Finding a Workout That Fits Real Life
Working out. Lifting weights. Cardio. Pilates/stretching.
For years and years and years I wanted to be someone who did those sorts of things—consistently. Not just in fits and starts, not just when motivation hit, but as part of my life.
Have you ever felt that way?
You want to be consistent. You want to feel strong. But somehow it turns into starting. Stopping. Then wondering why it’s so hard to stick with something that’s supposed to be good for you. (Cue the screaming toddler!)
There were even times that I did work out.
The trouble was: I could not find something I loved loved loved and wanted to do long term.
For example, I used to use Beach Body DVD’s. Over the years, I bought the programs (Chalene Extreme, P90X, etc.) and loved them, but because they were taped, they got redundant. I knew what the trainer would say and when.
And maybe that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it kind of is. Because when something starts to feel stale, I knew I would have to go on the hunt for something new.
Going to the YMCA and working with a personal trainer was helpful, but not sustainable long-term.
Then I started using a variety of workouts online. It sort of felt like I was a little kid in a candy store, surrounded by TOO MANY possibilities, and the workouts didn’t flow. I was just picking this one and then that one. There was no perceptible rhythm.
For me, it’s hard to stay consistent when every day starts with, “What should I even do?”
At the end of 2023 I joined Genesis, a gym in my town, which was awesome. Our membership came with some free sessions with a trainer, which were fine, but I didn’t want to pay her exorbitant fee to keep working with her.
To help me understand all of the intimidating machines in the gym, I bought Michael Matthews’ Thinner, Leaner, Stronger, a one year challenge for women who want to use weights. I enjoyed it, but it got to the point that I felt like all I was doing were the same major moves on repeat.
And again, that feeling crept in: This is good. This is fine. But is this something I actually want to keep doing?
Because I don’t think most women are looking for “fine.”
We’re looking for something that fits our life. Something we can actually stay with.
So when I decided to become a wellness coach, and I chose The FASTer Way to Fat Loss as the place where I would hang my hat, I had no real big expectations for their workouts.
I knew that they’d be fine. Good. Nice.
Oh my.
The workouts are the STAR of this program. Every single—and I mean every single—part of my body is worked out within a four-week period.
Each day of the week has a different focus.
Some days are interval training days, which are more cardio-focused.
Some days are strength training days.
And two days of the week are active recovery days, which are about stretching, mobility, staying flexible.
My favorite days? Strength training days—Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I love them (when I wake up and know it’s strength training day, I get happier instantly).
And it’s not only because of what they’re doing for my body.
It’s because of who I become in the process.
There’s something that shifts when I pick up those weights. I’m not just going through motions—I’m showing up, pushing, proving to myself that I can do hard things. And when I finish?
I feel fully alive.
The trainers are helpful, giving me encouragement, but they also push me.
Each day I have two new workouts I can choose from, depending on if I am doing the average workout or an advanced one.
Which means I don’t have to think about it. I don’t have to piece things together. I can just show up and push play—and that alone removes a huge barrier.
It’s spectacular. My clients tell me over and over how much they love the FW workouts.
But what I love most is how this actually fits into real life.
The workouts are 30 minutes long and I can do them at home, screencast onto my TV.
Yesterday a couple of grandbabies came over and while one of them played Polly Pockets near me, I did my workout. I have a client with six children who does her workouts with her kids.
Life doesn’t have to stop for you to take care of yourself.
It can happen right in the middle of it.
How I wish I would have had this when I was a young mom.
And if you’ve been wanting something that finally feels doable, something that doesn’t require perfect conditions or hours of time, I’d love to share a sample workout with you.