free workouts | Finding delight.

Hey guys! Welcome back to the blog! Today’s post I wanted to do a diary-style “workouts of the week” post. So I’m going to be sharing with y’all the workouts I did starting last Thursday through yesterday. Lately, I’ve been working out Sun-Wed and Fri with Thursdays and Saturdays as a rest day since those tend to be more naturally active days for me in regular life (housework, errands, walking places, etc). This week was a little different as I had moved my rest day to Tuesday in an attempt to listen to my body.

A few things to note, this is probably the first year since she started doing them that I didn’t complete Yoga with Adriene’s 30-day challenge in January. I’ve just been feeling more cardio and strength workouts lately with yoga only once or twice a week. BUT – I will certainly get to all those January videos over the course of the next few weeks. And because I’m all about syncing up my workouts to my cycle, being in the menstrual phase this week was the perfect time to get a jump start on that. More yoga and no strength was in the cards for this week!

Ok, enough yammering. Let’s get to the workouts —

Thursday 1/30

Yoga

Usually I do yoga on Tuesdays but I wasn’t feeling anything but a hot water bottle that day. Usually I do cardio on Wednesdays but I settled for a 20 minute stretch routine. Now, we’re to Thursday and my body is finally ready to get on the mat and work out some kinks. It feels good to have a structure but then allow myself to veer off the railroad tracks to do what’s best for me.

Friday 1/31

HIIT Cardio

I’ve really been trying to do more cardio in 2020 since I feel like my job is soooo sedentary. I also find myself craving that post-run feeling… but I just hate running. This sounds crazy but running allows too much thought. I’d much rather this very motivational British dude yell things at me while I “monkey see, monkey do” and turn off my brain for a bit.

Saturday 2/1

REST DAY

Sunday 2/2

Yoga

I did Day 1 of HOME on Jan 1 and then decided, you know what, this isn’t for me this year. But I felt called to bang a few out this week. So this is what I delved into today…

Monday 2/3

Yoga

…and continued this day…

Tuesday 2/4

Yoga

and this day. Anyone else feel like they may accidentally join a cult if Adriene started one? Because I’m solidly in that camp.

Wednesday 2/5

HIIT Cardio

Ok, quickly realizing this week of workouts was a little repetitive. What can I say? Yoga with Adriene and Body Project are my current jam. My favorite channel for strength training at the moment is Sydney Cummings. (I think I’ll do this one tomorrow.) She is an absolute beast and puts up a new workout every single day and a lot of them are on the longer side.

So, that’s a week of workouts with me! What have your workouts been looking like lately? Have any channels I should check out? Leave ’em below!

P.S. Looking for a way to get motivated about working out? Try making a fitness challenge!

staying busy to keep the winter blues at bay *This post may contain affiliate links.

With the nights drawing in and the temperature dropping, we’re starting to become limited with our options for things to do outside. At this time of year, there are no warm ‘golden hour’ walks at 8 pm, dinner in the backyard after work, or sunny picnics at the weekend. It’s all about heading indoors, keeping cozy and finding things to do indoors instead.

I’m all about that winter hibernation, hygge lifestyle…BUT! One thing I’m NOT about? Being bored. I’ve gotta remind myself at this time of year to stay busy. That (and daily doses of Vitamin D) are tantamount to keeping the winter blues at bay.

Here are some ideas for those looooong winter nights (and snowy weekends, too)!

Have a movie/ tv day

When the weather is bad and you just want to relax, a movie or tv day (or evening) is a perfectly acceptable choice. (Don’t let the haters tell you otherwise! LOL) With all the streaming services out there, chances are you have more options than you could ever work your way through. Plus, if you have a niche interest you want to explore, a snow day is a fine time to scratch that itch. Go down the rabbit hole of beauty tutorials on YouTube. Fan of anime? Binge watch as much as you want on this website. Even if you don’t normally indulge in too much tv (can’t relate), a bit of escapism when the weather outside is frightful never hurt anyone. I’m sure I’ll be queuing up Survivor to escape to tropical islands all winter long!

Discover a new hobby

Hobbies are important for people of all ages. They help you to build your skills, stay productive when you have free time, and can give your life purpose too. So many of us fall into the ‘work, eat, sleep, repeat’ cycle, especially in the wintertime when heading home from work in the dark. But hobbies can give you something to look forward to on that cold and dark commute home. They also allow you to connect with other people, and maybe even get you out of the house once in awhile. 😉 You could start a new craft from home, write a blog, or attend classes at a local library or community center. Even if your new hobby will be done from home, you can still find ways to connect with others online. Starting a podcast with my friend Katie has been such a fun hobby to pursue. There’s always something to do and lots of sweet peeps online who are just starting out, too!

Work out

During the colder months, it’s easy for a healthy lifestyle to fall by the wayside. With less time spent outdoors we’re naturally less active, and warming comfort foods are a far cry from the light, fresh salads we enjoyed over the summer. However, you can still live healthily without depriving yourself, and there’s no need to go running in the rain every morning before work! Gyms tend to be quieter at this time of year, and if you head down to your local gym or fitness center you might even have the place to yourself depending on the time of day! You can work out and enjoy a steamy sauna afterwards which will make you feel great. Not down for the gym? You can always workout at home. There are plenty of workouts (FO’ FREE) online. If you have a Wii fit, ballet barre, weights, or any sort of exercise equipment–throw it in the mix!

Do you guys have a plan for staying busy this winter?