Go! Slowly...

It's time for rubber to meet the road... literally! As we welcome the New Year, below are some thoughts for a January workout plan. Before I go any further, I highly recommend that if you don’t know your body well enough to know what it needs or what it can withstand, make an appointment at your local recreation center or gym to speak with a personal trainer as well as consult your doctor. I don’t know what your goals are to maintain or restore God’s original workmanship – this is just generally what I do to wake my muscles up after the calorie-packed, exercise deficient holiday season.

If you can get yourself moving 3 days a week for at least 30 minutes, that’s a great start! My ideal winter regimen is 2-3 days of running and 2 days of some low-impact activity.

Running
If you can’t run for 25 continuous minutes that should be your goal for the month! For most of us, that’s between 2 -2½ miles. Remember, we’re starting slow. We want an injury free running season! If you are new to running, check out The Complete Running Book for Women.

Start off slow and run for as long as you can until you have to walk. When you feel up to it, run again with the goal of running longer each day you go out. By the end of the month, you should be able to run 25 continuous minutes comfortably. Notice I did NOT say swiftly! Remember to warm up and stretch afterwards as well.

Cross Training
Below are some of my favorite cross training activities, but you should experiment to find what works for you and your schedule/budget!

1. Yoga – Core Power Yoga has a studio here in Parker as well as studios across the metro area. This is hard on the budget but if you have limited time to dedicate to fitness, Hot Yoga is the best use of your time! Some recreation centers (Castle Rock) also have Hot Yoga at a fraction of the price as well as non-heated yoga classes. There are also a ton of DVDs out there that can be just as effective.

2. Pilates – I’ve never done Pilates in an actual studio. But I have a few Pilates DVDs that I just love and find very effective. I favor the Winsor Pilates programs as well as Denise Austin’s Pilates workouts.

3. Weight-lifting – Muscle mass is necessary to burn fat. Usually women need to load themselves full of protein and other “supplements” to actually get big from weight-lifting, so don’t fear it! You can use actual weights or resistance bands or your own body weight. Next time you are at the gym, check out what other people are doing and take note. Select exercises that will target the areas you typically struggle with. A great resource for some of the basic exercises and how to put them together in a routine is Body for Life by Bill Phillips.

4. Zumba – I’ve not actually tried this yet but am signed up for classes at the Parker Rec Center. Zumba is a fitness class based on Latin dance moves. The Parker Rec Center is offering a free class party this Wednesday, January 6.

5. Swimming – One of the most beneficial cross training activities out there! And this is something that you can do long after you have to hang up your running shoes.

6. Rollerblading – Although not quite the season for it, rollerblading is great for your butt and both the inner and outer thighs, 2 of my personal “trouble areas”.

The most important part of physical exercise is to prayerfully consider your body and do what it requires – physiologically (so, nutrition and movement). There may be days your body is telling you to back off. There may be days you just don’t make it, for a thousand different reasons. We all have those days. But just as God is gracious with us, we must also be gracious with ourselves. A missed workout is yesterday. This is today. What are you going to do today? “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it! “(Psalm 118:24)