October Challenge - Sober October

Another month down and now we are in October! Where has the year gone?

This month my challenge will be to cut alcohol COMPLETELY for the entire month! OMG! Can I do it? I sure hope so. I think that I have been drinking far too much recently. I admit that I really look forward to days off work, mainly because it means I can have a drink! Does this make me an alcoholic? I sure hope not.

My poison of choice is generally Vodka. I like my vodka with a squeeze of lime and plain old soda. Not too bad you would think, no sugary additives etc. Except that I tend to have far too many of these.

So here goes, Dry October, Oc-Sober, Sob-Tober or whatever name it will go by....... wish me luck :(

September Challenge - Pedal Power!

Woops! We are almost half way through the month already. Time gets away doesn't it? Anyway, for the month of September I have been more physically and time challenged than ever.

In July I realised that my car Registration was due ($650 +) and was slightly short of cash! So I decided to wait another month before paying registration. So for the entire month of August I took to riding my bicycle everywhere.

I have an awesome Mountain Bike, but the last time I rode it was in the Great Victoria Bike Ride a couple of years ago. I had the worst back pain and had to pull out half way through. As I a result, I came to hate that bike! It's been in storage ever since. Then my brother got hold of a great bike from a work-mate who was going to throw it in the trash! I ended up inheriting this bike by default. I took to riding this bike (a freebie compared to my $1,000 plus bike) everywhere and came to love it!

So, without a car, I rode my bike to the Supermarket (small shops only) to the Post Office, to meet my Personal Trainer and everywhere else. Before I knew it, this bike riding became a habit! So, after realising that I can certainly live without a car, I sold it last month! (There was a tear in my eye when it drove out the garage, I'd had that little bomb of a car for 17 years! It served me well.)

Maybe this month isn't really a challenge, but it does mean more discipline. Keep an eye on the weather, ensure that the shopping list is not too big (or heavy) be sure to carry bike lights, check the tyres, carry a bike lock and more.

This also means no spur of the moment road trips :( and no big grocery shopping trips. No trips to Ikea or Bunnings, well I can still do this but have to think hard about what I do and don't need!

The upside of this is, more cash (insurance plus rego for one year was in excess of $1,000, add car servicing, petrol, Roadside Assist, parking costs etc, hardly worth spending the cash) I am loving getting out in the fresh air (albeit fresh city air) the additional exercise and sunshine!

August Challenge - Basic Gymnastics Moves

One thing I remember so vividly from my childhood was how much I LOVED gymnastics. I was lucky enough to be at a school where you could take elective classes such as Art, Sport etc. My choice EVERY term was Gymnastics. We had an awesome teacher (Jacko) and it was so much fun!

Sadly at the age of about 13 we moved towns, which meant a new school, and NO gymnastics. So I basically gave it up!

Fast forward almost 30 years (yes, I am approaching my 43rd birthday later this year). I have discovered Gold Medal Bodies! They are set to release their F1 Program which includes basic gymnastic floor skills.

So I have been following along and I cannot believe I can already do the following:

Tripod (Basic Headstand)
Tripod Extensions (Bent knee then Straddle, not so good at the Pike)
Cartwheel
Crow
Handstand (against a wall at this stage)

Little did I realise how heavily the Abdominals are incorporated in ALL of these moves. I have very weak Abs, of course I am working on strengthening them. Yeah, clearly I have forgotten so much from my previous training!

I am still pleasantly surprised that I can do ANY of these moves. I began only a week ago. I could immediately do the cartwheel, but the Tripod Headstand truly surprised me! I can do the Bent Knee, almost do the Pike, the Straddle was attempted and was successful only once! And I can even do the Crow (I have the bruises on my arms to prove it!)

Originally the wall was my crutch for the Tripod, I can now do this without the wall!

My challenge this month obviously is to continue improving with each of these moves. I have to say, I am so excited about this. It has been so much fun so far (and extremely challenging!)

And I am truly looking forward to the release of F1 in the near future!

July Challenge - Chin Ups

I haven't been able to do true chin-ups since I was a kid. A while back I gave myself a challenge to perform perfect chin-ups. At the time I didn't even own a chin-up bar. Going to the nearest playground was my only option and not very convenient.

I now have my second chin-up bar set up in the door way of our spare bedroom. (The first one was damaging the door frame) I purchased one of those over the top of the door frame gadgets. It's easy to set up and easy to remove.

Needless to say I can now do one chin-up! (Yeah, just one at this stage)

So my challenge for the month of July is to be able to perform multiple chin-ups, whether that be five or two, I need to improve past just one rep!

Does anyone have any hints or advice as to how to successfully reach this challenge? Any help is appreciated!

:)

June Challenge - Regular Stretching

I admit it. I have been somewhat slack on the cool down front when performing my exercise program. And strangely, this does not make sense. I love to stretch, I find it relaxing and also invigorating at the same time.

Stretching can provide an amazing recovery from a workout, cooling down and releasing lactic acid from the muscles, as well as increasing flexibility and joint mobility, which in turn encourages your body to perform at it's best at all times. Basically, stretching can speed up the recovery process.

Stretching is of utmost importance for me. I'm a shift worker, I sit at the computer for 12 hour stints (and then sit for another 2 - 3 hours on the computer at home) It's not unusual to find me up from my chair each and every hour performing a quad stretch, or sitting in my chair attempting to stretch my back.

I've been a bit lazy lately. Just two months ago after stretching on a regular basis, I was able to do the splits (which I have not been able to do for a good 20 years) A touch of laziness the last few weeks means I can no longer perform a full split. It's disappointing that I can lose flexibility so quickly!

I used to practice yoga on a regular basis and was a lover of Bikram for a long time. I haven't actually taken part in a yoga class in a long time. Maybe it's about time to make that step once again. (Thankfully, I have a Bikram studio just around the corner)

I will certainly be spending more time to cool down after each workout. And in addition, I will also be spending more time stretching each day.... especially after sitting on my wide butt for so many hours

:)

May Challenge - Weight Training

Honestly, I don't mind training with weights, I just HATE going to the gym, which would explain why most of my weight training takes place at home with my Kettlebell and Sandbag.

But I've realised that I need to lift heavier weights if I am going to see any real changes. We have a small gym in our apartment complex, but the big weights are on the Smith Machine. A Smith Machine is all well and good but free weights are better for form, using the correct muscles and for core and stabilisation.

Thankfully my workplace has a very decent gym, and is within a 10 minute walk from home.

So my challenge for the month of May is to use my workplace gym at least twice per week! I should use it more, I know, and will do my best, but the days I don't use it, my complex gym will do the trick!

April - Food Preparation

I know how important food preparation is. Especially as a shift worker. I work 12 hour shifts and sadly, my workplace does not provide much in the way of healthy foods. Most foods are soaked in oil, not fresh and certainly not too appetising at times. Unfortunately, this means I need to be well prepared and take the majority of my meals with me to work.

This is not a cheap option, and I am still looking for ways to be healthy, prepared and able to do this on a budget.

Basically I need to have a portion of protein for every meal and a portion of green vegies or salad to go with it. As this sounds boring for every meal over 12 -14 hours, I also need to find other options. I plan to include a Protein Shake, some nuts (usually almonds) as a snack (especially when the sweets and junk food appear) perhaps some Cottage Cheese and Fruit.

As you can imagine, preparation takes time, I also need to make time to have this all ready to go each morning/evening before work. This sounds like a big commitment (and it is) but I am trying to make my health a priority.

I am also attempting to include some organic products into my diet as well. Organic is, of course healthier for us but also tastes so much better too!

If you have any hints or ideas to help me out, feel free to comment!

:)