I have been struggling lately to get to the gym on a regular basis — despite having a club just three floors down in our office building. There are a few reasons for this: 1) My favorite personal trainer is no longer training there; 2) we haven’t had an Experience Life team kettlebell class in months; and 3) I’ve just been making lots of excuses, from “My personal trainer is no longer there,” to “I’m too tired,” to “There’s not enough time in the day.”
The truth is, I’m not too tired and there IS time: I’m just putting the wrong things first. I need to step away from my computer — both during office hours and when I’m home — and know it’s OK, good even, to make my health and wellness a priority.
All that being said, I do have one routine that I’ve been following diligently for the past two to three years — it’s my saving grace. It all started with my desire to do real push-ups. Every morning, I would get up and pound out as many push-ups as I could, before dropping to my knees to do 20 total. I’m currently up to 30 consecutive push-ups. After a short break, I can usually pound out 10 to 15 more.
Jamie’s Quick Strength Workout
I round out my routine with two to three of the following, depending on how crunched I am for time (there’s that TIME thing again!):
- Kettlebell swings (usually 2-3 sets of 20 with 35 pounds)
- Single-leg lunges with dumbbells (one to two sets of 20/leg)
- Tricep dips a la Shaun T (one to two sets of 20)
- Shoulder presses with a kettlebell (2-3 sets of 10/per arm with 25 pounds)
- Planks (usually a combination of regular, side and star)
- Squats to press with kettlebell (2-3 sets of 10 with 25 pounds)
While my current routine is lacking any dedicated time to building endurance, I practice yoga twice a week and go for walks with my family most days. It all helps keep me active, even if it’s not at the same level I enjoyed a few years ago.
What are the no-fail things you do to stay active when time is/seems short? Share them in the comments section below!
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