Week 3 Challenge - Dealing With "Life Happens"

Well here we are at the END of week 3 and I am just now posting your weekly challenge.  My apologies.  As you all know life sometimes gets in the way of your daily goals/tasks.  That's what happened to me this week.  I celebrated a birthday, had company in town, training for a half marathon, playing soccer, working, writing blogs...the list goes on of things I did in the last 7 days.  So what do you do when "life happens"?  This week's challenge is to learn how to deal with these unexpected setbacks/problems/adventures.

Maybe you are on your weigh-loss journey.  Maybe you've met your goal and now you are in the "maintenance" phase.  Maybe you are just trying to get by each day, one step at a time.  Wherever you are in your life journey, it's important to learn how to handle the small stuff.  Sometimes life hands you a big pile of you-know-what right in the middle of your journey.  Don't let that deter you from working towards your goal(s). Check out a previous blog on setbacks.  In a small attempt to be cheeky, take everything with a grain of salt.  Stay focused on your goal and keep pushing forward.  Rearrange your schedule when life happens to schedule a little "me-time".  Whether that "me-time" is a workout, a manicure/pedicure, a massage, a walk in the park, or just a good ol' fashioned scream and cry, be sure to have that time for you.  Remember, whatever life hands you (good or bad), it's only a small step in your big journey.

So how do you deal with these stressors in life?  Be patient.  Your goal this week (oops, I mean weekend) is to start learning how you deal with obstacles.  If you are working towards a goal (weight loss, eating healthy, reducing stress, etc), take a few moments to jot down potential obstacles that will prevent you from meeting that goal.  Once you've completed that, think about (and write down) how you will handle those obstacles.  Planning ahead will help when life deals you an obstacle.  You know the Boy Scouts' motto..."Always Be Prepared".  Why not adopt that in your life?  Be prepared for obstacles.  Be prepared for changes to your goal.  Be prepared to step up and not let life get in your way.

Good luck with this challenge and remember, post your comments/thoughts/struggles on our Facebook page or at the end of this blog.  Til next week........

Warm Weather Workout

Continuing with our guest blogger this month, here is the second installment from our very own Shawn Massey.

Hey everyone here is a quick workout you can do outside as the weather gets nicer (if you have kids you can include them too as a game to get them outside, spend some quality time, and teach them healthy habits).   (Click on each exercise for a link on how to perform it).

Bear Crawl 

Depth Jumps

Spider Walk (if playing with kids add push up for you)

Crab Crawl

Sprints (uphill if possible)

Complete each exercise for a designated distance.  If you are playing with your kids complete this workout as a obstacle course and race to see who can finish first.  Complete 3 sets or race best 2 out of 3 wins.

Get outside and get active!!

Week 2 Challenge - Water Intake

We are now into week 2 of the 8-week challenge from trainer, April Crosby.  How did you do last week with adding 20 minutes of activity into your daily routine?  Was it hard to find the time?  Were you successful?  Hopefully you were able to get your 20-minutes in on most of the days last week.  Keep going, though, don't stop just because that week's challenge is over.  The goal of this program is to improve your health and get you ready for spring!!  We are hoping you will make PERMANENT lifestyle changes and not just short-term changes.

This week's challenge is about hydration.  If you haven't read our previous blogs on water intake, go back and read "Water...Is it the Magic Pill for Weight Loss?" and "I Don't Like the Taste of Water - Do You?" before continuing with this week's challenge.  These blogs will give you a little better perspective on the importance of water and hydration.  With that being said, let's move on to this week's challenge.  Most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration due to the over-consumption of soft drinks/caffeinated drinks and sports or energy drinks.  How often do you drink just plain ol' water?  Our body's are made up of approximately 60% water.  Our brains are comprised of almost 70% water and lungs are nearly 90% water.  Without the proper hydration level, our bodies do not function at their peak performance.  More importantly, if you are dehydrated, you are not an efficient "fat-burning" machine.

So what is April asking of you this week?  In short, she wants you to increase your water intake.  Your goal is to consume half of your body weight in ounces of water daily.  For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, you will need to drink 100 ounces of water.  That's about 6 small water bottles a day.  First of all, don't panic.  If you are not up to speed on your water intake, start with baby steps in the beginning of this week.  The first couple of days, drink 25% of your weight in ounces of water.  In our example above, that would equate to 3 small bottles or 50 ounces of water.  Work your way up to half of your body weight of ounces.  You will be amazed at how much better you feel when your body is fully hydrated!  Your mind will be more clear, you'll have more energy, and most importantly your body will function as it should!!

So this week, keep up with your daily 20-minutes of physical activity and keep a water bottle with you all day.  Remember, we are looking for plain ol' water...not "vitamin" water or anything with additives in it.  You can add fresh fruit to your water to "spice" it up a bit but that's it!  Keep track of your water intake on your smart phone or in a journal.  Start small and work your way up. 

Let's make your body an efficient fat-burning machine so you can either lose those extra pounds or to keep them off permanently!!  Good luck and keep us posted on this blog or on Facebook.

Competition: The Great Motivator

This month our guest blogger is our very own, new papa, Shawn Massey.  He will be supplying us with his great wisdom over the next few weeks so stay tuned and read what he has to say!!

Stuck in a training rut or just tired of the same boring workout?  Why not break out of it by competing against someone else or yourself?  Training with a friend won't just make the time go faster but it can also drive you both to push that extra 10 percent.  For those of you who are personal training clients, it's not too hard to goat your trainer into a little competition if you are up to a challenge.  You might also try entering into a race, mud run, or join a recreational sports team.  The drive to outdo your competition (or just do well for your own satisfaction) will give you a reason to dig down each workout and give you a new training focus.  If one-on-one competition isn't your game compete against yourself.  Each time you do an exercise try to get more reps or a faster time than last time.  

Let the games begin!

Week 1 Challenge - Daily Activity

Here it is....week 1 of the 8-week challenge from one of our trainers, April Crosby.  This week she is challenging you  to get up and get active.  For the next 7 days, April challenges you to fit in a minimum of 20-minutes of physical activity.  Already getting in 20+ minutes daily?  Then take your intensity up a notch.  Increase your speed and/or resistance in that activity and push yourself a little harder.  If this is a new task for you then take a break from your computer/tablet/smart phone and get in a quick workout.  You don't need to go to the gym...the weather is getting warm outside so step out and enjoy it.  Go for a brisk walk with a loved one or pet.  Get your bike out and dust it off then take if for a spin through your neighborhood.  Choose an activity that will get your heart rate elevated and keep it elevated for the full 20-minutes.  Not sure where your heart rate should be?  Check out one of our previous blog entries, "Thump-Thump...", to learn more.

Remember this is a challenge so no lolly-gagging around.  If you are going for a walk, push yourself to walk faster than you normally do or find an area with hills to get that heart rate up.  In the beginning of the week, you may find it difficult to fit in your 20-minutes, but by the end of the week you'll see how easy it is and how much better you feel afterwards.  Take a break at lunch and tackle the stairs in your building or go outside and walk around your work campus.  Get the kids out from in front of the television and go to the park and play.

Challenge yourself to get 20-minutes a day...your body and mind will thank you.  Activate your day!!!  Stay tuned next Monday for April's next challenge.  In the meantime, let us know how you are doing.  Leave comments on this blog or post them on our Facebook page (search for "PROMATx Trainers" and "like" us).  Good luck!!

8-Week Challenge. Are You Up For It??

Here we are in the first week of April already.  The first quarter of this year is gone...what have you accomplished?  Hopefully the new goals you set for yourself in January are till going strong.  Or are they?  Did you forget about them?  Well, one of our trainers, April Crosby, is here to help you get back on track.  She is starting an 8-week challenge to help you get back on track and to get your body (and mind) ready for spring.  

Here's how it works.  Each week starting on April 8th, April will post a blog challenge for you to complete each week.  It may be related to nutrition, stress management, exercise, or general well-being.  These challenges will also be posted on our Facebook page so be sure to check out "PROMATx Trainers" and become friends with us.  In each of these weekly challenges, April will challenge you to do something daily for the week.  We encourage you to post your successes on our Facebook page or comment on the weekly blog challenge.  Let us know how you did and what struggles you are having.  As part of our fitness family, we want you to be successful so let us help you get back on track!!!

Stay tuned on Monday for your first challenge from April!!  Good luck!!