Yes to the Dress and a Run in the Sun

Less than 4 months to go until the focus of all our friends and family will be on me, walking around and dancing.  But with a big gown (yet to be altered), I'm less concerned with fitting into my dress as I am looking good and feeling healthy on my honeymoon.  We are spending 4 nights in Rome and 4 nights in Paris, which is sure to include quite a bit of trekking around town. I would hate to get winded or tired and tell him we need to take a break!

I may not work out, but I am familiar with the concept. We moved to Florida because my father got a government job which required some strict fitness criteria to get in.  It's been many years since all of that, I can't vouch for his fitness at the moment. But now my brother takes the torch. He is on the wrestling team at his high school and trains constantly. The wrestling team has some strategies that are a little too much for my tastes (a growing teen who is supposed to be 130lbs probably shouldn't be fasting, working out, and sweating until he can fight the 115 weight class).  But, the extreme diets and 3 mile runs in sweat clothes aside.... I have managed to pick out some core features of a workout that seem to be repeated in much milder workouts by the average adult.

My conclusions are that you need:
Cardio+Workout, neither one will work alone.  Cardio is great for endurance, heart health, circulation, and fat loss.  Some ab work and push ups/pull ups will certainly help shape those muscles, creating definition, strength, and strong core muscles helps protect your body and maintain good posture. But, it would be hard to see your rock hard abs with a layer of fat over them, unless you add in the cardio to help work it off.

I don't have an eminent problem with fat, other than in my own mind! We are always our own worst critic.  My goal as far as fat loss goes is simply to lose enough so that I can see my ab workouts paying off.  The cardio for me is more about endurance and to strengthen my heart and lungs.  (I have no endurance - not joking).

I started trying to jog this week.  But hopefully I can get a run in 2-3 times a week and do some exercises at home in between. There are actually some great little workout routines out there for specific areas you want to work on.  These are great for the days in between jogging.  Pinterest is pretty helpful here too.  I found a great blog by Melissa Bender and she has workouts GALORE.  I found a 10 minute total core work out (a quick one is all I wanted to start with - when I start too intense the drive seems to fizzle out within weeks).  Today is a run day (I last jogged on Sunday or Monday) so after this post I'll have to get dressed and get my butt outside. Tomorrow or Friday I will do this core workout.

I'll try to take a picture so we can get a before and after.  That is, as long as there is an after - keep your fingers crossed that I actually keep up!