Time to Become Dedicated

There always seems to be a sudden pressure, around late Spring time, to get a 'Summer bod' and when my holiday rolled around at the beginning of August I was most certainly under-prepared. It seems that the hype around getting fit pushed me further back and I managed to get even lazier.

My friends at work, Gemma and Clare started a Juice Plus+ diet before the Summer started. They really stuck to it and their efforts certainly paid off while I sat back and watched on the sidelines with a can of Coke and a Crunchie. Still not enthused to join in.

But I am now back and having eaten my own weight in croissants, ham and cheese in Portugal I have finally started my own healthy regime. Hallelujah. I'm still quite small but at 5 ft 4" I do need to keep in shape and eat healthily to make sure I don't become rotund (flashbacks to Freshers year at university). My boyfriend and I have decided to rid our summer chub together to keep eachother motivated. He actually plays rugby so isn't the slightest bit unfit but insists he must join me in my fitness quest!

We have created an exercise regime consisting of eight 50 second exercises each separated by a 15 second interval. After a 10 minute rest (to catch my breath) we repeat the cycle again. I have only been doing this for a couple of days so far but it's surprisingly hard work and I find myself hurrying the time along. The exercises we have included are; The Plank, Mountain Climbers, Squats, Crunches, Russian Twist, Jumping Jacks, Burpees and Push-ups. Phew.

Russian Twist

The Russian Twist (or 'weighted twist') was certainly Googled before I knew what the heck it involved. For this move to be completely worthwhile I feel like I need to invest in a 5KG Kettle Bell to really get the most out of the routine. Who have I become!?

And don't get me started on Burpees. Horrendous invention but I certainly feel the burn and actually feel so good when I have completed a round of them. Once you get the hang of them they are so simple (if painful) and no other exercise works as many muscle groups in one go as they do. Definitely an exercise to build a love-hate relationship with.

You're probably wondering why I'm doing all this now when my holiday has been and gone (sob sob). I actually read this quote on Twitter

As cringe as it may be, it made me think that although there isn't anything in particular that I want to tone up for it shouldn't stop me from getting off my butt and getting my fitness levels up. Instead of purely aiming for one particular date, I want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep my body in a shape I am constantly happy with.

I'll let you know how I get on...