Monthly Fitness Recap: April 2018 (and a May Workout Planner!)

Happy May, everyone! Is this weather putting anyone else in the BEST mood?! I know Spring is an incredibly short season in Chicago, but it really is my favorite. There’s nothing like those first warm sunny days after a long winter – the whole city comes alive and I always get a new wave of energy and inspiration. Anyone else feel this way?

Luckily, this has also affected my motivation to get outside, fit in workouts, and generally be more active! That being said, in this post I talk about how it’s easy to favor relaxing on a patio with a margarita over going to a studio to sweat when it’s nice outside… but I also think that had a LOT to do with how overwhelmed and overworked I was. I feel really lucky that my stress level has shifted DRAMATICALLY since last year, so I’m hoping that I can stay on track this Spring and Summer! But let’s dive in to how I’m doing right now…

april goals

I wanted to complete 16 workouts, stay committed to what challenges me, and get outside more – and I’m happy to say I accomplished all of those goals in April! Wahoo!!!

april obstacles

Honestly, this was a very calm month. We weren’t traveling, work was manageable, and our social calendar wasn’t anything crazy. I can’t even remember the last time I wrote that sentence and meant it! Haha it’s definitely been a few YEARS. NBD ?

# of workouts completed

I completed my goal of 16 workouts, and that doesn’t even include all the walking Adam and I did! As I mentioned, I feel super lucky that I’ve been able to dedicate that much time to my health and well being this month. It’s been SO. NICE. Those of you who love health & wellness but are also super busy probably know this feeling, too!

Flywheel

I went 7 times this month! That’s by far the most I’ve EVER gone in one month and I am loving it. A few months ago, I talked about how my scores were always terrible, but they are slowly getting better and better as I get used to the bike and how hard I can push myself each class.

For those of you who haven’t been to Flywheel, you get a lot of great information on their bikes, which is a huge reason why I like it so much. You can set your torq to exactly what the teacher tells you to (vs. a lot of other studios that just say things like “turn twice”) and you can see exactly where your RPMs are, too – so you KNOW you’re pushing yourself as hard as you should be. It definitely makes it hard, but also super motivating!
PS. Get your first Flywheel or Flybarre class FREE with code FLYLAKESHORELA!

flybarre

I went to Flybarre and Arms & Abs a total of 5 times this month! Honestly, I hadn’t been to Arms & Abs in a while and I forgot how much harder it is than regular Flybarre! If you’re not a barre gal, I’d still recommend trying theirs because it’s more fast paced than other barre studios in the city – but you should DEFINITELY try Arms & Abs no matter what. You will be sore after your first class haha I promise!

Orangetheory

I only went to Orangetheory twice this month, and I’m okay with that because I liked being active as often as I was. That being said, May will definitely be a busier month, so I have a feeling I’ll go to these classes more since they pack more of a punch. Running + rowing + weights? Yeah, that’ll kick your butt if you know you can only make it to one or two classes during the work week!
PS. Your first class is FREE! Get more info here.

solidcore

I only went to solidcore twice this month, too – and I think it’s because I’m afraid of being sore for 3 days, because that HAS HAPPENED ? That being said, I absolutely love that it kills me literally every time I go. It never gets easier, and I think that type of workout helps you grow so much! I’m excited to keep it up… even if I only go a handful of times a month.
Also, if you have any specific questions about this workout, please let me know in the comments! I’m working on a post all about it and I’d love to know what you’re curious about!
PS. Get $5 off their $29 Two Pack with code LAKESHORELADY.

fitbit

Earlier this month, I was gifted a Fitbit Versa – and surprisingly, I love it! I’ve never been a Fitbit girl, but this sleek design totally won me over. I’m hoping to write a whole post about my experience soon, but I especially love that it’s helping me justify taking the time to go for a walk. I’ll admit, when I was so busy last year, I never really let myself because it didn’t feel productive enough. But beyond just not having the time, I was also forgetting about the mental benefits of simply disconnecting and being outside. It’s such a wonderful way to clear your head! I’ve logged 4 long walks (30 minutes-1 hour) since I got the Fitbit around April 18th… here’s to many more!

want to track your workouts with me?

Yay! All you need to do is download my May Fitness Planner and print it out! I like to fill in the “Planned” portion one week out, when I really have an idea of what I have time for. Then fill in every workout you complete and feel more and more like a BOSS each time ? Need some challenges to really get you into this though? Keep scrolling down to read mine…

May Workout Planner

May Challenges

Complete 14 workouts.

I’m cutting myself a little break here, in case my schedule gets crazier than it was in April. That being said, I also want to…

Go to Solidcore and/or Orangetheory more than twice in May.

If I’m giving myself a break in terms of number of workouts, I have to add more of those really hard ones in there, right?!

Log all of my workouts in the Fitbit App.

Right now, my weekly goal in the Fitbit app is set to 4 workouts each week. Even though I lowered my goal to 14 for May here, I think I can do 4 a week if I include long walks in that total!

Do yoga.

Remember when I did yoga every single day? It feels like that was last week, but at the same time, it feels so long ago! Regardless, I really want to remind myself to roll out my mat and flow every once in a while. It’s so good for the mind and the body – and I really want to feel connected to it again.

What are your fitness goals for May?

*This post is NOT sponsored. I have received complimentary classes to each of these studios, but I chose to talk about them here on the blog on my own.