Hey friends, thanks for checking back for my first fitness update! Here is a sort of journal about how the week went. Enjoy!

Tuesday:

After waking up at 6, I did the morning workout but immediately felt sore afterwards and I knew it would be a long week ahead.

That night I did my first Nike Training workout, which was a test to see how fast I could complete a set of reps. I did reps of 20,  15, 10, and 5 of push-ups, burpees, and squat jumps. Although I was able to complete them, I have to admit I laid on the floor several times in near-hyperventilation. My face was bright red and I wondered again why the heck I am doing this. But according to my husband my muscles aren’t bad, I just don’t have good lungs! So hopefully we can fix that.

 

Wednesday:

Already sore from yesterday’s workouts, it was difficult to get up early and do it all over again. But I did, and increased each exercise by 5, so that’s progress! The school’s track was closed that evening, so Matt and I went to a nearby park to walk/run a mile. He quickly assumed the role of “motivational coach,” which was mostly helpful because I don’t think I would have pushed myself as hard, but it was also slightly annoying because I REALLY hate running. Not gonna lie, I felt pretty pathetic that I probably only ran about 1/3 of the mile and I’m supposed to run a full mile under nine minutes at the end of the month. No idea how that is going to happen.

Thursday:

This was when I really started feeling sore and had to push through the pain. I again increased my morning workout by 5 (yay) but the 30 minute Nike workout kicked my butt. It had a variety of exercises, some easier and some really hard. I probably did about 70% of it in all honesty, because at the end I just couldn’t. Thankfully the last few minutes was just stretching, my favorite part.

Friday:

Friday morning I did almost 5 more of everything in my morning workouts before I met up with my mom and sister for breakfast on their way back down to school in Arizona. That afternoon, I spent the majority of the afternoon attempting to learn this amazing dance to J Bieb’s Sorry by Matt Steffanina. I wanted to do something challenging, and back when I danced often I probably would’ve learned it pretty quickly. I learned probably about 80% of it, but the dance is so fast and complex at the end that it was difficult to master all the nuances. I definitely want to keep working on it and hopefully by next week I’ll have it down!

Saturday:

I woke up and did the same exercises as the day before with basically 0 desire to do so. But I did it! Honestly I just wanted to get it all over with so I could rest until Monday!

Monday:

I wanted to push myself a little more, so I did 45 lunges, sit-ups, mountain climbers, and squats, with 15 real pushups and a 1 minute plank! It was also the day I bumped up my water intake to 1.5 liters. I was able to tolerate it because I made some yummy strawberry basil flavored water inspired by these beautiful infused waters. Unfortunately I didn’t make it to the gym before it closed, but I was able to still do stairs on our parking structure (25 flights to be exact – yay me!). I also combined it with my track night, as I won’t be able to do my workout on Wednesday. I did one mile on the track with walking the rounds and running the long stretches. I did feel a little improved compared to last week! But I didn’t feel wonderful after that workout, let me tell you.

Guest Spotlight: Wendy Luikart 

Wendy has been a family friend for years and recently became a health coach at Beachbody! So I picked her brain about health and fitness!

Q: Why is fitness important to you?
A: Fitness became important to me initially because I wanted to feel better about myself. I complained year after year, but did nothing with lasting results. In January I found the right plan and the right support system… I slept better, had a sense of purpose, reduced my stress, and built new relationships. Finally!

Q: What helps you stay motivated?
A: I am not self-motivated (for any length of time over a week). My biggest source of consistency is having accountability partners and someone to work out with occasionally. I also love challenge groups where we do a video series in our own homes and talk through FB.

Q: What are your favorite exercises?
A: My favorite exercises involve videos or classes that are 30 min or less. I love Kickboxing, Body Combat, and Body Pump the most.

Q: What is your favorite healthy recipe?
A: My favorite healthy recipe? I just plain love food. Omelets, or oats with yogurt and fruit are my breakfast go-to’s. I’m crazy about making all kinds of Shakeology drinks, and I love BBQ veggies and meat. If you can’t tell, I’m not into taking too much time to prep food!

Q: Any other tips on staying healthy?
A: So many people looking to improve their fitness and overall health aren’t in the habit of finding time to work out and eat healthy. They say that they are incredibly busy, knowing they need to do something to get healthy, but feel unsure about their ability to fit it into their schedule. In short, they are afraid to commit. Everything about Beachbody is designed to help make fitness more convenient and effective for people in just this situation. As a coach I now help busy people get fit, reduce stress and have more freedom to enjoy life. For the ones interested, I train & mentor them in building their own online business and being a part of my team. Leading by example, helping others achieve their goals, and having fun along the way is how I plan to change the world around me one story at a time!

If you have questions for Wendy about fitness, feel free to email her at gluikart@aol.com!

Thanks for sticking with me the first week of this challenge! This is going to be a hard month, but hopefully all the work will be worth it! If you’re doing the challenge with me, I’d love to know about your progress, too. See you next week!