My Fitness Routine

GapFit tank
CHRLDR leggings (c/o Shopbop) (similar)
Nike sneakers
CC Lifestyles earrings (c/o) (similar)
Yogavni yoga mat (similar)
Creative Ideas for Home Entertaining water bottle (similar)

Fitness is, and always has been, a huge part of my life. But my attitude towards talking about fitness is decidedly Parisian – it doesn’t matter how often I’m working out, I would prefer everyone think that I am just naturally fit and healthy. But my fitness routine is something that I’ve been asked about time and time again. And while I’m far from an expert on what will work for other people, I can tell you all what works for me. So this is it – a complete rundown of my weekly fitness routine.

Disclaimer: I work from home, which means I have a lot of flexibility when it comes to working out. This routine wouldn’t work for me under any other circumstances.

Morning
Body weight exercises
60 calf raises
30 sumo squats
50 push-ups
60 hydrants (each side)
1.5 minutes plank
60 leg raises (each side)
60 V splits
180 wide leg scissors
60 crunches
Free weight exercises
30 bicep curls
20 shoulder press
30 tricep dips
20 tricep extensions
30 overhead curls
20 chest press
30 chest flies
Yoga
28-minute Strala Yoga workout with Tara Stiles

Noon
Full body workout
The 30-Day Shred with Jillian Michaels
Monday and Friday – Level 1
Tuesday and Thursday – Level 2
Wednesday – Level 3

Evening
Running
Two to four times a week, I run after work. My runs range from three to seven kilometres, depending on the day. I always run as fast as I possibly can from the start of the run and slow down as needed the longer I am running. My ultimate goal is to achieve an 8-minute mile pace and has been since I started running two years ago. As of last week, I was within about eight seconds of that, so I’m making progress!

The thing about fitness is that it is intensely personal. Although I’ve always been active, for years I thought I hated sweating and my ultimate workout goal was to find a way to stay in shape without ever breaking a sweat. My attitude couldn’t be more different now. Unless I’m doing yoga, if I’m not sweating, I don’t think I’m doing enough. But a big part of my love of intense exercise is to do with its stress-relieving properties. I mostly workout three times a day because that’s the best way for me to stay sane despite my extremely demanding day job. If you have other ways of coping with stress, then two to three workouts a day probably isn’t something you need.

The other thing about fitness is that we often get caught up feeling guilty for not doing enough. Don’t. Doing anything at all is a worthwhile endeavour, no matter how slowly you go or how rarely you do it. Just try, that’s all that matters. Even just walking to the store counts, so make sure you give yourself credit every time you do it. Every little bit of effort adds up. It’s not about having the perfect body, even though that would be a bonus. And it’s not about changing your whole life overnight. (I sure didn’t – I’ve been building on this routine, slowly but surely, since 2012.) It’s about recognising that you are a person who is worth taking care of and putting first. Exercise is a huge part of self-care. But so is eating ice cream, so sometimes, it’s okay to swap out one for the other, guilt-free.

Like I said, I’m far from a fitness expert. But a lot of you have asked about my routine, so I wanted to share what I do to stay fit. Because the truth is,  as much as I’d like to pretend, I am not just naturally fit and healthy – I have to work for it like anyone else, and I do. Hard. I’d love to hear what works for you, too!