10,000 Steps and #GrowWithJo – Week One

First off, if you’re new to this blog, here’s why my 10,000 steps journey started.

This week I decided to take a lunch break, which I haven’t been doing at all, but this week I decided to use it for an exercise video each day. I found a YouTube channel for GrowWithJo. Her workout videos look simple and low-intensity. She has a lot of walking routines that add arms or abs. So, I put together a playlist for myself with a mix of her 3 mile walks and a couple 2 mile walks. My plan is to add a workout to my M-F routine for all five days. If I can accomplish just doing the workouts each day, even if I don’t make a full 10,000 steps, I’ll count it a win!  

Here’s how it went:

Monday: Total step count for the day: 8814 

And I did GrowWithJo: 3 Mile Full Body Tabata Workout to Torch Calories

First off, I probably shouldn’t have started with this one. It was longer than some of the others in my playlist, and though it was mostly low-intensity, it wasn’t entirely. I definitely worked up a sweat, but realized I may not be quite as coordinated as I think I am. I could follow along, but some of the exercises were a bit like “rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time.” Which I can totally do… wait, let me check. Um, ok so I pat my head in a circle too. Does this count? Anyway, I wasn’t out of breath at all, or sore the next day which was nice. I felt that I got a good workout overall though. And got more steps in which was the goal.

Tuesday: Total step count for the day:  8828

I did the GrowWithJo: Toned Arms Indoor Walking Workout (No Equipment) 30 Mins

This one. My arms were burning at times, I’ll admit. The walking was all low intensity. And yet, I feel like I got a better workout than yesterday. My arms were not exactly sore the next day, but noticeable, if you know what I mean. My butt, though, that was sore the rest of the night into the next day. And I was more tired the next morning too. This one I liked, it was relatively quick, I felt like I was working muscles I really need to, and to a point that would make a difference. 

Wednesday: Total step count for the day: 8372

I did the GrowWithJo: Do This Every Night to Burn Fat in Your Sleep | 2 MILE Strength

OMG, this one was INTENSE! I worked up a full on sweat, my shirt’s wet, my pants are wet, I’m just like totally sweaty. I’m sore. Usually, I don’t feel workouts until the next morning, but I’m definitely feeling it right after. I couldn’t get through all of the exercises. Well, I could do all of the exercises, but several of them I had to stop early. But I picked it right back up with the next move. I’m tired! The next morning, my back shoulders are kind of sore, and my thighs – the front, inner!, pretty much all of them. My butt doesn’t feel as bad as yesterday though!

Thursday: Total step count for the day: 8917

I did the GrowWithJo: 3 Mile Walk Morning Cardio Abs Workout at Home

This one was no joke. Still simple movements, but I worked up a total sweat again and by half way through I was feeling my arms for sure, my butt, and my abs. I hadn’t felt them yet on any of the other videos I’ve done this week. I’m so totally feeling like I’m getting good workouts with these videos. But I’m not having to get up and down off the floor. Not the end of the world if I had too, but it’s nice to work all the muscles I want to without getting down and into position on the floor and then back up for the next movement. By the next morning I was definitely feeling my upper arm and shoulders, my thighs (inner, outer, front – everything!); and more so than previous days. Of course, this workout was the longest I’ve done so far (I think), so by the end I was really pushing it, but I made it through the entire thing! I have found it helpful to get the movement down and then stop looking at the screen. Because I do the movements fine, just not always as fast as Jo does, and when I try to keep time with her I get all confused and mix up the movements. So I really like that each movement is based on doing it for a set amount of time rather than a set amount of reps. Cause sometimes I am really having a hard time keeping up.

Friday: Total step count for the day: 6895

Today I did not do one of the workout videos. I was really sore after yesterday’s video, and tired. It was gray and damp out and I just didn’t really feel like doing it. I know I’m making excuses. And I know that the typical response to this situation is to do the workout anyway. Power through. You’ll get into it once you’ve started. And that may all be true. But I just couldn’t talk myself into it today. So, in my effort to be kinder to myself, I’m not going to beat myself up about not sticking to the routine I set up for myself. Yes, I did tell myself that I was going to do this Monday – Friday and take the weekends off, but that means essentially that if I really want to/need to, I have two extra days a week to play with. I mean I could just skip it entirely and keep to my weekend routine. Or, I could mix it up a little and do my fifth workout tomorrow. We’ll see which I choose.

Saturday: Total step count for the day: 5527

I didn’t exercise again today. My weekend routine is too different from my weekday routine. I’ve got a space of time carved out for some kind of exercise (video, walk outside, whatever), but on the weekends there are other things to take care of. Really this sounds like I’m making excuses. And in light of the self-love and self-compassion I want to be giving myself, what I’m going to say instead is: “I did exercise 4 days out of the 5 I said I was going to. So I did still keep the promise I made to myself at the start of the week. Maybe not perfectly, but nobody’s perfect.” 

So, my overall “how’d I do?” this week: Just doing the 4 days was way better than I’ve done in a really long while. So I’m giving myself a pat on the back for a job well done. And next week, I’ll do a little better. I have also upped my water intake, I have a quart size Ball jar that I nurse all day. Typically, I refill it three times in a day, but I went through an additional quart during these workouts alone! I didn’t make it to the full 10,000 steps each day, but I’m up around 8,000 which is more than I had been doing. So, another win! Also made some progress weight-wise. 

Here are my current measurements:

Date	Weight (lbs)	Bust (inches)	Waist (inches)	Hips (inches)	left arm (inches)	right arm (inches)	left thigh (inches)	right thigh (inches)
12/13/21	121.80	33.25	31.00	38.00	12.50	12.00	22.50	22.50
12/20/21	120.80	33.25	30.00	36.00	12.25	11.50	22.00	21.50