#21DaysofPilates

I have always been lazy when it comes to fitness routines. Growing up doing competitive swimming, I had the automatic structure of keeping in shape because of daily practices. When I decided to give up swimming my freshman year of high school, I never thought about how it would affect me physically, just that I was free in the evenings to be with my family and friends! WOO!! Come to think of it, I probably rebelled the idea of a workout routine BECAUSE of it. Fast forward to now and with the high-stress, fast-paced jobs I have had, it often takes a lot out of me physically. Some days were so rough I could feel the ache in my BONES. Not the best feeling, by far! Maybe it just prepared me for my two natural births?…..HA!

With the start of the new year, my husband and I vowed we would do better about working out. We decided getting up a little earlier afforded us the time to do a short workout routine before getting the kids awake and ready for the day. I’m happy to say we were doing fairly well, but when I abruptly walked away from my job with Starbucks at the beginning of February, I completely fell off the bandwagon. What do I have to be all awake and ready for when I simply work or sit around the house all day? Very fixed mindset, FOR SURE. And my back tells me daily that I need to get that mindset out of here!

Scrolling through Instagram I happened to stumble upon Robin Long and The Balanced Life. If you have not seen it on social media or checked it out online….well, you should change that right now!! Currently Robin is offering a FREE pilates challenge called 21 Days of Pilates and it is THE. BOMB. A 3-week long structured class where each day we do a different 10-minute exercise to work one area of the body while also learning the reasons why certain routines are done and how they affect the muscles we’re working to strengthen. If you know or have worked with me, I LOVE to know the reasons why! It helps me engage 100% in what I’m doing. Robin makes these 10-minute sessions fly by with her simple, concise directions and keeps me focused by giving me the reasons why. I’m loving it, for sure!

I’m happy to say I’ve kept up with these first 5 days and look forward to what the next two weeks’ daily videos can teach me. When it comes to a fitness routine, what do you find holds you back from sticking with it?? I’d love to hear in the comments below!!