My Favorite Online Workouts

I am not a good gym goer.

I get bored.

Fast.

And I’m not super patient with waiting for a machine, 

a class to start 

or for the super sweaty guy to hurry up

and wipe off the bench.

For the love of Pete.

I’ve always been better at working out at home but after our basement flood last spring,

Monte asked that my exercise bike not come back in from the garage.

I loved that bike!

I knew I had to come up with a different exercise plan.

My brother told me that he’s been successful finding workouts online.

So I started an exercise board on Pinterest and downloaded (Ellie did it for me) some exercise apps onto my Apple TV and subscribed to a channel on YouTube.

I’ve been very happy with the variety I’ve found.

I can do something new every time if I want.

Whenever I want.

With no wait and no sweaty guys.

Okay.

I did not get the benefits of a Smart TV when Monte was researching, shopping and explaining them to me.

I just nodded and looked interested.

But what I heard was:  Complicated. Expensive. Too much TV viewing. I have a computer, why do I need my TV to be another one?

It really wasn’t until I started these workouts that I got totally bought in.

That and being able to pull up clips from Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

We do that on a regular basis now.

I love being able to pull up YouTube on the big screen and search my Apple TV apps.

I can even listen to my workout play list.

I had McDaniel put that together since I. have. no. clue.

I don’t even know who sings the songs.

Maybe that’s for the best.

Here are some of my favorite online workouts:

• Zova

You can download the app Zova from the App Store onto your iPhone or Apple TV.

You can even coordinate your workout to your iWatch to monitor your steps and caloric burn.

You can do the free workouts or pay a fee to “unlock” some of the longer series of workouts.

Of course I don’t pay.

• Tracy Campoli

This is a shot of my laptop but I can bring her videos up through YouTube on the TV too.

I found Tracy through Pinterest and now I subscribe to her YouTube channel where she adds new workouts every week.

There is such an interesting variety of HIIT (high intensity interval training), cardio, yoga or just spot area workouts.

Tracy was a dancer and I love how she incorporates the discipline of movement into her workouts.

Who’s ever seen an out of shape ballerina?

Her videos are short and she instructs you on how many times to go through the workout or what other workouts to pair it with.

I usually do 3 or 4 at a time. And they are never boring.

And they never include Burpees.

Which I appreciate.

Her arm workouts are killer.

Light weights (sometimes none at all) but high repetitions.

My arms are noodles when I’m done!

• Pinterest

I have quite the Pinterest exercise board now.

I need to organize it by type:  abs, HIIT, cardio, yoga, arms, etc.

My iPhone does it automatically.

Does anyone know why that is so on my phone and not my laptop?

I found some great stair workouts.

Nigel thinks it is playtime city when I do the stair workouts and he hurls his tennis ball down at me usually when I’m exhausted and struggling to run up the stairs for the 75th (or 5th) time.

I do worry sometimes that the girls are going to find me after school 

at the bottom of the stairs 

where I’ve fallen and not been able to get up.

I’m sure Nigel will be right beside me with the tennis ball 

waiting for me to get up already and play.

For the love of Pete.

Nigel also loves to lick my face while I do planks or hike his bottom up in the air for rubs when I’m doing push ups or crunches.

Not super convenient but I’m hoping that just adds 

to the difficulty of the workout 

and thus my overall caloric burn.

These workouts on Pinterest pull from all kinds of sources. Some are magazine articles, some subscription services that will cost you if you want more workouts or videos.

But I’ve found plenty for free.

Like the Carrie Underwood thigh workout.

Which is TOUGH.

I’ve never seen my muscles shake like that before.

Some weeks I’ve been able to work out a ton and some, not so much.

But I definitely feel firmer and stronger.

Now, if I can just stop eating Gummy Bears and ice cream,

(not together, ew!)

I just might be bathing suit ready.