The Word on Weightloss

I know what you’re thinking, and no, the answer is not coffee (although, admittedly, I am more coherent after I've had my morning coffee). The best way to jumpstart your day is to begin with a workout - it gets your blood flowing, oxygen to your brain and gives you energy for the day!

I’ve been testing this theory for the last month in order to give you information that I have personally experienced. After years of focusing on the workout after work, somewhere between 5 and 8 p.m., I’ve come to really enjoy getting my workout in and over with early in the morning. Over the last four weeks I’ve committed to at least 3-4 morning workouts per week.  Everyone’s day is different, so this schedule may not work for everyone, but plan ahead and see what adjustments you might be able to make.

I decided to start my week off on the right foot.

On Monday I begin with a 5 a.m. mix of cardio and strength training. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. on a Monday to head to the gym might seem difficult, but if you’re able to catch up on your sleep over the weekend, you'll be able to do it! I’ve actually found it to be a little easier when I'm conscious to make sure I've gotten enough rest over the weekend.  After getting home by 7 a.m. to start my workday, I found I was much more motivated to take on the day. I also found that I had extra energy through the afternoon that I normally didn’t have.

Tuesday’s workout starts at 5:15 a.m. with an hour long spin class. After that I spend a few extra minutes stretching and doing a good ab workout. Interestingly enough, by the afternoon I had that same spark of energy that I hadn’t had before. Was it my workout or was it the placebo effect? I gave my theory three more weeks to find out.

Depending on my schedule, I might rest on Wednesday then take another spin class on Thursday morning. By the end of the week I noticed that I became a lot more lethargic in the morning. It was much harder to get up on Thursday than it was on Monday and Tuesday.

Friday I rest because Saturday morning is the biggest workout of the week. On Saturday at 7 a.m., I join a group of girlfriends and our trainer on the track at a local high school where we have an hour-long boot camp class. Our boot camp workout is something that the group has been doing together for several years now. It’s a great way to get fit and lose fat all while having fun with friends.

Boot camps have become incredibly popular because they focus on full body fitness and addressing cardio and muscular endurance, strength, agility, balance, and flexibility. Each class is different and you never know what to expect...and most importantly they give you results if you do it consistently.

I'll be doing this routine for the next few weeks. I'm hoping for continued increased energy - as well as avoiding hitting a plateau by mixing up my work out routine for a month.