Thirty-One Days of Fitness

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I decided to workout every day this month for at least 20 minutes. I just didn't expect it to coincide with the government shutdown. As the nation counts the number of seconds, minutes, hours, and days the government has been shutdown, I've been counting my 31 days of fitness. I'm half way through.

What inspired me? A pending medical procedure. It will have me out of commission for a few weeks and I want to make sure I exercise as much as I can before the procedure. Working out everyday will help tone my muscles more, increase my endurance and may be shed a few inches or weight.

I'm having fun doing a variety of exercises. Besides teaching my group fitness classes four times a week, I run outside or on the treadmill, take indoor cycling classes, Latin dancing, body weight exercises, or kickboxing. I do about an hour of aerobics or circuit training. I do about 20 minutes of strength training which machines, free weights, and body weight exercises such as squats and push-ups. I always stretch.

Even though I'm working out everyday this month, I work out 4 - 5 days a week religiously. Well, unless I'm under the weather. I enjoy exercising and it's a life style. Here's to your health!

Fitness Inspiration

Celebrities and athletes inspire some of us in a variety of ways. A few people such as Jillian Michaels, First Lady Michelle Obama, Dara Torres, and Diana Nyad inspire me to be better in my fitness life. As a group fitness instructor, the participants in my classes inspire me the most.

Not long ago, after teaching my water aerobics class, I struck up a conversation with one of the students. She shared with me that due to her weight, obesity induced diseases and a car accident, she was in a wheel chair for six years. She couldn't stand on her own two legs to walk! The wheel chair was her only way of getting around all those years.

After loosing weight due to a medical intervention, she's been able to walk since early this year. She's making healthy food choices and is exercising. She enjoys working out and wishes she'd done it sooner.

Exercise and weight loss takes a great deal of work and dedication at 120 pounds or 500 pounds. On the days that I don't feel like working out, I think about this lady, grab my shoes, and get moving.

As long as you're medically cleared to exercise, do at least 30 minutes of aerobics three times or more a week. You can even do 20 minutes and build up from there. Also include strength training with machines, free weights or body weight exercises such as push-ups, squats, or mountain climbers. Find your inspiration to exercise and here's to your health.