I am a huge proponent of staying fit and healthy. I don't do it for anyone besides myself, because that's that's what makes me feel comfortable and proud. However, my typical healthy lifestyle and normal weight took a bit of a nosedive as a result of shin splints, some medications I was on and perhaps lower metabolism due to getting a little older. I'm happy to say I am off the meds and my energy is back to normal - I have been cooking more home cooked, healthy meals and getting active - Moving It! It's been a frustrating journey getting back into the shape I used to be in and I haven't made it there yet.
To help kickstart me into gear, I made sure I switched around my exercise. This included classes at the gym like spinning, group pump/strength, and yoga. I also mixed it up with some outdoor bike rides, weight training, elliptical, walking, and core training. Something wasn't working out. I didn't feel like I was making any improvement - wasn't lifting more weight or going longer distances for cardio workouts. (Note: I avoid running due to shin splints, but I enjoy running outside!) Of course I have read about Insanity, P90X, and HIIT. I never got into P90X because I found it overly redundant and boring, but maybe I just didn't give it a worthy shot.
My gym offers HIIT [High Intensity Interval Training] classes and I decided to try it two weeks ago. It was great! I got the strength building I would get from weight training or a Body Pump class, but I also got some cardio in and increased my heart rate. For the first time in a long time, I felt I had put in a worthy workout. I was sore the next day or two, but nothing that prevented me from getting out and about.
I decided to take the class again the following week, which would have been 1 week ago from today. The routines were a bit different, which I liked and this time, was primarily lower body focused. We did a lot of jumping, stepping, squats, and lunges. I had to do some alternatives to the jumping because of my shins. Again, I felt it was a great workout. The next morning, my body disagreed with me. I couldn't walk!
I somehow got calf strains, as diagnosed later by a doctor, in both calves. Severe strains. I could not place my feet flat on the ground and stand. This went on for 4 days. I was resting, icing, heating, elevating, and taking Ibuprofen. Fortunately, I am walking again and can return to work tomorrow, but my full recovery will still take weeks.
So why am I sharing this with you? For a few reasons. 1 - I still think HIIT is a great workout for those stuck in a rut or even just looking for something new, but for anyone not in tip-top shape, I suggest you take it easy at first. I did not realize what was going on until the next day and am still a little baffled on how to know when to take it easy in this case. 2 - My workouts and fitness aren't going to be normal for the next few weeks. Whereas I'd probably blog about hiking or getting a long bike ride in before the weather gets too cold, I may be having to skip out on those and doing something a little less strenuous. We'll see. 3 - I have had a setback towards my goal of losing the weight I gained, which may cause me to be even more watchful of the food I eat.
To help kickstart me into gear, I made sure I switched around my exercise. This included classes at the gym like spinning, group pump/strength, and yoga. I also mixed it up with some outdoor bike rides, weight training, elliptical, walking, and core training. Something wasn't working out. I didn't feel like I was making any improvement - wasn't lifting more weight or going longer distances for cardio workouts. (Note: I avoid running due to shin splints, but I enjoy running outside!) Of course I have read about Insanity, P90X, and HIIT. I never got into P90X because I found it overly redundant and boring, but maybe I just didn't give it a worthy shot.
My gym offers HIIT [High Intensity Interval Training] classes and I decided to try it two weeks ago. It was great! I got the strength building I would get from weight training or a Body Pump class, but I also got some cardio in and increased my heart rate. For the first time in a long time, I felt I had put in a worthy workout. I was sore the next day or two, but nothing that prevented me from getting out and about.I decided to take the class again the following week, which would have been 1 week ago from today. The routines were a bit different, which I liked and this time, was primarily lower body focused. We did a lot of jumping, stepping, squats, and lunges. I had to do some alternatives to the jumping because of my shins. Again, I felt it was a great workout. The next morning, my body disagreed with me. I couldn't walk!
I somehow got calf strains, as diagnosed later by a doctor, in both calves. Severe strains. I could not place my feet flat on the ground and stand. This went on for 4 days. I was resting, icing, heating, elevating, and taking Ibuprofen. Fortunately, I am walking again and can return to work tomorrow, but my full recovery will still take weeks.
So why am I sharing this with you? For a few reasons. 1 - I still think HIIT is a great workout for those stuck in a rut or even just looking for something new, but for anyone not in tip-top shape, I suggest you take it easy at first. I did not realize what was going on until the next day and am still a little baffled on how to know when to take it easy in this case. 2 - My workouts and fitness aren't going to be normal for the next few weeks. Whereas I'd probably blog about hiking or getting a long bike ride in before the weather gets too cold, I may be having to skip out on those and doing something a little less strenuous. We'll see. 3 - I have had a setback towards my goal of losing the weight I gained, which may cause me to be even more watchful of the food I eat.
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