Fitness Friday

Source: loseweight-safe.com via Kaileigh on Pinterest

I'm linking up with Desirae today for Fitness Friday.  I have thought about doing fitness posts for awhile now, so this link up seems like the perfect opportunity!

Fitness is something that is very important to me.  I started working out back in University when I gained a few pounds (a few being like 20) and I haven't looked back.  Not only does it help me to maintain my weight, but it makes me generally happier.  I enjoy finding new work outs that challenge me.

That leads into my topic.  TABATA.  The latest and greatest fitness craze.  I have actually only done it twice, but so far I love it.  We have fitness classes at my office at lunch and so I did the first one there.  It was tough!  But I came out of that workout feeling awesome.  Then I did one on my own at home last weekend.  I found this Tabata clock online and used it on my playbook while watching taped TV episodes.  Multitasking people!

Basically, Tabata is a series of 8 exercises.  You do a 20 second interval followed by a 10 second rest, and you do that 8 times.  I believe there are a few different ways of doing this.  Some people do the 8 exercises one after another and then repeat that whole series 8 times.  The way my fitness instructor does it is to repeat the same exercise 8 times in a row.  Then you take a 2 minute rest before you begin the next sequence of 8.  Trust me, you need that 2 minutes once you get to the 4th circuit!  When I'm repeating the same exercise, sometimes I will add variations.  Or if I am doing a weights exercise, I will alternate and do 4 of one exercise and 4 of another.

The great thing about Tabata, is that time flies!  It's about an hour long work out once you add in warm up and cool down, but it goes quickly and you definitely feel like it was worth your time at the end of it!  And everyone wants to feel like it was worth their time at the end of a workout.