Gym Me, Myself & I :)

 
    Monday, Monday, Monday!!!

   We're off to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair today, and we are all pretty pumped!

    It's an amazing event held in Toronto every winter for 10 days that can't be described fully because it would take all day!!! It's got animal shows/competitions of every kind (seriously, cow, pig, goat, sheep, duck, chicken, horse, dog, I'm sure I'm missing a bunch!), food product competitions, a zillion activities for the kids, amazing food vendors and competitions, as well as booths of things to wander through and buy!   
  

   Anywho, the fair is just an 'aside' from what I want to talk about today! My "Gym"!

   I want to start by saying that I know some personality types feel more motivated in a real gym setting....but, I think the majority of people think they should or need to workout in a gym to get any results. I think a big part in people feeling like they are failing though is because the idea of getting to the gym, spending a good amount of time at the gym (probably 30-60 minutes at least?), then getting cleaned up and driving back to work or home or wherever you need to go, and we're looking at anywhere from 1-2 hours! Good grief, Charlie Brown! That's an overwhelming thought, and an overwhelming amount of time that most people can't afford to dish out!

   Then if you start lagging on gym time, you could start to feel guilty about the $$$ it cost to get this membership you never use.....and guilt sure ain't your friend when it comes to getting healthy & fit. Noooo sir.

   In my case though....I didn't even have the option of a gym!

   We live roughly 45 minutes away from the nearest gym, and we are a single vehicle family, which means I don't always have the van! I'm sure walking the 8 hours and 55 minutes into that town (I Google Mapped it out!) would be good exercise though!

     Also, we are a single income family, and I am too Dutch (read: too cheap!!!) to spend any amount of money on a gym membership.

    Needless to say, it was me, myself and I, or nothing at all!

    Now, I don't want anyone to think I'm gym bashing, because if you can afford the cost, the time,  and some other third thing, and you want to go, then go! When I was in college I had a gym membership.....though, ironically, I would walk about 30 minutes just to get there, and then I'd get there and have no clue what to do! I'm sure I used some machines incorrectly or something, but what I really remember distinctly is hating what I looked like (so many freakin' mirrors everywhere!!!). 

    Then, when I was newly married and newly a Mom, my sister, Mom & I would hit up our local ladies only gym. I somehow managed to go there for free for the months & months I was going....seriously, I can't remember how that happened, but I'm feeling like it was some sort of loop hole? I dunno! I liked that gym experience though, really. We would attend classes like kick boxing (that literally left me purple in the face and feeling like I would die {thanks Anja!})!, as well as knowing how to use their circuit and having my sister and Mom there to workout with made it easier to commit to it. And their cardio machines had t.v.'s you could watch, so......

   But, alas, this was only to be for a time, as we moved to Bangkok, no wait, we moved to Bancroft! One lady at the gym thought I had moved to Bangkok and when she saw me for the first time visiting after we had moved she referred to me as a "world traveller", then revealed a few minutes later she thought I had moved to Bangkok, and I was too embarrassed for her to correct it!) Haha, golly gee, N-E-ways.....we moved, and I was back to no gym!

    So, all that to say, I've done the gym thing, it can have it's pros and cons, but sometimes (many times) it's not an option at all!  If you are  in the "no gym" boat, fear not! The only gym you really need, you've already got! It's you! Your body weight, your heart & mind and the desire to get healthier!    

    So, without further ado, let me show you "Gym Me, Myself, and I" (& YouTube) : )

   
​    Now what I want to share is a favourite Monday playlist I created on YouTube! I'm sharing with you a 40 minute playlist that consists of 4 different videos (I need variety!), that are designed to get you sweaty & breathless! 

   Ok, well, apparently I can't seem to get the playlist to load, so, for the whole playlist on my YouTube channel, click HERE!   : )   
        

   40 minutes is not always very realistic though, I know that! Look up "10 Minute  (or 15, 20, whatever!) High Intensity Interval Training" on YouTube though, and you'll find a bunch to pick from! Having the internet available isn't always an option either though, so, when I'm in that situation, I'll use something like the guide I've included at the end of this post to run me through a quick workout (the one I've provided takes me about 15 minutes to do once through).

   This workout doesn't have to happen outdoors, by the way, so don't let that throw you! Just run fast on the spot for the "Run (fast) 30 Seconds portion" and the rest is all indoor friendly!

   As a parting note about what one may or may not need to workout, over the (Canadian) Thanksgiving weekend, while at my parents house I did the above workout in a space (literally!) about 4x7 ft (that's being generous), and without my workout clothes (because I had apparently forgotten them!) so I wore the cosy pants I had packed and my sons t-shirt, and a bra I wasn't going to wear that day (so I knew I could get is washed and dried before I did need it!), and I got 'er done!  I have included crappy cellphone photos of this experience below! 

   No excuses people! There is no place, no amount of time, no special clothes or equipment needed to start feeling and being better!