Get Your Heart Rate Up

Going to the gym every day is an unrealistic goal for me – I often get bored quickly and feel judged for the duration of my visit.  What I consider achievable is getting my heart rate up for twenty minutes a day, as long as I get to choose the activity.  Supposedly this minimum duration of time is the key for maintaining a healthy heart and weight.  Furthermore, physical activity releases tension and helps with sleep.

The flexibility of exercising in various ways discourages a mundane, monotonous routine.  In addition, changing up the activity helps work out different parts of the body and can promote a leaner look.  Cardio Barre classes, Bar Method classes, and runs at the Rose Bowl comprise my weekly activities. Sweeping the floor, washing my car, and lugging groceries up the stairs, are also common methods of cardio that bring up my heart rate. My boyfriend wants to take a hip hop dance class together, which if it is anything like the salsa class we took, we’ll laugh, we’ll sweat and we’ll feel even closer.  I now know the activities that provide me the most enjoyment and my ideal physique are dance and kickboxing.  Finding what works for you – what provides you with a challenging, yet fun activity can make your work out feel like a fun, invigorating, even liberating sixty minutes.

I think the key is to have options and to choose what you want to do – what makes you feel good.  Do it a minimum of twenty minutes a day at an increased heart rate (so that it would be hard to have a conversation at the same time) and change it up.

Until next time, may you shine from the inside out.