30 Day Fitness Challenge

1. Active challenge: Set an alarm to go off every hour. Take 1 minute to stretch, walk around and take a break.

• I’m a terrible person and I didn’t do this.

2. Exercise challenge: Strength

• I know they gave me a full body workout, but I didn’t have a fitness ball and I only have 5lbs weights. So, instead I did 2 reps of 15 tricep dips, 15 plank twists (each side), 15 scissor kicks (each side), 20 side lunges (each leg), 20 lunges (each leg), and 20 calf raises that weren’t the best haha. But! I feel great now. Although, my muscles are getting sore and tense so I stretched before and in between reps. 
• On top of that I did 15 minutes of interval training (cardio) and 100 jumping jacks WOO! 

3. Flexibility Challenge: Do these 2x a day

• Hip Flexor Stretch
• Hamstring Stretch
• Lunge Stretch
• Chest Stretch/Ball
• Full Stretch

4. Nutrition Challenge: Research a food that you eat often, find out if it’s good or not and if you need a substitution

• Pasta! I keep telling my dad we need wheat pasta, but for some strange reason, he hates wheat, which means I only get regular pasta. Wheat pasta is the best kind, but either way our problem with pasta is our proportions. I guess we’re only supposed to have 2oz of dried pasta? (maybe I read too fast or wrong, I always learned to only eat as much grain as the size of your fist) and that looks really really tiny pasta-wise. Meanwhile, if you had that same amount with rice it looks very generous! Interesting huh?

5. Mind/Body Challenge: 3 Minute Total Relaxation

1. Active Challenge: Park in the furthest parking space from the door

• ha. Since I didn’t have a chance to leave my house today (I work at home)

2. Exercise Challenge: Abs!

• Do your own! Ironically, I ended up doing some exercises that involved this without realizing it. In my opinion, “sideway scissors” count. It’s pretty difficult and my abs feel the burn. Makes me feel good afterward. I also did a “bridge” I don’t know how else to call it..In the least awkward way to put it…it’s a pelvic thrust into the air and holding it. BURNNN…feel it. Oh hey, it’s on the flexibility challenge. Look at that. 
• Crunches
• Reverse Crunches
• Modified Plank I held a plank for a minute. Ever tried it? It’s difficult. haha
• Dead Bug I think this was the HARDEST thing I’ve done. It is really difficult! Makes me feel like I got a workout for sure!
• Back Extensions 

    HA! I did them. I did them all! I only did 1 rep of each, but considering I did more exercises today (2 reps of inner thigh sculptor, saddlebag buster, hip abduction, sideway scissors, butterfly twist AND 20 minutes of interval training jump rope…does that even make sense? oh! and 100 jumping jacks!) I think I did a sufficient amount of exercising. 

3. Flexibility Challenge: Yoga!

• Cat stretch
• Pelvic Tilt
• Bridge
• Side stretch

4. Nutrition challenge: Eat one meal with no distractions

5. Mind/Body challenge: Set a worry appointment

So I will probably will follow day 3 now and then day 4…etc. 

1. Accumulate at least 15 minutes of walking up stairs or hill-climbing.

• I ended up doing this at work by carrying packages in and out. Trust me, there were a LOT. 

2. 30 minutes of medium-high intensity cardio exercise.

•  1 mile run (and a little walking)- 10 minutes: Even though I’m not the fastest runner, I have to remind myself that when I first started running it took me 18 minutes just to run a mile. It’s always difficult for me but I go as far as I can, only to walk for a few seconds to regain my breath. I was a little tired before I ran, but I definitely was more energized afterwards!
• Jump rope- 20 minutes: Before my exercise? I felt…sweaty but energized! I took a 10 minute break in between my run and this. Afterwards, I still feel quite energized! I think this is going to be the only thing that keeps me awake throughout the day.

3. Stretch for at least 5 minutes after your cardio workout.

• Total Body: I feel good! I feel real good!

    Perform these seated stretching routine. 

• Neck stretch
• Back stretch
• Trunk twist
• Shoulder stretch
• Lower back stretch

4. Nutritional challenge: Eat veggies with every meal (minus breakfast)

• Breakfast: Chobani blueberry yogurt
• Snack: Carrots! (So glad I brought them to work with me…)
• Lunch: Roast beef sandwich with carrots 
• Snack:  Dried apricots 
• Dinner: A bowl odka sauce with ziti, 1/4 of a rueben sandwich (odd I know…), and broccoli :)

    Looks like I succeeded in my veggie goal!

5. One minute meditation

1. Get rid of everything related to weight loss

2. Keep a journal. Hello, tumblr.

3. Getting ready for strength workouts…well I’ll use my body and my small weights. 

4.Get ready for cardio workouts.

5. Get ready for flexibility workouts.