Bringing Fitness to Everyday Life

For so many, going to a gym or taking a group fitness class to exercise has been the norm and what most people do, but with the shift in technology and women having busier lifestyles, our fitness can be anywhere and, on our time, now.

Bring the Gym Home
The recently coined word “gymtimidation” might fit you if you’re intimidated by the gym atmosphere, unsure of what to do when you get there, or in a hurry to get a quick workout in while kiddos are playing or sleeping. Finding ways to incorporate everyday places and familiar items from your home may be the best option for busy women today. 

As a single teacher who needed a little adult interaction at the end of a day in the classroom, I started my fitness journey loving to hit up the gym. However, I often found myself struggling to figure out where to start or getting bored trying to plan a workout routine that I would consistently follow enough to feel or see any real changes with.

I was first introduced to Beachbody with some hesitation. I wanted to believe that I could figure it out on my own, but honestly, I couldn’t. With a little swallow of my pride, I fell in love with doing my first workout program in my living room with one set of 10-lb. weights, without creepy onlookers or anyone interrupting. While the company is known for putting out programs and products such as P90x and its Shakeology brand, Beachbody offers women more than that. It combines fitness, nutrition and support so you can lead a healthy lifestyle right from your home. It took away all the guesswork and excuses I had because all I had to do was look at a workout calendar, find what day I was on, and gather up the motivation to just begin and finish the 20 to 30 minutes!

Since falling in love with the simplicity, results and community with Beachbody myself, I now get to lock arms with other women like me who want to press play from their own homes on their own time, but check in virtually to celebrate and cheer each other on!

If creating your own routine at home is still up your alley, there are incredible resources on Pinterest or YouTube that you could piece together with what you have at home as well.

Take the Gym Outside
With the warm weather kicking in, taking your gym outside will incorporate all the vitamin D, a little sweat and a whole lot of fun!  

If you’re at a park, be brave enough to try out the monkey bars, run around up the stairs, down the slide, or do some lunges around the perimeter of the park! It’s even more fun if you have a kiddo with you. You could easily throw in some jumping or regular squats in between pushes on a swing. No kid will turn you down on a race to the top of a jungle gym or a pull-up challenge!  

If there are steps, set a timer for 20 seconds of work and then 10 seconds of break for several minutes doing some “fast feet.” See how quickly you can tap your toe on the step; try elevated push-ups with your hands on the step and feet on the ground, or squats with one leg on the step and one leg off.

With the convenience of being able to stream Beachbody workouts from a phone’s app or download a workout to your computer or smart TV, you can exercise anywhere outside from your backyard, the park or all the way to the beach for a little extra sand resistance.

If you’ve been struggling to find some consistency in the gym, try something a little different that may fit right into your lifestyle by taking your fitness home or outside this spring! ■

Written by: Megan Seales

Megan Seales is a virtual health and fitness coach who helps women gain back their energy through eating real foods and find fitness that can fit into their lives. She loves minimal ingredient and quick healthy recipes, but she enjoys her pizza and ice cream too! She is also a wife, new mom and former public school educator.

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