Just Starting Out
I sit behind a desk – all day, everyday. I am the epitome of sedentary from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Honestly, I hate it! The positive here, though, is that I’m able to focus on the social media and online aspects of my business.
The other cool thing is, I work with truck drivers. If anyone leads a more sedentary lifestyle than my day job, it’s them. I’ve also made it known to them that I’ve lost 50 lbs. with my new lifestyle and I’ve created an opening where they feel pretty welcome to ask me questions about health and nutrition pretty much anytime.
When I first tell someone about my accomplishments, the first response I generally hear is “Great job! How did you do it?” My response is always the same. “I started with P90X, lost 25 lbs., pulled a muscle while playing softball and when I recovered from that, I started Insanity and lost 26 lbs.” Mind you, I gained a few pounds during that recovery period (it spanned across Thanksgiving and Christmas last year). Only gaining 8 lbs. during that timeframe is an incredible feat in my book, especially considering that I was back to being sedentary for the most part. The additional 10(ish) lbs., have come off by remaining active and eating MUCH better than I was before I made this lifestyle change.
This is the whole reason I decided to join Team Beachbody, though. I liked the results I was seeing and I wanted to help pay it forward. Lord knows I work in an industry where poor eating habits and being sedentary runs rampant.
I get questions about those workout programs all the time. Especially since the drivers will come into the office and see that I’m wearing a shirt that says “P90X”, “P90X2”, “Shakeology”, or “Insanity” on it. With the hours of service that the DOT imposes upon truck drivers and deadlines, there isn’t a lot of extra time to get a workout in while out there on the road. I should know, I drove for 9 years myself. That was actually the beginning of my own decline in health and fitness.
So, drivers will ask me a lot what they can do to assist in living a healthier lifestyle while out on the road. Granted, I’m giving them advice to benefit them while driving across the highways, but this is something that can really be applied to anyone. I say this, because, just like them, someone just starting out may have the same reservations, or excuses, as to why they can’t start a more rigorous exercise program.
Really, there are so many things you can do just to get up and get moving. With truckers, simply parking the furthest back in the truck stop (which sometimes is the only choice they have anyway) will make them have to walk all the way in to the building. This is something you can apply in your every day life, too, though. Parking out near the entrance at Wal-mart or the mall makes you get that little extra exercise in by walking the extra distance. My wife has started walking up and down our street each morning after the kids are on the bus, then biking a few miles in the afternoon on the stationary bike. Jogging, sprints, running are all great “next steps” to these alternatives.
If you want something a little more intense, start doing some calisthenics or light cardio. Push-ups, jumping jacks, and sit-ups are a nice start and can easily be done with little or no help (sit-ups are easy to do by placing your feet under a couch to help you up – or a tire for those truck drivers lol).
Getting even more intense still doesn’t require any special apparatus or equipment. Probably the best way to accomplish this is by simply doing the “Insanity” warm-ups. It’s a ten minute “workout” for most people. Heck, I break a sweat about halfway through, and that’s just doing the warm-up for the actual workout. This portion is just over 10 minutes and is a very thorough workout, especially for someone just starting out.
While you can search on YouTube for “Insanity warm up” and find plenty of videos showing what you need to do, I’ll give a brief description here. Each exercise is thirty seconds long and you simply move into the next exercise after completing the first. There are seven exercises for the thirty seconds, then you start another round, with each round exerting a little more energy and intensity than the previous round. Starting out with 30 seconds of running in place, then moving on to jumping jacks. After that are Heisman’s. This is achieved by striking the “Heisman Pose”, then mirroring the same pose on the opposite foot. Speed up and it becomes quite the workout. The next exercise is called 1-2-3’s. This is basically taking two steps to the side and the third step being that same Heisman Pose, then going the opposite direction. Again, speeding this up once you get the form down will increase the heart rate and get the blood flowing. Next comes 30 seconds of “butt kicks”. This is simply running in place, but bringing your feet up behind you as if you were trying to kick yourself in the nether regions. This is followed by “high knees”, which is running in place again, but bringing your knees up in front of you with each step. The final exercise in this “interval” is called “Mummy Kicks”. While alternating each foot kicking out in front of you, your arms are straight out in front of you at the same time crossing each other with each kick. Keep your arms straight and make short, brisk movements. The arms don’t completely cross, but you bring one hand over top of the other, then alternate.
Congratulations! That’s one interval. That’s three and a half minutes. Do that two more times, and I guarantee you’ll be sweating and your heart rate will be elevated! Try to increase your level of intensity with each interval, too! As with any exercise or workout regimen, you should always consult with your physician to determine what level of workout is right for you and what your body is capable of handling. By all means, print this blog out and bring it with you!
If you’re already past these levels and ready to move on to an actual workout program, go ahead and sign up for a free account with Beachbody. From there, contact me at the email at the top of the page, or on the message boards and feel free to ask me any questions pertaining to these workout programs. If I can’t answer your question directly, there are plenty of options for me to be able to find the answer for you!
