One month of daily exercise π
First time hitting a 31 day streak!! π₯
Hi friends, welcome back! In today's post, I'll be recapping my entire month of consistent movement with the Peloton app. To say that this app has changed my life is an understatement. I am so shocked and surprised at myself for sticking to working out for an entire month - usually I would be the type to go hard for a few days, then fall off for a few days and the cycle would repeat.
But nope, not this time.
Part of the reason for this unwavering motivation and commitment was that during the last week of February, I was out of commission due to my laser eye surgery and the recovery process (which you can read about here). So I knew that as soon as I could workout again, I really had no excuses.
To be clear, I did take rest days where I either did a yoga class or just made sure to go for a walk outside (weather-permitting). I also don't have the Peloton bike (I DIY'd my own set up and use the app for all my workouts)
Planning
There's a quote from Alan Lakein that says "Failing to plan is planning to fail," which I agree with 100%. With the amount of classes that are released every single day into the Peloton library, trying to find what class to take every morning is such a waste of time.
I found is helpful to bookmark the classes I was interested in, and then spend 10-15 minutes once a week to write out which ones I would take. With the new stack feature, you can also queue up your classes so they're ready for your workouts.
Having a plan for the week was really helpful in that I could see what types of classes I was taking (i.e. Bootcamp, Strength, only Cycling, etc) - this truly allowed me to work out different parts of my body. It's also super satisfying to check off the workouts once you complete them as well as look back over time and know that you did all of the workouts that you wrote down.
I also made sure to lay out my workout clothes the night before so again, there was no decision making that needed to happen once I woke up. This is so key because you want to eliminate all obstacles that lead you to your desired behaviour (i.e. working out). It would be so easy for me to try on a bunch of different leggings/tops, and waste 15 minutes right there.
Lastly, I ensured that my iPad (what I use to stream the classes) was charged and ready, and that I also set out my Bluetooth headphones so I didn't have to look for them in the morning.
These three things (workouts written down, clothes ready, and devices charged) really helped me to stay motivated and consistent throughout the month.
Initial workouts - 1st Week
For the first week or so, I focused on longer rides (45 minutes) followed by a 10 minute arm toning with light weights (i.e. 1-3 pounds). Since I was getting back into working out, I wanted to just focus on consistency and doing what I liked, which is why I stuck to only bodyweight exercises.
This was great and I loved the artist rides I took (the Anitta one!!) but I knew I used to enjoy working out with weights so I started looking at incorporating Strength classes (with weights).
Subsequent workouts - 2nd-3rd Weeks
Luckily I had 8 pound weights lying around at home so I was able to use those, but I'm looking at upgrading to 15 pounds within the next month or so.
With the inclusion of strength training (even if it was just 10/20 minutes) - I felt so much better and I really started to see faster improvement in my body composition.
8 pounds is still heavy for me during some of the movements (i.e. overhead press or tricep extensions) but it feels so amazing to use my muscles and feel them working (compared to just getting a cardio pump during the cycling workouts).
I also discovered so many new instructors and I LOVE Adrian Williams and Ben Alldis. I've said this before, but it's really the instructors and their way of coaching that makes the workouts that much better. They never say things about losing weight or looking better, but rather about showing up for yourself, getting stronger, and living up to your true potential which I find much more inspiring.
Current workout breakdown - 4th Week
For the last week of March, I decided to take down my cardio to 20-30 minute HIIT or Interval rides (the most challenging) and focus the rest of the time on strength classes (I usually workout for 60 minutes everyday). This has definitely been more challenging but I have seen such progression in my body so I think I'm going to carry on with this breakdown.
Concluding thoughts
I never thought I would be this dedicated to a workout app, especially working out at home but I've learned that there's so many excuses and rationalizations that our mind can supply. If you truly want something, then you'll find a way to put in the work and just get started with what you have.
I'm so excited to see what April brings! New classes, new moves and new muscles π
In terms of the benefits of working out consistently, that's a whole other post which you can find here!
Sending you lots of love and light,
-Reina xo
#peloton #pelotoncycle #pelotoncanada #pelotonbike #pelotonweightloss #pelotonnewbie #pelotonfamily #pelotonnation #pelotontribe #pelotongirl #pelotonwomen #spinning #spinbike #spinnersofinstagram #spinstagram #torontofitness #pelotoncommunity #pelotonapp #pelotonworkout #pelotonaddict #onepeloton #togetherwegofar #ο¬tnessjourney #fitgirls #torontobloggers