June Fitness Challenge: Week 2 roundup

My June Fitness Challenge just reached the half way mark, and I’ve now completed Week Two without spending any extra cash. The second week aimed to continue with plenty of general aerobic fitness and add in some light toning exercises.

By light toning I mean things like sit-ups, the odd push up, calf raises, and a few barre and pilates exercises. I set out to work on all the major muscle groups (core/waist, arms, legs etc) and put them through a good range of movement, mostly working against gravity rather than going straight in for the weights. Lots of light reps without straining the joints, basically.

It’s worth checking your target pulse every now and again when you’re trying to improve your fitness levels, in case there’s room to work a little harder or as an advance warning that you’re overdoing it. On the first day of the week I noticed that my pulse was going too high during moderate exertion, which it doesn’t normally do. This can be a sign of over training, especially if it takes a long time to come back down to normal again. I made the next day a proper rest day, and drank lots of water as well as taking it easy, and things improved a lot after that.

It has taken more than a couple of weeks of workouts, but I’m definitely feeling the benefits of the new exercise plan now. I feel as though I have a bit more energy and alertness, and there’s less temptation to reach for a daily double espresso than there was last month. There’s some visible difference in muscle tone as well, especially in the legs and the abs, although it will probably be the end of June before it’s completely obvious. Don’t worry, I won’t be doing any of those obnoxious #FitnessGoals selfies on Instagram, you’re all safe!

That said, it is encouraging to see some progress as well as feeling generally healthier. I’ve managed to have a second week of eating at least six portions of fruit and vegetables every day, and the kitchen garden’s giving us yet more salad, leafy greens and a few delicious strawberries too. My aim is to avoid becoming scrawny, as well as to eat a wider range of nutrients.

I ended up being out on one more evening than I’d planned for, which meant cutting one of my toning sessions short, so I’m aiming to be better organised and scheduled for Week 3 than I was in Week 2. I managed a total of 5 hours 5 minutes of aerobic exercise (pledged 5 hours), and 103 minutes of toning exercises (should have been 120).

Onwards and upwards now, with a few light hand held weights…

How are your fitness efforts coming along? Send me some inspiration!