Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho......

It's back to the gym I go.

Before moving to Utah I had a really killer system going. I would drop my kids off at school at 8am then head straight for the YMCA in Ketchum. I had a phenominal trainer. Her name is Ali. She is crazy tough, totally motivating, extremely helpful and she is 65 years old. She is definately the type of 65 year old I want to be! This woman may be small, but she could SERIOUSLY give you a Jillian style (without the screaming) workout. She taught me to love working out. I crave it. She taught me to love that feeling of being uncomfortable, when you are really working at a good rate. I was totally addicted to it.

Why the "WAS"?

Oh man! I am off my game! Since moving to Utah I have been pretty tied up getting Mallory settled in school and us settled in our new lives here. However, my goal last week was to get a membership at the PG Rec Center, which I did. Yesterday was my first day back to the gym and I LOVED IT!

A few things that Ali taught me about working out that made all the difference:

* If your goal is to lose weight, don't workout to lose weight. If you do you will become discouraged quickly. There are so many things that can affect weight loss and a low weight loss can make you want to give up on the hard work. Instead, workout to feel good and for health. The pay off is guaranteed! Then when you feel good the desire to feed your body healthier foods follows easily because you want to accomplish more physically. When you do lose weight, it is an added bonus. It makes you feel great, adding to how great you already feel because of the exercise!

* Break up your cardio to keep from getting bored. Ali would have me cycle through different pieces of equipment in 10-15 min. intervals, on the days I wasn't working out with her. I would work on the treadmill for 15 min, then hit the elliptical for 15 and finish on the bike for my last 15. Then I would do my strength training. By the time I was finished with that I had been working out for 1hr. 15 min. and I felt fantastic! I would almost always hit my second wind and do another round of 30-45 min. of cardio. Nuts, I know, but MAN I felt great when I was done! A total high! It is not so much the discomfort you get addicted to, it was the endorphine release! LOVED IT!

*High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is crazy good for you...and crazy hard! Really! The elliptical machines at the Y go up to a level 25 and thanks to Ali I know what it feels like to workout on that level. I could have puked! But she is great at encouragement and quick with the recovery phase. HIIT is all about telling yourself you can do anything for a minute and pushing through it. THAT was a killer workout.

I am glad to be back to working out. It seriously makes me feel so much better! I accomplish WAY more in a day if I start it out with a good workout!

So, what are your favorite work outs? Do you work out at home or at a gym? Are you a workout with friends or alone type person?

Now that I don't have the Y, I don't have my Tues & Thurs swimming to change things up and keep it interesting. I am totally looking for ideas. Bring them on, my friends! I would TOTALLY appreciate it!