Workout makeover: Staying motivated
IU Bloomington staffer Nicole Roales tries out her personalized at-home treadmill workout designed by Division of Recreational Sports personal trainer Christy Shimp.
If you've ever started a new weight lifting program, you know that it takes weeks to see results. Well, by week four, I started to feel the impact of the regular weight lifting sessions and more difficult treadmill sessions. However, I have weeks to go before I achieve the look I want.
During my fourth session with IU Division of Recreational Sports personal trainer Christy Shimp, I learned a few new moves using free weights. I also learned that good form is very important. After working out, Christy emphasized the importance of stretching to prevent muscle injuries and improve flexibility. Remembering all the stretches has been a challenge for me since I'm not accustomed to stretching after a workout. Christy gave me an article to use at home that includes photos and descriptions of the stretches. It is a great cheat sheet, and it definitely helped me when I tried some exercises over the weekend.
My newest treadmill workout is great. Christy designed a second personalized treadmill workout that is challenging and keeps me interested. One aspect of the workout that I like is changing speed or incline every two minutes. It's more fun than walking at the same setting for an hour. I also sweat a lot more, and feel like I am burning more calories.
My biggest challenge is lifting weights at home. I have to work hard to motivate myself and devise some type of reward to get myself through a lifting session. It's always worth it in the end though because I always feel really good about myself, and that is motivation to keep going.
