Benefit of Working Out

For the last 6 weeks I have been on a new fitness journey. Not because I need to lose weight (although a few pounds wouldn't be a bad thing) but because I need to improve my heart. I have tried the gym many times and sometimes enjoy it; but for the most part I hate it. It's a chore to go. Especially now that I work until 4:30 it is way too crowded for me. The reason I'm trying to improve my heart is because last summer I got some not very good Echo results. My EFwas 22%. Normal people have EFs of 55-60%. Mine has been low (in the 30s since my stroke 5 years ago. But never this low. I have been working out but in January I decided to make it my New Years resolution to fix my heart. This is the only factor I really have control over since I don't eat unhealthy and have a low blood pressure.




The first week of January I started not one, but 2 Beachbody workout plans. I combined them together and have been pretty successful in sticking to the plan (I have skipped a couple Saturday's but have generally made them up during the following week). I don't have a coach, nor do I want one. I accomplish things better on my own as I am hardest on myself.





So I have been doing both Piyo and Cize. I had heard many good things about Piyo. I do enjoy it. Most days. Drench is incredibly too long and Sweat appears on the schedule way too much. I have seen results though. My legs are sculpted along with my back. The exercises do get easier the more you do them. But I won't lie, I'm looking forward to finishing week 8 and moving on to something else for 2 months before I attempt this again!  Cize is one of Beachbody's newest workouts. I LOVE IT! It is all dance based. Hip hop at that. Dancing has never been work for me. It was my escape throughout high school. I look forward to the end of the day so I can do my Cize workout. Even the hour long routine is amazing. I'm sure it isn't everyone's cup of tea, but this girl is a huge fan. And who doesn't love Shaun T workouts?  I even have my mom hooked.



The best news I have received in a long while came from my last echo I had done at Shands the last week of January. I went to see if I qualified for a stem cell study on ischemic cardiomyopathy (what I have). It was disappointing to hear I don't qualify because my heart walls aren't thick enough. But my prayer was to either be given the stem cells if they would help my heart or not be chosen and my heart improve on its own. My EF was 38%!  It hasn't been at that percentage since prior to the stroke. It did improve once before and I only did one thing differently... Worked out 5-6 days a week. This is why I will continue my workouts and switch out programs every couple months.



What workouts do you enjoy?





With love-

Jen