Gonna Be Some Changes Made

Whew...I never dreamt that when I set out to organize an exercise plan for myself, it would be so exhausting!

Here's the thing. While reaching for the next rung on my goals ladder, I've got to get my body and mind in step. Diet, exercise, and proper rest are what I am focusing on now. Better food choices, a less sedentary lifestyle, a good night's sleep, and the occasional beauty treatment at the spa. 😊

So the first leg of my journey began with me looking for simple exercise routines for the beginner that would slowly get my body acclimated to being more active. Also, I needed to find a video that focused on warm-up and cool-down exercises. While searching through YouTube, I found two very interesting fitness channels. The first is that of a certified fitness trainer named Joanna Soh. The second is the well-known certified fitness expert Leslie Sansome. Ms. Sansome is behind the very popular "Start Walking At Home with Leslie Sansome" DVDs.

For the warm-up and cool-down exercises, I chose Joanna Soh's video How to Perform Proper Warm-Up & Cool Down.  My choosing of Joanna's video was based on her clear explanations and demonstrations of the exercises. She also provides alternative suggestions such as "march in place" if you can not "jog in place". Once you get the knack of it, this warm-up and cool-down should take no more than five minutes (each). To prove her point, there is a 30-second clock for the individual exercises.

The decision to include the walking workout videos by Leslie Sansome was the easiest part of my plan. I was sold on Ms. Sansome's workouts after seeing my sister's results. The workouts were fun, but nonetheless, you had to commit to doing them regularly.  One thing I really like about these workouts is that Ms. Sansome is joined by several participants who go through the entire routine with her. It's almost like being in an exercise class but in the privacy of your own home.  😊 

My sleeping habits have got to change too. For the life of me, I can not get a decent night's sleep from Sunday into Monday (not that the rest of the week is any better). Usually, I fall asleep around 3 a.m Monday mornings. Which is crazy because I get up around 6:45 a.m. to begin my day (school in the morning, followed by work). Mind you, this has been going on for some time. Well...enough is enough! This Summer I'm going to rid myself of this bad habit before my classes resume in mid-September.




Below are the links to the official YouTube channels and videos I mentioned above. If you are on a get fit/wellness journey like myself, I hope you find them helpful.

Joanna Soh Official:  Main YouTube Page
Joanna Soh Official: How to Perform Proper Warm-Up & Cool Down


Leslie Sansome's Walk At Home: Main YouTube Page 
Leslie Sansome's Walk At Home: Mix and Match Light Walk
Leslie Sansome's Walk At Home: 1.0 Mile Happy Walk / Walk At Home /Walking Workout

In my next post, I will discuss the gear I am using for my workouts. Also, I am going to share the music I listen to while working out.

Until the next post...

Be well...

A Leap of Faith

Not sure why I am having such a hard time writing this inaugural post. Although, I shouldn't be too surprised. It seems anytime I had a work or school assignment that required a fair amount of writing, it was always a struggle getting started. Truth be told, I'm pretty excited about this blog (it's been on the back burner for quite some time). 

Oh, by the way, my name is Leza and I am studying to be a nurse (currently in the pre-clinical phase of a nursing program).  Also, I work as a program assistant, and when time permits, a freelance makeup artist.

Here's a bit of backstory: 

Late last year, I made some major changes in my life (all good...just different). I gave up my full-time job, in order to focus on attending school during the day.  Initially, I tried to remain a full-time employee while going to school at night, but for me it was a no go. Working five days a week, attending classes five nights a week with Saturdays and Sundays spent studying, catching up on much-needed sleep, and organizing myself for the week ahead was killing me. So, it was either keep my full time job and give up on becoming a nurse, or...take a leap of faith and terminate my employment in the hopes that I would find another job that would complement my new situation. 

As luck would have it, I found the program assistant position within a month after leaving my former position. Now, I work three days a week with the hours working around my school schedule.  My managers are lovely and very supportive of my goals.

Sometimes...you just have to take a leap of faith.