Finally Get Fit Challenge

Need to get fit? Need to be healthier? Have you started and stopped, tried and failed?

Join me and together I know we can all FINALLY GET FIT!

I am not a doctor or a personal trainer, I have only a little background in personal fitness. This plan is to motivate me and hopefully you, a way to share the journey to fitness with others, a way for us to encourage and help each other.

There is no age limit, anyone can do this! Yes I know we are busy, and I know how hard it can be to make wellness an important part of our lives. That's why we need to do it. I have been working out off and on most of my adult life. I have always found that once I establish a routine it gets a bit easier. And once I start to see results it gets easier. We will concentrate on fitness and wellness. If weight loss is a part of that then this will be great for you but even if you are at a healthy weight you still need to focus on being healthy and fit. We all need to tone and tighten our bodies, improve our cardiovascular systems, boost our immune systems.



This is how we are going to do it. Each day you will have a fitness assignment. The assignments will be posted on Facebook the night before to help you plan. You will be able to customize the assignments based on your preferences, equipment, and time. Each assignment will take 30 - 60 minutes to complete. Assignments will focus on being fit and healthy.

When you have completed the assignment you will share with others what you did. If you do not complete the assignment you will also post a comment telling us what went wrong. Be honest, we have all been there. You can share if you were just too lazy that day or ran out of time. Or maybe you were sick or had to work overtime. Whatever the reason, it is important that you share and be honest.

You can join in at any time and if you miss a day just join back in. You won't need to make up any missed assignments.

Click here to see your daily assignments. You will need to "like" the page to see all the posts.

Here are some examples of what we will be doing.

Aerobic / Cardio activity.

This is any activity that gets your heart pumping, your breathing faster, and better yet...break a sweat! Experts say the intensity should be between 60 and 85% of maximum heart rate. You can look this up if you want but I really don't want to get all technical here, I think most of know when we are working out aerobically. This is also the best way to burn calories but you only need to focus on that aspect if losing weight will help you be healthier. I realize that some of you are already at a healthy weight or are underweight. You too need this! We are concentrating of FITNESS and HEALTH. Your heart needs it, your immune system needs it, you need it. Here are some examples of what you can do.

• A group class at a gym or other fitness facility such as step, Zumba or other dance, or water aerobics.
• A cardio fitness video that you can do at home
• A cardio fitness game such as Wii Fit or The Biggest Loser that you can do at home.
• Running/jogging/fast walking
• Exercise machines such as an elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine, or stair climber.
• Calisthenics style workout found on-line or in a magazine like "Shape" that includes things like squats, burpies, and jumping jacks.
• Sports like tennis, basketball, mountain biking.
• Free exercise TV programs. Do you have access to Fitness on Demand or something similar?
• Swimming
• Fast bicycling preferably with some hill climbing.

Get the idea? What equipment do you have? Do you have a gym membership? Do you have any old exercise videos? Dust that stuff off and decide to use it NOW!

You will need to include a brief warm up and cool down / stretching period. If you have any major health issues you may need to get your doctors okay before beginning.

Muscle Toning and Strength

These are exercises that strengthen and tone our muscles. This workout needs to include moves for your core or middle section, not just arms and legs. This type of workout will improve posture, strengthen bones, improve immune systems. Examples are:

• Free weights and / or resistance bands
• Weight machines such as home gyms or the types found in gyms.
• A routine that uses your own body as resistance. Moves may include planks, leg raises, push ups, squats, sit-ups. You can find these on-line or in fitness magazines like "Shape".
• Fitness games like Wii or The Biggest Loser
• Videos that you can do at home.
• Yoga (also good for flexibility)
• Pilates

You may want to mix these up rather than doing the same workout each time. Why not try something new? 

Bonus Day

I chose to do this on Saturday but if you are working that day or for some other reason you need to trade with with another workout day...feel free. Just say that when you comment on that days Facebook assignment. On this day you can choose to do any workout that is 30 - 60 minutes long as a bonus workout. If you choose to do this you can give yourself a hi-five! The main focus however, will be on one of several topics such as eating healthy, work-out clothing, tech. gadgets, or other fitness related subject.

Spiritual Day

I chose Sunday for this assignment, but again you can trade days if you need to. Just state what you did in your comment on that days Facebook assignment. Our total well being is not just physical but also spiritual. On this day your assignment will be to spend at least 1 hour doing one of the following activities or some other activity that builds and strengthens you spiritually.

• Attend Church or Sunday School. Really listen, maybe even take notes.
• Commune with nature. Maybe take a stroll in the woods or on a beach. Just enjoy some quiet time outside focusing on the beauty around you and not allowing yourself to think about your to-do list or your job or anything other than your blessings and nature.
• Read an inspirational and uplifting book.
• Meditate

On this day you will also weigh in. You don't need to post your weight but we would all like to see any victories on the scale. If you like you can also track measurements (Examples: hips, chest, thighs, upper arm, ankles). 

So that's it! Want to join me? If so just go to my Facebook page and "like" it so you will see each days' assignment and to see everyone's comments on how they did that day. 

Here is the link:  https://www.facebook.com/EnjoyLifeAnyway