Monthly Fitness Recap: March 2018 (and an April Workout Planner!)

Happy Thursday, friends! It has been a WEEK – and not even because I’ve been crazy busy. Instead it’s just a lingering feeling of exhaustion and overwhelm ? You know when you come back from being away and your to-do list is so long that you don’t even know where to start? And then once you do start, things keep distracting you? Yup, that’s me this week.

That being said, the rest of March was SO different. It’s honestly been my most balanced month in a long time – which has been amazing. As I discussed in this post, I’ve been actively trying to slow down now that I’m part time at work, and it’s done wonders for my mental health.

And not only have I benefitted mentally, but I’ve seen physical benefits, too! More balance = more “me-time” = more physical activity. It’s a lovely cycle, and even though this week has thrown me off a little, I’m confident I can get back to that place in April. So without further ago, let’s talk about my fitness journey through the month of March! (and then we’ll dive into that April Fitness Planner ??)

march goals

I wanted to complete 16 workouts, and if I make it to Flywheel tonight, Solidcore tomorrow and yoga on Saturday – that will put me at 18! But the best part is, that doesn’t even include my outdoor activities this month! Between the temperatures warming up here in Chicago and my trips to Charleston and Colorado, I’ve also gone on a bunch of long walks and completed 2 snow shoeing excursions! (Going up a mountain in snow shoes is harder than it looks y’all ?)

march obstacles

I thought travel would really throw me off, but as I mentioned above, we were super active on both of our trips! That being said, remember when I skinned me knees in Charleston? Yeah, that set me back a little bit. They were so torn up for those following few days, there was NO way I could put pressure on them for an exercise in class. Wah wah.

# of workouts completed

15 so far, but hoping to add 3 more to my tally before the end of the weekend. Although, if you count snow-shoeing, I’m already at my goal for the month ?

flywheel

I went to Flywheel 5 times, hoping to make it 6 tonight! I have to say, after months of struggling to get myself to these classes, I finally caught the bug. Glenn should get most of the credit, because his classes are SO FUN. But I also think I’m excited to go because I’m seeing changes that I wasn’t before. I’ve always worked out pretty regularly, but since I’ve started prioritizing cardio, I’ve felt so much better about my body. (You can read more about my thoughts on body image here and here!)

flybarre/arms & abs

I went 3 times this month – and one of those was an AMAZING girl power class on International Women’s Day! I love me a good themed barre class ? Even though I don’t take these classes as much as I used to, I still recommend them all. the. time. As someone who has tried a bunch of different barre studios, Flybarre really is my favorite. It’s more fast paced than a lot of the others, they play great music, and the instructors are incredible. If you like barre, you have to try it. Trust me!
PS. Get your first Flywheel or Flybarre class FREE with code FLYLAKESHORELA!

solidcore

I went to solidcore 3 times this month, and I’m really hoping to get there more in April. I’ve said this in my stories before, but it’s the most humbling class for me on this list. Sure, I’m out of breath or I feel the burn in other classes – but this is a different level of muscle fatigue. It also feels like a mental practice for me, too. Since each exercise is done very slowly with a lot of control, it forces me to stay focused, keep my breath steady, and not give up. It almost reminds me of yoga in that way… how can I get comfortable with the (horribly) uncomfortable? ?
PS. Get $5 off their $29 Two Pack with code LAKESHORELADY.

orangetheory

I’ll admit, I slacked a little on the Orangetheory front this month – I only went to two classes! I honestly think I just got excited about solidcore at the beginning of the month. Woops. And I would say that’s silly because one doesn’t have anything to do with the other, except I never know when either one will make me ridiculously sore the next day (or two!). That being said, the two that I did go to were both great! I’m getting SO much more comfortable with the running portions, which is exciting because I always thought would be my biggest hurdle. Here’s to another month of racking up the splat points!
PS. Your first class is FREE! Get more info here.

yoga

One of the goals I set last month is to do more yoga, and I’m slowly getting back into it! I went to 2 classes this month, and I’m hoping to make it my friend Natalie’s class on Saturday! It’s funny to think that I only practiced twice, when it literally consumed my life for so long. We’re talking Corepower C2 classes every single day PLUS teacher training. I mean, I was there all the time for a while! But the great thing is, coming back to yoga after working on my strength so much is pretty empowering. Things that used to be tough for me are a breeze… while stretches I used to melt into easily are now harder than before. The body is a funny thing, isn’t it?! Regardless, I love that my mat is always there waiting for me, whenever I’m ready to go come back to it. It’s the best.

pilates video

I had a busy day a few weeks ago but I knew I wanted to get a workout in… so I pulled out an old pilates DVD. This was my JAM back in college and while I was broke in New York City. Turns out – it’s still a great workout. And after posting it on my insta-stories, a few of you had Crunch Fitness DVDs, too! Pulse it out, friends!

outdoor activities

Slowly but surely, Chicago is coming out of hibernation and I am SO excited for it. One beautiful weekend at the beginning of the month, Adam and I walked 2 miles around his neighborhood both weekend days. It felt so good! I also loved our travel activities that I mentioned earlier. I usually have trouble motivating myself to work out on vacations, but walking around a new city or climbing a mountain are seriously good exceptions.

want to track your workouts with me?

Yay! All you need to do is download my April 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…

april challenges

Complete 16 workouts

I’ve realized I like listing this challenge every month, because it holds me accountable as I track my workouts. Hopefully, I can keep beating it!

Stay committed to what challenges me the most

To be specific, I’m really talking about cardio (Flywheel), Orangetheory, and solidcore. I don’t need to go every day, or even every single week – but the slight panic I feel before these workouts is good for me. The more I go, the stronger I’ll get – a great benefit! But they also help me realize that I am capable of so much more than I give myself credit for most days.

Do more outside activities

We get so cooped up inside throughout the winter, that if I can’t (or don’t want to) make it to an hour class, then I won’t get any other physical activity for the day. But once Spring and Summer hits, going for a 2 mile walk around Adam’s gorgeous neighborhood is all of a sudden a part of our weekend routine. And any other day, I could go for a walk myself along the lakefront in my neighborhood! I might even RUN outside! Well, maybe. We’ll see… ?

what are your fitness goals for april?

*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.