Back to Basics, Part II

As promised when I first came up with the idea back in January, I am going "Back to Basics" again. It didn't work during this pregnancy, but I am confident that it will work now. The focus will be on gradual progress, realistic expectations, and total body fitness.

My plan is to start out trying to exercise twice each day. I'll call them Workout A and Workout B. Workout A is always a walk at least 20 minutes long; the other details (time, place, speed, intensity) don't matter. The goal is just to get that bare minimum of physical activity to start slowly building up strength, cardiovascular endurance, and good habits. Walking 20 minutes a day is so easy -- there rarely will be legitimate excuses not to get it done.

Workout B can be anything that counts as exercise, even another walk. I'd like to start by doing some yoga and low-impact workout DVD's, and then build up to higher intensity ones like Billy Blanks and Jillian Michaels. If scheduling permits, I might get back into swimming this summer as well. There really are no limits to what Workout B is. I just want to work different muscle groups whenever possible, and try to shed some weight before I begin running again.

In the initial phase, I know there will be many days when Workout B doesn't happen. There even will be days when Workout A doesn't happen. Fortunately, I don't have to return to work until August, so I have some time to ease into a consistent routine (if possible, infant feeding schedule permitting). After my last baby, I was so obsessed with getting back into running that I didn't give myself any leeway to struggle, or any other options for getting fit. I won't make that mistake again. I'd rather succeed at getting into shape in a variety of ways for a while, than fail so badly at getting into a running routine that I don't get fit at all.

To keep myself accountable, I will resume weekly updates like the ones I was posting last year, measuring most of the same stats. I'll edit the different categories based on what I find myself doing and what progress I want to measure.

As for running, I'm not sure when I will start again or what training plan I will use. I'm leaving that all up in the air for now, and I'll figure it out when I'm ready. I hope to be ready sooner rather than later, but I know I'll get there even if it takes me some time. Running, swimming, and biking are all still in my plans for the future, and I won't stop until I've completed a triathlon, even if it takes years!