A few weeks in, some tiny successes....

So the day before Thanksgiving, I left work at 4pm.  Yes, I left work SUPER early.  I'm trying to have a better work/life balance, and by work/life balance, I mean leave at a normal time and go to a class.

So since I left early, I took the opportunity to go to a hot power yoga class.  I love my studio, the teachers are all so positive, non-judgemental... well let's be honest, yoga is typically a positive, non-judgemental, full of love type of workout (at least in my limited experience), but I love my teachers....

So anyway, I took this hot power yoga class, and at the beginning of class, we always declare our intention for the class.  In the past, I've said determination (to see the poses through to the end), love (of myself), hope (for my cousin Hope)... so the class the day before Thanksgiving?  I decided "THANKS" was my intention.

No matter how much my muscles shook holding the challenging moves, or how much heat I felt from the warm room, I decided that when the going got tough, I was going to say (to myself), "Thank you body for being able to do this.  Thank you for being strong.  Thank you for being flexible.  Thanks, thanks, thanks."

And you know what? It turned out to be one of the most productive yoga sessions.  Because I didn't focus on the pain - my mind was elsewhere, focusing on being thankful.  I didn't fall out of the poses early.  Instead of focusing on the pain in my legs, or how my arms were shaking, I just focused on being thankful that I had arms and legs that would allow me to move my body in that way.  I just kept repeating "Thank you, thank you, thank you".

It worked.  It was AWESOME.

Highly recommend this strategy.  I used it the next day during a challenging spin class where my quads started protesting.  It worked then too!

So anyway, a few weeks into this challenge, I'm definitely not perfect, but I am feeling like I'm making better choices aimed at being more consistent.

Here's how I was able to work out over the past few weeks:

Friday - 5K
Saturday - 75 min yoga
Sunday - 60 min spin
Monday - 60 min pilates
Tuesday - off
Wednesday - off
Thursday - off
Friday - 60 min spin
Saturday - 75 min yoga
Sunday - rest
Monday - 60 min spin
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - YOGA
Thursday - TURKEY DAY SPIN CLASS for 60 min
Friday -dance while singing to country tunes

See? More consistent :)

It's FAR from over, but I am proud of the small accomplishments I've made.  Let's see if I can continue this streak into the future!!!

The Football Game Workout Challenge

Why is finding time to workout so difficult?  It really shouldn't be.  Exercise produces endorphins, which make you happy.  Who wouldn't want to be happy?

So I took a look at both why it was so difficult to find time to workout and how I was spending my time... and I figured, why not try to work exercise into some of the other things I do? You know, make it easy!

And as many of you know already, I love football (in particular, Steelers football), and even though my team isn't performing at their best this year, I still watch every. single. game. I cheer, I scream, and I tweet with Steeler Nation.

Now, my typical Sunday Funday includes several (i.e. 3-8) beverages, some sort of buffalo chicken wrap, and plenty of sitting on a bar stool (or on my couch) for HOURS (minimum 4, maximum all day long).

What a waste of a day in which I could be more active!

But wait!

What if, instead of four hours sitting on my ass, I turn some of those four hours into a workout contest?

Yes.  Brilliant.

So one lovely Sunday afternoon, I wrote down many of the things that could happen in a football game (first down, touchdown, safety, penalty, coach's challenge, etc.), and then I matched those potential activities up with some sort of exercise (crunches, squats, burpees, etc.), and here's the result:

 

As you can see, I was ambitious and matched exercises to things that would happen at halftime, third and fourth quarter... let me remind you that most football games last for four hours.  Not sure what I was thinking, because one quarter in and I was tiiiiired...

But here's how I did:

 

You know what?  I am super proud because I efficiently used my time to do something I love and add some exercise in there... thus making me feel good.  And happy :)

Now, I don't expect to be able to do this every single Sunday, but I am going to put this game into my normal rotation more often.  It was fun, it kept me on my toes, and I got a GREAT workout in :)

Happy Sunday!