August Challenge: Friday, Day 27 – WHAAAAAT?!?!

You don’t workout?!?! So you don’t run? You don’t bike? You don’t swim? You do NOTHING??

NO WAY! Being active is not only good for us…it’s fun! It’s rewarding! It’s a WAY OF LIFE!

We are all athletes. No matter how fast or slow you go…no matter how much weight you can lift…you are moving and that what matters!

In case you didn’t know…or need a not so subtle reminder…here are some reasons why being active is so important! According to the Mayo Clinic (right here in sunny Jacksonville)….

“The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. And the benefits of exercise are yours for the taking, regardless of your age, sex or physical ability.

This is a great article and you can read it in it’s entirety here.

If you don’t have time…who does…(we are too being working out right? ;)) ..just remember these 7 reason why being active is so good for you!

1. Exercise controls weight
2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases
3. Exercise improves your mood
4. Exercise boosts energy!
5. Exercise promotes better sleep
6. Exercise puts the spark back in your sex life
7. Exercise CAN be fun!

If you’re having a hard time seeing these benefits…maybe it’s time to look at exercise in a different way. Can you get your family or friends involved? Working out with a partner is so much more rewarding and fun than working out alone. If you work out at night…and are not sleeping well…try moving your workouts to the morning. This will also give you more energy during the day.

Whatever you do…DON”T STOP MOVING!

Here’s our Day 27 (August 28th) exercises:

•  40 Crunches or Scissor Kicks or both!
• 40 Dumbbell Side Bends
• 40 Russian Twists
• 60 Second High Plank

Thank you to Tracy Malinowski for supplying our meme of the day! It was a great one and a reminder to us all that working out should always be a part of our life. Sometimes we falter…life has a way of getting in the way…but the important thing is to get up and get back at it! It’s never too late to get moving!

Make it a great Friday Challengers! 🙂

August Challenge: Friday, Day 20 – Physical Friday

Hey Challengers..it’s Friday!! Time to get physical!

Friday, August 21st…Day 20 of our August Challenge and my son Silas’ 5th birthday! YAY!!

We are back home and ready for a fun birthday, but first I have to get back on my game, log some miles, and power through our exercises strong.

We all deserve a little down time sometimes but that just means we work twice as hard when it’s time to get back at it. I’m back, heading out for 8 miles this morning, and ready to kick some Friday booty! Who’s with me?!? 😉

Here’s our Day 20 exercises:

• 30 Crunches or Scissor kicks (or both 😉 )
• 30 Dumbbell Side Bends
• 30 Russian Twists
• 60 Second High Plank

What’s everyone got going on this weekend? Any races? Long training runs? Put it in writing and make it real. I’ve got 13 miles on the schedule for Sunday…who else?

Let’s get it done and make it a great Friday! 🙂

August Challenge: Friday, Day 13 – Are You Working Hard Enough?

Hey Challengers…it’s Friday YAY!!! Are you ready for the weekend?

I am! I have a 15 mile training run on the schedule for tomorrow and I am excited because I get to run it with Paula Farmer! 🙂 🙂

I know it’s going to be tough because it is so darn hot out, but we are not scared of a little hard work…Are you?

We all like to grumble and complain sometimes, but the truth is…you can’t complain about things you are not willing to work hard to change!

Are you working your hardest? Giving it everything you’ve got everyday? If not…you can’t complain about the exercises being too hard. If you’re not leaving every ounce of strength you have on the table every single day…you cannot complain about not seeing the results you want to see!

So what to do…what to do…GET UP!! GET MOVING!! Give it everything you’ve got…don’t stop until you are completely exhausted…do your best…then you can rest…then you can complain (a little) about being sore and tired!

We’re working our shoulders and abs again today…here’s our Day 13 exercises:

• 20 Crunches / 20 Scissor Kicks
• 20 Dumbbell Side Bends
• 20 Russian Twists
• 60 Second High Plank

If you are trying your hardest…giving it everything you’ve got…I don’t care if you can’t do every exercise. All I care is that you do not give up!

What’s everyone doing this weekend? Anyone racing? Anything else fun and active? Let’s hear what you’ve got planned!

Ready to go hard today? I hope so…it’s the only way.

Make it a great day Challenger! 🙂

August Challenge: Day 6 – Stronger Than You Thought

Hey Challengers…it’s Friday, August 7th…Day 6 of our Challenge…and we are coming up to our first weekend of the month!

Weekends are tough for a lot of people because we want to relax, spend time with family and friends, and mentally “check out” for a couple days.

There’s nothing wrong with that…but before you decide to skip a couple days…think about all the hard work you’ve put in throughout the week and make the choice not to move backwards.

On day 1, there was plenty of “I can’t do this..or that…exercise” but you have already proven that you CAN do the exercises and that you are stronger than you think! Don’t let the weekend throw you off course.

Tomorrow is our rest day from strength training…so let’s push hard today and really get the most of our workout! Today we are working our shoulders and abs…and I can always use a great core workout!

Here’s our August 7th (Day 6) exercises:

• 10 Crunches or Scissor Kicks
• 10 Dumbbell Side Bends
• 10 Russian Twists
• 60 Second High Plank

We have some Challengers with back issues…so when deciding on crunches or scissor kicks..please listen to your body and choose the exercise that will not cause you pain. OR if you love core exercises…do both! 😉

I’m excited about the dumbbell side bends because my muffin top never entirely goes away…these are prefect for that area. And of course y’all know I love those Russian twists! If you’re not sure about an exercise…please click here for our “how to” videos.

No matter what you do today…keep moving…and remember…you are stronger than you think!

Make it a great day Challengers!