The Latest Routine

I have to admit – I am a very fickle exerciser. I get into one routine exhaustively, and then ultimately get bored and need to switch it up. These phases usually last for a year or so and as the boredom sets in, I completely fall off the exercising bandwagon.  I usually have a mix of one or two things as part of my workout, yoga and running, spinning and running or Pilates.

For the past year I’ve been taking classes at The Dailey Method, a one-hour workout class created by Jill Dailey that combines exercises with light weights, Pilates, ballet barre work and stretching. I love that it works every muscle group in the body with an emphasis on your abs (my problem area) and stretching. (FYI … I am the least nimble person I know.)  The variety of activities in the class keeps me from getting bored.  I love it!  For now, at least..

The newest activity I’ve added to the mix is swimming -- something I haven’t done regularly for close to 10 years, but it’s been a favorite of mine since childhood. Like The Dailey Method, I love that it works the entire body and is a low impact exercise unlike running or tennis.

I hope that the combination of these two activities, with a bit of tennis with my husband Mike thrown in when the weather gets warmer, will help me get back in shape, lose weight and look leaner and meaner.  My biggest worry with this plan is that it does not incorporate a regular running routine, but Mike – an avid and obsessive runner – does enough running for both of us.

I have a love-hate relationship (mostly hate, to be honest) with running. When I really get into it, I enjoy it.  But most of the time, it’s just pure and unadulterated suffering. I do it because I know it burns a lot of calories. The last time I was high on  running was about five or six years ago. One of my biggest challenges overall is the tightness of my hamstrings and running does not help this.

Can I regain the dancer-esque flexibility I once had in high school and college, lose weight and look fabulous in time for summer without incorporating a major calorie blaster activity like running into my routine? Time will tell, and I’m sure I will be raving or complaining about the experiment here.