Category Archives: Fitness

Fun Times – Games, Friends, “Work-out Tools” & Bells!!!

December 21, 2012 Kim 2 Comments

I love the fact that both of my boys have totally embraced my daily 43 and are willing to help me by filming me or doing the demos themselves!!! I REALLY love it when they pick the move of the day!!!

Today’s 43 is compliments of Hunter. He told me I should do classic boxing (classic according to Hunter). Perfect – what would that be? Duh….. (sometimes my boys think I don’t know things – shows what they know!!!). Classic boxing: jab-jab-punch-jab-jab-punch-uppercut-hook.

right jab
right jab
left punch
right jab
right jab
left punch
right uppercut
left hook

Well, I decided that I wanted to make the “classic boxing” a little more challenging so I added this:

Much better!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krPD8W3BoEo’]

Of course, after I did the first 43, I had to switch sides and do another 43 using the opposite arm for each move!!! Thanks for a great idea, Hunter. This worked my core, arms, legs (I kept my knees slightly bent in a semi-squat on BOSU) and got my heart rate up!!!

Yesterday was a perfect snow day!!! The boys and I spent about 3 hours playing Monopoly (I won!! Chris thinks I’m awful but it is all in fun). Last night, Chris and I met up with some great friends for drinks and dinner – good times!!!

A good friend posted this on my Facebook page yesterday:Um….yes, please!!! See, here is my “work-out equipment” ready to go!

The other night a friend of mine gave me an early Christmas gift. The best part?

I can’t even begin to tell you how much this bell entertains me. Chris, however, doesn’t seem to find it quite as much fun – not sure why?!?! I think it will grow on him!!! (or he might try to hide it…hmmmm)

Gotta bundle up and do some last minute errands and hit up the grocery store (not sure how that venture plays into Fun Friday since it will be a crazy mess – maybe I should take my bell with me!!!)

Enjoy your Fun Friday!!!

Kim

Fitness, Push-Ups

It’s a Snow Day, Bonus Day!!!

December 20, 2012 Kim 2 Comments

WooHoo!!! I didn’t have to do my 43 at 5:15 this morning. My alarm started shrieking at me at the dreaded 5:15 and since I knew it was supposed to have snowed some, I decided to make sure school was still on for the day. Complete surprise (and pure joy!!!) when I saw that our district was closed today!!!

We didn’t have that much snow but the wind was horrible!!! Chris said on his drive to work (at about 5:40) he had periods where all he could see was white – scary!!!

OK – back to the 43!! Today I did 43 decline push-ups.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d62LsOafqQg’]

In the video that Jordan helped me with the other day, Jordan did a few of these push-ups with just his toes on the stool. However, I had to do 43 and that wasn’t going to work for me!!! I put my shins on the stool (I know – much easier!!).

Either way, a good challenge today! I only had to stop once for a quick stretch (after # 26) so all 43 went really quickly!!

I wanted to do some kind of work-out today. I’ve pretty much decided that the only rule the DR gave me that I’m going to follow is the NO RUNNING (that one is the hardest for me to obey anyway so I figure I’m doing pretty good)!!!

I did another Pilates DVD – Mari Winsor Pilates. I did 3 of the 4 15 minute segments: cardio burn, flat-ab blast and butt & thigh sculptor. Only the cardio broke any rules and the few places where she added in jumps, I didn’t jump!!

I’m hoping that the boys will play Monopoly or some other fun games with me on our bonus day! Jordan is overjoyed that Christmas break started a day early and Hunter is a little bummed about it – I’m with Jordan! (and I detest snow!!!)

Happy Thursday (snow day)!

Kim

BOSU, Cardio, Core, Fitness, Lunges, Squats

A 43 with a bit of everything…

December 19, 2012 Kim 1 Comment

Today I used my BOSU for the daily 43. You know I love my BOSU!!!

I used it for some lower body work (totally not following DRs orders :Wink: ) but I also worked my core, my balance and got my heart rate up – total win on the 43!!!

One of my favorite 43s so far:

Start with both feet on the BOSU
Step forward with the right foot into a front lunge and hold
Step right foot back onto BOSU – squat and hold
Step right foot backwards into a reverse lunge and hold
Step right foot back onto BOSU – squat and hold

The above is 1 rep. I did all 43 with my right leg moving and then switched and did 43 more with my left leg. (Quick math – 86 lunges/leg + 174 total squats on the BOSU)

The following video is more for entertainment than to demonstrate the move!!! Hunter struggled with this move but I didn’t have the heart to ask him just to record me.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khm1oe2m5iA’]

(Jordan clearly enjoyed this enough to stop playing on the computer long enough to watch and laugh!)

I know the date is old but this is sort-of how I feel when some of the kids ask me about finding a certain book – duh, uh, um…? (clearly I’m not familiar with the library yet!)

I have sanitized my hands till they are about raw this week. Working at a primary (preschool – 3rd grade) school is a total germ-fest for sure!!!

I’m excited about another day of fun! Hope y’all all have fun on the agenda today!

Happy Wednesday!

Kim

Cardio, Core, Fitness

WOW – WOW – WOW!!!

December 18, 2012 Kim 4 Comments

The 43 for the day was at least a little cardio (since my cardio is pretty much non-existant these days). I did mountain climbers!!! Just doing 43 seemed too easy (and we know that wasn’t going to fly!!!).

I did 10 mountain climbers = 1 rep for a total of 430 mountain climbers.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEc3Yji4C2Q’]

The bonus here – extra work on getting my plank hold-time longer!!!

Instead of pilates today I did Kathy Smith Tummy Trimmers. This DVD has 5 sections, about 10 minutes each. I did Core Abs, Boot Camp Abs and Stability Ball Abs. I liked the stability ball section best – it had some different moves. I’m sure my abs/core will be sore for a few days!!!

So, yesterday I started my long-term school librarian gig. All I can say is WOW!!! Who knew?!! (I guess all the school librarians out there!)

I may have looked a little like this guy by the end of the day yesterday! It was non-stop action!!! At least yesterday, the lady who I’m temporarily replacing was there to help me. Today……All I can say is let’s hope we have a lot of this:

and very little of this:

I’m sure it will be OK. As the head librarian told me – “there really isn’t much that can’t be fixed!!!”

So, I’m hoping for the best today!!!

Happy Tuesday!

Kim

Core, Fitness

The Librarian

December 17, 2012 Kim 2 Comments

Today my 43 really worked my obliques! I used my stability ball again. I put my back on the ball and my feet on the wall at a right angle. With my hands behind my head, I crunched to the left and reached my right hand outside my left knee and then crunched the opposite way to make 1 rep. So, in order to complete my 43, I actually did 86 oblique crunches!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db7XC_BLwVQ’]

(The boys helped me out over the weekend with several demos. I wanted to be ready for the busy week ahead so we made the videos and then each morning I can do the actual 43.)

After the 43 I did some Pilates but I actually mixed it up and did some new stuff. First I did the mat segment from Burn & Firm Pilates – 10 minutes. This DVD uses hand weights with the pilates work which is kind of nice. Then I did the mat segment from Fat Burning Pilates – 15 minutes. Finally I did the total body segment from Pick Your Spot Pilates – 10 minutes.

All of these were still non-weight bearing! It was a nice change of pace on the pilates front because all of these work-outs have ab, butt and thigh work all mixed together instead of in separate sections.

Can you guess what I’m going to be doing this week? I’m not technically the librarian but I will be working in the school library. I’m not going to be at Hunter’s school – I will be at one of the other elementary schools in our district. I’m filling in for the library aide – this week and then most of January. I’m super excited!!! I love everything about books and I think this will be a really fun job!