Along with COVID and a job change, the gym became a less desirable option. I mentioned in another post that I've become a huge wfh, gym from home, everything from home type girl. This is coming from someone who went to the gym every morning before work, always...
My gym had a cinema room with treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes.
NUFF SAID.
With this being said, I'm not sure I'll ever go back to loving the gym like I used to. Even when I did go everyday, part of me felt a sense of sadness when I was there. The environment was a little saddening. As I felt the people there looked more so like they were punishing themselves than loving themselves! WORKOUT BECAUSE YOU LOVE YOURSELF.
YOU WANT TO HAVE BETTER ENERGY, FOCUS, MOOD, SLEEP, the list goes on....
Please do not go into working out with the mindset that you don't love your body because it breaks my heart and most likely won't stick.
In the end, you should be working out because you love your body and want to give it the movement it needs. Our bodies were not meant to sit at desks all day. We were meant to run, walk, dance, PLAY!
Here are my favorite girls to get your body movin' with:
Sami Clarke is truly one of my favorite "influencer" type gals. I'm going to tell you a secret. When I was in LA earlier this year, I went to a coffee shop that I knew she loves multiple times hoping I could meet her and tell her she's my fav. Give her my number. Plan a coffee date? I didn't run into her.... but I did see her bestie, Alyssa Lynch. That's a close as I got. Okay. That's probably the most embarrassing information that I could ever release into the interwebs. Might delete this bit. Whatever. They're just normal humans. I think her and I would be besties but that's besides the point.
Overall, Sami Clarke is probably the most relatable person ever to me. She loves her body and is constantly putting in the work to learn more about it and be kind to herself. She has a wonderful morning routine where she lights a candle, reads, meditates, and sets her intentions for the day. Love it. I personally have a daily journal myself.
Sami Clarke's workouts are perfect for beginners. They're mostly body weight but sometimes include light weights. She started my love affair with home workouts honestly. Also, I love her commentary. e.g. "feelin' spicy!!" Also, she just launched a fitness program called FORM.
Mona-Jane is a POWER HOUSE of a woman. She's a B E A S T. This woman gave birth to her second child and had her six pack back in what felt like a whole month later. She lives in Hawaii and this is her full time gig (aside from being wifey to a local business owner and mother of two) so the world is her oyster to run, surf, and obviously use her children as baby weights.
If you want to sweat and maybe die mid workout then revive yourself to finish...
This is your girl.
Mona-Jane's workouts are truly HITT. They're fast pace, challenging, and definitely get you to break a sweat. I'm not going to lie... I cannot do her workouts every day. They are for when I want to spice it up with a challenge or am jumping back into a routine and want to test how bad it's going to be getting myself back into it. I will never record myself doing one of these. But oh, how I love the challenge.
*Caro (yes, I call her by her nickname cause we spend every day together so) just started making YouTube videos but I actually use her workouts on IG TV which has a HUGE selection of
7 min to 60 min workouts. Linked here.
Lastly, my favorite everyday go-to. Caroline Deisler is the queen of small movements that pack a huge punch. She focuses on exercises that don't stress the body but give the movement you need. It's more so pilates styled but does include lots of body weight squats, lunges, etc. I'm not kidding you that after a few weeks of doing her exercises, I had had multiple people commenting on how toned my arms were. I don't think anyone believed me but it was truly just from holding myself up in her workouts aka beings in planks for 1/3 of the workout. Your body is all the weight you need! Unless you want a bicep the size of a watermelon.
Okay. Speaking of watermelon. I do have to add this. I do not condone Caroline Deisler's diet AT ALL. She is fully vegan and eats a diet of "fresh, healthy fruits and vegetables". HUGE SIGH. While she is my favorite workout partner, she would make a registered dietician cringe so hard. She lives on carbs and sugar. Which I will admit was honestly how I was raised (shoutout Persian girls - we love our dates and fruit platters) but it's truly terrible for a woman's body. It has your body constantly releasing insulin which wreaks havoc on everything. A blog post on nutrient/diet will soon arrive but I want it to be know that I don't support the diet she preaches on. I fully support a well balanced diet of protein, fat, and fiber. And you should too. No pressure but I promise you will feel so much better.
Back to the workouts. She has recently added some small weights and more arm workouts into the mix but it's pretty focused on lean legs and slim waist which truly entails your entire body. I honestly love her workouts as they're challenging but not stressful. I find the 30 minute workouts to be my sweet spot but alternate to 20 min if I'm not feeling my best or 45 min if I'm really feeling myself (not so often but did happen more in the summertime when I felt more energized)! Feel it out and see what works best for you and spice it up when you need alternating across these lovely ladies. I can promise you that they'll always leave you feeling better than you started (mentally & physically).
Just a Quick Note:
I used to do cardio for 30 min then a 10-15 min ab workout for probably three years. WHAT WAS I DOING?! Cardio does really make me feel so good but now I really can't do the same gym rat hamster wheel style cardio that I used to. It's bodyweight exercising and cycling for your girl now and she can never go back. The results are also insanely better.
So.
What's the common denominator with all these girls?
THEY LOVE THEIR BODIES AND GIVING THEM THE MOVEMENT THEY DESERVE.
Gettin' the hit?
The workouts also mostly don't require anything but your own body and can be done ANYWHERE.
...
Love yourself and get moving!