Tag: yoga

What will YOU do in 2016?

What will YOU do in 2016?

It is normal to set new goals and milestones at the beginning of the new year.  You may want to lose weight, eat more fruits and veggies, go to church, save more money, write more on your blog (ME!) 😉 and so on.  It can include anything you want to accomplish and do throughout the year. For me, one of my biggest goals is to publish a book I have been working on for almost two years. When it comes to health and well-being, there are many areas that you can focus on – social, emotional, environmental, spiritual, physical, and mental health.

Will you focus on your social health?  This comprises your friends, family, and interactions with others.  Will you sign up to be involved in new groups or events such as community development? Will you volunteer with local charity organizations?  Will you be planning a wedding or other special event?  Will you give selflessly to others through random acts of kindness?  All of these things make you active in ensuring you have a happy, healthy, and successful social component within your life.

Will you focus on your emotional health?  Do you handle stress and excitement appropriately?  Do you balance the spectrum of all emotions in a healthy way?  You may choose to work on emotional health by taking deep breaths when stressed, not “closeting” your feelings, listening to your heart and mind, and making decisions for yourself and how you feel rather than to please others.

Will you focus on your environmental health?  This means that you foster a positive work and personal environment.  Further, this includes preserving the water, air, and the land around you. Will you begin to recycle more this year?  That includes less waste such as paper products including paper plates, napkins, and printing unnecessary documents.  Will you reuse paper to prevent further waste in landfills?  Will you reduce water bottle usage by using reusable plastic bottles to decrease landfill wastes?  When you discuss land and air safety, this means you reduce harmful chemicals such as burning toxic wastes and disposing of chemicals in landfills.

Will you focus on your spiritual health?  This requires that you “talk the talk and also walk the walk.”  In other words, you have morals, values, and ethics that you follow to lead an honest life. Additionally, it means you encourage peace and harmonious relationships between yourself and others.  You may mediate, read about your belief system, pray, or attend a religious organization.

Will you focus on your physical health?  Will you exercise more this year?  Will you join a gym or participate in group exercise classes?  Are you training for a 5k, half marathon, or full marathon? This is probably one of my strengths when it comes to the six components of health.  I regularly exercise, take walks, and go outside to be active.  It helps me lower my stress level and makes me feel great.  This is particularly important to reduce health diseases such as heart problems, obesity, diabetes, and other health concerns that can be created from being overweight.

Will you focus on your mental (aka intellectual) health?  Will you improve your mood or attitude in 2016?  Will you work to cope better with your stress, anxiety, depression, or self-confidence and self-image?  Part of mental health is finding solutions to cope with your daily struggles.  It may mean reaching out for help, recognizing that those around you care, or changing the demands of your life to reduce the mental stress you are facing.

It is very important to find a balance of the six components of health and well-being.  Like me, you may find that you are strong in two to three of the six components.   If that is the case, that’s fantastic!  It means you can use 2016 as a way to focus on the ones that you are not as strong in. As for my book, it focuses on my mental/intellectual health, social health, and emotional health. Consider finding projects, activities, and events that will allow you to work on several components. For example, participating in group fitness classes will focus on your physical, social, and possibly spiritual and emotional well-being.  Spiritual well-being through mediation or yoga, and emotional well-being to reduce stress.  You can work to improve components that you struggle with to find a better balance to lead a healthier and happier 2016!

~jj

#ProjectKindnessBook

#AlwaysChooseKindness

You’ll only regret the workouts you don’t do!

You’ll only regret the workouts you don’t do!

We all have days when we feel unmotivated, don’t want to workout, feel lazy, want to take a nap, or just want to do other things, but on those days it is important to still do some type of workout, whether it be a short one or long one, cardio or yoga, or a quick run.  Sometimes thinking about my favorite person who inspires me such as an athlete is enough to motivate me!  If you are having one of those days, think twice before you skip your workout and remember all the positives of a great workout, including the reasons below!

     100 Reasons to Exercise Now (Courtesy of Pinterest)

  1. Because it makes you feel confident
  2. Because it helps you get stronger
  3. Because exercise helps combat depression
  4. Because you’ll feel proud of yourself
  5. Because you have goals you want to reach
  6. Because you’ll feel bad if you don’t
  7. Because you want to move forward, not backward
  8. Because it burns more calories than not working out
  9. Because it improves your heart health
  10. Because you want a great butt
  11. Because it prevents diabetes
  12. Because you want to be a good example to your kids
  13. Because you want to feel good in your clothes
  14. Because it reduces your risk of cancer
  15. Because your body was made to move
  16. Because you want to be an athlete
  17. Because you want to look better
  18. Because it lifts your mood
  19. Because you want to stand taller
  20. Because it reduces back pain
  21. Because it feels good
  22. Because it makes you feel accomplished
  23. Because you spend most of your day on your butt
  24. Because swimsuit season is always coming
  25. Because strong is the new skinny
  26. Because dieting only works so much
  27. Because it strengthens your bones, too
  28. Because it helps you lose weight
  29. Because it allows you to eat more food
  30. Because it’s the best way to spend “me” time
  31. Because it helps you de-stress
  32. Because it’s cheaper than therapy
  33. Because you want a strong core
  34. Because you want to take care for yourself
  35. Because you take pride in your body
  36. Because it strengthens your legs
  37. Because it helps your clothes fit better
  38. Because you want to push yourself
  39. Because you are capable of more than you ever imagined
  40. Because moving your body feels good
  41. Because it keeps your mind sharp
  42. Because it helps you beat belly bloat
  43. Because it helps you sleep better at night
  44. Because it gives you energy
  45. Because you want to stay healthy as you age
  46. Because you want to look younger
  47. Because you want toned arms
  48. Because it improves your balance
  49. Because it burns off last night’s dessert
  50. Because it boosts your immune system
  51. Because sweat is sexy
  52. Because you want to live longer
  53. Because you want to get better at your game
  54. Because you want to catch someone’s eye
  55. Because exercisers earn more money
  56. Because you’re more likely to eat better when you exercise
  57. Because you want to shave time off your running pace
  58. Because you want to breathe easier
  59. Because you want to see the scale drop
  60. Because exercise improves your sex life
  61. Because you are worth it
  62. Because being fit makes everything in life better
  63. Because you promised yourself that you would
  64. Because you deserve a better life
  65. Because it’ll help you drink more water
  66. Because you want to do real push-ups
  67. Because it reduces your health care costs
  68. Because you’ll miss fewer days of work
  69. Because you want to create a new future for yourself
  70. Because it’ll help you like what you see in the mirror
  71. Because it makes clothing shopping more fun
  72. Because you want to look and feel incredible
  73. Because exercising can be fun
  74. Because it’ll give your skin a glow
  75. Because it’s a good way to spend time with your friends
  76. Because it’ll help you prevent the middle-age spread
  77. Because it reduces your blood pressure
  78. Because you don’t want to let yourself go
  79. Because you don’t want to squeeze into an airplane or rollercoaster seat
  80. Because it strengthens your spirit
  81. Because it’s a cheap way to entertain yourself
  82. Because you’ll be able to reward yourself
  83. Because you need a reason to wear those new workout clothes
  84. Because you’re tired of being tired
  85. Because not working out is not going to get you very far
  86. Because it’s a great way to spend time outside
  87. Because you made a commitment to yourself
  88. Because you’re tired of starting over
  89. Because there will always be another wedding, vacation or reunion
  90. Because you’re not a quitter
  91. Because it improves your cholesterol
  92. Because it boosts your metabolism
  93. Because it prevents age-related muscle loss
  94. Because if you can do this, you can do anything
  95. Because a fit body is a healthy body
  96. Because it beats sitting on the couch
  97. Because  everyone has at least 10 minutes to spare
  98. Because you want to be stronger than your excuses
  99. Because not working out isn’t working out for you
  100. Because the only workout you ever regret is the one you skip

Now, GO WORKOUT!  You will feel much better once you do!

~jj

Relax, Rest, & Recover!

Relax, Rest, & Recover!

We all like our recovery and rest days, right?!  After all, recovery days are good for you, just like everything is (or can be) as long as it’s in moderation!  It gives us a chance to rest our muscles and rejuvenate our bodies, but resting doesn’t mean or give you a pass to sit around and eat junk food! While it is great to have rest and recover days, it is also important to note that it is not an excuse to cram in the junk food and veg on the couch all day.  It means that you might take a break from your cardio workouts, strength training routines, and heavy exercise regimes.  On my rest days, I might enjoy a leisurely walk or do some extra stretching to help loosen up my body during my off days. You might consider a light yoga class to stretch out or a game in the park with your kids.

Each week, you should have at least 1 day to recover, but no more than 3 total days of recovery during the 7 day week.  After all, you don’t want to be working out less than the days you are recovering/taking off.  You should, and I do emphasize should, be making yourself workout at least more than half of the 7 day week, so workout at least 4 days or more if you can!  On the flipside of that, please do remember that one full recovery day allows your body to rest and recover so that you are able to put forth your full potential, push yourself forward, and challenge yourself while still having enough energy to do so.  If you are too sore or too tired from your previous workout days, you won’t be able to have a successful and challenging workout.

Just keep in the back of your mind that you should be working out more than half of the week so don’t take more than 3 days off during a single week period!  Happy exercising with a day of rest or two to relax, rest, and recover!  Just don’t take advantage of those days off by taking too many! 😉

~jj

ABCs + Exercises = Get Moving!

ABCs + Exercises = Get Moving!

I thought it would be fun to do something a little different this week that would be creative, a little out of the ordinary, and something that family and kids, couples, and people of all ages can enjoy together!  In honor of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign and to pay tribute to Heart Health Month it seemed appropriate to put together an “ABCs of Exercises” to get people moving this month and throughout 2015!  So, here are some exercise ideas to get you going!

A:  Ab workout

B: Biking, Basketball, Bicycle Crunches

C: Crunches, Canoeing

D: Dancing

E: Equestrian – Ride horses!

F: Football

G: Game night w/ a twist – do exercises in-between games and snack breaks!

H: Hiking

I: Ice skating

J: Jumping jacks, Jogging

K: Kayaking

L: Lunges

M: Make a fort, make a tunnel, or make something creative outside!

N: Natural surroundings, use your imagination in your neighborhood to play outside.

O: Open Air — because I love fresh air and being outside!  Run, jog, walk, hike, the possibilities are endless!

P: Push-ups, Paddle boat

Q: Quick run

R: Racquetball, Running

S: Squats, Soccer, Skiing, Stretching, Swimming

T: Tennis

U: Ultimate frisbee

V: Volleyball

W: Weights/Weight training, Walking

X: X-treme water park? It’s X…give me a break, there aren’t too many options with X!

Y: Yoga, Yard work

Z: Zoo outing might be an option as long as it involves some walking, of course!

Happy exploring, playing, and moving!  Find your interests and hobbies and use those along with your imagination and creativity to come up with activities that you can enjoy all while moving!

~jj

Drinking game?…How about a workout game instead?!

Drinking game?…How about a workout game instead?!

How about working out alongside your favorite show by playing an exercise game?  Would Olivia Pope or the deep story line of the show help motivate you to exercise?

I was watching GMA not long ago and one of the journalists said, “When Olivia on Scandal mentions the President of the United States it means 5 squats and 5 lunges” or consider the series Chuck and do an exercise when Chuck gets out of the car (after being told by Sarah and John Casey to stay in the car).  I think this is a great idea because you can stay focused on the story line of the show while still getting in a workout.  I have encouraged exercising during commercials in a previous post to prevent people from sitting for long periods of time without moving so this is just another exercise option!  (See Exercise during commercials.)

Working out sometimes seems like the most exhausting thing in the world, especially some days when you have little to no energy.  My suggestion is still to do some type of workout because a workout will help fuel you to stay up and get things done.  Exercise will help push you through the rest of the evening so rather than grabbing a snack or picking up takeout and then sitting on the couch for several hours watching tv, find a way to do some type of workout in the comfort of your home.  An at home workout option also helps encourage you to workout no matter what day of the week it is and prevents you from skipping a workout or making an excuse not to go to the gym!  It doesn’t have to be long, it doesn’t have to involve intense cardio exercises, but it does have to get your heart rate up, get your body moving, and help loosen up your muscles from the stress of the day, giving you a new sense of rejuvenation and relaxation before hitting your bed.  If you let yourself come home and veg on the couch or take a nap, you most likely will have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, or getting a good night’s rest.  Hence, do some yoga poses (download a yoga app, hit up YouTube, or like me, find a picture that demonstrates 10-15 poses) and do those throughout the tv show you want to watch.  If yoga isn’t your thing, do as I suggested above and do lunges, jumping jacks, squats, low plank, high plank, sit-ups, crunches, etc. during the show when “specific” yet frequent occurrences/scenes take place.

If you don’t like the ideas above or you can’t even force yourself to do those types of exercises, consider a fitness ball ($15 or less) and do exercises on it.  There are simple exercises you can do on a fitness ball, one being sitting on it to practice your balance.  Further, you can do leg lifts, you can lift one leg for balance or lift both and hold your core to work your abs, you can also do push-ups with your legs balanced on the ball, etc.  In other words, you can vary the level and variety of exercises based on your fitness goals all while watching your favorite tv show!

So, next time you think about skipping your workout for the day, think about what you can do in the comfort of your own living room while watching your favorite show.  You will be glad you do something, even if it a light workout.  A light workout is better than no workout, which is why some days a workout at home may be just the thing to do!

~jj

Slow, steady, and consistent wins the race ;-)

Slow, steady, and consistent wins the race ;-)

I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to write about today, but as I drove my boyfriend to work he brought up his half marathon that I “spectated” over the weekend…if you can even call it that!  It was more like I got to see him start and finish the race, which honestly was a pleasure and while the 5:30am alarm was not what I would call pleasant, it was an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.  After all, it was his first half marathon and, well supporting him is what it’s all about, right?

I was people watching, talking, and kind of doing my own thing as I passed the time until my boyfriend would come running across the finish line.  I began to believe and probably even realize that these half marathoners and full marathoners might be considered half crazy or completely crazy.  (No disrespect to those who train, love, and compete in them, but I got this feeling the more I talked and overheard competitors discuss the race…most said race day would come and they would wake up feeling crazy!)  Sure, I can get my butt out of bed to do interval training early in the morning because it’s fast paced, interval exercises that go quickly and are ever changing, but running?  Really, are you kidding me?  Get up at 5:30a and be ready and willing to run at 7am seems nuts!  I hand it to any and all runners who choose to get up and run 13.1 or 26.2 miles before the sun has even begun to come up, but I will stick to my interval training that keeps me on my toes and my eyes wide open!  That’s why a 5k would need to be fun or adventurous for me to take part.  Maybe even a triathlon at some point…that would at least be more similar to high intensity interval training…kind of, right?!

So, you might be asking yourself what’s the point of this post?  Talking about half and full marathon runners along with high intensity, fast paced interval training is like comparing apples to oranges…or is it?!  This is where the important stuff comes in. 😉  Both are very different exercises and both fit different people’s lifestyles, interests, and personalities, but one thing is that both are workouts.   And with workouts, especially running and long, cardio interval training is that the best way to maintain your workout is to go at a slow, steady, and consistent speed to maintain pace throughout your entire workout.

Whether it is running, interval training, yoga, or some other type of workout, it is best to build yourself up as you go through your workout.  The best way to go about your workout without getting tired too soon is to realize that going at a slow, steady, and consistent speed will allow you to keep pace.  Don’t challenge yourself or go fast too early in your workout.  You should think of the beginning of your run or interval training as your “warm-up” so that you get your muscles moving, ready, and prepared for the middle part which should be the most challenging part of your workout. The middle part should push you to your limits.  This is the part of your workout where you can increase your speed, increase the number of reps and sets, and set your goals higher than the beginning or end.

The moral of the story?  We may all be different shapes and different sizes with different personalities, hobbies, interests, and even different fitness goals, but in the end we are all working out to stay healthy.  So whether you are running, walking, doing interval training, or yoga you should still realize that we are all in it together when it comes to working out.  This means we all need to maintain a slow, steady, ad consistent speed in order to get the most out of our workouts.  After all, while being fast may seem to pump you up and get you going, it is slow, steady, and consistent that wins the race!

Happy running, training, and working out! 🙂

~jj

Breathing fuels your muscles, so practice breathing!

Breathing fuels your muscles, so practice breathing!

Last week when I was working out, I was thinking about how important and helpful it is to know what breathing pattern works best for your body, which highly depends on the person and the exercise. If you understand the importance of your breathing during exercise, you will be more likely to succeed and get through your workout.  It’s something that I have practiced before (as odd as that may sound) because without proper breathing you cannot fully conquer a workout.  Working out is as much about breathing as it is getting your heart rate up and moving your body because breathing fuels your muscles and keeps your body going during your workout.

Here are a few tips on breathing that will help you get through your workout more efficiently.  See the chart below for a visual that will help explain the process of how and why breathing matters during your workout.

1. Remember that breathing gives your muscles the energy they need to keep up with the pace, speed, and challenge of your workout.  Think of it like this: similar to consuming food to keep your body going and nourished, breathing keeps your muscles going when active.  Putting junk food such as chips, cookies, sugary drinks, etc into your body makes your body feel lethargic, energy deprived, and lazy while breathing poorly such as taking shallow or short breaths, holding your breath, or not breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth when you exercise does the same thing to your muscles that poor eating does to your body.  It makes it harder for your muscles to get through the workout just like junk food makes it harder for your body to function properly and can create problems such as diabetes, heart attacks, and other health related problems.  If you do not practice breathing properly you can face shortness of breath during exercise, asthmatic symptoms, fainting, dizziness, or even headaches.

Breathing (Deep, steady breaths)  Energy to fuel muscles  Assists YOU with keeping steady, consistent pace Helps challenge and push you farther See better results over time

2. Deep breathing. Find your breathing pattern and what will work best for you during your workout.  The best way to do this is to practice breathing at your normal, resting heart rate to recognize how fast, slow, deep, or shallow your breaths are.  Then, consider taking deep breaths which help get more oxygen to your muscles.  It is important to be aware of how you breath because this will help you feel more at ease when you exercise as well as ensure you have enough energy to continue through your workout without experiencing dizziness, headaches, or even fainting.  Realize that it can often times be a learning curve to change your breathing pattern so be patient.  Lastly, as a quick tip, if you ever get to a point where you feel you have reached the peak of your workout or need a quick dose of energy, sometimes taking one big deep breath will help you regain momentum to push forward.

3. Breathing patterns can change based on the type and intensity of the exercise and workout you are performing.  For example, cardio workouts will require a more rigorous breathing pattern to keep up with the movement, speed, and intensity of your workout.  In yoga, you can practice breathing that is similar to mediation and slow breathing techniques that will have a calming effect on your mind and body.  Keep this in mind while working out so that you are getting the maximum benefits during your workout (i.e. burning max calories during cardio workouts and gaining ease and relaxation during yoga workouts).  These are just examples, there are many other types of workouts that you can adjust your breathing for based on the speed, length, intensity, and movement.

It may seem hard to believe that something as involuntary and regular to us as breathing can impact our workout so much, but proper breathing is key to help you maximize your results and maintain a safe workout.  Shall I say, happy breath-ercising?

~jj

Penciling in your workout!

Penciling in your workout!

I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the trials and tribulations, chaos and exhaustion that life often throws at people since fall semester often means going back to school, preparing lunches again for kids, and after school sports and activities.  Further, people have surgery that you need to help take care of, you start a family, and you have unexpected work obligations and travel.  While all these tend to throw a curve ball, it doesn’t give you the excuse to skip your workout.  Working out helps reduce stress and relieve the tension that gets built up from the day.  When life gets busy, change your workout or rotate the days you do certain workouts so that a recovery workout might fall on a busier day, but still allows you to workout in some capacity.  Many, if not all of us, hold very busy lives and feel as though we never have enough time in the day, let alone time to set aside for exercising.  That’s everyone, right?!   We may not all have children, aging parents, a house to take care of, pets to walk, etc, but we do all have obligations and priorities to balance.

While you may not have a half hour, an hour, or even an hour and a half to dedicate to exercising or personal wellness each day, you do have small increments of time that can be used to exercise.  For example, you may have a 15 minute break at work where you can take a walk, do some jumping jacks and push-ups, go up and down the stairs, or sit at your desk and do leg lifts and weights (keep a set in the office to make it easy on yourself).  Two 15 minute breaks will allow you to get at least 30 minutes of exercise in each day.  Don’t get any breaks at work or it isn’t something that is consistent?  Stop spending so much time on Facebook, Twitter, Pineterst, and other social media websites every single day, every single hour.  I hear people say all the time, “I am so busy I barely have time to keep up with my house, my friends and family, my pets, and still sit down and relax.”  This is a huge pet peeve when most people spend hours on Facebook ad social media or watching television.  If you have time to look at random Facebook statuses all day, then believe me, I promise you have time to set aside 30 minutes to take care of your mind and body.  And guess what?  All those Facebook statuses, Twitter feed updates, and Pinterest projects will still be waiting for you when you are done!  Remember your health is more important than sitting for 3 or more hours on social media sites, so rather than skip a workout, delay it if you need to!

With unexpected work obligations and travel, consider a workout that can be done using only your body and can be done almost anywhere with a small amount of space such as in a hotel room.  For example, crunches, push-ups, jumping jacks, and other 20-30 minute workouts can be done doing repetitive sets of exercises that only require using your own body weight!  These exercises are not only convenient, but also tend to be less intrusive on your joints than machines.  For me, using my body weight versus using machines is the best change I have made in my life to improve my workouts and make me feel so much better!  I try to remind everyone, we are all different, so what works for me may not work for you, but I do hope my tips and tricks may provide guidance and encouragement!

Your workout should fit your schedule and lifestyle because this is what helps you stay on track, prevents you from skipping workouts, and from giving up.  If that means yoga and a walk at 6:30am so that you can get your workout done before work then you should do that.  A workout could be two 15 minute breaks during the day or over your lunch, a group fitness class or club that meets 3 times a week, it could be working out with your kids during the day, taking your baby and a jogging stroller to your gym and running on the track, yard work, doing exercises every time you get up to make copies at work, etc.  Your workout can fit into any small windows of time that you have rather than feeling like you need to have a block of time set aside.  If you “pencil in your workout” at the beginning of each day, it has been shown that you are more likely to exercise and meet your fitness goals.

~jj

Workout lifestyle…when & where should you workout?

Workout lifestyle…when & where should you workout?

I have to say most days I look very forward to my workout.  It’s the “me” time of the day when I can de-stress and be away from everyone and everything (computers, technology, phone, etc).  Anything that is bothering me such as studying all night, an argument, or even just daily stress can simply be moved aside for the moment so that I can get a good sweat!  One thing that’s important about exercising is to recognize that when and where you exercise can make a big difference in your energy level, mood, results, and how enjoyable your workout will be.

First, when should you exercise?  In order to maximize your results, you should consider when the best time is for you to exercise based on your schedule, energy level, and personal characteristics.  For example, if you are not a morning person and you work at 8am, consider an evening workout rather than a 6am workout.  If you are a morning person and work at 8am, consider the 6am workout as a possible option.  On the other hand, if working out helps you wake up because you are not a morning person consider an exercise routine that will help with that balance such as yoga.   It is important to remember that it takes energy to get through a workout so try to find a time when you have a high energy level and are not tired or lethargic.  It will be different for everyone so determine when you can maximize your workout results based on your schedule and lifestyle.  For me, I workout best in the evening.  I feel energetic, look forward to clearing my mind, and my body feels ready to workout.  Remember sleep is vital to having energy so make sure you are getting enough sleep consistently each night.  A night with little sleep, followed by a full night’s rest, followed by another night with not much sleep throws off your body and is a sure way to not only dread your workout, but also make it hard to do.

Second, where should you exercise?  This is an interesting and very subjective question because it really depends on a person’s personal fitness goals and schedule.  Possibilities might include at home, at a gym, or outside.  Personally, I like to workout at home because I can alter the environment to fit me.  For example, I utilize the pictures of my family and friends on the wall to influence me and encourage me to get through my workout.  I also like having quotes and inspirational sayings on the wall that I connect with.  If you’re at the gym and don’t have the luxury of choosing what is on the walls, bring a picture of your favorite celebrity crush or in my case I would probably bring Andy Murray because of his killer work ethic as a tennis player or Jennifer Garner because of her portrayal of badass spy Sydney Bristow! 😉  It could also be quotes/sayings or something inspirational.  There are no requirements on what you can use, but make sure it is something that you connect with and helps push you through your workout.

Third, how do these impact your overall workout?   Easy answers to this one!  Happiness, efficiency, and results!  Once you can find a rhythm that works for you, it makes working out easier and less thought has to be put into it.

So, get your workout on in your garage, in your room, in the gym, or outside and do it in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening, but just remember to be sure to DO IT!  It’s all subjective, so find what works for you and don’t give up!  We all have good days and bad days, but if you can find a schedule and rhythm that works, then you will be more likely to follow through and more likely to enjoy it!

~jj

A healthy {March Madness} competition with yourself!

A healthy {March Madness} competition with yourself!

I was thinking about the blog and March Madness (well, mostly March Madness) because I love sports.  Tennis, basketball, football, soccer, baseball (in person), if it’s on, then I want my television on, but sitting and watching television for hours (let’s face it, sports games aren’t always short…at least 2 hours or more) is not exactly healthy.  Several weeks ago I was working out and thinking how much I enjoy a little competition with myself.  I am not a huge competitor against others (I don’t like comparing myself to others) when it comes to exercising, so running against others or entering events that are timed races are not my cup of tea.  However, I DO love a great competition against myself.  What exactly does this mean?  I love improving the amount of reps I do when I exercise.  For example, if I do 3 sets of 50 crunches, then next time I want to do 3 sets of 60 crunches.  I like the extra push and how I feel once I have surpassed my previous amount of reps.

So, now you might be thinking how does March Madness and having a healthy competition with yourself fit together?  One involves a lot of sitting and the other involves health and competition.  As an avid sports freak and exercise lover, I thought it might be fun to put them together and have a little game against yourself during March Madness.  Why?  Because it’s a great opportunity to combine March Madness and health without allowing yourself to sit for hours at a time!

My challenge to you is to make an exercise bracket when you make your March Madness bracket.  For example, lunges versus squats, see which one you can do more of in a 1 minute interval.  Consider push-ups versus crunches, burpees versus jumping jacks and so on.  Fill out an entire bracket with exercises competing against each other.  I suggest placing the exercises you choose on an actual bracket and have your March Madness basketball bracket with it because here’s how it will work:  You will do each exercise that you have corresponding to the game on your basketball bracket.  For example, if Oklahoma State and Gonzaga are playing, you would have two exercises written next to them.  Lets use squats and lunges for this game.  At some point during the first half you will do squats for 1 minute and write down how many you achieved and once the second half begins, you will do lunges for 1 minute and write down how many you were able to do.  Like with the basketball games, whichever exercise got the most reps during the 1 minute wins and moves on to the next round! 😉  Keep doing this until you have a winning exercise. Get creative, there are lots of exercises you can use, you might consider one yoga pose versus another.  Remember, it’s all in good fun AND it is all to get our butts up off the couch as we sit and watch the upsets and unpredictable outcomes of March Madness unfold!

Here’s an example of an exercise bracket if you are having a hard time coming up with exercises or can’t quite picture it.  Remember you will do the corresponding exercises with the corresponding game that’s on your March Madness basketball bracket (one first half and one second half).  You can either do each exercise for a one minute interval and count the reps for each or choose a goal and see which one meets or comes closest to the goal.  Have fun with this and realize it’s to keep you from sitting the entire time during March Madness!

EAST (yoga): high plank hold v. low plank hold, cobra v. downward dog, spinal balance right v. spinal balance left, tree pose right v. tree pose left, triangle pose left v. triangle pose right, warrior pose left v. warrior pose right, bird of paradise left v. bird of paradise right, staff pose v. mountain pose

WEST (strength training): pushups v. squats, bicep curls right v. bicep curls left, tricep curls right v. tricep curls left, lunges v. wall sit, bicycle crunches v. floor crunches, side pushups right v. side pushups left, right leg balance v. left leg balance, shoulder raise left v. shoulder raise right

MIDWEST (cardio): high knees v. butt kicks, jumping jacks v. burpees, mountain climbers v. russian twists, pogo right leg v. pogo left leg, squat jumps v. plank walks, side2side squat heel touch v. side2side ski jumps, scissor runs v. standing leg kicks, one arm push up left v. one arm push up right

SOUTH (misc): jump rope v. hula hoop, arm circles front v. arm circles back, standing calf raise left v. standing calf raise right, chair left lift right v. chair leg lift left, left arm punches v. right arm punches, wall pushups v. marching in place, right leg lift and hold v. left leg lift and hold, right leg kick v. left leg kick

Hope this provides some March Madness inspiration!  Happy bracketising!  Enjoy your exercise bracket and your basketball bracket.  Hope your basketball bracket is doing better than mine! 😉

~jj

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