Thursday, February 28, 2013

Changing my workout routine

Since my days are busy during this time of year, I decided to switch my workout schedule from after work to during the day. For me this was easy especially since my gym has several locations in the Austin area which are open to all their clients.

But getting familiarized to a new gym's layout is a bit challenging. For example, the cardio machines at my old gym are located on the second floor. At the gym next to my work, the cardio machines are located in the center of the gym.

Also, I have noticed that the equipment, which are similar to those I use at my old gym, feel different. Perhaps they are calibrated differently. Maybe there's wear and tear on the weight machines. Regardless, the 110 lbs I chest press feel heavier. Yes, I struggle at 110 lbs, but it's way better than what I started with (20 lbs) two years ago.

I decided that since work for me tends to slow down between 10AM and 11AM, I would take that hour to visit the gym and get in a 30 to 40 minute workout.

Who works out at 10AM in the morning?

The people I've seen are usually older retired couples. There's a hippie couple that I've seen the past few times--she wears birkenstocks while on the elliptical. There's also an aerobic class for seniors on Friday mornings.

As it gets closer to 11 o'clock, the attractive ladies start showing up. These ladies are different from the ones that I see at my old gym. A lot of the girls at my gym are professional women or moms who are getting back into fitness. The ladies I see at this gym look like they come here daily because they have too.

What's the best time to workout?

According to a recent study at Appalachian State University people who workout in the morning have better night sleeps.  Other researchers from the University of California Los Angeles, who studied mice's circadian rhythms, which affects the body's internal clock, suggest exercising midday may be more beneficial. Regardless of the time of day you decide to workout, the key thing is to make it a part of your routine.

The cool thing about going to the gym mid-morning, for me, is that the gym is practically empty. I'm able to try new equipment without waiting or feeling intimidated.

When you do workout?


Sources: http://www.news.appstate.edu/2011/06/13/early-morning-exercise/http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/what-s-best-time-exercisehttp://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/whats-the-best-time-to-exercisehttp://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/why-afternoon-may-be-the-best-time-to-exercise/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22988135

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