I realize that posting anything workout-related being posted around the new year immediately conjures up the dreaded ‘new year new me’ mindset that we all have had thrust into our heads unwillingly since the dawn of time, but I promise, this isn’t that. I’ve been intending to write this post for some time, but with the holidays, it kept getting shelved – until now.
And while I am definitely not the sporty type, the truth is, I’ve found a lot of joy in moving my body in some way for the past year. A lot of that has to do with staying home during 2020 and trying to find ways to stay active without venturing out into the world, and a lot of it has to do with slowly shifting my mindset over the past few years. In truth, I spent most of my 20s being anti-exercise, because I never really found what worked for me. I hated yoga (I know, I know, I’m sorry, but it wasn’t for me) and tried jogging a few times with similar feelings of hatred. I took a class here and there, twice for a spin class (too intense) and a few times at a pilates studio. I actually really enjoyed pilates, but I started those classes in February of last year, so I didn’t really get to get into it as much as I would have liked before lockdown happened.
What really changed things for me, and made me look forward to working out, was giving myself something to focus on during. I’ve found that music, instructors voices, or even podcasts was never enough to really hold my attention while working out; and I began to dread being bored and having nothing to occupy my mind with while breaking a sweat. So I started watching TV while working out at home, and hey presto! I look forward to it now. I started with Outlander back in March and watched all FIVE seasons while working out at home (I have a stationary bike and some weights, nothing major), then jumped over to Poldark when I ran out of episodes of Outlander. The latest show I’m watching while exercising is Bridgerton, so I suppose you could say there’s a bit of a costume-drama theme here.
The trick for me has been to only allow myself to watch those shows while working out. Meaning that if I am dying to know what happens next, I’ll have to put on some workout clothing to find out. It’s helped stretch my workouts from being 25 minutes long in the beginning to now a full hour as I race through episodes of whatever show I’m currently binging. I know this approach sounds a bit strange – especially since both Outlander and Bridgerton have numerous sexy scenes which can feel odd watching while lifting a weight in the air – but for me it’s provided a real escape. I have my stories that I get to watch while peddling my bike, and it feels like I’m miles (and decades) from reality. I’ll never be an athlete, it’s just not who I am, but being able to move my body and to feel like I’m doing something good for my health in the long run has been great.
And because this is a fashion blog (sometimes) I’d be remiss if I didn’t share a few of the pieces I like to wear that aid in motivating me to actually do the thing. I personally prefer pieces that are more covered, and like everything to have a bit of a ballet-feel to it. Maybe it’s because I’m watching costume-dramas during, but I want to feel just a bit put-together, at least until I start sweating.
Above are some of my favorite pieces to wear as well as a really beautiful weight that I use while on my stationary bike. If you’re wondering exactly what I do when working out, it’s pretty simple. I bike for about 45 minutes to an hour, and alternate lifting the weight around 120 times with each arm. I finish with a few crunches and pushups on the ground, but as my garage is pretty full with stuff due to our kitchen renovation, oftentimes there’s not room for me to do anything off of the bike. I’m by no means an athlete, but it’s what has worked for me.
Another must-have for me while working out are my headphones to be able to watch whatever scandalous scenes are happening on Bridgerton or Outlander without weirding out my neighbors, and of course a giant glass of water. I’ve taken to putting a packet of LiquidIV in my water for each workout, and for me it’s made a huge difference. It helps with replacing electrolytes, and because the flavors are really good (strawberry is the best) it encourages me to drink more water. Just a friendly reminder that you can use prettylittlefawn for 15% off at checkout.
