Category Archives: Fitness

We Really Only Need 4 Basic Things!!!

Today for my 44 I did a squat on a wobble disc – 

Wobble Disc

Just standing on the disc is a challenge for your balance!  I started with my hands reaching up –

start
start

then reached my hands down to my toes during the squat.

reach for toes
reach for toes

There were lots of wobbles before I completed all 44 of these!!!

And, Tuesday means Garage Boot Camp!!!  (not sure how fun this will be in the winter!!!) Today we did one of my favorites – ABC Boot Camp.  Because we have a shorter amount of time  than we did in the summer, we only did 1 minute of each move (in the summer we did 75 seconds).  Still a great workout!!!

Entitlement:  the condition of having a right to have, do, or get something  (Merriam-Webster)

Screen shot 2013-10-21 at 9.00.40 PMHave you ever met people who feel “entitled”?

More and more lately it seems that people feel like someone (that ubiquitous entity) owes them!  I don’t get it!!!

When our boys were little we told them they needed 4 things:  food, water, oxygen and love.

We made sure that they had all of those (I guess we didn’t really have much control over the oxygen thing!!!) things and everything else was just a bonus!!!

I still believe that we can boil our needs down to the basics – everything else (and there is plenty) is like icing on the cake, sunshine at the beach, the star on top of the tree!!  It’s EXTRA!!

Last Thursday (cleaning, set-up, ironing day), the bride of the weekend called me.  She wanted to know if they could have the venue (for free) Friday night since they had rented it for Saturday.  She felt like I “owed” her that even though the rental for a Friday night is completely separate!!!

I’m pretty sure if we book a hotel and then call them up and tell them they should let us come in a day early for free they would laugh and/or hang-up on us!!!

I think that we all need to remember that we can live with –

Food
Food
Water
Water

Screen shot 2013-10-21 at 9.23.28 PM

Screen shot 2013-10-21 at 9.24.19 PMWhat do you think?  Do people have more of a sense of entitlement these days? 

Happy Tuesday!!

Kim

PS – I let the wedding party have their rehearsal at the venue on Friday evening like the bride wanted.

Am I Old?!

Today’s 44 was for the core – primarily the lower part of the abs.  I did a single leg crunch with a leg extension.

right side
right side
crunch
crunch

This move is slow and controlled – extend the leg and hold, then crunch in.  Of course, after I finished 44, I had to switch sides and start again!!

left side
left side
crunch
crunch

For my workout I did one of the 10 Minute Solution DVDs – Ultimate Boot Camp.  I did all 5 sections for a great full-body workout.  

Lately I feel like I’m sort of struggling with some of my workouts  for some reason – maybe it is part of the “old” thing!!!

Most days I feel like I’m still in my 20s – well, maybe not but….I don’t feel OLD!!!

Screen shot 2013-10-20 at 9.17.04 PM

However, some days things happen that make me feel old.

The other day I went to a networking luncheon to meet other small business owners.  This guy that I sat next to (he looked about 15!) kept calling me Ma’am.  Really?!  It would be one thing if he really were 15 but he wasn’t – he was a local business man!!

Screen shot 2013-10-20 at 9.12.11 PMI felt old then!!!

Friday evening we took dinner to some friends who just had a baby.  The new mom asked me if I wanted to hold her – – – YES!!!!  While holding this tiny precious baby I realized that I’m closer to grand babies than when my own boys were babies – What????

Screen shot 2013-10-20 at 9.16.07 PMA lot of times when I’m showing our venue to a perspective bride, I realize that I am old enough to be her mom!!

So, I guess I will just keep doing my daily 44s and be happy that even though I might be “old” I can still workout hard and keep up with some 20 year olds!!!

Screen shot 2013-10-20 at 9.18.19 PMAnd – I do remember what it felt like to slam a phone shut after a conversation – so there is that!!!

Do young adults call you Ma’am or Sir?  
Do you feel older than your age or younger?

Happy Monday!!!

 Kim

Favorite Exercises

Today’s 44 was another push-up variation and it was hard!!!  I used – 

Step Stability Ball
Step
Stability Ball

To do the push-ups, I put my toes on the step and my hands on either side of the ball.

Ready
Ready

Just getting in this position was hard – I don’t think you can tell but my arms were shaking!!!  From here, I just did normal push-ups.

down
down

I couldn’t get my chest all the way to the ball without killing myself so I went as low as I could.  Using the stability ball for push-ups is always super hard for me!

It’s no secret that I like to workout and try new moves!  Today I thought I would share 

Screen shot 2013-10-20 at 7.32.11 AMPush-ups:  As few as 5 years ago, the only way I even attempted push-ups was on my knees.  Quite honestly, I never even considered trying them any other way.  Now I like to try all sorts of push-up variations.  Here are just a few:

toes on medicine ball
toes on medicine ball
Alt. sides of the BOSU - walk over in between
Alt. sides of the BOSU – walk over in between
tricep push-ups (one of my weakest
tricep push-ups (one of my weakest)
stability ball
stability ball

 

incline push-ups
incline push-ups

Squats:  Squats have always been one of my favorites!!  I used to do 100s of squats at a time way back in my 20s!!!  There are so many ways to do squats but I’m just picking a few today!

sissy squats
sissy squats
lift and hold
Start on ball – lift, hover, hold before lowering back down
dumbbell squats
dumbbell squats

 

single leg squats
single leg squats – right toe is barely touching floor

Burpees:  Burpees are one of those moves that many people hate.  This is another move I used to dread.  There was a time not many years ago that when I did workout DVDs and burpees were included, I used that time as  a water  break!!!  Now, I have all kinds of fun with this move!!!

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-RpUfTqSsc’]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thv3mJioVSA’]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCSfRRoiuA4′]

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQT6e33BNuM’]

Burpees with rotating squat jump:

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtBPSB1xiDo’]

I could actually go on and on with my list of favorite exercises because I like to work every part of my body and there are really only a few moves that I still don’t like – JUMPING LUNGES!!!

What are some of your favorite exercises?  Do you like to do different variations?

Happy Sunday!

Kim

Running Because I Want to Not Because I Have to

Because I was so excited to do weighted burpees on Thursday, I didn’t do Nellie’s (Brooklyn Active Mama) Wednesday workout yet – so today I did 44 toe touches.  

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyo4p5cw-7c&feature=youtu.be’]

This is a move that you will feel after just a few!!!  44 of these were a challenge!!!

And – because it’s been a week since the last time I ran, I ran today.  All week long I’ve thought about how far I would run today – I thought about doing 50 miles (on my treadmill, of course!) just because I know I have it in me.   Then I thought about running 25 so that I could complete the 50 (over the course of a week but whatever….).

Screen shot 2013-10-19 at 9.57.48 AM

However, this morning, I ran the way I felt – because that is what running is all about for me!!!  I did 7 miles in 45:43 (1.5% incline) and then another 1.5 miles at a nice easy pace to cool down.  

I have realized that I am not a person who like to follow a running training plan at this point in my life.  I just want to run for the pure enjoyment I get from running.  

I know lots of people thrive on training plans and knowing exactly what each day will bring but when I run that way, I start to resent everything about running – and I hate that feeling.

Screen shot 2013-10-19 at 9.57.30 AMSome days I want to run 5-9  miles at a quick pace just because – so I do!

Some days I feel like doing some intervals – so I do them!!

Some days – the idea of running for 3-5 hours is my idea of a good time!!!

Some days I don’t want to run at all – so I pick a different workout and I am completely OK with it.

Today, I decided that I don’t have to prove anything with my running – I just want to continue to enjoy it!!!  And one day, that might mean lacing up my shoes and running 50 miles just because I want to!!!  (today was not that day!)

Happy Saturday!

Kim

Sometimes I Need a Filter

Today a did a dancing inspired move for my 44.  (Relax – I didn’t actually dance – that would be scary!!!)  I did a plie to a releve – sounds fancy, huh?  

ready
ready – heels together
loser down to plie
lower down to plie
lift heels
lift heels
stand with heels still up
stand with heels still up
return to start
return to start

This was actually a nice 44 – I kept a slow steady pace through the motions and really enjoyed it.

I went old-school today for my workout – The Firm – Bootcamp Maximum Calorie Burn.  I have always been a fan of the The Firm workouts and this one is great – 50+ minutes of toning (fairly light weights), plyo moves and cardio segments.

Screen shot 2013-10-18 at 6.53.19 AMFilters are useful for keeping the “bad” stuff out!!!  Sometimes I forget to use the filter that controls things I say or even things that I write.

Screen shot 2013-10-18 at 6.42.49 AM

Yesterday in my post about writing like you talk one of the comments was to the effect that in writing it is easier to go back and edit things.  So very true – unless for some reason you don’t.  Screen shot 2013-10-18 at 6.43.41 AMA lot of times when I’m telling Chris something about my day, I add a lot of thoughts that I didn’t really say out-loud but I sure did think them!!!!   Other times, I slip and say something that if I had taken a few seconds to think through would have never come out.

Screen shot 2013-10-18 at 6.38.24 AM

When I comment on blogs, I try to really think about what I write.  My goal is never to be negative or snarky on someone else’s blog.

The other night I totally blew it!!!  I wrote something on impulse (no filter), clicked publish (or whatever the button is) and immediately regretted it.  The sad thing is, you can’t delete a comment on someone else’s site.  (I did go back and type a reply saying that I was sorry and should have never left the comment I did but still…..)

Screen shot 2013-10-18 at 6.38.45 AM

 

I love the little reminder about thinking!!!   I try to always keep it in mind especially when I comment on other blogs because I really believe that everyone is entitled to write whatever they feel/believe on their site and it is not my place to judge or be rude.

Have you ever left a comment and then immediately regretted it?  

Happy Fun Friday!!!  I’m off to replace my filter!!!

Kim