Confession: I am a gym rat. There have been periods in my life where I stopped going to the gym – pregnancy, stressful job, etc. However, in general, I live for going to the gym.
Let’s back up a bit… Back in high school, my fitness goals had less to do with being healthy & more to do about losing weight. Let’s just say that the scale has not been my friend since 11th grade. Lol…
Since then, my position has evolved towards the goal of being healthy, fit & physically challenged. I feel better (both physically & mentally) after a good workout. Last year, during the weeks & months where I could barely make it to the gym once or twice a week, I felt sluggish & tired. I decided in late March of this year to make a change & have started hitting the gym 3-4 times a week.
My latest obsession is TRX, which is a form of resistance training that uses your own bodyweight. It is a total core workout, while also strengthening your arms, chest & legs. I did stand-up paddleboarding for the first time in Hawaii last month & everyone told me that I would be sore the next day. To prep for this, I did TRX once or twice a week & did push-ups and plank exercises. To my amazement, I was not sore the day after my SUP experience!
Once in a while, I do exercise outdoors. One thing I like to do is hike. Being that I live in LA, there are many, many outdoor trails to choose from. My favorite one is the trail in Griffith Park, starting from the base of Fern Dell Drive. I like to take the trail up to the Griffith Observatory. There are gorgeous views along the way of the Hollywood sign & downtown LA.
The best part of the hike is the reward at the end. I like to hit up Trails Cafe on Fern Dell Drive. They have yummy scones, coffee & teas. My favorite though is the avocado sandwich! Vegetarians take note: this sandwich has sprouts, tomatoes, cheese & soy bacon bits! Heaven…
Do you have a fitness routine? What is your favorite exercise? I would love to hear from you, so please sound off in the comment section below!
ive only tried TRX once and i loved it! my favorite is kickboxing class 🙂
TRX is great – you should do more! It will help strengthen your back. I love kickboxing too, but realized that if I take it too much then my right knee starts to hurt a little. 🙁
Unlike you it’s always been hard for me to get myself to the gym. For me, hiking is the way to go. Or really any outdoorsy activity for that matter…walking, biking, basketball, surfing, etc. Exercise without feeling like exercise. BTW, that sandwich looks so good right now. Hungry!
Thanks for sharing! Have you tried stand-up paddleboarding (SUP)? It’s fun! I totally understand what you mean about “exercise without feeling like exercise.”
oh, I had not idea about that café. sounds lovely. I have to do that hike!
We should definitely do that hike one of these days & then get an avocado sammie! 🙂
OK, Jen, you’ve inspired me to do something – I have wanted to walk – but with all this rain, not sure that will be an option – so will go with the other idea of mini trampolining…(did you know the benefits of that – it’s insane how good it is for you!) And can I just say – I SO want to go to that Trail Cafe – looks so fun & yummy – just a few thousands miles too far at the moment… 😉
I’m so glad to hear that this blog post inspired you to do mini trampolining! Yes, I’ve heard neat things about the trampoline & really it’s good to do anything that gets you moving. Next time you are in SoCal, I’ll take you hiking with me & treat you to that avocado sandwich. 😉