By Anastasiya Goers
Do you want to look great? Are you ready to spend a few hours every day in a gym? I am pretty sure that you answered yes to the first question and rolled your eyes when I mentioned the second one. It’s a normal reaction and I am right there with you.
I must confess, I love to stay fit and healthy. It is one of my passions in life. At the same time I am just a normal person who has to work, take care of the family and likes to be lazy every once in a while (actually, at least once a week.) Now, is it possible for normal people like you and me to stay in good shape without sacrificing our lifestyles?
I can definitely say, YES.
Usually I do not talk much about myself on this blog. However, last week I shared with you how I simplify my life and promised to give you more details about how I stay in shape and how I simplify my diet. Let’s talk about staying in shape today.
I must say that right now I am in the best shape of my life while I work out less than I did most of my life.
- I completely lost my pregnancy weight (around 30 lbs.)
- The clothes that I wore before pregnancy (when I exercised really a lot) are loose on me.
- I’ve never been happier with how toned my muscles look (note: I personally do not like the Jillian Michael’s look and prefer a more feminine body.)
- My abs have never been flatter and stronger (and I haven’t done crunches in over 3 years!)
- I have plenty of energy during the day to live a very “rich” schedule.
While normally I do not share my personal photos here are the “before” and “after” shots to show you what I am talking about.
Let me mention it at once, staying in good shape requires a good workout regimen (which we will talk about today) and a balanced nutrition plan (which we will talk about next time.) The combination of these two factors can give you amazing results and it is really simple to find the perfect balance for you.
My workout schedule
My workout schedule is really simple and I have mentioned it in my previous post.
- Running – 30 min – 2-3 times a week.
- Pilates – at least 30 minutes 3 times a week.
- Weight training 30 minutes – 1 time a week.
- Belly dancing – 30-60 minutes – 1 time a week.
- XBox Kinect – just for fun whenever my husband and I have some free time.
Before you say that this workout won’t work for you let me explain why exactly I picked these types of exercise. My workout schedule is just one of the examples that you can use to get the body of your dreams. This is the regimen that works for me personally and of course you are free to follow it or to change it as much as you need to suit your interests and goals (more about it later.)
1. Running is definitely the easiest form of cardio (besides walking of course.) Cardio workouts are the only workouts that can help you lose weight (and only cardio can help you burn visceral fat – more commonly known as tummy flab.) I have written a lot about the benefits of running and the best ways to start running before so feel free to look at those posts first. I love running because
- It is extremely simple,
- I can do it anywhere (I use minimalistic running shoes when running on asphalt and I run completely barefoot on the beach.)
- I can easily vary the workout to keep the boredom away (by changing the pace, scenery or simply a soundtrack.)
3 steps to benefit from it:
- I stick to 30 minute runs (2-3 miles) because it gives me enough cardio but I still protect my joints (the risk of knee and other injuries increase dramatically for runs of 45 minutes and longer.)
- I prefer interval training when running (also known as a HIIT workout.) It means that I start at a moderate pace, then run as fast as I possibly can for 40-60 sec, then go back to the moderate pace for 2 minutes, and repeat everything as many times as I can. Interval training is the fastest way to burn extra pounds and to benefit your cardiovascular system.
- Sometimes I prefer a leisurely run at a moderate pace (a slow run is always better than no run at all.) I do not push myself too hard if I am feeling tired or if I had an intensive workout the day before.
2. Pilates is a Smart Body workout. I’ve was introduced to it when I was around 16 and I didn’t like it at first. After about 5 sessions I started to understand what Pilates was about and how beneficial it was for my body.
- It helped me cure chronic back and neck pain.
- It corrected my posture.
- It gave me back my body after my twins were born.
- It gave me flat stomach that I am not afraid to show off (even in spite of all the stretch marks that I got after pregnancy.)
Pilates is not a wimpy workout for women. It is a very challenging routine that can enhance your performance in sports and create a lean and strong body. Both men and women can benefit from it tremendously (read more Pilates benefits .)
“I must be right. Never an aspirin. Never injured a day in my life. The whole country, the whole world, should be doing my exercises. They’d be happier.” – Joseph Hubertus Pilates (creator of the Pilates method), in 1965, age 86
Unfortunately most Pilates classes that you can buy on DVDs or take at gyms won’t give you the true benefit of the method. Several private sessions in a Pilates studio is the best way to be introduced to this method. If you are interested in a private class I can give you a virtual Pilates session over Skype ( contact me for more details.)
However, if you cannot schedule a private session with a Pilates instructor here are a few resources that I consider extremely helpful:
Pilates is like a frame of my workout routine because I use its principles in every other form of exercise (running, weight training, XBox Kinect workouts and dance.)
3. Weight training is an essential part of a balanced workout routine. It strengthens your entire body and even more importantly it prevents bone loss with age. I have several sets of dumbbells at home that I use for weight training. I also love body weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, lunges and squats) because I can do them anywhere and anytime.
Weight training will help you increase lean muscle mass (which speeds up your metabolism) and achieve muscle definition.
4. Belly dancing is just fun. It is definitely not a workout for men but I believe that every woman can benefit from it. Belly dancing improves coordination, strengthens lower back muscles (which are difficult to get to with any regular exercise moves), makes every woman’s moves more graceful and creates strong and flat stomach. Belly dancing feels more like having fun than actually working out.
If you are not ready to belly dance you can find any other fun activity for you: team sports, other forms of dance, Zumba, martial arts etc. This should be not only a workout for your body, it should be a balanced mind and body experience.
Feel free to follow my exercise program or you can create your own. In the next post (which is coming really soon) I will share the actual secrets of 30-minute workouts and will tell you how to create your personal “power” routine. I can also help you reach your fitness goals through private coaching ( contact me for more details.)
Keep it balanced!
Photo credit: lululemon athletica
By Anastasiya Goers
I must confess, I love to stay fit and healthy. It is one of my passions in life. At the same time I am just a normal person who has to work, take care of the family and likes to be lazy every once in a while (actually, at least once a week.) Now, is it possible for normal people like you and me to stay in good shape without sacrificing our lifestyles?
I can definitely say, YES.
Usually I do not talk much about myself on this blog. However, last week I shared with you how I simplify my life and promised to give you more details about how I stay in shape and how I simplify my diet. Let’s talk about staying in shape today.
I must say that right now I am in the best shape of my life while I work out less than I did most of my life.
While normally I do not share my personal photos here are the “before” and “after” shots to show you what I am talking about.
Let me mention it at once, staying in good shape requires a good workout regimen (which we will talk about today) and a balanced nutrition plan (which we will talk about next time.) The combination of these two factors can give you amazing results and it is really simple to find the perfect balance for you.
My workout schedule
My workout schedule is really simple and I have mentioned it in my previous post.
Before you say that this workout won’t work for you let me explain why exactly I picked these types of exercise. My workout schedule is just one of the examples that you can use to get the body of your dreams. This is the regimen that works for me personally and of course you are free to follow it or to change it as much as you need to suit your interests and goals (more about it later.)
1. Running is definitely the easiest form of cardio (besides walking of course.) Cardio workouts are the only workouts that can help you lose weight (and only cardio can help you burn visceral fat – more commonly known as tummy flab.) I have written a lot about the benefits of running and the best ways to start running before so feel free to look at those posts first. I love running because
3 steps to benefit from it:
2. Pilates is a Smart Body workout. I’ve was introduced to it when I was around 16 and I didn’t like it at first. After about 5 sessions I started to understand what Pilates was about and how beneficial it was for my body.
Pilates is not a wimpy workout for women. It is a very challenging routine that can enhance your performance in sports and create a lean and strong body. Both men and women can benefit from it tremendously (read more Pilates benefits .)
Unfortunately most Pilates classes that you can buy on DVDs or take at gyms won’t give you the true benefit of the method. Several private sessions in a Pilates studio is the best way to be introduced to this method. If you are interested in a private class I can give you a virtual Pilates session over Skype ( contact me for more details.)
However, if you cannot schedule a private session with a Pilates instructor here are a few resources that I consider extremely helpful:
Pilates is like a frame of my workout routine because I use its principles in every other form of exercise (running, weight training, XBox Kinect workouts and dance.)
3. Weight training is an essential part of a balanced workout routine. It strengthens your entire body and even more importantly it prevents bone loss with age. I have several sets of dumbbells at home that I use for weight training. I also love body weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, lunges and squats) because I can do them anywhere and anytime.
Weight training will help you increase lean muscle mass (which speeds up your metabolism) and achieve muscle definition.
4. Belly dancing is just fun. It is definitely not a workout for men but I believe that every woman can benefit from it. Belly dancing improves coordination, strengthens lower back muscles (which are difficult to get to with any regular exercise moves), makes every woman’s moves more graceful and creates strong and flat stomach. Belly dancing feels more like having fun than actually working out.
If you are not ready to belly dance you can find any other fun activity for you: team sports, other forms of dance, Zumba, martial arts etc. This should be not only a workout for your body, it should be a balanced mind and body experience.
Feel free to follow my exercise program or you can create your own. In the next post (which is coming really soon) I will share the actual secrets of 30-minute workouts and will tell you how to create your personal “power” routine. I can also help you reach your fitness goals through private coaching ( contact me for more details.)
Keep it balanced!
Photo credit: lululemon athletica