HOW TO GET OUT OF YOUR FITNESS FUNK

As much as I LOVE it when our kids whine, “I’m bored” (NOT!), I used to say it ALL THE TIME. I used to feel it and use it as an excuse or a reason to not move, to not fuel my body with good nutrition, and to just sit stagnant. When it comes to exercise and nutrition, I realized that change was my answer, and is probably why I loved playing sports growing up. But as soon as you grow up, stop playing or pushing or trying new things, the treadmill suddenly becomes a rite of passage. And although there is certainly a time and a place for a treadmill or any revolving machine for that matter, it is not the only place, and I assert as soon as you get off the treadmill, is when you may get the results you are after!

A couple of weeks ago, I convinced my nine-month pregnant sister (who has since given birth) and my gym rat, Momma, to do a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workout with me. My mom, who shall remain ageless, is one of the fittest mommas I know, and although she has her routine, her go to place of movement, she agreed to add this short workout to her regimen. It was glorious. And I quote: “Am I the only one sweating this much?”  I am so proud that she is willing to jump in and do something different! And then there’s my sister. What?! 9 month pregnant?! She literally was stair-stepping her days on the StairMaster, and then showed up and killed it, and probably could’ve kept going! The comfort zone is so much easier to stay in and until we dip our toes into the unknown or (as I like to call it), the discomfort zone, things stay the same. 

Do something new. Do something different. Shock your body, because the body already knows or anticipates what you’re going to need on any given day, and one of its jobs is efficiency. Confuse your body out of that funk you're in. Take a step out of the mundane. Choose another movement, get around those plateaus. 

Below are the movements we chose for our workout, and that is the beauty of it: it can all be customized to your fitness level, your preferences, and your energy. We did four rounds of this, with each movement being done for 30 seconds with a 10 second rest between each one.

If you find this too easy, I say skip the rest time, and do as many rounds as possible (AMRAP) in a decided time (say 20 mins). If this seems too difficult, you could alter the exercises themselves or increase the rest time between or even lesson the amount of rounds to 2-3 rounds.  

Here are some alterations to the individual movements: 

Half burpee (without the pushup)

Walking lunges

Knee push ups

Step ups (on a bench or coffee table, etc)

G O   F O R IT!

4 Rounds: 30 Seconds each, 10 seconds rest between