My New Fitness Regimen


Sharing about backsliding on my diet and exercise program a few weeks ago prompted me to act. Changing up my exercise program was easier than dealing with my diet, so I started there. Baby steps, right?

Some who read my Backsliding post suggested a personal trainer. Being accountable to someone helps, for sure. Direction about what to do on my own would be helpful too. Finding a good trainer, however, is a challenge.

My experience with trainers available from the gym has been mixed. One of four I’ve worked with was great and worth the cost. Knowing the quality ahead of time is nearly impossible. As changing trainers requires an act of Congress, I’ll pass.

It’s 2019. There’s an app for everything. What about personal training?

Turns out, there are lots of options. I downloaded several before settling on the free version of Workout Trainer, by Skimba. The navigation is a little cumbersome — I have a hard time finding what I want — but the workouts are exactly what I need.

Workout Trainer has lots of options. To get back into the routine, I’m focusing on programs I can do at home that don’t require weights or other equipment. Options target abs, core, stretching, total body, and many more at three different levels of difficulty (casual, moderate, intense).

On my own, working out is about sets and reps — however long it takes. Routines on the app are timed. Options range from a few minutes to much longer. The workouts I’ve done over the past three weeks are eight- to sixteen-minutes long.

Individual workouts include an illustrated list of the exercises contained to look over before making a selection. Hit start and a trainer explains and demonstrates how to do the first exercise via video. Next come words of encouragement, an announcement about what’s next (including several short breaks), and a countdown.

So far, I’ve found workouts I like without upgrading to the Pro version or paying for one of the numerous premium programs available. I’m not ruling that out, but for now, the free workouts are kicking my butt.

Exercising seven days a week has long been a seldom-achieved goal. Prior to my Backsliding post, exercising even one day a week had been a challenge. Workout Trainer has turned that around. Since downloading the app three weeks ago, I’ve only missed two days.

I still run when I can — typically early on weekend mornings this time of year. Getting to the gym has been a challenge. Not knowing what to do while there is part of the problem, but the bigger issue is feeling like one or two workouts a week aren’t worth the trouble.

Workout Trainer solved both problems. Last week, I returned to the gym for the first time since early March. Hitting the gym once a week is a nice addition to my daily workouts. The app also includes tons of weightlifting routines to follow.

Feels good to be exercising again — even if only for eight minutes. Doing more and/or longer Workout Trainer routines at least a day or two a week is next. To be honest, the minimal time commitment is at least half the appeal.