body and abs. I was early for the class so I did the treadmill for 35 minutes before it started than an hour for the class. I am really feeling it now! I’m really glad that they offer and I took the class because I really didn’t know how to correctly use most of the machines, and the trainer helping was really helpful in explaining things and giving advice.
Tomorrow I signed up for upper body training and Wednesday I signed up for a class where they help you make a training plan. I was pretty excited by these classes because they are all included in my membership so it is really a good deal and so far very helpful.
I also did some yard work after I got home from the gym so that was even more exercise. I mowed the lawn in our backyard and did some weed-wacking. That might have been about a half an hour, I forgot to check.
I’m exhausted tonight!
I’ve had a few people asking questions about the course I am taking on Medical Transcription. I am taking it through my local community college and they use Career Step for the training. I really like it so far, I have been in the course for almost 3 months and am almost 50% done with the first section. The course is broken down into two sections. The first one is longer than the second, and both courses together should take you under one year to complete. After you have completed the course they are supposed to help you to find a job and any other help you might need for a certain amount of time after finishing your course work. It is all self-paced and online. They have forums and chat rooms so that you can talk to other people also taking the course. I have talked to a lot of people all over the US taking it.
Before deciding to take this course I was looking up the demand there is for Medical Transcription. According to the website for my state Medical Transcription jobs are on the rise. They are predicted to make a decent increase over the next few years, they are mostly work from home positions, they offer benefits, usually have flexible hours. The training is really not very hard and after you have finished your course and gotten a job any further training you would need is usually provided by the employer. I have really thought about doing this for years and am happy that I have finally signed up to get started. So far the training has gone really easily. Career Step has made a great course, it’s easy to follow.
If you need any more information feel free to ask me!
So I have been debating for a while now whether or not I should just join a gym. I have a lot of trouble making myself work out when I am at home. I just haven’t been doing it at all. So today I finally decided to just go and do it. There is a Planet Fitness really close to us, only maybe 5 minutes away. They are open long hours so there will be no excuses to skip working out.
Today I spent 1 hour working out at the gym. I did a little of everything trying to get used to the gym and seeing what machines do what. My goal is to start going to the gym 3-4 times a week, and maybe do a little Wii on my days off from the gym. As part of my membership they have group training sessions that you can go into and they will teach you how to use the different machines, so I need to go in during the right time and get a little instruction to make sure I am getting the most out of everything. I think this will work out pretty well and hopefully I will start seeing good improvements really quickly.
We had another long day out yesterday walking all over the place. We have been doing a little home security project at our house so we did a lot of walking to find what we needed/wanted. I don’t feel like doing much of anything today, it’s been a long weekend!
A friend of mine was just suggesting The Biggest Loser for the Wii yesterday. I looked at it this weekend but can’t decide if I really want it or not. She says it’s a good workout and a lot of fun, though. I also saw Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred on Amazon Video on Demand, it’s only $4.78! Those of you that use SwagBucks could get that pretty quickly!
I didn’t do any exercise on the Wii today but did walk around Cabela’s for about 2 hours. We were spending some time with my husband’s father and brother today. They live about an hour north of us and we don’t see them all that often. Cabela’s is a pretty big place and my daughter was having a lot of fun walking around and seeing all the animals they have in there. They have a lot of stuffed and fake animals, then a few huge tanks with fish and turtles in them.
I haven’t been doing all that well on dieting lately, my husband and I were talking tonight about getting back on the diet together and hoping it will work a lot better if we are doing it together. It’s so much harder when you are doing it on your own. We just need to commit to a diet and stick to it.
What are you doing that is working right now?
