Today, I’m covering another frequently asked question: What does your workout routine look like?
I get this one all.the.time. Even more now that I’ve blogged about my Apple Watch and how I love the fitness app on there. I get emails/comments asking about how often I workout and what exactly I do and I always try and answer them…but then about two weeks ago, Lauren emailed me and asked if I would chronicle a week in the workout life of Shay…good idea Lauren! Thank you!
So, a few little tidbits before I show you my week…
1. I really and truly don’t stress about working out. This is one of those areas where I do the best that I can and then leave it at that. Would I love to workout more? Yes. Would I love to have more time carved into my day for it? Absolutely. Do I feel better when I’m more active and at the gym? Totally. Is that happening right now in my life? No. This season of my life is full and kind of crazy (work at home mom with young kids, you know!), so I attempt to go to the gym twice a week and participate in my very favorite group fitness class. Most weeks, I make it twice a week…but ironically, last week (as I’m chronically this for you), I didn’t and then this week, Smith got strep…so I didn’t again. I just don’t worry about it because I know that I’m doing the best I can…and really, that’s all I can do, right?
2. I have tried a variety of workout methods over my lifetime and my favorite is group classes. When I was younger, I danced (for 15 years), in college, I ran and lifted weights by myself, when I was first married, I ran long distances by myself and even a few marathons, and then after I had kids, I started group fitness classes.
For me, I enjoyed running long distances during that period in my life because I wanted to be by myself ;). I worked in the corporate world with lots of other people and dealt with clients all day long. After work or in the morning, I wanted peace, quiet and alone time. Then when I had Kensington and was at home for the first time in my life, I craved some adult time (to contrast all of the quiet in my house), so when she was six weeks old, I joined a mommy group fitness class (called Baby Boot Camp and then later after my franchise closed, I joined Stroller Strides). I was a part of this group class for three years and it was WONDERFUL. As a new mama, this time was invaluable. First, it gave me a purpose and a place to be every morning. We got up, we got dressed (workout clothes but nevertheless, it forced me out of my pajamas), it introduced me to a whole new set of friends (I didn’t know a single person when I started), it gave me adult conversation, I learned so much for these mamas that had older kids (I love you Nancy and Helen!)…it was a life saver for me! I only left three years later because my kids were 2 & 3 and they needed to be out of the stroller and more active themselves during my workouts, so I joined a gym that had great group fitness classes and wonderful childcare.
3. I personally love group fitness classes for several reasons: there is accountability with others, you meet people, you don’t have to think (the instructor does all the thinking for you), it’s always changing and there is a beginning and end time. There’s nothing worse than being at the gym by yourself and thinking, “did I do enough today?”. With group classes, they begin and they end. Period. You know when it’s time to go ;).
4. My final thought is this…I’m a big believer that you can’t out work a bad diet. If your diet is not great, then no matter how much you workout, you’re not going to feel/look the way you want. I think I get by with less working out because I eat a pretty clean diet. I eat a lot during the day (because ain’t no one want to be around hungry Shay!), but it’s healthy stuff that fuels me and gives me energy (lots of lean protein, whole grains, veggies and some fruit).
5. You’ll notice that I don’t workout every day. Instead, I just really try to be active. For me, active is the key!
So…here I was last week…a week in the workout life of Shay…
Monday
My friends and me before our class started. Friends, I LOVE THESE GIRLS! I would say that I have a group of about 15 girls that I workout consistently with every Monday and Wednesday. We’re all a little different, we’re all mamas, and we all enjoy the time together more than the actual working out! I snapped this pic right before class started: Narci, Amanda, Sarika, Erika and Brooke are just a few of my favorite friends at the gym. I’m telling you…if you’re looking to get connected with people in your town, group classes is a great way to do it! We do a combination strength/cardio class twice a week.
And then after school, I swam with my kids. I love being outdoors with my kiddos and depending on the season, what we do changes. From now until the beginning of September, you will find us in the pool.
Tuesday
I didn’t do anything :).
Wednesday
I typically do another group class on Wednesday mornings…but this week, Kensington had her zoo field trip, so no time for class. Instead, I did 25 minutes on my stairmill at home before my kids woke up. A quick 25 minutes and then I showered and headed to the zoo.
After the zoo, we came home and swam until dinner.
Thursday
Here I am with my second cup of coffee. I typically only drink one cup in the morning…but I was needing a little boost. Right before this pic, I did a few things off of my fitness board on Pinterest:
We also walked home from school on this day.
Friday
On this day, I jogged behind my kids as they rode their bikes to school. And we saw a hot air balloon…because we live in a magical little town ;).
Saturday
Smith had a baseball game on Saturday morning, and when it was over, we went on a family bike ride around our neighborhood. Everyone went…even Poppy :).
Sunday
I took a nap. Seriously, I did. And I never do that ;).
And then I’m typing this out on Monday morning…where I’m at home with a sick kid…so yet my workout schedule is interrupted once again. No worries though because I did 25 minutes on my stairmill, rode my bike to school next to Kensington on her bike and then found a dead rat in our garage and ran like the wind…trust me, my heart-rate was up today ;).
For this season in my life, this is what I do. I try and stay active, do the best I can and don’t stress. What do you do? It’s hard when you have littles in the house! Please share your ideas with me too!
On my foodie blog today…
This is a great lunch, side or even light supper too. See the recipe here.
xo
MEHAFFEY MOMENTS says
Almost a year ago I moved from Southern California to a teeny-tiny small town in Southwest Missouri. There are no gyms here, you just join your local YMCA, haha! I did know anyone and started going to a Mommy Bootcamp class in September and now I know and have become friends with some of the best Moms in our small town and have made a good girlfriend out of it too! Sometimes you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone! On to a really good work out class that started at the Y was PIYO, SOOOOOOO effective and we also try and do HIIT style workouts too. I workout M W F and if I don't one day I try and not stress too much about it, but focus on my eating. Thanks for sharing your week!
Erika Slaughter says
On those unexpected days when I'm home or even just to get a little workout in, I've been Amazon prime workouts, YouTube workouts…anything where there's an instructor telling me what to do! I don't wanna think!
Jamie Allen says
amazon prime workouts??!???
les and kawel says
Yes please tell me more!
Leigh (Balancing By Faith) says
This is me!! Mostly YouTube – but you can find THOUSANDS of easy workouts that you can do in your home!!
Melissa says
Thanks for sharing. I had never thought of using Amazon Prime for workout videos!
Lindsay at Lindsay'sSweetWorld says
OMG, Erika! Why have I never thought to do workouts on Amazon Prime?!?! Genius! Thank you!
Katrina Goodman says
I finished a novel, Salt to the Sea, on Sunday and wasn't sure if you had read anything by Ruta Sepetys. That one is historical fiction about WWII. So good! She wrote another historical fiction about the war called Between Shades of Gray. Her other book is historical fiction about New Orleans called Out of the Easy. (Her two about WWII are heavy and I always ask myself why I do this to myself while I am crying!?) wanted to recommend!
KB says
I do youtube workouts. I love bikinibodymommy. She does 90 day challenges that only take about 20 minutes. I also got a smartwatch, it is so encouraging to see the steps going up. I'm always trying to get more than the previous day!
Kati Matthews says
Oh your #4! I've lived and breathed that life. Training 18 weeks for a marathon and not shedding a single pound… that's just not fun! And how fun is it that I'm talking fitness and nutrition over on my blog today too. Great minds think alike Shay! Great post!
KW0410 says
Thanks for sharing – the stairmill is my favorite machine at the gym!
Jamie Allen says
i've been on a long fitness journey that started with walking on a treadmill for 10-15 minutes at a slow pace to were i am today. a sub for one of my rec center classes has changed my life. she renovated a portion of her basement and we have a fitness group of about 28 women that take VIIT classes throughout the week. i am currently going four days a week {saturday is low and slow which means it does not involve cardio but can still be challenging, or it can be yoga or willpower & grace}. in the summer i'm adding a fifth day. i love using my heartrate monitor and that my trainer watches it throughout the hour to encourage me to work harder if i need to.
Liz F. says
I am all about exploring different work outs on YouTube. I live in a very walkable suburb so in nice weather I try to 'walk' my errands with my daughter in her stroller. Liz @ familyoffoley.wordpress.com
Sheaffer {Pinterest Told Me To} says
MAN I wish I enjoyed fitness like you do! I was doing really good for awhile…and now it's been like 6 weeks since I worked out. #oops 😉
Happylife40 says
I relate fully to this, Scheaffer, you're not alone. I just don't enjoy any of it.
Paige Cowart says
I enjoy running & my daughter loves it too. We live out in the country, so weather permitting we enjoy going on runs petting neighbors horses, throwing occasionally rocks in a creek & just enjoying the beautiful world! I also enjoy my daily Beachbody dvd's. Like you…I love the beginning and the END to a workout ;).
Dana Pearson says
I love youtube workout videos where once again someone is telling you what to do, and you know exactly how long it is. Sometimes its nice to avoid the gym and just workout in the comfort of your own home. I really just use the Tone It Up girls videos. They're super positive upbeat fit girls that know what they are doing and have a huge video database. My favorite one right now is this HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) video. Its only 13 minutes long, but man you get a good workout in those 13 minutes. If 13 minutes is all you have to give one day, here is a great option: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP8Ko75R24w
These girls do all sorts of series and challenges to keep things new and interesting. To check out all there workout videos on youtube check out their page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/ToneItUpcom/videos
aliciak says
Yoga with Adriene videos on YouTube are fantastic! They are relaxing and a great workout and I actually look forward to doing them.
Alicia Marie says
O.k, so now I am curious what you eat in a day/week! That would be a fun post (hint, hint) 😉
I usually try to do an online video (fit2be) in-between Kinder drop-off and pick up (and sesame street is on for the 2 yr old) than I try to get my 10,000 steps…jumping on the rebounder a few times a week to help get those steps.
Kelly Connolly says
I am a Beachbody coach and we have amazing products and also awesome workout programs on DVDs from Shaun T, Tony Horton and Autumn Calabrese just to name a few. A lot of workouts are only around 30 minutes and it's so nice to be able to just push play and workout from the comfort of your own home. I think Sheaffer has done T25 with Shaun T. Anyways, we also have a Beachbody On Demand website that has hundreds of workouts on it and you can sign up for a free 30 day trial. Let me know if you're ever interested and I'll give you my website info! 🙂
Bri Bliss says
I love your philosophy on working out. After I had my first, I trained for a 1/2 marathon. As she got older though & then as I had my second, I realized that I don't have time to train for long distances. I aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day & I run a few times a week. I love my Pinterest boards too & am always trying to fit in little things before bed each night. I figure if it's keeping me in my skinny jeans, it must be working 🙂
The Prothros says
Y'all have got to try Daily Burn! Love it, instructor based and easy to do with little ones and busy days.
Narci says
This is such a good post!! I think you are right: good diet and staying active are so important. And, we all know I'd never go to the gym if some of my very favorite girls weren't there! Love y'all!! Xoxo
smzalesk says
You should look at Fitness Blender online. There are hundreds of free workouts, from cardio to HIIT and weights. They're great to do at home!
Amanda-Cupcake N Dreams says
Great post Shay! I try to focus on doing the best I can too. You have to be healthy but sane! I love Popsugar Fitness videos on YouTube. Anna is really sweet and encouraging and you can choose the length of workout you need 10 min, 20 min, 30 min etc. They have HIIT, Dance, Yoga and Pilates type workouts. They are great for squeezing in some fitness!
http://www.cupcakendreams.com
Nicole says
Shay! You have honestly helped me be more realistic with my approach to fitness and having two young kiddos at home. We joined a gym, and I too love the fitness classes. We go 2-3 mornings a week. I also try to run or do yoga a couple days in the mornings on off gym days while the kids are asleep. After dinner, we always go for family walks which helps tremendously with my husband and I actually being able to talk without being interrupted by kids 😉 it's all about being flexible, trying your best to be active.. But enjoying it, not stressing about it!
Other question I know I ask all the time 😉 is your diet!! You said you can get by with less working out because of how clean your diet is – can you share?!? Thanks Shay! Loved this post!!!
Kjlb37 says
Number#4! I would love a chronicle of what you eat in a typical week. I love that you said that you "eat a lot during the day". No one wants a hungry mommy, amen!?! Making good food choices is something I think more than a few of us struggle with, love to see your take on it. Have a terrific Tuesday, Shay! Oh, and I hope that Smith is feeling better.
Leigh (Balancing By Faith) says
Love this post – workouts are KEY for me during the week, but agree 100% that diet is so important or the workout just isn't as successful. And I would have been right there with you taking off from the rat!! Eeek!!
MommyLu says
"I'm a big believer that you can't out work a bad diet" – yes ma'am, so true! My hubby and I loved going to the gym together before we had kids. He made me fall in love with strength training. Now, we do Beachbody workouts at home. We invested in great weights and wake up early 5-6 days a week to get our workout in before the day starts. My favorite programs are ChaLEAN Extreme and Hammer & Chisel. 30-45 minutes is all it takes and it's well worth it!
Violet says
A week in the life of your food would be fun too! To see what you eat for breakfast / lunch / dinner 🙂 breakfast and lunch r so hard to plan!
Shawnee says
Almost 3yrs ago I joined P31 Fitness and it is the best thing I've ever done for myself physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally!! It's more than just a workout!! We workout M/W/F mornings from 5-6am all year and June and July are bootcamp and we workout M-T. I've tried T25 and youtube videos at home but I need my accountability partners or I wont do it. Now if I would just clean up my diet……
Shaybird says
I'd also echo for a post about your clean eating plan and how that reconciles to your meal planners. I prefer to cook clean meals for my family but is very time consuming for a working mom. We make it a priority, but it isn't easy. Would also love your tips for eating clean while eating out – weekend eating out kills my progress during the week.
Melanie Lien says
Neighborhood walks, yoga, and youtube videos!
Stephanie Nullmeyer says
I just wrote a blog post about this topic! I also have 3 young kids and it is hard to exercise consistently. But something is better than nothing! http://nullybabyblog.blogspot.com/2016/05/exercise-not-all-or-nothing.html
Amy Grace says
I love this post as I'm sitting here nursing my 9 week old baby and still trying to figure out what the new normal routine looks like! I would love s post on what you eat in a week of you would be willing to share. They say abs are made on the kitchen! 🙂
Stacey says
Yes! I'm with everyone else. Would love to hear a week of what you eat!! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Love on the Lake says
I used to live and breathe by group fitness classes. I went to one (or even two) a day except Saturdays no matter what. Then, I got married. And we moved into our fixer upper lake house. And…I started freelance writing in the mornings. Group fitness classes were less and less of a priority and also, a pain in the booty to make happen. I either had to pack my shower & work clothes to go in the morning before the office and pray for no rush-hour traffic or, pack a gym bag for after work and stress/rush/speed out of the office to park, change and make it to class on time – especially if it was a popular class w setup like Body Pump. (Nothing is worse than making it out of the office on time, speeding to the gym, changing, bolting up the stairs to the class and then…..no more bars left or nowhere to stand. So….I finally quit the gym. Something I thought I'd NEVER do – I was obsessed. Now I do Beach Body DVDs and have their video streaming subscription. I'm not a Beach Body "drunk the kool aid" crazy groupie or advocate. I don't like being sold. But in this season of MY life, it works. It fits in. It's 30 minutes in my living room – no packing of a bag, no rushing, no finding a place in the mirror. Just me and my TV. There's no excuse to not find 2% of the time in the day it takes to do it and there's a wide variety – cardio, upper, lower, dance stuff, yoga stuff. It works for now and that's a triumph in itself!!! Seasons of life = evolving fitness, even for this no kids gal 😉
~ LOTL
Loveonthelakeblog.blogspot.com
Angela Pino says
Your comment about finding the dead rat is hilarious! Had that been me, I'm sure I would have set a world record of some sort.
Genevieve Hughes Graham says
Thank you for sharing! It is so wonderful to read posts where people are real and honest about being fit. Eating healthy is so important and keeping active is the key to feeling young forever!
Erin Stinson says
Shay thanks for sharing your workout week. My transformation journey has been dramatic over the last 3 years. I had been overweight my whole life and at 38 I decided enough was enough and lost 100 lbs with the help of a trainer. Since that time I have struggled to find a balance between healthy eating and working out to maintain. Some days are successes and others not so much. I've managed to keep 90% of my weight off but have gained about 10 lbs in the last few years but still feel like I'm at a healthy weight and can enjoy some yummy foods in moderation, because who wants to live in a world without pizza 🙂
Gaines Moorer says
What kind of group exercise classes do you enjoy the most? BodyJam? Yoga?
Kathleen Hulbert says
You captured this season in life perfectly. I am in the same season, and my workouts look differently than they used to as well (used to be a marathon runner). Recently, I purchased a personalized speed training plan and have been loving it. Each workout is usually done within an hour and the plan incorporated yoga (which I do on the ipad while I am on conference calls while I work from home). Speed is great to focus on when you don't have as much time!
Joanna says
I'm in the same boat? Where did you get the speed training plan? I've been looking for something similar and haven't found one I love!
Katie Smith says
Loved this, thank you!! Workouts are for sure hard to get in with little ones, but for sure worth it if only for sanity, lol!! 🙂
Jen Arthur says
I love your attitude toward this. I am in the same stage of life with 3 littles and being a wahm, and it's hard to fit everything in! I try to get formal exercises in, but my main goal is just to eat healthy and stay active too. gotta balance everything! I hope Smith feels better soon!
Xo, Jen @bellenbrooks
Lindsay Lee says
I love this post!!! I am a mom of 3 kids it is very hard to get to the gym every day. I try to do a you tube workout at least 2 days a week and go to the Y 3 days a week. I don't know what I would do without my youtube videos. Here is the workouts I do I would recommend them to anyone they have really helped me out! https://www.youtube.com/user/blogilates
Christine Hicks says
Thank you for sharing! I am a Personal Trainer and Group Fitness instructor. You last point is so true and powerful! I'm jealous when you say it's hot at the zoo and that your swimming a lot. Here in Wisconsin we are anxiously awaiting those days! Have a great day!
Emily Forever After says
Sooo I bought an Apple Watch after your post. And I LOVE IT. But today was my first day wearing it for my group fitness class; which is also strength/cardio and is a one hour class. I was so excited to see my stats afterward but it showed 0 active minutes, which obviously isn't true. Do you have that problem? I also am guessing I burned more than 62 calories in a one hour intense class…. But that's all it's showing. thoughts?
Mix and Match Mama says
I bet your settings are off! I would check that!!
Lindsay says
I love this! I've been doing Baby Bootcamp where I live for 2 years and it has changed my life. With 2 kids 3 and under its hard to get it in but that made all the difference for me. Now I am training for my second half marathon since having my 13 month old!
Sasha says
What kind of stepmill do you have and would you recommend it? They are pricy and big but seriously the best machine at the gym. Might be worth having at home!