Exercise – Do it for Yourself!!!

For my 43 today, I pulled out this little ball:

add this to your ab routine!
add this to your ab routine!

Instead of using it for an ab move, I amped up a squat by placing the ball between my knees while doing squats.  I also stayed on my toes throughout all of the reps so that the squat targeted my  both my quads and calves.  To add a tiny bit of shoulder burn – I kept my arms extended straight in front of me (at shoulder level) the entire time I was performing this move.

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0JuvJDAjTQ’]

Here is a fairly decent demo by Hunter (just overlook the sword slinging through the air!).  I did hold the squat for 2-3 seconds at the bottom each time but otherwise, Hunter did a nice showing the move!

Jordan also did a little demo..

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ72cUDbnDc’]

He didn’t get on his toes and the boys were in rare form while we recorded this!!!

Try this move next time you want to add some punch to a standard squat – you don’t have to do 43 (or your age) – just try 5, 10, 15, whatever you can do!!!

As you know if you’ve been reading for awhile, I’ve been doing Les Mills Combat for a couple of months now.  I really enjoyed this program but I’m done with it (there are supposed to be 4 days this week but…).  There are so many things I want to do  – I jsut can’t fit it all in!!!

Today I did one of my old favorites – Turbo Fire – Fire 55EZ.  (Don’t let the EZ fool you – this is a fast-paced, high intensity cardio workout!!!).  There really isn’t anything about Turbo Fire that I don’t love!!!  On a day where I’m not super motivated, this is always the perfect choice for me!

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Is accountability an important part of exercise?  I think it is!!  But I think, unlike many other areas of our lives, it is an accountability to ourselves!!  Of all the people I know, I’m probably the only one who truly  cares if I get up every day this year and do 43 of a particular exercise because I’m the only one who will benefit (or lose out) from completing that goal.

Screen shot 2013-03-11 at 7.47.46 AMAs much as I love fitness and working out, every once in awhile I have a day (or days) where I’m just not feeling it.  On those days I have to decide – Do I need a break or am I just being lazy?  I don’t think it’s possible (or even a good idea) to good hard-core all the time (at least for me!!) but I do think it’s OK to do something everyday!!!

So when I’m laying in bed awake at Screen shot 2013-03-11 at 7.54.53 AMtrying to decide if I really want to get up at 5:00 and workout, I have to listen to my inner self and know that either way the only person who it will really make a difference for is ME!!!

Do you keep yourself accountable when it comes to working out/taking care of yourself?

[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL9qaCrOUx8′]

Here is how the boys get some of their daily activity!!!

Happy Monday!

Kim