Hello and welcome to my Morning Workout.
I am so excited to share this with you!
If you’ve been following my Instagram, you’ve seen my recent reels featuring my very favorite Pilates “client” JoJo. My husband has been reinvesting in his Pilates workout and feeling the surge of newfound energy that happens when you regularly use the Reformer (and Mat).
View this post on Instagram
Joe has been consistent in his daily workout since mid-October.
His practice has helped to reinvigorate my morning workout as well.
Full disclosure: I’m NOT a morning person.
Since I became a Pilates instructor nearly 20 years ago (yikes!) I’ve been masquerading as an early bird. I’ve discovered the morning is THE perfect time to shake the dust off your body and mind and start your day with renewed and enhanced energy.
Lately I’ve come to consider this self-care as immune-boosting for sure.
So despite the early hour, I’m on board!
What is my Daily Workout?
Over the last 2 years my regular workout has been moving/wandering all around the studio.
And it’s not really been every day.
So there’s that.
Since the onset of the pandemic I have been even more consistent in my workout.
Nice.
Definitely more workouts than knitting projects…
For a while I thought a big workout every other day – and by ‘big’ I mean an hour or so – was best. On my off days I would visit the smaller apparatus (Foot Corrector, High Chair, Neck Stretcher, etc…) and reserve the big workouts for Reformer, Mat, Cadillac or Wunda Chair.
However, as I work toward greater proficiency in my Reformer exercises, I have found less repetitions allows me to visit more exercises in less time.
It also helps me work well for those few reps and then move the fuck on.
Which has been super helpful 🙂
See, I’m really good at beating any good correction to death. My body is appreciating this new “lighter” touch. And really, if it’s length you’re looking to create, creating more tension is not helping.
Most mornings I set my timer for 15 minutes – 20 if I have more time – and I get busy.
Yes! I use a timer.
Knowing the clock is ticking makes me more brisk and efficient.
So what’s included in my 15 minutes of moving?
I make sure the warmup is thorough – so more repetitions of Footwork and the full 100 starts me off.
Generally my order of exercises looks something like this:
Footwork – 5 reps each
Hundred – full on, Baby…
All my other exercises I try to visit only twice.
2x.
Yes. So it’s somewhat nicer than a 1 repetition workout.
I’ll up it to 3x if I’m nearing an epiphany of course, but otherwise I keep moving on.
My goal is to visit the following exercises within that 20ish minutes. And I’m almost there.
- Overhead
- Coordination
- Rowing 1-6
- Pull Straps
- T Straps
- Backstroke
- Teaser
- Breast Stroke
- Horseback
- Long Stretch Series
- Stomach Massage Series
- Tendon Stretch
- Short Box Series
- Short Spine Massage
- Semi Circles
- Knee Stretch Series
- Running
- Bottom Lift
My hope is that over time and with more efficiency for the moments in-between, I’ll be able to add a Split exercise, the Tendon Stretch or the short series that begins with Chest Expansion.
Maybe then I’ll need more than 20 minutes…
But I bet I won’t.
Join me on YouTube for this quick morning workout.
Thanks for watching!
What’s your favorite morning workout?
