Getting Back to Fit & Healthy

In my earlier post, I mentioned that two of my goals for the next six months are to get back in shape and eat healthier. The last year in grad school took a toll on my body, and I’m ready to take time to focus on myself again.

Several years ago, I had a solid workout routine down pat. I loved high-intensity stuff and even went through a running phase. Two years ago, I got hurt and spent a large part of the summer in physical therapy. I was anxious to get back to working out, but I pushed myself too hard, too soon, and didn’t heal as fast or fully as I should have. My workout routine was completely thrown off, and though I tried, I never settled back into my old routine, nor did I find a new one that I felt safe and comfortable doing on a regular basis.

Grad school was hard, and more often than not, very stressful. In my first semester, at times I was so stressed that I couldn’t eat, and therefore had no energy. In the spring, I ate better (most of the time), but I wasn’t as active as I should have been. I never thought I was unhealthy or in horrible shape, but to be fair, I could have done a lot better job taking care of myself in the last year. There’s always room for improvement, and I’m so excited to have a dear friend guide me through the process!

Remember Joel, my certified-personal-trainer friend who opened his own gym? We’ve teamed up to help each other! I want to help him build momentum and recognition for his business, Freedom Fit Gym, and he wants to help me with my fitness and health goals. It’s the perfect match! Joel created a 4-week exercise and nutrition plan that I will be following (actually I’ve already started), and I’ll be blogging about it along the way.

The exercise plan has a different “theme” for each day: cardio one day, arms/chest another day, and of course, leg day. Friends don’t let friends skip leg day, right? The meals I’m eating include carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats, that will help me build muscle, recover from the workouts, and feel healthy and wonderful. In fact, after only three days, I can already feel my body adjusting to the new exercises and meals. I totally trust Joel to help me reach my goals, and I hope that by sharing my experience and success, he can continue to grow his business.

I tend to keep details to myself, but I’ll be happy to share my progress (sans specific numbers) along the way. I’m so excited to help my friend, and to rediscover the joys of fitness and being healthy!