I am Stronger than I think!

The past few weeks, I have added one small healthy change to my daily routine.  So far in 2012, I have made 11 healthy changes and have continued those changes the following week(s). I have made a commitment to eat a healthy breakfast upon waking (every day), drink more water (atleast half my body weight in ounces), take a daily multivitamin, eat more fiber (atleast 25g) , record my food in a food journal increase my protein ,eat five square meals a day, moving more , breathing deep ,get my sweat on and add strength training.

I have always struggled with strength training. Last week, I re-committed to doing 20-30 minutes of strength training 2-3 days per week. I have joined a local gym and will be utilizing their facilities, group classes, and child care!!

I have access to two wonderful educated friends who have put together a great strength training program for me; as well as using an iPhone app to keep me motivated and encouraged while at the gym.

I have decided that I will share my training plan each Tuesday.  This plan will include my cardio/strength for the previous week as well as the coming week.  It is my hope that it will help hold me accountable and motivated.

There are so many fantastic resources available to help you people (ME!) reach my fitness goals regarding strength.  There are apps, websites, books and more!  There is no need to join a gym or even for me to recreate the wheel and tell you the different types of strength training and its benefits.  Chances are you already know.

Instead of writing everything down, I am going to direct you to a few sites that I find are a great resource to great strength routines – to help you find your inner strong girl (or boy)!

MizFitOnline
Fitness Cheerleader
Blonde Ponytail
iBodyFit.com
Best Body Fitness

And of course there are many, MANY more fantastic sites out there on the web, library, and in real life!  The main point is, we need to be aware of and do is that we need to MOVE more, challenge our body, and do strength training (even if it is body weight moves).

This week my healthy change focus will be:

Strong to the core!

Your core is attached to your legs and arms, and includes both your abdominals and your lower-back muscles.  Basically your body relies on your core for every move it makes.

Strengthening your core, is an extremely important component to a well rounded fitness program.  Keeping your core strong helps improve your posture, making you look and feel taller, stronger and more coordinated. A strong core helps you move gracefully and helps prevent lower-back pain and injuries.  Exercising your core aids digestion, improves bowl function and reduces incontinence.

This week I will be adding core exercises to my list of healthy changes for 2012.

Baby steps. One small change at a time!