Exercise of the Month: May 2022
Kayla Thompson, MS, ACSM-EP
May is an exciting month, with long-awaited family vacations on the horizon and warm weather settling in. As you prepare for all your fantastic trips, don’t forget to get that activity in. I know, I made you die a little on the inside, but I only said it because I care. In the past few months, we have looked at different components of fitness. This month, we put it all together.
Cardiovascular training, resistance training, and flexibility training should all be included in your weekly routines. That does not mean you are going to lose two hours of your day. You can incorporate these three components of fitness in one session, in short increments throughout your day, or on certain days of the week. Don’t overthink being active. It’s okay to have fun with this! Growing into your activity routine is an adventure, full of trial and error. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and to stop doing certain things you can’t stand. I give you permission to stop jumping rope if you have tried it for two months and still hate it with all your being. Some things you will enjoy more than others, and that’s okay. Now that we had our pep talk, let’s see how to incorporate our three components of fitness into one session.
Warm up for five to ten minutes with a fast-paced walk or light jog
Complete two to three sets of the following:
- 30 seconds of flutter kicks (keep that core engaged)
- 10-15 lateral step downs on each leg (focus on good form and use a challenging height)
- 10-15 pushups (modify if needed, maintain good form)
- 30 second plank (hold for a shorter time if 30 seconds takes you out of good form)
- One minute dance party (feel free to crank up that favorite song!)
- 45 seconds of side steps (remember to switch lead legs and use a challenging resistance band strength)
- 10-15 bicep curls (use a challenging weight or resistance band)
- 10-15 squats (if you feel comfortable/confident with your form, add some weight)
After the two to three sets, go for a five-minute walk or light jog
Pick a static stretching routine you enjoy or focus on those tense/tight muscles. Try doing some stretching for 8 to 10 minutes.
After your stretching routine, go for an easy 10-minute walk if time allows.
You can break your days of the week into specific fitness components. You could do your cardiovascular training on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Resistance training could be on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. You could sprinkle flexibility training throughout the week for two to three sessions, or every day of the week. This is a chance to be as creative as you would like. One note: listen to your body! If you are new to all of this or maybe certain aspects, try one to two sessions to begin. Ease into the newer aspects of fitness and see how your body responds. As you get used to it, move from one to two sessions into two to three sessions.
Don’t forget to keep a log of your activity! Have fun with it and try new things as you go. There are several different ways to get activity in throughout the day. Get creative and do your best. If you have any questions about cardiovascular training, resistance training, flexibility training or how to incorporate it, please reach out! My email address is kthompson@hope-health.org.
Kayla Thompson is a diabetes care navigator at the HopeHealth Medical Plaza in Florence and is a certified exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine. She has a Master of Science in clinical exercise science.
