Category: Uncategorized

Happy, Healthy, Fit Challenge: Week 3

3 Comments

Good morning! How did you do with Week 2 challenges? I’ve been enjoying the small, daily “task” or challenge as it helps me stay more present and gives each day a purpose. I want to recap my challenges thus far, so hopefully I can do that later this week. For now, let’s talk week 3!

Happy, healthy fit week 3

*Monday 12/15: Give up sugar for the day. Ugh. I have a HUGE sweet tooth, and while I may have enough self restraint to not eat 4 cookies at once, it’s still an issue. Today, I challenge to you remove all sugar from your diet. This is probably going to be the hardest challenge for me, because although I try watch and limit my sugar intake, it still creeps up on me. Read your labels, make food yourself and make sure you’re not adding any sugar in your coffee or tea. I know this is a tough challenge for all you fellow sweet-toothers, but we can do it!

*Tuesday 12/16: Try a new workout class. There are so many amazing fitness studios in and around the Boston area (and I’m sure there are just as many in other states/cities, too!) just begging for you to try one of their classes. The beauty about almost all fitness studios, is they offer a free first class, or at least a discounted one. Also, if you chat with them and explain what you’re interested in and how much you’ve been wanting to try a class, you may even be able to get a free one! If you’re in the Boston area and looking for a new class to try, I list a bunch of great studios in this post. My plan is to take a morning class at The Club as I’ve never taken a full class there. Maybe some gym friends would like to join?!

*Wednesday 12/17: Meditate. Remember how I added 10 minutes of meditation/quiet time time during Lent? Well, it was great throughout those 40 days, but unfortunately I don’t think I’ve done it once since then. It’s always something I’m telling myself I need to do, but, like yoga, it just doesn’t happen enough. Today I challenge you to take 10 minutes for yourself to meditate or just sit quietly and breathe. Try not to focus on your thoughts- let them come in and go right back out. RM gave me a few meditation apps to suggest to you guys. He does this almost daily and enjoys all of these- search for them in the App store: Simply Being, Yoga Nidra, Power of Mind. There are dozens of other free ones, too. Let me know what you do!

*Thursday 12/18: Walk during lunch- This is something I try to do every day, but sometimes (and more often than not recently) work just gets the best of me and I don’t make the time to sneak away for a short walk. Today though, I’m challenging us to step away from our desks and get outside for some mid-day movement. It’s a littler harder when the weather is cold, but I always feel so much better after!

*Friday 12/19: Upper Body Workout– I LOVE working my upper body, and have found that short upper body workouts are a great finisher after a run or other leg-based cardio. Here are some to choose from, but if you don’t like any of those, try this: 60 seconds each, 3 rounds: bicep curls, alternating shoulder presses, upright row, tricep dips, push-ups. Otherwise, here are some I’ve posted on the blog in the past:
Wednesday Workout: 7 Minute Body Weight Upper Body Burner
{Holiday Series} Wednesday Workout: Body Weight Upper Body Blast
Wednesday Workout: Upper Body Tabata Workout
Wednesday Workout: 30 Minute Upper Body & Core Super Sets Workout

*Saturday 12/20: Treat yourself! I think I was most looking forward to this challenge 😉 Today is all about treating yourself. What’s something you’re currently lusting over? New workout top, new mittens, a massage, manicure… you get the idea. It doesn’t have to be anything big (it is holiday season, afterall, so I’m sure extra money is being spent on gifts), but it’s about getting yourself a little something that puts some extra pep in your step. I’m thinking a Fitbit is something I’ve been lusting over… hmmm…

*Sunday 12/21: Core workout. Sunday’s tend to be lazy, lounge around the house days, right? The beauty of this workout is it can be done in your pajamas in front of the TV 🙂

4 minute plank workout

If you don’t like this workout, feel free to choose from one of these:
{Holiday Series} Wednesday Workout: Warm Up Your Core!
V-Sits and Leg Lifts and Planks, Oh My!
Wednesday Workout: No weights? No problem! {Cardio & Core workout}
Wednesday Workout: 4 Minute Plank Series {Video}

There you have it! Have fun with the challenges this week and remember- we’re almost through the 24 days, so don’t give up now 🙂

Questions for you: What was your favorite day of the challenge last week? What will be the most challenging thing for you this week?

Happy, Healthy, Fit Challenge: Week 2

6 Comments

Good morning! How did you do with Week 1’s challenges? I had so much fun seeing your check ins and participating in the challenges myself! I’m finalizing a few more pieces of the prizes with companies for the top 2 participants, so make sure you’re tagging me (@burpeestobubbly) or posting to my facebook page, otherwise I won’t be able to see you’re participating!

Happy, healthy fit week 2

*Monday 12/8: 1 minute burpee challenge– Yup, a full minute of burpees! Set your timer and see how many you can complete in a minute. You can decide the level of intensity you want to do- you can step back into the high plank and step back in and skip the jump at the top, you can just jump back into a plank and back in with jump at the top, you can add in a push-up or drop your chest all the way to the ground OR you can get fancy and try one of these variations. Have fun!

*Tuesday 12/9: Lower body workout- While I may not love lower body workouts as much as upper body ones, I know it’s equally important to work both. Plus, one benefit from working the lower body is there are lots of big muscles, which makes it harder, gets your heart rate up and helps burn more calories. Win, win, win, right? I’ve posted a bunch of lower body specific workouts on my blog, so you can pick from one of these:
Wednesday Workout: Tight Buns! Without squats or lunges! {video}
Wednesday Workout: Tone Your Tush! {without equipment!}
Wednesday Workout: Booty Burner (including a video!)
Wednesday Workout: Booty Burner #2
{Holiday Series} Wednesday Workout: 20 Minute Buns Burner

*Wednesday 12/10: Bring your lunch to work. For those of you who work outside of your homes, it’s so easy to just grab lunch somewhere, right? I challenge you today to take the time and pack yourself a healthy lunch to bring to work. This is a way to help you save money AND save calories. By packing your own lunch, you know exactly what goes into it and can intentionally leave out the chips/soda/treats/etc. that are all too easy to grab when you’re getting lunch out. Try making a big salad filled with lots of healthy fats and proteins: nuts, chicken, avocado, goat cheese, etc.

*Thursday 12/11: 15 minute HIIT workout. I’ve posted a few of these on the blog lately, so if you’ve been looking for a time to try one, today is your day!
Wednesday Workout: 15 Minute Full Body HIIT Workout
Wednesday Workout: 20 Minute Bootcamp HIIT Workout
Wednesday Workout: 15 Minute Step 360 HIIT Workout

If you’ve done these and are looking for something new, try this:

45 seconds on, 15 seconds rest. repeat 3 times:

  • squat & overhead press
  • weighted squat jumps
  • lunge & bicep curl (alternating)
  • push-up w/ knee tuck
  • burpees

*Friday 12/12: Get up 15 minutes earlier for some light yoga or stretching. If you’re like me, foam rolling and yoga are two of those things I know I SHOULD do, but rarely do. Today, I want you to specifically schedule time to do one or both of these. Maybe do some sun salutations (check out this video. It’s a slow moving flow, but really great to wake yourself up! Beginner 10 Minute Yoga Flow) or just foam roll. Maybe you just lay in savasena for the 15 minutes and welcome the day slowly and quietly. Whatever you do, I think you’ll notice you start your day on a softer, quieter note, which is always a nice thing on a Friday, right?

*Saturday 12/13: Donate. There are so many ways to donate, but I’ll be honest and say I don’t do this nearly enough as I should. Here are some ideas:

  • donate at Walgreens/CVS/etc. as you’re cashing out- they always seem to have a cause they are asking you to donate to
  • donate to the Salvation Army door welcomers at various stores. Throw in your extra change or even a few bucks!
  • go online and donate to a cause you are passionate about
  • donate your time by volunteering
  • throw your spare change to a homeless person

*Sunday 12/14: Try a new recipe. I have so many pages in various magazines and cookbooks dog eared as a “must try”, so many print outs from the internet and so many blog posts favorited, but somehow, I’ve barely made a dent in all of these recipe resources. Today I challenge you to pull out a recipe that you’ve been wanting to try and give it a shot! If you need some ideas or recipes to try, feel free to check out my recipe page.

10 Tips For Your First Group Exercise Class

7 Comments

Hi there! The other day, I saw someone post a question on Athena’s Facebook page associated with her Holiday Hustle Challenge and I got so excited when I went to answer it. Her question was based around the fact that she had never been to a group exercise class and was thinking of trying one out, but she was a little nervous and wanted some tips to make her feel a little more comfortable.

First off, I get SO EXCITED to welcome new people to my classes and the general world of group exercise. Total dork status, I know.

Secondly, I realized that if she was feeling this way, there are probably others out there that are feeling the same way. Today, I’m going to share some tips/pointers/things to expect so that if you’re on the fence about going to a group exercise class, hopefully you’ll feel ready to take the plunge after you read this!

10 Tips For Your First Group Exercise Class

1. Check out the schedule ahead of time so you can read about the various classes and whether or not you need to sign up.

2. Pick out a comfortable outfit that you feel good in because when you feel good about yourself, things are just better, amiright? When I feel comfortable in my outfit, I tend to be more confident, which helps in a new setting.

3. That said, make sure what you wear is appropriate for the class. While a sports bra and flashy, baggy pants may be perfect for Zumba, you’ll probably get some head turns if you wear that to a spin class (not to mention it would be dangerous to wear anything baggy to spin!). I’d say play it safe- comfortable pair of crops that don’t ride down or annoy you and a tank or form fitting t-shirt. I tend to say stay away from super baggy clothes because it’s hard for instructors to check your form and to make sure you’re doing things correctly. Tip: don’t wear shorts to spin and try to avoid booty/loose shorts in ALL classes. No one wants to see your bum!

4. Arrive early. This is especially important because you want to make sure you have time to get everything set up without rushing and feeling late. It also gives you time to familiarize yourself with the room and other members joining the class.

5. Introduce yourself to the instructor so he/she knows that you’re new. You can also let them know your current fitness level and if you have any injuries. It’s important to let instructors know you’re new to their class (or group exercise classes in general), so that they can be sure to check out your form and provide proper explanations and modifications (if needed).

6. Don’t set up in the back corner. You don’t need to be front and center, but be in a place where you can see yourself in the mirrors (to check form!) and so that the instructor can see you and doesn’t forget about you.

7. Get a selection of weights, making sure you have some lighter ones if you haven’t been actively lifting so that you can avoid either struggling with heavy weights or trying to sneak around people to get lighter ones. Play it safe and get a variety.

8. Mind your body and pay attention to how YOU feel, not how everyone else around you appears to feel. They’ve likely been going to these classes for a while, so trying to keep up with them might end up discouraging you or sending you home with an injury. Take breaks when YOU need them, even if the class as a whole isn’t resting. Remember- everyone was new to the particular class you’re trying at some point, so focus on yourself and not everyone else.

9. Even if things feel great, try not to get TOO carried away because the moves and exercises you’re doing may be entirely new to you, which could leave you VERY sore the next day. There’s nothing worse than being all amped up about trying a new class, giving it your all (and then some) and waking up the next day unable to move.

10. HAVE FUN!! Embrace the class and what it’s offering you. Chances are, you’ll be motivated to push yourself harder than you would if you were working out on your own and I can guarantee you’ll be getting more out of those 45-60 minutes in the class than you would pedaling away on the elliptical. Change is good and change is what causes change, so if you’ve been feeling in a rut about your workouts or the fact you haven’t been working out, trying something NEW is a great way to change those things 😉

IMG_9326

So, are you ready to try a new class or to make your way into the group exercise setting now?!

Questions for you: What was the first class you went to? What are your tips for making people feel comfortable going to their first class? I’m sure I missed some good tips, so I’d love to see what you would offer up for advice!

Happy, Healthy, Fit; A 24 Day Challenge

10 Comments

Hi there! As I mentioned on various forms of social media and earlier this week in a post, I’m going to host a little challenge throughout the month of December leading up to Christmas. I know there are all sorts of challenges floating out there in the blog world, but what I hope you like about this challenge is the fact that it’s very attainable. I didn’t want to add a lot more to your already busy schedule, because I know that can be stressful and overwhelming. Rather, I wanted to provide you with a challenge that gives you the opportunity to better yourselves each day, whether it be by a workout, giving to others or giving to yourself. Some of the challenges will be more difficult than others, but I think anything can be achieved if you want it bad enough.

#happyhealthyfit

I have laid out the challenges throughout the month, hopefully in a strategic way to help you accomplish them. What I mean by this, is I’m not going to ask you to try a new recipe on a week night because I know there usually isn’t as much time on a Wednesday night as there might be on a Sunday night, right? Also, having you pack your lunch and bring it to work wouldn’t make very much sense on a Saturday, right? With that said, please feel free to rearrange the challenge if you need to make it work with your schedule a little more.

I will give you the full calendar today and then going forward, I’ll give the 7 day version to you on Sunday for the Monday-Sunday week. In these weekly posts, I’ll give more explanations for the challenges, ideas for accomplishing it, workouts to complete, etc. Your job is to participate, and share your participation through various forms of social media using the hashtag #happyhealthyfit:

Easy enough, right?

happy, healthy, fit overview

So, what do you think?? Are you in? I hope so!

There are no real “rules” in this challenge- I just want you to have fun stepping outside of your normal day to day activities and interact with each other by sharing your photos or status updates on Social Media. I’ll have prizes at the end for the people who use #happyhealthyfit and/or #burpeestobubbly the most, so get tagging 😉

As always, if you have any questions throughout the challenge or just want to let me know how it’s going, you can always comment here or send me an email (burpeestobubbly@gmail.com). Stay tuned on Sunday for more details on week 1 of the challenge!

 

This Week: Workouts, Happy, Healthy, Fit Challenge & Things I’m Looking Forward To

5 Comments

Good morning! How are you doing today? I’ve got a busy week, so let’s get to the fun stuff!

Happy, Healthy, Fit Challenge

I know there are all sorts of holiday fitness challenges out there and I know I’m a little late to the game, but better late than never, right? What I’m excited about most with this challenge is that it’s very attainable, even with crazy busy holiday season schedules. I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t generally have a lot of “free time” at this time of year. Long gone are my hour long gym trips (unless I’m teaching), Sunday night “meal prep” is an ancient memory and I’m often feeling quite overwhelmed with the task of trying to get my shopping in and finding time to attend various gatherings. Can you relate? Throughout this challenge, there’s a task/challenge for the 24 days of December leading up to Christmas. They range from fitness challenges or short workouts to little ways to stay more active to giving to others and to giving to yourself. Everything in this challenge is something I always say to myself “I want to do this sometime. I should really start doing more of that.”, etc. RM was a big contributor to a lot of these ideas, so I have to thank him for that!

#happyhealthyfit

So, what do you think?! does this sound like something you’d want to participate in? I got some good responses on Facebook, but if you didn’t get a chance to see that, let me know in the comments below or email me at burpeestobubbly@gmail.com if you’re interested. I’d like to have a tentative list of people who want to participate and maybe even keep a google doc to track everyone’s participation (similar to what Athena has done for her challenges). I’m going to have a few prizes at the end, too! I’ll have the full calendar and more challenge details for you on Friday!

Last Week’s Workouts

  • Monday– I did another at-home workout during my lunch break. It was similar to this workout, except I worked out for about 45 minutes.
  • Tuesday- I went to Cara’s Tabata Treadmill class at Beantown Bootcamp and it was awesome! I definitely plan on going back!

IMG_9385

  • Wednesday- I did 15 minutes on the elliptical before teaching UXF Burn. I was feeling kind of lightheaded so I took it easy.
  • Thursday- I had all intentions of going to my favorite cardio kickboxing class after work, but realized I forgot my shirt. I ended up swinging through Lulu and grabbed a cute shirt on sale. Perfect. I get to the gym, get changed and realize I don’t have my sneakers. #epicfail Since I physically and mentally REALLY wanted to workout, I headed home and ended up doing an hour long cardio kickboxing workout in my living room. If I had been feeling worn down or sore or just “meh” about working out, I would’ve used it as a sign to skip the workout, but everything in me was all about working out, so I made it happen!

IMG_9392

  • Friday- Rest day 🙂
  • Saturday- I taught my cardio kickboxing class at the Oak Square YMCA. There was a big crowd and we worked super hard!
  • Sunday- Rest day again.

This Week’s Workouts

  • Monday- Today is a big day of workouts as I taught my 6am Muscle Work class (last one as that gym is closing 😦 ) and am subbing the 6:30pm Cardio Kickboxing class at the Watertown BSC tonight.
  • Tuesday- Not sure- Maybe bootcamp after work, maybe my own workout.
  • Wednesday- Likely a rest day as I have to work in the morning and then I’m heading straight to Maine after my half day.
  • Thursday- I have a fun Thanksgiving workout for you later this week, so I’ll do that 🙂
  • Friday- I’ll probably go to a class in the morning at the YMCA near my parent’s house.
  • Saturday- My sister and I had talked about maybe going to a class at Exhale Spa when we get back to the city.
  • Sunday- Rest day

Things I’m Looking Forward To

I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving and spending it with friends and family. I’ve got so much to be thankful for this year! I’m also excited to finish the prep work on my challenge and introduce it to you guys. Hope you’ll love it!

Questions for you: What was the best workout you had last week? What are you looking forward to this week? Do you think you’ll be interested in my challenge?