Day 3
The most personal Personal Trainer is a person who is both the trainer and the trainee. In this period of social isolation, I must provide the discipline, structure, and motivation that an aerobics instructor or personal trainer would provide. Otherwise I won’t achieve my 10,000 step-per-day goal.
I actually started being a personal Personal Trainer (PPT) in January 2019 when I stopped my gym membership. I came up with routines I could do indoors when the weather outdoors wasn't cooperating. Because I live at 2,800 feet elevation, the weather often doesn't cooperate. Take this week, for example. Every day it has been in the 30's F. So far this week it has snowed, rained, sleeted, and hailed. It's muddy. None of these conditions are making me want to go outside.
It takes about 1 hour of indoor aerobic workout to achieve 10,000 steps. That many steps are equivalent to a distance between 4 and 5 miles, depending on your stride. I work out in my "office" (which is more appropriately my playhouse). It's 500 square feet. That may sound small, but if you've ever taken aerobics in a crowded room, you've probably taken up 24 square feet or less. That's about the area of the space I've allocated for exercise. Sometimes I "break out" and jog from the bathtub through the sitting area to the bed area! What freedom!
When I first started this routine last year, I'd stick with the exercise for almost an hour. Since then, I've learned that I'm more engaged and successful if I break it into 4 or 5 segments, each from 12 to 15 minutes long.
For me, the music has to be fun, loud, and pumping, just like the gym. My list has many selections from albums of fitness mixes with a few "normal" songs thrown in. The fitness mixes add a pumping beat that is steady and often extend the length of a song. I find that subgroups of these songs are good for aerobics footwork, some for running in place, and a few for step-like routines. I don't have a real exercise step, but I have a thick foam balance pad and have invented a few routines for that. I also found I can kick or tap to the height of various pieces of furniture.
How do I come up with these routines? After years and years of gym workouts, my feet have "motor memory." Play an aerobics-style song, and my feet just know what to do. I guess I did get a good return on all the gym and personal training fees I've paid over the years!
I'm not very good at weights, although I have a very tiny set. Once in awhile I pull them out and work on my triceps, biceps, and a few other muscle groups, but only the very minimum. I admit that for weights, pushups, and other strength training, a true personal trainer is best for me. So I've settled on keeping a healthy heart.
Flexibility is a good thing too. If you can't bring yourself to doing indoor aerobics, I recommend Yoga Studio: Mind & Body from the Apple App Store.
Workout Music