Ok, you've now worked up to waking up 30 minutes earlier than you did three weeks ago. That's fantastic! Today we'll add an additional 10 minutes to that!
So, before you go to bed earlier than usual tonight, don't forget to set your alarm clock. Also, put out your work out clothes and gym shoes. You'll follow last weeks routine, but this time you'll be able to walk for 30 minutes total if you get ready in 10 minutes. If you have additional time, spend it stretching or doing sit-ups.
If it is too cold to go out, check out Blockbuster or Netflix for a fitness DVD to rent. You can now get a 30 to 40 minute work out in.
Through out your day, take some time to register how you are feeling. Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? These are all positive side-affects to working out regularly.
Next week, an additional 10 minutes.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Music To Move To
If you are looking for one album to listen to for the duration of your workout that is great danceable music, try Fergie's The Duchess. I'm a big fan of the song Glamorous. It's got a great hook and makes me want to dance.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Locker Room Etiquette - Part 1
This series is about Locker Room Etiquette. I find that in the early morning the locker room can be a zoo and a war zone all at once. I also find that many times people think that the locker room belongs to them and I'm just a guest. Well, the locker room is a shared space and if we all just practiced a little common sense we call all get along just fine.
My first rule in the locker room is: Keep your things in the locker! Many times I find, when I come back from my work out that someone has placed their gym bag on the bench (this is gross, if the bag has been on the ground it has picked up all sorts of nice stuff which is now on the bench, where people have to sit) directly in front of the locker that my stuff is in. So now I have to move their bag over in order to get into my locker. I feel bad, as I don't want to move their belongings, but in order to get to my locker will need to do so.
The other thing that is a pain, is when people come in from the workout and just remove all their clothes/shoes and leave them scattered about the floor and head to the showers. Again, right where people have to stand to get to their locker. No one wants to stand in a pile of your dirty clothes and smelly shoes. The solution to this problem is to pack a small grocery plastic bag and as you are taking off your clothes place them in the bag. Then before leaving, place the bag and shoes into the bottom of the locker and put your gym bag back in as well.
A good rule of thumb is to remember that this is a shared space and to leave it the way you would want it to be left for you.
My first rule in the locker room is: Keep your things in the locker! Many times I find, when I come back from my work out that someone has placed their gym bag on the bench (this is gross, if the bag has been on the ground it has picked up all sorts of nice stuff which is now on the bench, where people have to sit) directly in front of the locker that my stuff is in. So now I have to move their bag over in order to get into my locker. I feel bad, as I don't want to move their belongings, but in order to get to my locker will need to do so.
The other thing that is a pain, is when people come in from the workout and just remove all their clothes/shoes and leave them scattered about the floor and head to the showers. Again, right where people have to stand to get to their locker. No one wants to stand in a pile of your dirty clothes and smelly shoes. The solution to this problem is to pack a small grocery plastic bag and as you are taking off your clothes place them in the bag. Then before leaving, place the bag and shoes into the bottom of the locker and put your gym bag back in as well.
A good rule of thumb is to remember that this is a shared space and to leave it the way you would want it to be left for you.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Six Weeks to an Early Morning Workout - Part 3
So, you are two weeks into rising early and working out. This past week, you set your alarm back an additional 10 minutes; now rising 20 minutes earlier than you did a month ago. Last week, in addition to stretching, you did some calisthenics.
Now we are ready to start really moving. Which means, that with the additional 10 minutes you set your clock back this week you will be able to go outside for a 20 to 30 minute walk. It will all depend on how quickly you get dressed in the morning.
So tonight to prepare, set out your clothes that you will wear for your walk. It's winter so you will need to dress warmly. Layers are key! Check the weather if you have to. But, in your mind go through getting up out of bed, dressing and whatever else. I need to wash my face, put my contacts in and brush my teeth (I hate drinking water with a scummy mouth). It takes me about seven minutes to do that plus three minutes to get dressed.
As soon as your alarm goes off, get going. Get out of bed, get dressed and go for a walk. If you have a dog, take the dog with you. He/She will love you for it. Walk briskly for 10 minutes out and then turn around and head back. If you get out the door faster than I do, add the time on.
Now if you live in an area in which it is just impossible to get outside due to inclement weather, then you will want to buy/rent some sort of workout video. Netflix, for example, offers a great selection of videos. One that I found interesting that would tie into this week's effort would be: Leslie Sansone: Walk Away the Pounds. It's a 30 minutes workout routine. They have a ton of videos to select from. Blockbuster is the same. There is no reason why you can't pick up a video and try it out as part of your routine.
Good luck! Next week: another 10 minutes. Also, take a moment this week to reflect on how you are feeling. Do you feel energized? More alert?
Now we are ready to start really moving. Which means, that with the additional 10 minutes you set your clock back this week you will be able to go outside for a 20 to 30 minute walk. It will all depend on how quickly you get dressed in the morning.
So tonight to prepare, set out your clothes that you will wear for your walk. It's winter so you will need to dress warmly. Layers are key! Check the weather if you have to. But, in your mind go through getting up out of bed, dressing and whatever else. I need to wash my face, put my contacts in and brush my teeth (I hate drinking water with a scummy mouth). It takes me about seven minutes to do that plus three minutes to get dressed.
As soon as your alarm goes off, get going. Get out of bed, get dressed and go for a walk. If you have a dog, take the dog with you. He/She will love you for it. Walk briskly for 10 minutes out and then turn around and head back. If you get out the door faster than I do, add the time on.
Now if you live in an area in which it is just impossible to get outside due to inclement weather, then you will want to buy/rent some sort of workout video. Netflix, for example, offers a great selection of videos. One that I found interesting that would tie into this week's effort would be: Leslie Sansone: Walk Away the Pounds. It's a 30 minutes workout routine. They have a ton of videos to select from. Blockbuster is the same. There is no reason why you can't pick up a video and try it out as part of your routine.
Good luck! Next week: another 10 minutes. Also, take a moment this week to reflect on how you are feeling. Do you feel energized? More alert?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Gym Review - 24 Hour Fitness Horton Plaza
Date of Workout: Monday, January 15, 2007
Location: 24 Hour Fitness - Horton Plaza
Arrival Time: 6:00 am
Departure Time: 7:45 am
My first review is of the 24 Hour Fitness at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego. Usually when I go to this gym (I've been a member of 24HF for about six years now and have a smoking deal on my membership) I park in the garage, but today I was able to find street parking on 1st street. And since it was before the meters went into effect I grabbed the spot. As I walked to the gym I saw a couple of shady characters, but that is what is to be expected downtown. I didn't feel threatened, but nevertheless, you have to be on your guard. It was freezing cold this morning and I expected attendance at the gym to be light. I was right.
After I got through the new Ez-In check-in system, I noticed that there were about a dozen or so people on the cardio machines; I would expect that there would be twice as many people on a normal day. Also, the spin class that started at 5:45 am was lightly attended. That was probably due to the extremely cold weather San Diego experienced that day.
The 24 Hour Fitness Horton Plaza is a big gym. Considered a "Sport" model, this gym features an aerobics room; a spin room; spacious locker rooms (at least the women's are*); co-ed sauna, steam room and whirlpool; and a large selection of cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights.
So, I stowed my gym bag in locker 74 (the ladies locker room features 99 lockers that you can secure with your own combination lock and 12 lockers that you can pay to use) and hit the treadmills. The cardio area features six tvs usually set to local channels, ESPN, CNN and MTV and the machines all feature that nifty device in which you can plug your earphones into to listen to what is being broadcast. I spent 30 minutes on a treadmill alternating between watching the local morning news and reading the latest Domino.
The cardio area downstairs features:
- 9 Lifefitness Elyptical Machines
- 12 Precor Elyptical Machines (two were out of service)
- 10 Lifefitness Treadmills
- 10 Startac Pro Treadmills
- 10 Lifefitness Recumbent Bikes
- 7 Upright Stationary Bikes
- 4 Stairmaster Freeclimbers
- 4 Stairmaster Stepmils
- 2 Concept 2 Indoor Rowers
- 1 Sprint Torso Ergonomic
Which is pretty great! There is really something for everyone. I prefer the elypticals, but sometimes I mix it up on the stairclimbers or recumbent bike.
Also downstairs, adjacent to the cardio area, they have a nice stretching area where some people do sit-ups. But this 24HF also has a pretty nice ab area which features nine The Abench's and eight other pieces of ab exercise equipment.
Upstairs, is all the weight machines. They have pretty much everything you need to get a good weight workout in. I prefer to do my leg routine at this gym. They have several machines that work for me and plenty of floor space to do walking lunges and squats. The free weight area tends to get a little too crowded for me and I often feel like one of the big guys is going to drop his 75 lb weight on my feet.
As far as the staff goes, they seem like competent people. I was greeted when I arrived and wished a good day when I left. Other than that my interaction with staff was limited. There was a small cleaning crew working this morning and at times I was annoyed with the vacuuming - sometimes you just need quiet in the am - but good to know that the equipment had recently been wiped down (I can only hope).
After completing my workout, hit the locker room to get ready for my day. I have to say this is by far one of my favorite 24HF locker rooms. It's huge and spacious. I don't think I would ever feel crowded or that my personal space was invaded. Plenty of showers with HOT water. The only drawback, especially on a cold day like today, is that gyms never turn on the heat and with the tall ceilings at a 24HF, rooms like the locker areas tend to be COLD. As long as the water is hot, I can't complain. The shower area seemed clean. No hair bunnies clogging the drains and no mold growing in the corners. But, I really try not to look too closely at the corners. :)
The other fantastic thing about the women's locker area, besides the sink area which featured four outlets, were the two additional vanity/mirror areas which featured eight outlets AND there were four more outlets on the walls thrown in for good measure, for a grand total of 16 outlets! Nothing annoys women faster in the morning than not having enough outlets. We all have dryers, curling irons or hot rollers that need electricity. And sometimes women don't like to share. But as far as the other women in the locker area, there were none. Maybe one or two other women getting ready. Not like at some gyms where the same six women are there every morning and know each other well enough to ask about families, work or life.
Over all on a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being poor and 10 being Out-Of-This-World-Fantastic, the Horton Plaza 24 Hour Fitness averages out to a 7.8.
Parking (plenty and free if you park in the garage): 10
Staff: 5 (average)
Equipment Selection: 8 (would be higher if they had this one piece of equipment that I consider a favorite)
Locker Room: 8 (large, spacious with plenty of outlets.)
Cleanliness: 8 (on the surface it looked clean)
Tune in again for my next San Diego gym review. Also, if you don't agree with my assessment, let me know!
* As I'm a girl, all of my reviews will be of the ladies locker room areas. I'm going to make assumptions and generalizations that the men's locker room areas don't have any more or any less amenities.
Location: 24 Hour Fitness - Horton Plaza
Arrival Time: 6:00 am
Departure Time: 7:45 am
My first review is of the 24 Hour Fitness at Horton Plaza in downtown San Diego. Usually when I go to this gym (I've been a member of 24HF for about six years now and have a smoking deal on my membership) I park in the garage, but today I was able to find street parking on 1st street. And since it was before the meters went into effect I grabbed the spot. As I walked to the gym I saw a couple of shady characters, but that is what is to be expected downtown. I didn't feel threatened, but nevertheless, you have to be on your guard. It was freezing cold this morning and I expected attendance at the gym to be light. I was right.
After I got through the new Ez-In check-in system, I noticed that there were about a dozen or so people on the cardio machines; I would expect that there would be twice as many people on a normal day. Also, the spin class that started at 5:45 am was lightly attended. That was probably due to the extremely cold weather San Diego experienced that day.
The 24 Hour Fitness Horton Plaza is a big gym. Considered a "Sport" model, this gym features an aerobics room; a spin room; spacious locker rooms (at least the women's are*); co-ed sauna, steam room and whirlpool; and a large selection of cardio equipment, weight machines and free weights.
So, I stowed my gym bag in locker 74 (the ladies locker room features 99 lockers that you can secure with your own combination lock and 12 lockers that you can pay to use) and hit the treadmills. The cardio area features six tvs usually set to local channels, ESPN, CNN and MTV and the machines all feature that nifty device in which you can plug your earphones into to listen to what is being broadcast. I spent 30 minutes on a treadmill alternating between watching the local morning news and reading the latest Domino.
The cardio area downstairs features:
- 9 Lifefitness Elyptical Machines
- 12 Precor Elyptical Machines (two were out of service)
- 10 Lifefitness Treadmills
- 10 Startac Pro Treadmills
- 10 Lifefitness Recumbent Bikes
- 7 Upright Stationary Bikes
- 4 Stairmaster Freeclimbers
- 4 Stairmaster Stepmils
- 2 Concept 2 Indoor Rowers
- 1 Sprint Torso Ergonomic
Which is pretty great! There is really something for everyone. I prefer the elypticals, but sometimes I mix it up on the stairclimbers or recumbent bike.
Also downstairs, adjacent to the cardio area, they have a nice stretching area where some people do sit-ups. But this 24HF also has a pretty nice ab area which features nine The Abench's and eight other pieces of ab exercise equipment.
Upstairs, is all the weight machines. They have pretty much everything you need to get a good weight workout in. I prefer to do my leg routine at this gym. They have several machines that work for me and plenty of floor space to do walking lunges and squats. The free weight area tends to get a little too crowded for me and I often feel like one of the big guys is going to drop his 75 lb weight on my feet.
As far as the staff goes, they seem like competent people. I was greeted when I arrived and wished a good day when I left. Other than that my interaction with staff was limited. There was a small cleaning crew working this morning and at times I was annoyed with the vacuuming - sometimes you just need quiet in the am - but good to know that the equipment had recently been wiped down (I can only hope).
After completing my workout, hit the locker room to get ready for my day. I have to say this is by far one of my favorite 24HF locker rooms. It's huge and spacious. I don't think I would ever feel crowded or that my personal space was invaded. Plenty of showers with HOT water. The only drawback, especially on a cold day like today, is that gyms never turn on the heat and with the tall ceilings at a 24HF, rooms like the locker areas tend to be COLD. As long as the water is hot, I can't complain. The shower area seemed clean. No hair bunnies clogging the drains and no mold growing in the corners. But, I really try not to look too closely at the corners. :)
The other fantastic thing about the women's locker area, besides the sink area which featured four outlets, were the two additional vanity/mirror areas which featured eight outlets AND there were four more outlets on the walls thrown in for good measure, for a grand total of 16 outlets! Nothing annoys women faster in the morning than not having enough outlets. We all have dryers, curling irons or hot rollers that need electricity. And sometimes women don't like to share. But as far as the other women in the locker area, there were none. Maybe one or two other women getting ready. Not like at some gyms where the same six women are there every morning and know each other well enough to ask about families, work or life.
Over all on a scale of 1 - 10, with 1 being poor and 10 being Out-Of-This-World-Fantastic, the Horton Plaza 24 Hour Fitness averages out to a 7.8.
Parking (plenty and free if you park in the garage): 10
Staff: 5 (average)
Equipment Selection: 8 (would be higher if they had this one piece of equipment that I consider a favorite)
Locker Room: 8 (large, spacious with plenty of outlets.)
Cleanliness: 8 (on the surface it looked clean)
Tune in again for my next San Diego gym review. Also, if you don't agree with my assessment, let me know!
* As I'm a girl, all of my reviews will be of the ladies locker room areas. I'm going to make assumptions and generalizations that the men's locker room areas don't have any more or any less amenities.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Morning Music
I've updated my iTunes Great Day Part II playlist. This version includes Barry Manilow, The Brand New Heavies, Stereophonics and more. Take a listen and hopefully start your day out right.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Six Weeks to a Early Morning Workout! Part 2
Congratulations, you've completed the first week of the six week program to getting up an hour early for fitness. 10 minutes earlier isn't that hard is it?
Now for your second week, we will add an additional 10 minutes. Before you go to bed you will need to set your alarm back these additional 10 minutes. Remember, it's just 10 more minutes earlier than last week. You were able to do it successfully in week one and you can do it this week as well.
When your alarm goes off in the morning, get out of bed and go somewhere where you can stretch; again, don't worry about changing out of your pjs. But before you do your stretching, you will add some calisthenics to your routine.
First start off standing for five minutes of squats. The squat is a lower body exercise used in weight training. The exercise's main emphasis is on the quadriceps and the glutes, but it also involves the hamstrings, the calves, and the lower back. To perform a squat, stand feet shoulder width apart, bend the knees and the hips, till your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep the torso upright and lift your arms untill they are perpendicular to the floor. Then stand up straight. Do five minutes of squats. This should get your blood pumping a bit.
Next, get down on the floor for five minutes of push ups. The push up is a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, i.e. while lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms. They develop the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benefits to the deltoids and midsection as a whole. Five minutes is a long time to do push ups, so feel free to perform a modified push up. Just try and keep moving. If you want to time yourself and see where you fit for your age group, just click here.
Now, turn over for five minutes of sit-ups/crunches to strengthen the core. The crunch is a strength training exercise. To perform it, lie down on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then sit up without moving your knees. Your hands should be behind your head or neck, across the chest, or are straightened out parallel to the body. It is intended to work the abdominal muscles, but it also utilizes the hip flexors and lower back.
After you've completed these three exercises, take five minutes to stretch. Focus on how you are feeling. Do you feel more awake? More alert? Be mindful of how you feel.
As mention in the original post, it is important to get the rest you need and get to bed early enough so that being tired isn't a factor as you are getting your training program going. Being committed early on to earlier that usual bedtimes will only make the program successful in the long run.
There is much to see and observe in the morning. Take a moment to peak out the window to see the day begin.
Now for your second week, we will add an additional 10 minutes. Before you go to bed you will need to set your alarm back these additional 10 minutes. Remember, it's just 10 more minutes earlier than last week. You were able to do it successfully in week one and you can do it this week as well.
When your alarm goes off in the morning, get out of bed and go somewhere where you can stretch; again, don't worry about changing out of your pjs. But before you do your stretching, you will add some calisthenics to your routine.
First start off standing for five minutes of squats. The squat is a lower body exercise used in weight training. The exercise's main emphasis is on the quadriceps and the glutes, but it also involves the hamstrings, the calves, and the lower back. To perform a squat, stand feet shoulder width apart, bend the knees and the hips, till your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep the torso upright and lift your arms untill they are perpendicular to the floor. Then stand up straight. Do five minutes of squats. This should get your blood pumping a bit.
Next, get down on the floor for five minutes of push ups. The push up is a common strength training exercise performed in a prone position, i.e. while lying horizontal and face down, raising and lowering the body using the arms. They develop the pectoral muscles and triceps, with ancillary benefits to the deltoids and midsection as a whole. Five minutes is a long time to do push ups, so feel free to perform a modified push up. Just try and keep moving. If you want to time yourself and see where you fit for your age group, just click here.
Now, turn over for five minutes of sit-ups/crunches to strengthen the core. The crunch is a strength training exercise. To perform it, lie down on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then sit up without moving your knees. Your hands should be behind your head or neck, across the chest, or are straightened out parallel to the body. It is intended to work the abdominal muscles, but it also utilizes the hip flexors and lower back.
After you've completed these three exercises, take five minutes to stretch. Focus on how you are feeling. Do you feel more awake? More alert? Be mindful of how you feel.
As mention in the original post, it is important to get the rest you need and get to bed early enough so that being tired isn't a factor as you are getting your training program going. Being committed early on to earlier that usual bedtimes will only make the program successful in the long run.
There is much to see and observe in the morning. Take a moment to peak out the window to see the day begin.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Tracking Your Goals
I'm a goal oriented person. I like giving myself goals and I like achieving them. But how do you know if you've achieved your goals? Well, you have to track them in order to achieve them.
I've recently discovered Joe's Goals. This is a great site for you to build and track your goals.
At the beginning of this week you may have established the goal of waking up 10 minutes earlier and stretching as part of the Six Weeks to an Early Morning Workout plan. Which is completely do-able.
As part of your program, go ahead to the site and set up your goals and start tracking them. Then after six weeks you will be able to see how far you've progressed!
About Joe's Goals: "Inspired somewhat by Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues, I built Joe's Goals to make it stupidly simple to create, track, and share your personal goals. It is a productivity application that is actually easy enough to use."
I've recently discovered Joe's Goals. This is a great site for you to build and track your goals.
At the beginning of this week you may have established the goal of waking up 10 minutes earlier and stretching as part of the Six Weeks to an Early Morning Workout plan. Which is completely do-able.
As part of your program, go ahead to the site and set up your goals and start tracking them. Then after six weeks you will be able to see how far you've progressed!
About Joe's Goals: "Inspired somewhat by Benjamin Franklin's 13 Virtues, I built Joe's Goals to make it stupidly simple to create, track, and share your personal goals. It is a productivity application that is actually easy enough to use."
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Highrise Sunrise/Music to Start Your Morning
In my post Six Weeks to an Early Morning Workout - Part 1, I mention playing some soothing music as you start stretching. I've posted an iMix on iTunes of 10 minutes of easy, great morning music. It's short this week. I plan to add to it each week!
Hope this helps get your day going.
Hope this helps get your day going.
Monday, January 8, 2007
Excessive Sweat
Ok, just a small, little rant about excessive sweating. People, and you know who you are, who sweat excessively, and I'm not talking about a little perspiration but POOLS of sweat, CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELVES.
I was at the gym this am on the elyptical. I had my own towel and I was cruisin' away at calories. Noticed an older man on the recumbent bike who was sweating excessively. He finished his workout and politely threw away his paper (unlike others who just leave them on the floor so their personal cleaning people can pick up after them), he gathered his towel and started to walk away.
I was appalled as I noticed pools of sweat on the arms of the bike. I assumed he forgot to clean up after himself there (as he did with his paper, he had a towel with him after all) and called out to him "Sir, aren't you going to wipe down the arms on that bike?" He said "no." And walked away.
Rude.
I was at the gym this am on the elyptical. I had my own towel and I was cruisin' away at calories. Noticed an older man on the recumbent bike who was sweating excessively. He finished his workout and politely threw away his paper (unlike others who just leave them on the floor so their personal cleaning people can pick up after them), he gathered his towel and started to walk away.
I was appalled as I noticed pools of sweat on the arms of the bike. I assumed he forgot to clean up after himself there (as he did with his paper, he had a towel with him after all) and called out to him "Sir, aren't you going to wipe down the arms on that bike?" He said "no." And walked away.
Rude.
Gym Reviews - What to Expect
Each week, I'm going to do my best to post a new Gym Review. I plan on going to as many gyms in San Diego County (and anywhere else I may travel) to review gyms and locker room facilities.
I'll be commenting on:
I'll be commenting on:
- Parking lot safety: Since I arrive at the gym very early in the am, before light, parking lot safety is something that is important to me.
- Gym Staff: From sales reps to fitness professionals.
- Equipment: Do they have good, up-to-date, well maintained equipment?
- Classes: I'm not big on classes, except Yoga, if I can hit a class or two, I'll provide my evaluation.
- Locker Room: Are they clean, spacious or crowded? What are your locker room mates like? Are people friendly in the am, or grouchy? I'll let you know.
- Pricing: I'll let you know if you get big bang for your buck!
- Overall Rating: I'll give the gym an overall rating, so you can see how they rank against other SD gyms.
Sunday, January 7, 2007
Six Weeks to a Early Morning Workout! Part 1
Ok, we are seven days into the new year now. Did you make a resolution to start waking up at 5 or 6 am to get your workout in? Have you hit the snooze button every morning since the start of the new year, fully sabotaging your resolution efforts? You can't just decide that tomorrow you are going to wake up a full hour or hour and half earlier than you did the previous week and go to the gym or run five miles. Your body and mind will revolt.
Follow my easy plan and you will be waking up an hour earlier fully energized and ready to go for your morning work out in 6 weeks.
Week One: Start Slow
Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier than your normal waking time. When the alarm goes off, get out of bed! Get out of bed! It's only 10 minutes earlier than the day before. You can do this! Now, go somewhere where you can play some soothing music. Don't change out of your pjs, get on the floor and stretch. Focus on stretching and waking up your mind. Check out this website for a demonstration and pictures of stretches you should be performing. Be sure and breath deeply.
Stretching is an important part of any fitness routine. By increasing your flexibility, you should be reducing your chance of injury.
After your 10 minute stretch you should feel relaxed and ready to take on the day!
It's important that you follow this routing all week long. On the weekends, if you tend to sleep later, fine, but please set your alarm clock regardless for 10 minutes earlier than you would of the previous week. It's also important that you work on an evening routine so that you begin training yourself to go to bed earlier or on-time. In the long run, the only way this will be successful is if you are good at managing your evenings.
Next week: Adding 10 more minutes.
Follow my easy plan and you will be waking up an hour earlier fully energized and ready to go for your morning work out in 6 weeks.
Week One: Start Slow
Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier than your normal waking time. When the alarm goes off, get out of bed! Get out of bed! It's only 10 minutes earlier than the day before. You can do this! Now, go somewhere where you can play some soothing music. Don't change out of your pjs, get on the floor and stretch. Focus on stretching and waking up your mind. Check out this website for a demonstration and pictures of stretches you should be performing. Be sure and breath deeply.
Stretching is an important part of any fitness routine. By increasing your flexibility, you should be reducing your chance of injury.
After your 10 minute stretch you should feel relaxed and ready to take on the day!
It's important that you follow this routing all week long. On the weekends, if you tend to sleep later, fine, but please set your alarm clock regardless for 10 minutes earlier than you would of the previous week. It's also important that you work on an evening routine so that you begin training yourself to go to bed earlier or on-time. In the long run, the only way this will be successful is if you are good at managing your evenings.
Next week: Adding 10 more minutes.
Saturday, January 6, 2007
What to Expect on this Blog
What can you expect to learn/read about on this blog?
- Six Week How To Guide: Beginning Sunday I'll begin posts of how to morph yourself into a fitness in the AM fanatic.
- Tips and Tricks: Tools to make fitness in the am a part of your routine.
- Gym Reviews (mostly in San Diego): I'll be reviewing gyms not only on the equipment and fitness aspect, but also, reviewing the locker rooms and what it's like to get ready there in the am.
- Video Interviews: I'll be interviewing women who make fitness a priority in the am.
- Gear Reviews: I'll review new gear, books and videos.
- Music Mixes: I'll post music mixes that you can use as part of your fitness routine.
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Pay Yourself First For Fitness
This is a concept I shared with a friend of mine and she loves it. It's my philosophy on fitness.
Recently I realized that I've just passed the 10 year mark of fitness. I was about 28, when I decided to make exercise and fitness a mandatory part of my life. I come from a family of heavy people and I didn't want to end up like that. So I just started. I started slowly, but I committed.
Making exercise a daily part of my life has made a huge difference in my life. When I get my workout in I feel better, happier, calmer. For me the internal benefits far outweigh the external benefits. I never really worked out to loose weight. I've weighed more and I've weighed less, but ultimately, I've judge my weight on how my clothes fit. But for me that's not really the point. The point for me is the mental fitness and clarity that working out provides me and the lifelong health that I'm adding to my life.
So here's the philosophy, and I think many people can apply this to their lives as well. Pay Yourself First For Fitness. Through out your day, everyone wants a piece of you: your boss, your customers, your peers, your spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, your parents, your children, your friends, your pets, your social obligations or whatever other commitment you feel is more important than your health. I decided that I never wanted to choose between my health/fitness and all these other commitments. I never wanted to miss out on seeing a friend after work because I needed to go to the gym and I never wanted to miss out on a workout.
So, decide. Pay Yourself First For Fitness. It's like saving. Your banking health and fitness first, before the day takes over and soon weeks have gone by and you've not paid yourself first. Your out of shape and miserable. The well is empty, because everyone has taken their piece of you. Don't let that happen. It's the perfect time to start a new habit. But make that commitment.
Stay tuned for more info on how to make a lifelong commitment to fitness and how to Pay Yourself First For Fitness.
Recently I realized that I've just passed the 10 year mark of fitness. I was about 28, when I decided to make exercise and fitness a mandatory part of my life. I come from a family of heavy people and I didn't want to end up like that. So I just started. I started slowly, but I committed.
Making exercise a daily part of my life has made a huge difference in my life. When I get my workout in I feel better, happier, calmer. For me the internal benefits far outweigh the external benefits. I never really worked out to loose weight. I've weighed more and I've weighed less, but ultimately, I've judge my weight on how my clothes fit. But for me that's not really the point. The point for me is the mental fitness and clarity that working out provides me and the lifelong health that I'm adding to my life.
So here's the philosophy, and I think many people can apply this to their lives as well. Pay Yourself First For Fitness. Through out your day, everyone wants a piece of you: your boss, your customers, your peers, your spouse/partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, your parents, your children, your friends, your pets, your social obligations or whatever other commitment you feel is more important than your health. I decided that I never wanted to choose between my health/fitness and all these other commitments. I never wanted to miss out on seeing a friend after work because I needed to go to the gym and I never wanted to miss out on a workout.
So, decide. Pay Yourself First For Fitness. It's like saving. Your banking health and fitness first, before the day takes over and soon weeks have gone by and you've not paid yourself first. Your out of shape and miserable. The well is empty, because everyone has taken their piece of you. Don't let that happen. It's the perfect time to start a new habit. But make that commitment.
Stay tuned for more info on how to make a lifelong commitment to fitness and how to Pay Yourself First For Fitness.
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