Fit for FUN + Fit for LIFE

Year-end Review

How is your year-end review looking? Are you satisfied? Were there goals you met? Did you make progress, but didn’t meet the goal? Was there a goal that you had to scrap entirely?

My year did not go as expected at all. Not a bad thing, but not at all planned.

I changed careers. What was going to be a side job, to help others and maybe get paid, turned into my job. Income wise, I’m not where my utilities and home need me to be. But, that gives me a goal for the upcoming year, doesn’t it?

I think I’m a little more content than I was last year. That’s a pretty healthy way to enter into the new year.

Let me know how your goals went this year.

Stay fit for FUN + fit for LIFE

Coach Cindy

Fear and Growth

When I was a child, as I’ve mentioned previously, I was an avid “jump roper.” When I was in 4th grade I competed in the school “Olympics” now called “field day,” I believe. I placed 1st in the standing broad jump. I out-distanced both 4th grade classes. I never competed again.

So, I enjoyed jumping rope and the standing broad jump. (Never attempted the running broad jump, too afraid of tripping!) Heights? A solid NO. I could not imagine jumping onto or over anything! Hurdles? High jump? Pole vault? NEVER!

Way back when, a couple of decades ago, I enjoyed step workouts. (Gilad being one of my favorites on TV/VHS.) It really added a lot to my workouts.

After getting a gym membership, years later, I noticed people were using those steps in a different way. They were jumping onto the steps! Some were even adding multiple risers! Terrifying!

Late last Sunday afternoon I took my granddaughter to the park. We set up a workout circuit, including a step for, you got it, jumping. I brought several risers.

We set up the ladder for lunge walking, set out weighted balls and mats for ball slams followed by Russian twists, small hurdles for agility (not at the advanced level, to be sure! Ha), a step with a single riser, and finally gloves and mitts to practice jabs. We would add a riser at the end of each round of circuits. It ended with four risers. After the last round, my granddaughter did another so I could get it on video. Then she did the same for me.

Watching the video, I was able to see what I actually look like when I’m doing something afraid. My instinct would be to be embarrassed that I don’t look like a confident personal trainer who isn’t afraid of jumping on a step. What would I say to an athlete I’m working with? Would I tell them not to be afraid? Nope. I would tell them it’s okay to be afraid. We are all afraid of things. It’s okay to be afraid.

In fact, if I was working with an athlete that was so afraid they didn’t even want to try, I would come up with an adaptation that wasn’t quite as scary. We would patiently work our way up to it.

Once I reminded myself how I would be proud of someone else doing something afraid, I decided not to be embarrassed.

Hmm, what do you think? Is embarrassment a decision? Can we just decide not to be embarrassed? I guess I haven’t really thought about that until now…

Anyway fear and growth – can we grow without fear? That’s something to think about. Let me know what you think.

Let’s get fit for FUN and fit for LIFE!

– Coach Cindy

When the Fear is Realized

Fear of being laughed at… especially being pointed out so others can join in.

I was afraid to go to the gym. This was not a new fear after some big life change. No. This was a lifelong fear.

Elementary school PE–I failed, well, at that time they didn’t call it “Fail” it was “Little Effort.” Excellent – Good – Satisfactory – Little Effort. (In the higher grades they would change “Little Effort” to “Unsatisfactory.”)

I was afraid to play kickball because I might miss the ball. Like Charlie Brown missing the football. Only worse, because there was no Lucy to interfere. Just me missing the ball rolling right toward me.

Jumping rope and dodgeball, those were the only PE days I felt okay to participate in. I could avoid getting hit with the ball and, if I didn’t avoid the ball, I just had to sit out. I was decent enough at sitting, as long as I didn’t have to be still!

At the time I was in high school, we only needed two years of PE to graduate. I barely passed my sophomore year after having failed one semester my freshman year. I had to take one semester my senior year.

People were laughing at me not participating, for some reason that was more acceptable to me than laughing at me because I wasn’t athletic. Fear is not a good master. But master me it did. For decades.

Fast forward to what is now two decades ago, I was in Las Vegas for the weekend with my husband and another couple. Early (ish) Saturday morning I was in the hotel gym by myself. I was on the stairmill. It was my first time. I thought, I know how to walk up stairs, I can do this.

It was way more difficult than I was expecting. I set the time to 8 minutes. Six minutes in, there were two couples in the hallway, outside the window walls of the gym. They were walking toward the elevator. Two women began laughing at me. They were talking loudly. From my periphery, I could see they were literally pointing at me as they laughed. Their companions asked them to go to the room. The women refused. The men got on the elevator. However, the women stayed behind. They continued to heckle me as I stepped one foot after the other on the stairmill.

I had to add minutes to the time. I just couldn’t bear to get off while they were laughing at me. What would I do? Crumble on the floor and cry? I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t. Again, I hit the up arrow and added another minute. As they continued to heckle me and I continued to add minutes to the machine, reality suddenly made connections in my brain.

My greatest fear was actually happening. I was in a gym and people were literally laughing and pointing at me! And what happened? Nothing! I didn’t die. I didn’t vaporize. The world didn’t end. I just kept stepping.

Next time fear tells you “this” could happen. Ask fear, so what if it does? What if it does happen? The world won’t end. I’ll be okay.

Fit for FUN!

What does it mean to be fit for FUN?

For me and my daughter-in-love, it means our annual Mud Run. This year, it was extra special and extra FUN. My granddaughter joined in!

For my granddaughter, getting muddy isn’t exactly her thing. What were some things we did to prepare her for the mud and the obstacles?

For the obstacle aspect, we visited a local park so she could get experience on the climbing tower and climbing a rope structure. This, she loved!

For the mud…I let her help me dig up tree roots. She sat with me in the muddy hole and used a little shovel to dig out root shoots. She didn’t seem to mind the hard work, but the mud? It took a bit. However, the idea of the obstacle course made the unpleasantness of getting muddy worth it to her.

We spent a windy Saturday morning at the mud run, grateful for the mud, each other, the ability to crawl, climb, and balance (I have a great deal of room for improvement in this area), and making wonderful memories together.

How do you add active fun to your life?

Untitled

Wounded Warrior Project Push-up Challenge – Completed

It is now August, which means yesterday was the last day of the WWP Push-up Challenge. I met the push-up goal of 1776, however, not the monetary goal set by WWP. They do have fundraisers throughout the year, so money can still be given to this group.

I’m sure if I posted videos of my pushups, people would easily be able to pick them apart and explain all the many aspects that are not proper about my pushups. I know my arms are positioned too wide, but that makes them easier to do. So I do the bulk of them this way. I know my hands are not positioned directly under my chest, I haven’t built up the strength to do more than a few with “proper form.” Adaptive movements, keeping safety in mind, are okay with me. And I am getting stronger.

After a challenge like this, I think it is good to take a breather and look back at what you’ve accomplished. In addition, it’s good to take this time to reflect on what you’ve learned, what you could have done better and how you have improved since the beginning.

I have an idea that has been percolating over the past couple of days. I’m working on a 40-day program. As of this moment, it is still untitled (as is my novel 😄). All of the elements, likewise, are undecided at the moment. But I will let you know the title and start date once I’ve worked out the details.

Do you participate in any annual challenges? Share your challenge experiences and let me know why you do or do not like participating in challenges.

Remember to stay…

Fit for FUN + Fit for LIFE

3 miles on the elliptical followed by 3 sets of 30 Russian twists

Change In Plans

I was planning on being somewhere this evening. However, I was told a couple of days ago that there had been a change in plans. I was not going to be needed. In all honesty, my initial reaction was disappointment.

In the car, on my way back home, I was remembering the times in my past when plans were cancelled or delayed and I had been disappointed, yet events actually turned out better than I had initially hoped.

Because of those memories, I was determined to be grateful for the change in plans.

In checking my calendar and social media, I found that an event I wanted to attend would be this afternoon. My day had opened up to do meal prep and I would be able to attend the event. What a blessing!

Have you had good experiences following changes in plans?

Look for the good in change and always remember to be…

Fit for FUN + Fit for LIFE

Cindy

A New Week

New weeks are fantastic. They bring a new outlook and new hope.

I’m in the midst of the pushup challenge/fund raiser for the Wounded Warrior Project. Last year was the first time I participated. During the month of July, participants aim for a total of 1776 pushups. With each set, we update our total and share the update on social media. The idea is with each update, friends and family will be reminded of the opportunity to donate.

At the moment I am behind where I was this time last year. I know this, thanks to social media “memories” that pop up each day. But not by too much.

One of the things I appreciate about those memories is that they remind me that this is actually doable.

Are there any challenges that you participate in annually? Are there any you have considered, but decided against? What caused you not to participate?

Here’s to new plans and new hopes during this new week!

Remember to stay…fit for FUN and fit for LIFE

Cindy

Traveling trainer.