The holiday season is my favorite time of year, so when my boyfriend proposed to me in Central Park after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I was ecstatic. Already, summer wedding dates and dresses were on my mind . . . which brought me to what we stuffed our faces with during Thanksgiving dinner (pie, pie, and more pie!).
If we were going to plan for a June wedding, there wasn't enough time to start making New Year's resolutions; I knew that we needed to start getting in shape before the Christmas cookie binge began. That's when I decided to try Daily Burn, a fitness app with thousands of live on-demand fitness videos and training programs to help you stick to a workout routine and see results. I let my fiancé and I indulge in one last leftover turkey-and-stuffing sandwich, and then I downloaded the app.
My now fiancé and I have been together since high school, but when it comes to the gym I have commitment issues -- I've been an on-again-off-again exerciser my entire life. I've always wanted to commit to a workout, but I'm not a natural runner, and all of the boutique fitness classes I try end up leaving me broke or bored.
What I loved about Daily Burn right away was the incredible variety of workouts and classes, including everything from yoga and stretching to boxing and high intensity interval training. Since neither of us had worked out in a while (gulp!), we decided to start with a 12-week training and weight-loss program called Cardio Sculpt to ease us into a routine and help us get through the rest of the holiday season. I knew that if we could start eating clean and feeling our best -- and if we could support each other through it -- there would be less of a chance of overindulging at all of our upcoming holiday parties.
We always split the holidays between Hanukkah with my mom on the west coast, Christmas with my soon-to-be in-laws in the Midwest, and New Years at home on the east coast, so I was relieved that we wouldn't have to skip workout days if we were away from home.
I acquainted myself with Cardio Sculpt's workout and nutrition plan (I'm the planner in the relationship), and then we tried our first workout video after a long day of hunting for wedding venues. The workout was 30 minutes long with a focus on abs. The instructor was awesome and energetic, and even though I was sore afterwards, it felt great to start getting into shape. The nutritional aspect was also super helpful, with advice on meal planning, portion control, and how to get a balanced diet with enough protein. My fiancé and I were working out and cooking meals together, which brought us even closer since our engagement.
Over the next couple of weeks, my training program took us through workouts that focused on different muscles, like legs or upper body, as well as a variety of routines, including kickboxing and strength training. Every day was different, and we customized by using heavier weights and medicine balls for my fiancé, who's stronger than I am. Little by little, I could see changes in how we both looked and felt—and since we were so encouraged, it became even easier to stick to a healthy eating plan, despite the many temptations that come with the holidays. The best part is that we could save our budget for the big day.
Daily Burn is completely affordable, especially considering you're getting a personal-trainer-level workout — on your own schedule — for just $19.95/month. This year, we won't have to deal with failed New Year's resolutions, because we already have a plan we're committed to. Come summer, thanks to Daily Burn, I know we'll both be ready for the biggest commitment of all.
Limited Time Offer: Daily Burn is currently running a New Years special promotion! Follow this link to sign up for a 30-day free trial + 50% Off Your Second Month!
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This is a sponsored post on behalf of Daily Burn.