Patience Paid Off

So many people in our culture are looking for the "quick fix" to their problems. We hear commercials for "Make Money Fast!" or "Lose 10lbs in 3 days!" and we become intrigued. And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't completely thrilled when I lost 20lbs in 8 weeks through our 8 Weeks to Wellness program. 

However, the bigger health benefits come over time. We hear people in our office say that they tried a program for a month and "it just didn't work for them". When we've spent a lifetime repeatedly doing a bad habit (like not exercising or eating poorly), it's going to take much longer than a month to make a change in your overall health. 

I had a personal success today that was eye-opening. One year ago (4/30/12) I did a workout at Crossfit called "Diane". It's a benchmark workout of deadlifts and handstand push-ups (which I modified). I did the same weights and same push-ups from last year, and cut my time in almost half! I was so excited that this workout not only improved for me, but it was easy. I could have/should have done more weight and I'm excited to tackle this one again in the future.

My patience and dedication to exercising is making a healthy difference in my life. I'm stronger and healthier because of  steady diligence to exercising. 

PS...If you haven't heard it from our office before...women--go lift some weights!! If you need help getting started, sign up for a class or training session with us! 

Returning to the gym. Not good.

I took a few weeks off from going to the gym (Crossfit 515) for a few weeks over winter break while the boys were home. Between bad weather, new babies, and kids at home, I decided home workouts would be the way to go. I tried a few of the workouts on our Pinterest Page and decided that was good enough. Yesterday I returned to the gym for the infamous Crossfit workout called Fran.

The fastest Fran times are under 3 minutes for the entire workout. It's a seemingly simple workout of 21-15-9 Thrusters and pull-ups. And it's fast and short for a workout. I was a WRECK. I tore open my hand, had to use more help with pull-up bands than I've used in a LONG time, and am incredibly sore today. I'm a pretty optimistic person, but that workout was really tough for me and I hated it. My time--10:21. Ick! 

This seemed to fit my feelings of the workout.

However, here's why I vowed to go back to the gym and not workout at home:

• I work harder and push myself more at the gym. 
• I like the challenge of a different workout at the gym. 
• I can lift weights at the gym. Heavy weights. Over my head. I LOVE that! 
• Not making any excuses. At home--lots of reasons/excuses to not work hard. At the gym--none. 
• Motivation from my fellow Crossfitters. 
• RESULTS. Big time results & improvement in overall strength & endurance. 
• Talking to other people besides my kids.
• Being motivated to eat healthy by healthier people than me. 
• Seeing a really cute baby there. I was his doula. :) 

This is why I go back to the gym. I still gained muscle strength and had a great workout. 

I wish I was a person that could workout really hard at home religiously. I'm not that kind of person (I don't know many people who are). I like short, intense workouts and I've found a place that works for me. I need to go to a gym and have accountability from others. I need to have motivation from others to keep me going. Most important, I NEED results. 

Did you know that YOU can workout at Waukee Wellness--even if you're not a current patient? Check out our info on fitness classes, personal training, and 8 Weeks to Wellness! We'd love to help you with your fitness goals, provide a supportive exercise environment, and set you up for impressive RESULTS too! 

Walking/Running at home is not enough. Men AND Women need resistance and weight training. (Another blog post for another day.)  What are YOU doing to get your exercise in regularly? What is working for you? I'd love to hear your ideas too!

--Katie

Fun, Free Fitness Ideas--At the park & your backyard!

Hey everyone! I'm sure we are all noticing this wonderfully beautiful weather we get to have all week and hoping to get late night walks in, or simply just open up our windows to keep the fresh air flowing! But if you're anything like me, you also want to figure out how to get a great workout while enjoying the nice weather!! Sometimes I simply just go for a nice run and enjoy the alone time to think. However....recently I find it most fun to gather a group of friends and do a mini boot camp in a nearby park. Help keep each other accountable while getting healthier! Want to know some exercises to do while at the park? That's what I'm here for! Here are some of my suggestions:

Push ups on a park bench

Run up and down the hills as sets of sprints

Pull ups on the monkey bars

Burpees or mountain climbers in the grass

Sit ups in the grass

Partner squats(backs together-hold at bottom for as long as possible)

Calf raises on the play equipment (hang feet off edge and go above and below the plane)

Lunges in a circle around the play equipment (usually it is a decent sized area so 2 or 3 laps will have those legs burning)

And if you have kids or a spouse, get out the gloves and baseballs and play catch. Try out a new sport like tennis or simply kicking a soccer ball around. And always be sure to stretch after you get done-take that time to sit and relax and really take in the gorgeous Earth around you while stretching your body to prevent injuries!

Be sure to take advantage of it this week while we have it! Get out there and move! 

--Emily