Ask Mandy: How Do I Find A Workout?
“How do I find a physical activity that works for me? I am trying to start taking care of my body more. I have tried to do weightlifting but I don't really know what I'm doing, and I absolutely HATE doing cardio, especially running. Any advice?
Sincerely, Health is Hard”
Hi, Health is Hard:
All those who have started their fitness journeys have been there! That runner who you see jogging at 6 am? The intimidating girl in the weight room with the body that you’ve told yourself you could only ever dream of having? Any of our amazing Wildcat athletes here at St. Kate’s? They have all had to start somewhere.
I have been in a similar situation, HIH. In this article, I will bring my experience into the mix and let you know what has worked for me, but in the end, it’s you who has to decide what works best for you.
I brought Wildcat Dance Team coach Alexa Boderman into the conversation to share some insights about finding a workout that works for you.
“Working out has so many health benefits; such as reducing stress, reducing your risk of heart disease, improving your sleep, and so much more,” Boderman says. “It's important to have fun and also recognize your personal progress and fitness journey.”
Being Active is in my Blood
HIH, my background has been pretty basic. Ever since I can remember, my parents have been bringing my sister and me to national and state parks in order to go hiking, climbing or skiing. We both could swim practically before we could walk because my mom was an avid swimmer as well as a swim instructor and coach. Though we both swam our entire lives, my sister and I never felt our parents pushed us to join any sport. They let us figure out what we enjoyed doing on our own.
My sister Megan found her love in biking, theater, marching band and color guard. I enjoyed cheerleading and dance, and I ended up joining track & field and soccer because I had friends who were in those sports—not because I was any good. We also spent seven years of our childhood in the southern Rocky Mountains learning how to downhill ski and snowboard.
Megan and I both eventually stopped swimming as a sport because we didn’t thrive on that type of competition, but I still love the water to this day and even got a job out of it: I was a lifeguard for four years. I’ve always loved dancing, too, and I even danced for a year in college with the Wildcat Dance Team led by Coach Boderman, a St. Kate’s alum.
Pandemic Problems
In Spring 2020, I was meeting my parents in Colorado for a ski-and-hike spring break trip, a typical vacation for us when I was in high school and early college. The day I arrived, the ski resorts closed down. We were still able to visit Arches National Park in Utah and the Colorado State Monument that trip, which was a relief. However, visiting Colorado and having all those wonderful hikes at my disposal made me not want to go home to Minnesota, where I wouldn’t have any fun hikes to do.
Thus began the journey of figuring out what I wanted to do to stay active. Staying sedentary has never been an option for me, namely because I get jittery and I need to be doing something or I get bored. Gyms were closing, it was too cold yet to go on a run—in my opinion, anyway.
I tried workout apps with the weights and bands that I could find at my parents’ house and wearing the only workout clothes I could find that were not locked away in my dorm. I dug up my dad’s old P90X workout DVDs and tried those, but soon quit. (Talk about torture.) Workouts like P90X and Insanity work for some, but not all, and definitely not me.
That’s when I discovered Yoga With Adriene on YouTube. Adriene Mischler, a yoga enthusiast and instructor from Austin, Texas, records and posts weekly and sometimes daily videos on her YouTube channel, all for free! I started her 30-day yoga journey Home in late March, and by the end of April, I could honestly say that I was the most flexible and strongest I had been in a long while.
Mandy Hay (Communications, English ‘22) taking advantage of the Butler Center to practice yoga
Now that gyms are back open, I am beginning to work out more, but I do miss yoga and the Zumba classes that we used to have at St. Kate’s.
Ideas to get you started
What I have learned is regardless of who you are, your fitness level or your living situation, everyone can find a workout that they enjoy.
“A great way to find a workout that best fits you is to start by thinking of your fitness goals,” Boderman says. “For example, If you enjoy going into the weight room and muscle endurance is your goal, try lifting lighter weights, but adding more reps to fatigue your muscles.”
Hannah Guiley (Sonography, ‘22) enjoys kayaking outdoors to stay healthy!
Boderman also stresses the importance of having fun while working out to increase motivation. Having a workout buddy or setting up a workout playlist are two really great tips to enhance your workout experience.
Here’s a quick brainstorm of some workout ideas:
For Cardio
Swimming, Zumba, dancing, hip hop, biking, stair climbing, hiking, elliptical
For Strength
Pilates, Pinterest workouts, Youtube workouts, weight training, outdoor activities
For Flexibility
Yoga, dynamic stretching, Pilates, static stretching, dancing, Zumba
Also, it is important to note that stretching is more than just working towards flexibility— though this may be a goal of yours—it is an integral part of post-workout recovery.
“Stretching as part of your recovery is very important,” Boderman says. “Stretching post-workout can help reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), help increase your ROM (range of motion) which will help in your workouts over time and help bring good blood flow to your muscles. I would also recommend foam rolling post-workout with your stretching routine for the added benefit to reduce muscle soreness and tightness.”
