running – Page 2 – French Fry Runner

Favorite Indoor Workouts

I’m linking up with Courtney from Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia from You Signed Up for WHAT?!, and Mar from Mar on the Run. This week’s Friday Five theme is Favorite Indoor Workouts.

I really like a lot of different types of exercise, so I thought I would share a few that I’ve been loving lately as I try to own the day every day.

Body Pump. I’ve been going to pump classes for about a month and a half (I think), and I’ve fallen in love with it! It’s a great way to get started with weight training, and the class atmosphere is just fun and not intimidating at all. I’ve seen major results in my short experience with it, and I really recommend it to anyone looking to dive into more strength training.
Yoga. Well, I just love yoga. It’s a great workout, especially Ashtanga or power yoga, and it’s a great way to work on your flexibility and your attitude. Yoga provides a way to slow down and focus on the moment with no judgment and to just be where you are.
Treadmill. Yeah, I know. A lot of people hate the treadmill, but I don’t really, especially when I make my workout interesting. I like to warm up with 5 minutes walking and then move into my workout. Lately I’ve been doing shorter easy runs (30-40 minutes) and then picking up the speed by .1 mph each 30 seconds to one minute of the last 5 minutes before a 5-minute cool-down. Good stuff. It also helps that my favorite treadmill at the gym overlooks the pool, which distracts me from the feeling of not actually going anywhere. Nothing like watching older folks do Aqua Zumba, eh? 😉
Swimming. I’m a fairly new swimmer, so my workouts aren’t anything crazy. I don’t have a tri on my schedule right now, so I haven’t been swimming a ton, but I do love it when I get to the pool. I swim for about 30 minutes and call it good. It’s short but effective since I’ve been trying to focus on form.
Cycling/elliptical. I’ve been having trouble with my plantar fasciitis, so I’ve been interspersing cycling and elliptical into my training to cut down on my chance for injury. I just hop on the bike or elliptical crank up the resistance and go for 30-45 minutes. And the ellipticals at my gym have built-in TV, so it’s fun to watch The Chew or whatever while I’m plugging along. Good times.

Incline elliptical — How many times can I use this photo, I wonder.

Do you watch TV while you exercise?

Do you have a favorite treadmill/machine? Favorite running route?

Favorite dessert?

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Sharing my favorite indoor #workouts for #FridayFive with @eatprayrundc @yousignedup & @marmaone1. What's your favorite? Click To Tweet

I’m also linking up with Jill Conyers’s Fitness Friday and B.J. for #FitGeekFriday. Be sure to check out the hosts’ pages and find other fun blogs to read!

Top 5 All-Time Health and Fitness Decisions

I’ve been thinking about my top health and fitness decisions, and I was surprised how fast this list came to mind. In recent years, I’ve had a better grip on my mental and physical well-being, and I can attribute it to the following five things:

Quitting My Full-Time Job. I had such a hard time at my previous place of employment. I was good at my job and working in a field that I thought I loved, but, really, I didn’t. It didn’t bring me that much happiness or even a sense of accomplishment, and honestly, I became stressed, depressed, and unhealthy because of it (overeating, migraines, etc.). Since I gave up that toxic part of my life, I don’t get migraines, I’m not depressed, and I am so much happier (and I eat better too!).
No Soda. I’ll be honest, this is something that I constantly have to work on because I love Dr Pepper. I used to drink it all the time, but now I only very rarely drink any kind of soda. I just feel better when I stick to water, and the smaller waistline is a bonus.
BodyPUMP. I’m fairly new to this fitness class, but it’s totally my jam. I love to go to class, work hard, and feel empowered after. Now I can do push-ups like they’re no big deal, planks aren’t scary, and, the best part, lifting weights is awesome. If you don’t have a strength routine, I highly encourage you to find one you like. I feel and see myself transforming, and I love it.
Yoga. I love everything about yoga. I can kind of be all over the place, and yoga centers me, helps me set an intention for my day/week/life, and helps me get stronger. I’m so glad I have found a place for yoga in my life.
Running. What started out as a stress-reliever in college has transformed me. I have met wonderful people and have done things I never thought I was capable of doing (half marathons and triathlons and other races). I don’t really know what else to say about running except that I never thought I’d love it and now I don’t know what I’d do without it.

There you have it, my five all-time best health and fitness decisions. This post is linked up with others for The Fit Dish Link-Up. Thanks to Jill Conyers at JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy at TheFitSwitch.org for hosting. Be sure to visit their blogs and others in the link-up.

I’m also linking up with April from Run the Great Wide Somewhere, Patty from My No-Guilt Life, and Erika from MCM Mama Runs for Tuesdays on the Run!

What are your all-time best health and fitness decisions?

Do you drink soda?

Have you ever attended a pump class? Would you?

Check out my goals for 2015.

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What Is This “Running” You Speak Of?

Yes, it’s true. I barely remember what running is anymore. I haven’t run for about 3 weeks–and then only like 5 times in the month before that. Don’t worry (not like you would); I’m not breaking up with running. 🙂 But I am working on strength training. With all the problems with my feet, I decided to ease back into running since my last half marathon. Actually, my first soiree with running after all this time is tomorrow. I think I’ll run about 2 miles and then slowly increase my mileage and time from there. I just really don’t want to hurt myself again.

I have been consistently doing yoga, though, and I’m feeling increased strength and flexibility. And my arms are actually toning up. I’m stoked about that. I think it’s all the downward-facing dogs we do in my yoga class. Funny how that pose used to be so hard for me, and now it’s a rest pose. 🙂 I love seeing improvement! Here’s a great video on how to do downward-facing dog correctly:

From Yoga with Adriene (YouTube channel)