Weekly Fitness Challenge

This week's challenge is a group cycling class!!

Visit www.cyclingclass.com and you can find a class near you.

When participating in this class, it is imperative to bring a water bottle or two and a towel.

It is super! because more than any other class, you can work at your own tempo, which is great for beginners.

I will let you know how my spin classes go at the college.

Weekly Fitness Challenge...

The weekly fitness challenge is going well.

Week three -- cardio kickbox or something of the like-- In the spirit of things, I joined my friend who absolutely loved it and is going to be continuing on her own. She needed the team support to get moving.

Week Four-- hip hop. It is Saturday of week four and it is a glum and overcast day.. rain!

So it is the perfect day to join a class.

As always, if you couldn't fit it into your schedule today... you can do so tomorrow or this coming week.

Have a super week! and I will post Week Five's Challenge.

girls can do push-ups too!

Ladies, push-up position....

and all the girls in my class complain. my fifth and sixth grade track team could do push-ups, but not the college ladies... hmmmm...

I am concerned about doing push-ups on the knees... big difference between girlie push-ups and full push-ups.. but I am ok with it, if we are learning, and pressing forward to bigger goals.

But instead of creating a sense of failure b/c we are struggling with the push-up, why don't we take the push-up out of the equation (temporarily) and strengthen the shoulder girdle.

1. Do a plank in push-up position. (many women and girls cannot hold the body in this position for ten seconds, let alone to be able to do a series of push-ups).

Hold the position until you are trembling, or you shift your body position.

Repeat.

2. Do a plank on your forearms. (The body is closer to the ground; it changes things).

Again, hold until you are trembling or change your body posture.

Repeat.

3. In the plank position on your forearms, work on shoulder flexibility.

Do this by doing a hip hike (creating a mountain) and shifting your weight back toward your heels. Keep your forearms on the ground and let the head follow the body... to keep the neck and spine in-line. Bring your hips back to the start position. This should be repeated several times.

4. In forearm plank position, roll through your shoulders bringing your body closer to the floor and farther away. NOTE: I said, roll through your shoulders, not your hips. Your hips stay level. The movement is in the shoulder blades (scapula retraction, protraction). Do this say 8 to 10 times.

5. In forearm plank position, move your hips around-- circles (both directions) up and down, without making contact with the ground. Do like three or four circles each direction and the same amount of hip hikes... or for a period of time, say 30 seconds.

6. Do some body builders... (also called burpees)...

Starting position is standing, arms at your sides.

Squat down to put your hands on the ground beside you.

Kick your feet behind you to bring you to push-up position.

Do a push-up -- the best that you can.

Feet Open- Feet Closed (like a jumping jack in push-up position)

Tuck your feet back to your squat position.

Jump Up High and Reach for the Sky.

Repeat-- for 30 seconds or a minute.

By practicing these and/or incorporating in your warm-up/workout,

overall body conditioning and flexibility will improve

and you will find you are stronger and can do a push-up.

NO Excuses, Ladies! Let's go!!!!

Weekly Fitness Challenge -- Week Two

This week-- 10 - 14 August:

Martial Arts Class-- kickboxing, boxing, something related to martial arts.

Honestly, I am a little our of my element here.

But if I can give it a go, so can you!!!!!!

Let me know how it goes.

Weekly Fitness Challenge

I am going to say this once-- JUST DO IT!  no complaints, no excuses... JUST GO!

This week (3 - 7 August) commences the beginning of the weekly fitness challenge.  

This event was created and organized by Geoff Hampton (www.geoffhampton.com).  

The GOAL:  to change the illness trend in this country and around the world!  

YOUR JOB:  

is to embrace the philosophy and attitude of MSJ 4 Her of women empowering women to be strong and take your girlfriends to an exercise/activity class of your choice. 

Suggestions:

--water fitness

--SPIN

--Step

--rebounding

--martial arts

--group training

--kettle bells 

--running

--walking

--obstacle courses

--yoga

--pilates

Contact your local fitness center.  Ask if they have a class you can drop in.  Be so bold to ask if you could try the class with your friend to see if you like it.  Bring a friend who might not go if she had to go alone.  Empower her.  Both of your health is at stake!!

Still feel lost?  Not challenging enough for you?  Reach out to me.  (msj4her@gmail.com)  You might wish to join my running group or a swim team or something else.  I can help assist you.  

Remember this is our girlfriends we are talking about.  We gals need to stick together. 

Yes, we can bring the guys... next week.  wink-wink.

Have a super week. 

The 3 Day Walk.... (continued)

Nothing, I mean nothing could have prepared me for this experience.  

I thought it would... after all, i am training for a 104-mile race.  The experience went much further than the walk... the journey of 60-miles.

Day One-- rain!  I mean rain... not a casual drizzle, ugly rain!  We were soaked before we began.  (How could I be soooo unprepared?? i didn't have any rain gear, i wore my new jersey sweatshirt.... we wore plastic ponchos.)  And I got wet.  

On the way to the drop-off, we passed three, i mean THREE dunkin donuts... do you think we could have stopped???? oh, NO!!! the other car, (we were a team in two cars, traveling together... and one of the team members had prearranged the taxis-- WITH NO STOP!!!! )  I do not understand how one is able to walk 20 or so miles in a day without coffee...

My feet didn't feel too-too bad.  My feet felt pretty good, actually.... except for my plantar fasciaitis.  In fact, it down right hurt.  At one of the rest stops, I iced my feet.  The medical staff was more concerned about my color and the fact that i was cold.  I received my first pair of dry socks.  On the walk, we stopped at a sporting good store.. bought another pair of Smart Wool Socks... my feet were soaked!  But my walking partner Christina and I forged ahead.... to catch a sweep-van to lunch.  We were struggling. 

We got to medical and my aunt Judy had tripped over a fire hydrant... well, actually the fire hydrant attacked her... don't you hate that?  she was icing her knee... and christina stopped for ice for her back... i was just feeling tired.  the lunch menu was severely lacking... the choice was chicken sandwich or soy... um, i eat neither.  the nectarine wasn't ripe... ok.. what do i do?

drank some extra gatorade, and had some almonds that i packed... and we were going to wait it out to see what the deal was.... 

Note: i was still cold.  the sun had started to come out... typical of this summer... but i was cold.  evidently, i was pale, b/c they were suddenly very concerned about my health.... and christina and i were escorted to camp... to the medical tent-- and there, i was provided another pair of dry socks (four socks in one day-- that's how wet it was) and a dry sweatshirt.

Wrapped up in an emergency blanket and a medical flannel blanket, i was starting to feel warm.  I had a DC adjust my back and my feet!!!!! wow... what was i waiting for??? my plantar fascia issues have cleared up.... not completely better, but amazing since this adjustment!!!!

and then i was finally feeling better.  and hungry.  and looking forward to a shower.

After the incident, Christina and I decided to stay in a hotel... to be warm.  (it started to rain again) instead of camping out in the tents at base camp-- i learned i wasn't prepared to stay in camp (note for next year) and it might have truly compromised my health.  

DAY Two:

Was so much better!  I taped my feet at the first rest stop, and prepared for lunch that i might not eat.  The day started chilly and ended warm.... my new gifted zip-up hoodie came in handy!

The walk voyaged through some beautiful neighborhoods and parks... Saw some baby geese.  The warm weather brought out many more people to cheer the walkers on!!!

Day Two-- I started to get into the spirit of the walk.  I met some truly amazing women who were walking-- breast cancer survivors who were walking.  There were several women who were in their second and third trimesters that were walking-- wow!!! hats off to these women!

DAY Three:  

Yippee!!! the end was in sight!!!!!! and we were walking through downtown Boston!  I had never been downtown before.... and as I am preparing to relocate to new england, I was very excited about the prospect of seeing boston.  And so, we walked.... through cambridge, harvard, MIT, and then crossed the charles river, and walked through the mall and the commons area and the gardens.  Amazing!  

On the journey, I was privileged to walk with a woman who was undergoing treatment for brain cancer.  Wow!!!!

And then the end was insight.  The route took us along the shore line, walking on the boardwalk... to end at U-Mass, boston.   Simply Gorgeous!  Christina and I enjoyed the stroll and I was completely overwhelmed by the masses that were at the finish to greet us with applause and cheers.  

In this, I learned that causes are worth walking, running, hopping, skipping, etc... for.  Causes are worth speaking out for.  I learned that I can make a difference.

In some child's album, my picture will appear.  He took my photo as I was entering the rest-stop... to memorialize his experience supporting people doing something valuable.  I do not know how, but I know this child has been affected or influenced by breast cancer.  

Many thanks to those who supported us along the route with applause, high-fives, frozen grapes on skewers, tootsie rolls, watermelon, water!  and simple words of encouragement.  You were just as awesome as those of us who were walking.  

I look forward to the day when breast cancer will be no more.