I gained a lot of weight and I am grossly out of shape. Or rather, I gained a lot of weight while I was backpacking last year and never shed those kilograms back off. It all started at that hostel in Rome where they gave out all those free croissants... that's where I recovered from that nasty spell of diarrhea (from Thailand the week before) just in time for all the glorious pasta, pizza, gelato, kebabs in Berlin, and all the rest of European breads and desserts and meats and whatnot. I don't regret getting fat in Europe because it was totally worth it. What annoys me is that I wasn't able to return to my normal state after I came back. It's been nearly a year already and I haven't made much progress. In fact, it's quite serious. I haven't gone to the climbing gym since September. I haven't gone hiking since... last year with the choir group members and Tomi. And now I just feel bloated all the time and so tired.
So recently, I heard from someone at work about an app called "Seven," which is a short, intense 7-minute workout that doesn't require any equipment except for a chair. I figured it would be just what I needed, since I'm quite busy and broke, and therefore can't afford the time or money to take up a new hobby or exercise at some nice facility with instructors and proper equipment.
This app is really not all that bad. So the basic full-body workout starts with jumping jacks (which I replaced with something else because I can't jump in my apartment) - and each exercise lasts for 30 seconds, with 10-second rests in between, for a total of 12 exercises. And there is a voice that encourages you and counts for you. You can choose the voice too, mine being 'Alli Simpson' because I just wanted a female. They all sound bored and very forced, but it's a whole lot better than nothing at all, and what else would you expect from a free app?
Anyway, from what I read I think they have this whole system to keep you motivated: like, they give you 3 lives or something, and if you go 3 days without a workout, then you lose a life. And you can also unlock new workouts by repeating the ones you already have. And things like that. Personally, I don't feel motivated from any of it, but I can see that the creators of this app really put in a lot of effort into making it helpful in every way possible, for free, but still putting in extra "locked" features to make you want to pay because then it might get you in shape faster (or whatever).
As for the workout itself, I think it works. My arms and legs are limp now, and I couldn't even hold up my glass of wine afterward. I'm dreading the soreness I'll feel tomorrow morning, but I'm a bit proud that I completed all 7 minutes. I mean, it would have been pathetic if I couldn't even do 7 minutes, right?
The thing is, 30 seconds per exercise is the perfect amount of time, for me at least, to push myself. Because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to last a second longer. For wall sits and planks and things like that, I can hold it OK for about 15 seconds, and when I feel like I can't stand it anymore, the clock tells me I've only got about 7 seconds left. Which is doable, and leaves me very pleased with myself after I've completed all 30 seconds. It's nice to know that my willpower isn't as completely non-existent as I had expected. Or maybe the app was made specifically for lazy-ass people like me.
Oh. The last two exercises are completely insane, by the way. Push-ups with whatchamacallit, rotations? Side planks? How the fuck are you supposed to do that anyway? I can't even do a single regular push up, let alone a variation. And as for the side plank, the animated character makes it look super easy, but I nearly broke my spine trying it. I think I need to learn it from a professional, or at least do a moderate version of it to sort of ease my way in. For now, I've just replaced it with a regular plank because that still is intense enough for me.
Will I keep up with this app? I hope so. I really need the exercise, at least until the weather gets warmer and I can go hiking again. But with hiking, I need a reliable companion whom I can go regularly with, which is not easy to find. I don't like going with strangers even though I like meeting new people; the experience is so much better when I go with a friend I feel comfortable with. And I would never go hiking by myself because I'm too lazy. So as long as I'm alone, I think I'll try my best to do these short workouts, before showering and getting ready for bed. Fingers crossed!!
So recently, I heard from someone at work about an app called "Seven," which is a short, intense 7-minute workout that doesn't require any equipment except for a chair. I figured it would be just what I needed, since I'm quite busy and broke, and therefore can't afford the time or money to take up a new hobby or exercise at some nice facility with instructors and proper equipment.
This app is really not all that bad. So the basic full-body workout starts with jumping jacks (which I replaced with something else because I can't jump in my apartment) - and each exercise lasts for 30 seconds, with 10-second rests in between, for a total of 12 exercises. And there is a voice that encourages you and counts for you. You can choose the voice too, mine being 'Alli Simpson' because I just wanted a female. They all sound bored and very forced, but it's a whole lot better than nothing at all, and what else would you expect from a free app?
Anyway, from what I read I think they have this whole system to keep you motivated: like, they give you 3 lives or something, and if you go 3 days without a workout, then you lose a life. And you can also unlock new workouts by repeating the ones you already have. And things like that. Personally, I don't feel motivated from any of it, but I can see that the creators of this app really put in a lot of effort into making it helpful in every way possible, for free, but still putting in extra "locked" features to make you want to pay because then it might get you in shape faster (or whatever).
As for the workout itself, I think it works. My arms and legs are limp now, and I couldn't even hold up my glass of wine afterward. I'm dreading the soreness I'll feel tomorrow morning, but I'm a bit proud that I completed all 7 minutes. I mean, it would have been pathetic if I couldn't even do 7 minutes, right?
The thing is, 30 seconds per exercise is the perfect amount of time, for me at least, to push myself. Because I'm sure I wouldn't be able to last a second longer. For wall sits and planks and things like that, I can hold it OK for about 15 seconds, and when I feel like I can't stand it anymore, the clock tells me I've only got about 7 seconds left. Which is doable, and leaves me very pleased with myself after I've completed all 30 seconds. It's nice to know that my willpower isn't as completely non-existent as I had expected. Or maybe the app was made specifically for lazy-ass people like me.
Oh. The last two exercises are completely insane, by the way. Push-ups with whatchamacallit, rotations? Side planks? How the fuck are you supposed to do that anyway? I can't even do a single regular push up, let alone a variation. And as for the side plank, the animated character makes it look super easy, but I nearly broke my spine trying it. I think I need to learn it from a professional, or at least do a moderate version of it to sort of ease my way in. For now, I've just replaced it with a regular plank because that still is intense enough for me.
Will I keep up with this app? I hope so. I really need the exercise, at least until the weather gets warmer and I can go hiking again. But with hiking, I need a reliable companion whom I can go regularly with, which is not easy to find. I don't like going with strangers even though I like meeting new people; the experience is so much better when I go with a friend I feel comfortable with. And I would never go hiking by myself because I'm too lazy. So as long as I'm alone, I think I'll try my best to do these short workouts, before showering and getting ready for bed. Fingers crossed!!
Comments
Post a Comment