I’ve always admired those who are able to fit a workout into their daily routine. I’ve made the attempt several times, but have been more of a once or twice a week on and off kind of gal. Since sweet baby came along (and completely rearranged my body), I became adamant about making exercise a priority. I want to stay healthy for her and also attempt to put my pieces back to where they once belonged.
My mom graciously agreed to watch Lyla for me so I could get these sessions in. However, I quickly realized that my 45 minute gym workout was turning into a three hour ordeal. Drive to mom’s house, unload baby and her array of gear, chat for a few minutes, drive to the clubhouse, stretch, workout, stretch, drive back to mom’s, chat, have lunch, chat, drive home. Of course I enjoyed the extra chat time with mom and the workouts were a nice getaway for myself during those crazy new mom weeks. The problem was that I was cutting into my work time and it was too easy to talk myself out of going when other things needed to take priority.
During this time, I started receiving flyers for a fancy new workout center extravaganza that was being built nearby. Complete with a water slide, spa, cafe, and child care it was literally like Disney World for Lululemon junkies. The glossy pamphlet drew me in for half a second until I snapped back to reality and knew that my Old Navy donned self was too frugal for such a luxury. I needed something convenient, cheap, time efficient, and that would keep me motivated.
We’ve been Amazon Prime members for a little over two years and I had only used it for the free shipping and the occasional show or movie. I knew that there were free workouts that I had access to, but had never been a huge fan of exercise via video. It was too easy to quit half-way through and there was a stigma that made me feel like I should be wearing a leotard and leg warmers. One morning after putting Lyla down for her nap, I pushed past my preconceived notions and decided to see what was out there. I was drawn to this 15 Minute HIIT session. I needed no equipment and even more enticing: it was only 15 minutes. It consisted of 7 moves done for 40 seconds with a rest of 20 seconds in between and then a repeat. I’m not ashamed to say that I probably did each movement only about 3/4 of the way through and was slightly nauseous when I was done. However, the host was not annoying, I felt accomplished in a short amount of time, and when the breathlessness wore off, I felt pretty great.
For the first time ever, I am working out five days week. There is a different targeted workout each day so you don’t get bored and can work the whole body. Monday=Full Body Burn; Tuesday=Upper Body; Wednesday=HIIT; Thursday=Lower Body; Friday=Core. As these sessions become easier, then you can advance onto others of Maggie’s. It turns out this is the perfect fit for me as I can knock it out quickly while baby naps at any point during the day. I’m literally done in 20 minutes and that includes stretching. The biggest change I have noticed so far, other than endurance, is in my back muscles. This is an area that’s always alluded me and, with swimsuit season rapidly approaching, I’m thrilled to be seeing fewer pooches protruding from the bra line area.
I’m not being paid for this review and I truly would recommend it to anyone looking to up their workout game, but don’t have hours a day to commit. I’m sure there are other great video options out there that I look forward to trying. Any recommendations??
**Update: 3 years and another baby later, I still love Maggie’s workout videos! They are perfect to squeeze in while the girls are napping/having rest time. I have also started doing yoga again which I absolutely LOVE!! Julia Marie’s videos are 30 minutes long and she isn’t annoying (high on my priority list with tv workouts). I have completed her 30 Day Weight Loss Challenge and am now on the Couch to Confident. A typical workout looks like this for me: Either one of Maggie’s videos or a 20 minute spin session. Then, one of Julia’s 30 min yoga videos and I finish with 10 minutes of mediation. It takes up my entire “break”, but I feel like I’ve done something for myself and I get a boost of mental health and physical energy to get through the second half of my day.
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Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC
