Cindy’s Fitness Blog

What a journey!  Super clean nutrient dense eating is a stretch of the mind, body and soul!  New self-talk to avoid the non-nutritive foods I sometimes choose, the body driven to preserve the stored fat, and the deepening awareness of what I am made of.  The scale says I have lost 7.5# to date.  What did I do to accomplish that?  Well, notably, I counted more steps throughout each day…parked further away, took the stairs more readily, rather than the elevator (even though my knees were crying a bit!), in addition,of course to my regular workouts of strength and cardio.  To help fill me up, I chose more beans and nuts…ahhh..those wonderful high fiber plant-based foods!  And, I was sure, to eat very frequently, even sometimes every 2 hours, rather than the normal 3.  This seems to be what has worked for me..how about you?

As I begin the day, I look at my schedule, consider the weather, and any other factors that may play into my decisions to stick to my goals for health/fitness.  It’s sunny and beautiful, so definitely going to hop on my bike.  And since, I have a goal to increase my daily overall movement, I think I will bike to get some errands done (bank, grocery store).  Fortunately, that’s feasible in small town Cheney.  Cardio-check.  Hmmm…need to throw in some knee rehab work, so perhaps during a break from home office work this morning.  That will take just 10 mins.  Check.  I would like to get to the gym and do some shoulder/arms strength.  That will have to take place at the end of the work day, just before yoga class.  Strength-check.  Flexibility and relaxation-check.  Set your goals ahead and stick to them-you can do it!

What a great way to start the day!  I jogged to a nearby street with a 5% incline or so, and jogged up and down 3x, then jogged back home.  The sun and nice breeze was so refreshing!  20 mins total of nice intervals!  Where’s my F.A.T. BLAST group?  What has been your cardio for the day, and what was your experience?

What’s it all about?  Simply put- clean eating and exercise!  But what kind of exercise?  Strength or resistance training?  Cardiovascular training?  Slow cardio?  Fast cardio?  I SAY MIX IT UP.  Variety is the spice of life, right?  Here’s a pretty good exercise recipe for most people: strength train 2-3x per week, cardio train for 6 days a a week with 2-3 of those days being short (15-20 mins), but really hard!  You gotta push your limits!  (Only if healthy, though..check with your Doc.)  Rest for 1 day.  And throw in flexibility training to help with recovery….stretching brings blood flow and nourishment to the cells of your body.

I have recently injured my shoulder to the point of limited mobility.  I have to refrain upper body strength training.  All is not lost, however, as I still have plenty of body parts left to work with.  I have increased my cardio training and am working my legs and core.   i am even enjoying  new cardio opportunities.  I shall try water running, which will keep my legs and heart training while offering my arms some passive light resistance.   Where there is a will there is a way, I say.  My mother taught me that!  I suppose I will lose some of my upper body strength gains, but in time I will get it back!