I received this question the other day, “how do you decide on your exercise routine?”...
I thought this was a great question!
I will tell you about my experience then provide some suggestions!
Exercise to me has not always been healthy. I used to look at exercise like I HAD to do it. If I missed a day of running my body would blow up and gain 10lbs.
In some ways...this was correct. My body was metabolically in the toilet. All I would do was hours of cardio, restrict my calories, and binge on food on the weekends. Only to start over the next week.
My hormones were a mess, my metabolism was a mess, and my mental state was a mess. I would fluctuate up and down by 10-20lbs in my weight SO easily.
Fast forward to learning how nutrition and metabolism works, how important strength based exercises and rest days are, and listening to my body and I have weighed the same over the last 8 years with cutting well down on exercise. Sometimes even taking a month or two off of doing anything besides walking.
So to answer your question… how do you decide on your exercise regiment?
It comes down to these things:
- My schedule. I am a working mom with a child that comes home at 3:00pm in the afternoon. I have to be extremely strategic about how long and when I workout. Basically efficiency is extremely important to me. No more hour-long workouts at the gym! What can I do for the 30-45 minutes I have in the morning and actually be CONSISTENT with?
- What I LIKE to do! This has taken me 10+ years to figure out and still changes from season to season. But right now, I am currently enjoying Strength training 3x/week and maybe 1-2 days of a cardio workout!
- What helps my body stay metabolically efficient. I am going to be straight up and tell you I do not enjoy lifting weights. BUT I do love seeing my strength build, visually seeing my muscles, and enjoying ALL foods like cookies, bread, etc. without fear of weight gain! I train with a personal trainer 3x/week because I need this accountability! I know how important strength and resistance training is for my long-term health. It's a MUST for me. Non-negotiable. I like to be effective with my time and strength training is where I get the most bang for my buck (and you will too!)
- Lastly- I rely 110% on my nutrition to keep my body where it is at. NOT my exercise. I know that exercise is great for movement, cardiovascular health, and for helping my metabolism. BUT I know that nutrition is what is the game changer in regards to me staying where I like to be. SO if I cannot get a workout on that day… I just remind myself it's okay… just stay focused on your nutrition goals and all will be good! And try to be consciously more active. Truly exercise is SUCH a small amount of our calorie burn throughout the day… nutrition is a million times more important.
So, I would ask yourself these 4 questions to figure out what your exercise regimen should be:
- What's your schedule like and how much time do you have to exercise?
- What do you LIKE doing and can do consistently week in and week out?
- What challenges you outside of your comfort zone and how can you create some accountability around it? (Remember if it doesn’t challenge you it doesn't change you)
- Is your nutrition on board? And if it is not… I would maybe worry about focusing on that first (for ex: taking time to meal prep vs workout) if you are really trying to see a body composition shift.
Here are two DIY programs we offer that help you get your nutrition foundation built plus attach strength training in to support your metabolism and muscle mass:
#1: The Gray30- 6 steps to build your nutrition foundation. This will get you consistent with the 6 habits you need to do for body composition change and fat loss. No crazy diet rules involved.
#2: Reclaim Your Strength- 8 week jumpstart plan to get you strength training for results 3 days a week! You can do these workouts in your home OR at a gym. The goal is to get you working out less but seeing more results!
Questions don’t hesitate to reach out to support@graynutrition.com