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For those of you who are back in the office — are you working out midday, before work, or after? For those of you working from home, how do you fit your workouts into your workflow? And — what workouts are you loving right now, whether an in-person class or a streaming workout?
For my $.02, I've been suffering from motivation for a while for my strength training workouts at home, so I've decided to try to focus on consistency and just meeting the lowest bar possible — so for me that's a walking workout. I've started listening to audiobooks during them, which makes it something I look forward to once I'm mid-book. (Right now I'm reading Jackaby (affiliate link), which I picked up after someone described it as “Sherlock Holmes meets Buffy.”) And I'm being consistent, which is my goal. (Unfortunately I'm most consistent if I do it right after the kids are out of the house, which means a lot of my mornings feel like they go flying out the window.)
I'm still wary of going into a gym to exercise, but then we're Very Covid Cautious. (Here's a recent NYT article about how people “expel a shocking number of tiny aerosol particles when they are working hard.”)
How about you, readers? What workouts are you into right now? If you're like me and tend to have fits and spurts of exercise, what workouts do you do? If you're back at the gym, what classes or machines did you miss the most?
(Oh, and another question — what are you wearing to exercise? Are you a fan of the matchy-matchy looks that seem to be all over Instagram? I keep seeing this set recommended…)
Cb
I have been doubling up my commute and exercise. I do the school run on my bike when I’m in town – typically 7+ miles a day depending on errands etc and when I’m in work city, I walk for 25 minutes am and pm and typically take another short work at lunch. It isn’t an intense workout but is something I can do consistently and take a lot of pressure in.
I need to figure out a way back to yoga – we moved during the pandemic and my yoga options are more limited. In early 2020 I was in hot vinyasa 2+ time for week and felt amazing
Anonymous
I continue to love the Peloton, now and forever. I’ve also been doing more walking with friends – I stopped drinking and so walking dates have become a new great way to connect with people instead of the classic going out for drinks. None of these are real workouts, but they are long walks and talks and I find them so good for my soul.
Sunshine
I still love my Peloton! Both the bike and the other workout options on the app (bootcamp, ab classes, etc).
Nylongirl
I love my Peloton too! Two years later & I wish I had bought sooner.
startup lawyer
+1. Peloton forever
Anon
Just as a counterpoint – after using and loving my bike for all of 2020, I realized late 2021 that I was never using it and feeling guilty whenever I saw it. I sold it and haven’t looked back, though I still love the Peloton strength workouts!
Anon
I love YouTube workouts: Sydney Cummings and Heather Robertson for weights, toning, and HIIT; yoga w/Kassandra and Adriene; WERQ and Zumba for dance.
Pep
Who do you like on YouTube for Zumba? I’m overwhelmed at the choices.
Anon
I love Tanju Koc!
MDgirl
2nd to yoga w/ Kassandra & Adrienne. I also do Zumba and other classes streamed from my gym as well as free video workouts from Well + Good & Nourish Move Love
Anonymous
I am working out with a trainer one day per week, for 30 minutes. This is down from when I was doing heavy lifting / boot camp type workouts 3 days/ week and yoga 2 days/ week. I know I need and want to build my strength and stamina back up but it is so so hard to build that habit and protect the time now that I’ve lost it. FWIW, Partner in a law firm.
Anon
Sports!
I’m in a field hockey league (I played in high school) which has been very fun and a great workout (~500 calories a game!)
I also like to play just about any racquet sport (none of which I played in high school).
I supplement with running/biking/lifting but my favorite workouts are definitely sports!
Joni
How did you go about finding an adult field hockey league? I played in high school and college and would love to get back to it
Vicky Austin
I’m loving Nike Training Club right now – I’m working on a training plan, and on the days when I’m not that motivated I like picking a whiteboard workout so I can go at my own pace.
Anon
After seeing it posted on here a while ago I’m now fully a devotee of Caroline Girvan’s workouts on YouTube. I loosely follow her plans ~3 nights per week and rock climb once per week.
Anonymous
With WFH and a gym down the street, I had a lot of flexibility about when I worked out. If I missed a morning session I could usually make it up at lunch or after usual work hours. But my gym closes at 7:30 pm and I can rarely get home in time for a 6:30 start, so I am back to morning workouts. There is a gym in my building and I have talked with my trainer about building one workout a week for that gym so I have one I can make up if I miss a morning.
Anonymous
Pilates reformer classes. It’s the only exercise class I’ve ever consistently liked in adulthood. It’s helpful to me to have the pressure that I signed up and committed to a class (and they are $$), but since most of it is laying on the reformer, you don’t have all the other people looking at you constantly like in yoga, spinning, and HIIT style classes. Also, as someone who has never been flexible, I just can’t get into yoga as I walk out of each class feeling awful about myself, and I’ve always had a large chest, so the jumping and quick movements of a HIIT class are not for me. I liked spinning until every class at every studio made it a competition with everyone else, which is just not my jam.
pugsnbourbon
The Concept2 rowing machine we bought six years ago remains my all-time favorite purchase. I had a goal this year to row 1 million meters – with everything going on I’m stalled out at about 350k, but still might get there!
Anonymous
In the Before Times, I loved Les Mills Grit, Les Mills Bodypump, and yoga at the Y. Shortly before COVID hit, I was already pulling back on attendance due to concerns about poor ventilation, overcrowding, and a flu outbreak. I don’t think I’ll ever go back there.
I also loved adult ballet class. I will probably return to class during COVID lulls once we get the promised nasal spray vaccines that are supposed to prevent all infections.
I tried Burn Boot Camp because they tend to keep the big garage door at the back of the studio at least halfway up for ventilation, but it was not much fun. There was too much emphasis on cranking out as many reps as possible with heavy weights and poor form; I prefer lighter weights with good form and full range of motion. It wasn’t a true interval workout with rest breaks. And there were a lot of partner exercises that were awkward if you weren’t at the exact same fitness level because one person would feel as if they were slowing the other down.
Girlonawireless
Running. Running is my go to and will be until my knees or feet decide they’ve had enough. Hasn’t happened yet :-) Early in the morning makes the most sense for me most days — before the kids wake up. My preference, though, is to do it midday, but that makes more sense when I WFH.
Oiselle is what I usually wear. Love the fit, feel, and look of their workout gear.
Meredith
Oiselle is new to me and really great
Sandra
I go to a CrossFit box and it is basically a warehouse with open garage doors so much less concerned about COVID there. I can go to the noon class when working at home but stuck with the evening when I have to go to the office. I recently discovered Fleo booty shorts and while I would never wear them anywhere other than the gym, shorts are a must in the summer in Texas.
Anonymous
After a rough proxy season am crawling back into fitness. After months with little sleep and minimal movement, every home workout is a victory.
I take online recorded yoga classes from Tara Lemerise. She also has livestream, but I am too busy for those classes.
Use a Dr. J portable DVD to play Pilates and yoga classes.
Have been starting every morning with spin class on the peloton app with Cody or Ally while checking email for work. My non peloton bike has a tablet clipped to it to stream classes and enough room in the handlebars area to balance my work laptop.
Wanted to get into lap swimming again, but my city has a lifeguard shortage.
Any recommendations on home rowing machines that facilitate a mounted pad or on which one could balance a laptop or pad?