So I thought it would be a good idea to post an update on how I've been getting on with the 30 Day Shred. My 10 days of level 1 are done and I'm very happy to say that I can see quite a difference already, especially in my stomach and thighs which are looking more toned. I'm not going to lie, the first few days of level 1 absolutely killed my joints and were a total shock to the system for someone who has shied away from exercise for far too long, but by day 4 my legs finally felt like they were back to normal.
For anyone who doesn't know, the 30 Day Shred is essentially an exercise DVD from Jillian Michaels which uses circuit training to jump start weight-loss and a good old body shred. A mixture of strength training, cardio and ab work are used to get your heart going and your muscles moving, and the combination means you're not jumping around like a crazy person for the full 20 minutes. I found the circuits to be pretty manageable when I got into the swing of things, and it really is a great feeling when you reach the end of circuit 3 every time. Of course you need to stick at it every day in order to see good results, but I didn't find this to be a problem due to the exercises expected of you on level 1. You're also recommend to have small dumbbells and some sort of exercise/yoga mat for some of the exercises although a soft floor and an alternative to weights are fine too! Luckily my Mum had both a mat and set of dumbbells put away in her wardrobe so I was all set to jump into it.
I can happily report back that in the space of 10 days I've managed to lose about 4 pounds (although I'm not sure if our scales can really be trusted), and have noticed a difference in the way my clothes fit. My jeans are feeling that bit looser and I no longer feel self conscious about my wider hips when I'm wearing dresses. My arms are even looking a bit more toned which is always fab for summer time when the cardigans and jumpers come off. As a warning, there will come a time when you want to throw something at the TV/computer screen as Jillian and her motivational phrases can get a bit annoying. You just need to persevere and even stick on some music in the background to make things a bit more bearable.
My only downfall came around day 8 of the shred. I stupidly thought that I'd be fine to do these exercises in my socks as the yoga mat was a good support against our wooden floors, but unfortunately the cardio exercises really took their toll on my ankles near the end of level 1. A lack of support for my ankles meant that star jumps and skipping rope exercises created a lot of strain which has resulted in a lot of pain for both my ankles. A combination of deep freeze spray and supportive socks/shoes has eased the pain a little, although it's still very much there if I walk around without the support of shoes. This obviously meant that I couldn't take part in the cardio exercises for the remaining 2 days of level 1, so instead I had to substitute jumping around for static exercises such as the punches already shown in this level. I'm very much hoping that the strain of my ankles eases off asap because I hate to be missing out on the full potential of this circuit training, but I won't be forcing anything until this happens.
As of right now, I've already started level 2 so that I could get a good idea of the cardio required and although my ankles aren't quite there yet, I'm hoping to be taking part in the circuits more fully in the next couple of days which are obviously a bit more intense than before. I'd definitely recommend taking part in the 30 Day Shred for anyone who is looking to lose a bit of weight and tone up before the summer, although I can't stress it enough that supportive footwear is a must. Take it from me, you don't want to be limping around in pain for the next few days because of a silly mistake like that!