“Take the pressure off of what defines a workout”—an expert trainer and busy mom splits her workouts into exercise snacks when she has to, and thinks you should too
Because it all counts
Welcome to Workout Diaries, a series where we ask expert trainers to talk us through what a week of exercise looks like for them, helping you figure out how to develop and maintain an effective workout routine.
We love bona fide experts at Fit&Well, just as much as we love people who are down-to-earth and approachable.
Amy Kiser Schemper is both.
A NASM-certified personal trainer and BowFlex fitness advisor, Kiser Schemper has been a certified personal trainer for 20 years, and also holds a master’s degree in exercise science and multiple specialty certifications, focusing on training women around pregnancy and menopause.
“After many years of working in gyms as an instructor and trainer, I founded BodyFit by Amy in 2014,” says Kiser Schemper, and her YouTube channel of “uplifting and positive fitness” is on the precipice of a million subscribers (you should give it a follow). There’s also a thriving online community that uses her app and cheers each other on.
Surprisingly, even though Kiser Schemper is regularly filming workouts, they don’t account for the bulk of her training. “I’m often working out on camera for work, but that doesn’t always constitute a real workout for me,” she says. “I try to incorporate workouts that are just for me during the week.
“I make a goal to get movement in every day, with three to five structured workouts per week, giving myself flexibility about what constitutes a workout.
“I prioritize strength training over everything else, especially when I’m short on time, as I know I’ll get cardiovascular training and metabolic conditioning during my strength workouts.
“I also like using my BowFlex bike and T16 treadmill for longer, zone 2 cardio sessions and to add high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and sprint intervals to other workouts.”
Kiser Schemper’s workouts are typically 20-40 minutes because that’s all she usually has time for. “When I work out depends on my schedule for the day, but since I work from home, I generally work out late morning or early afternoon when my kids are at school,” says Kiser Schemper.
She’s also a proponent of exercise snacking—breaking workouts up into manageable chunks that can be done throughout the day. She says this takes some of the time pressure off.
When I asked Kiser Schemper what motivates her to exercise, she said that daily movement is essential for her mental health.
“Honestly, it comes down to the fact that I’m in a much better mood and feel better overall on the days I get to work out,” she says. “My family agrees. I have more energy and am less anxious.”
I asked Kiser Schemper to share how she worked out one week. Here’s what she came back with.
Amy Kiser Schemper’s weekly workout routine
Monday
Full-body kettlebell strength training with cycling sprint interval finishers (35min)
Tuesday
Treadmill walk with incline intervals (30min)
Wednesday
Upper-body exercises broken up into five-minute workout snacks throughout the work day (30min total)
Thursday
Play time outside with my kids, playing basketball and soccer
Friday
Lower-body strength training (30min)
Saturday
Full day of kids’ sports, which ends up being very active!
Sunday
Family hike (1hr)
Amy Kiser Schemper’s tips for developing an exercise routine
1. Start slow and low
“Start with 10-20 minute workouts to start to build the routine, and start with low weights, reps and sets to ease into the exercise without pressure,” she says.
She explains that you don’t need to push yourself to your limits.
“Start with a few workouts a week, keeping them short and focusing on major movement patterns, then find what works best for your schedule and lifestyle,” she says.
2. Take the pressure off of what defines a workout
“If you can get a structured full workout, great! But if your workout looks different because you broke it up into small increments through the day, that still counts,” she says.
If you don’t have time, or don’t feel like lifting weights, opt for gentle mobility work after a hard day. Kiser Schemper says you’ve still worked out.
3. Give yourself grace and don’t expect perfection
“We often start enthusiastically; then when life gets in the way, we fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking, feeling like we’ve failed if we miss a workout or two,” she says.
“Take one day at a time and if something doesn’t go as planned, brush it off and start fresh the next day.”
“A little self-compassion goes a long way in creating consistency in our fitness routines!”
