My Weekly Workout Routine

If you guys follow me on social media, you’ve probably seen me post some of my workout videos from time to time. You’ve likely heard me mention the Sweat App (and no I do not have any affiliation with the Sweat App whatsoever), which I love and do recommend but I want to back up a bit to walk you through what my wellness/workout journey has looked like over the years and how I got to where I am now (mentally and physically).

Since my high school days, I’ve tried almost every workout you can imagine. From boot camps (like Barry’s Bootcamp), to spin classes, yoga, pilates, sculpt, rowing, HIIT, running classes, kickboxing—you name it, I’ve tried it. However, was it always in the name of health? Not necessarily.

Unfortunately I recall always trying to lose weight fast, whether it be for an upcoming event or season. I would go on a crazy exercising binge for a few weeks, months, whatever it was, to try to drop as many LBs as possible. Only to stop exercising afterward because I felt like I needed a break. This, of course, was very unhealthy. I was doing this for aesthetic purposes because I didn’t feel “good enough”, and not thinking of exercise in terms of my mental health. And because of the inconsistency of my workout routine, I would always find my weight fluctuating vastly, and my mental health and body image along with it. 

I think we are all much more well-versed in health and wellness these days and know a bit more of the incredible benefits that exercise has for our bodies and minds, regardless of the number on the scale. I know this is a probably an exhausted topic that we’re all tired of reading about because we know, we GET IT. However, it’s still an important one and has personally affected my life in many ways. 

My workout routine these days is VERY different from what it once was. I think back to the days when I would sometimes run on the treadmill for 60-90 minutes per day, hoping to burn off as many calories as possible. Only later to wonder why I wasn’t noticing much of a change in my body and always feeling terrible about myself. This sounds super cliche, but once I read all of the stories out there about working out without no particular “body goal” in mind, and purely to release endorphins and to support my mental health, I noticed the biggest shifts both physically and mentally. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.

Personally, I try to do one hour of low-impact strength training 3-5 days per week, and then 30-60 minutes of cardio 3 days per week (treadmill, bike, or walking uphill outdoors). Sometimes I will supplement this with a weekly hot yoga class as well for an extra boost to my mental and spiritual health. 

My workout routine currently is the following:

Consistent

I try to be as consistent as possible because I’m no longer working out to “get in shape” for any upcoming event or season—it’s truly become a lifestyle. For me that means exercising usually 3-5 days per week. Sometimes I’m unable to do more and that’s ok. Even if it’s just one time per week, that’s better than nothing at all.

Easy to Access

If I have time to go to the gym or take a class, that’s awesome, but usually I don’t (shocker!). So I’ve bought some workout equipment to keep at home and that takes a lot of the excuses out of it for me. This is where the Sweat App comes in. It really does feel like a trainer is with you, telling you exactly what to do, and it can be tailored to the equipment that you DO have available to you, whether that’s just some weights or resistance bands. I personally use KELSEY WELLS PWR Program on the Sweat App (approx 4 times per week) and it’s been a game changer. I even like working out with an app better than having a personal trainer because I just blast my music in my ears, and feel I have a more powerful workout than working out with a trainer where you inevitably end up talking a lot, and pausing between workouts.

Flexible

Whether it’s a 20-minute workout or a full hour, it’s always worth it and I always feel better during and after knowing that I got my movement in for the day. And since I work out by myself with an app, I can work it into my own schedule. Not missing a workout because I don’t think I have enough time to do a full routine allows me to be more consistent and makes it easier and less daunting to do. So even a short one counts!  

Overall, moving my body consistently and implementing weights into my routine (vs. just doing cardio) has been the best thing I’ve ever done. I never understood before when people talked about how incredible it is to feel STRONG. But damn, I do now. There is no better feeling than feeling strong both mentally and physically, and discovering a little muscle definition here and there is just the cherry on top.

I feel more physically fit when I go skiing, and even just running around in my day-to-day life. I don’t know if it was my rising cortisol levels before, but working out with the goal of moving my body, gaining muscle mass, and not just to “get ready” for something, I think has helped to balance my hormones a bit, which in turn helped shed some unnecessary weight that my body was stubbornly holding on to in its frantic state of desperately trying to lose weight. It’s counter-intuitive but there’s a reason that it’s now widely accepted that when you start to treat your body well, it starts to function more properly and in a healthier way that can sometimes lead you to where you were trying to get to in the first place.

xx Farrah