Fitness – Jaclyn Grace

On The Go Workouts!

Since I am not going to have access to a gym in Australia, I have been compiling some of my favorite minimal equipment workouts. I actually do a lot of these already, so it won’t be too much of a change for me. I love the convenience of not having to make my way to the gym, or to pull out a ton of equipment. Here are a few of my favorites!

I did this one this morning and it was a great addition to my normal routine. I tried to get through it as quickly as possible with only a 1 minute break between sets. You will definitely feel it in your abs by the end.

This one is a great combination of legs and cardio. Your legs will feel like jello by the end and you will definitely be sweating. I know that I usually am!

My favorite workouts to do are ones that incorporate your entire body. I feel like I get the most out of them and really feel accomplished after I get through the entire thing. This is one of my favorite workouts because it is so simple and quick.

In the next couple of weeks I will share a few more of my favorite no-equipment workouts with you!

xo,

Jaclyn

NYC

These last two days have been so hectic for me! I found out about a week ago that I would be traveling to NYC for a two day interview at a really great company. I was SO nervous to travel alone. I had only been to NYC a few times and they were all many years ago. I had also never flown or stayed over in a hotel completely alone. The days before the interview were filled with so much worry and anxiety, but I’m happy to say that it ended up being a very positive experience!

I arrived on Thursday afternoon and took a car to my hotel in the Financial District. I quickly got ready and headed over to the office for an information session, as well as hors d’oeuvres and a networking event. There were probably 50 other students that traveled to the city for this and it was great to meet some of them.

After several long hours of networking, I headed back to the hotel and ordered a late dinner via room service.

I got a tomato and mozzarella sandwich with french fries. I was back just in time for Scandal, so I watched as I enjoyed my dinner.

Friday morning I woke up early and headed back to the office at 7:45 for my one-on-one interview. It was a quick half hour and I was back at the hotel before I knew it. I took a little nap, since I had barely slept the night before, and then headed down to the hotel gym.

It was a nice little gym and I was the only one there, which I loved! I tried a new leg workout that I found on Instagram.

I’m so sore today and loving it! I will definitely be incorporating it into my regular routine.

After my workout, I set out to take one more walk around the city. Unfortunately I didn’t get very far with the -20 degree windchill.

I ended up taking a car back to the airport around noon and was able to hop on a 2 o’clock flight, rather than waiting until 8 o’clock as originally planned.

It was great getting out of my comfort zone and having some time completely on my own. I loved seeing the city and navigating my way around. I’m hoping to hear back about the job within a week or two. I’m crossing my fingers that something works out, but if not it was still an extremely valuable experience!

xo,

Jaclyn

The “Non-Runner’s” Treadmill Workout!

Sounds weird right? I’ve mentioned before that I hate running. My legs hurt, I can’t breathe, and one mile seems to last forever. This is the exact reason why I’ve decided to start incorporating running into my workout routine more regularly.

This is my go to workout that can easily be modified depending on your skill level. The short intervals help mix it up and make it much more bearable – all the while torching calories.

Give it a try! Trust me, if I can do it then so can you. 🙂

xo,

Jaclyn

HIIT Abs

It’s almost Friday and I have a great workout to share with you today. If you know me at all, you know that I hate running. I have tried time and time again to get into it, but for some reason I just can’t.

However, I do like the way I feel after I finish a long run (which is rare). In this workout, I incorporated it in intervals. It is much more bearable for me to run for a few minutes at a time and give it my all, than try to trudge through 30 minutes straight.

This is one of my favorite workouts that I have done in awhile, just because it is so different from what I am used to. The focus is on abs!

Let me know what you think!

xo,

Jaclyn

Q. What’s your favorite ab challenge?

Four Weeks!

Happy Monday everyone!

I made it through my first day of work after ten days off… and it was definitely a challenge. Luckily, all that is in store for me for the rest of the night is sushi, Netflix, and a nice big glass of green tea. 🙂

I’m extremely proud of myself today. As of yesterday, it has been four weeks since I implemented a “lifestyle change” – if you care to call it that – which includes working out regularly, eating healthier, and living a more stress free life.

During these past weeks, I have focused mostly exercising and creating a regimen that works for me. I have always worked out and kept in relatively good shape, but never like this. I made a commitment to myself and so far I feel great!

I’ve heard over and over that it takes 4 weeks for something to become a habit, which is why I am so happy with myself for reaching this milestone!

You may be wondering why all of a sudden I decided to make this change..

This past year of college was very difficult for me. I was extremely stressed out, anxious, and generally unhappy. My schedule was filled to the brim with activities and other commitments, the schoolwork was very difficult and time consuming, and I was living in a tiny apartment with a roommate who I did not get along with.

I was captain of my college dance team, held a position in my sorority, worked 10+ hours per week, and was pursuing classes towards both my bachelor degree and my masters. To say the least – I was in way over my head.

I didn’t make any time for myself or the things that I genuinely cared about. I wasn’t getting enough sleep and I wasn’t taking care of myself. Because of my busy schedule I rarely had time to go grocery shopping, never mind taking an hour to go to the gym.

I didn’t know how to handle it. I was frequently in a bad mood and lashing out at the people who cared about me. I knew I was doing it and felt awful about it, but for some reason I couldn’t control it.

When I moved home for the summer in May, I took some time to re-evaluate decided that something needed to change. I realized that no matter how busy my schedule gets, I need to make time for myself! I decided then and there that I was going to dedicate this summer to self improvement.

665d9ee745f89597ea65b105c370274e I first decided to focus on my health! I made a commitment to workout at home 5 days per week and to start drinking more water. So far so good. I have found myself with more energy and much less stress in my life.

My next task is improving my outlook and attitude about obstacles that come my way, while keeping with my workout regimen. I started this by keeping a Gratitude journal, as I mentioned last week.

Sorry for the long post, but hopefully it gives you a better idea of where I am coming from!

xo,

Jaclyn

Q. What do you do to handle stressful situations in your life?