234 Workouts Until New Year’s Eve

I may need to revamp my goal of 250 workouts during 2013. As of today, I’ve only completed 16 workouts so far this year.

When I originally set the goal, I planned to average 5 workouts a week throughout the year. I’m only exercising 3 days a week now. Soon I will probably add 2 or 3 running sessions each week, but I will still end up short of my original goal.

There is nothing wrong with changing a goal. Just be sure the switch is intentional.

Especially if the goal is exercise-related. Consistency is key. Frequency may change. Results may be the same.

And sometimes, less is more…

Although I started off the year intending to do 5 workouts each week, I had several epiphanies (also known as “ah-ha moments”) during the past several weeks:

1. I really struggle with motivation to do much of anything during the winter.
2. It’s hard to convince myself to work out 5 times a week.
3. It’s even harder to talk myself into starting a workout session that will last at least an hour.
4. At this point in my life, my primary goal is to be fit, keep my muscle tone, and lower my chances of age-related muscle/bone issues in the future. With that end in mind, it isn’t necessary to knock myself out. It probably also isn’t ideal.

So…. Just as I used the “try just a teensy weensy little bite of it” method with my kids when they were young, I decided to give myself a break. I lowered my daily dose of exercise to accommodate my lower motivation level.

After 2 or 3 months, I will know how well this works out for me and my body. By then, April will have arrived!

It’s not too hard to persuade my Winter Self to do a 30-minute workout just 3 days a week. Thirty minutes isn’t bad.

Well, unless it’s the workout I did Monday… which, now that I think about it, is fairly typical of the workouts I’ve been doing for the past couple of weeks.

At least the pain and discomfort and gasping for breath only lasts for half an hour.

My workout – Monday, February 4

Repeat the following circuit 3 times. 40 seconds of each exercise. 20 seconds rest between exercises.

• Dumbbell Alternating Lunge
• Dumbbell Neutral Grip Chest Press
• Dumbbell Bent Over Row

THEN….Twice through this circuit. (It was supposed to be 3 times, but I was short on time — and breath! Did I mention I’m almost 56 years old?)  No rest between exercises. Rest one minute between circuits.

1. close-stance bodyweight squat – 15 repetitions (reps)
2. close-grip push-up – 10 reps
3. reverse lunge – 10 per side
4. inchworm – 6 reps  (I really hate these. I only managed 3 repetitions each time.
5. run in place – 20 seconds
6. mountain climber – 10 per side
7. total body extension – 8 reps
8. calf jump – 10 reps
9. reaching lunge – 8 per side (I did regular lunges)
10. decline push-ups or regular push-ups – 12 reps
11. run in place – 20 seconds

THEN…
Repeat 8 times with no rest (I was dead after 4 or 5 rounds, so I stopped):

• Close-stance bodyweight squat – 20 seconds of squats
• Followed by 10 second hold in the bottom position

(For all sorts of reasons, I probably should mention that the above workout was designed by Craig Ballantyne. Never in a million years would I design something so crazy.)

Even with the Senior Citizen Discount I allowed myself, that workout is tough. Total time was 30 minutes, not counting the 5-minute warm-up I did.

If you’ve been exercising regularly, I dare you to try this workout. Let me know how it goes…

Or just do the strength-training segment with the dumbbells. That’s a good start.

How many days a week do you exercise? If you’ve reached “middle age”, do you exercise more or less than when you were younger? What type of exercise do you do?