Fitness Contributor: Keeping Postive and a Workout

Happy Monday everyone! Mal is here to help you start your week off right with some fitness tips and tricks! Here she is!

This past week was one of the hardest mentally of my life!  I was flown back to Utah to do choreography for the studio I used to teach at.  I also got to choreograph for the Utah Jazz Dancers.  Doesn’t seem to bad, eh?  Well… try choreographing 12 dances (all looking very different) in one week.  I have done lots of choreography in the past, but nothing to the extent and time period of this.  As I sat down in my seat on my flight to Utah, my anxiety crept in.  I felt inadequate and overwhelmed.  I really didn’t know how I was going to get through the week.  Right then and there I realized I had a choice.  I could go through the week being stressed and let my anxiety get the best of me, or suck it up, stay positive and keep a clear mind.   I said a little prayer in my head and decided no matter what happens during the week, I would keep an optimistic outlook. 

Well, I’m back in Ohio, and I did it.  And I am really proud of myself.  How did I do it?  I kept a positive mentality the whole time.   Did everything go perfectly as planned? No.  But did I learn to overcome little setbacks and keep pushing on?  Yes.  There were times during the week where I totally could have broken down and given up.  It was really hard.  But every time those negative thoughts entered, I knocked them out with positivity and kept going. 

You are probably thinking to yourself what the heck this has to do with anything fitness…. Well guess what?  It has everything to do with fitness.  Your mind is a very powerful tool.  The way you think about yourself, your health goals, and your fitness journey is what is going to make or break your success.  We all have setbacks.  We all have struggles and trials.  We all have those days where we would rather sit on our butts, watch Bachelor, eat a gallon of ice cream, and feel bad about ourselves. (I didn’t do that yesterday…)  It is what we do and how we react to those trials and setbacks that will determine our success.  If you honestly wake up every day and tell yourself, “Today is going to be a good day.  I can do this.  I will stay positive,” I promise you, you can achieve anything. 

My goal for everyone this week is to do just that—keep positive!  You will be surprised how keeping a positive attitude and outlook can change your day.  You will be able to accomplish your goals (fitness related or really anything else) if you set your attitude meter on positive. 

And just for fun, here is another workout I came up with for you all to try!

For time complete:

3 rounds:

20 goblet squats with a 20lb kettle bell or dumbbell

20 right leg step ups holding a 20lb kettle bell or dumbbell in your left hand (right leg steps up first and down first to a 12-18 inch platform)

20 left leg step ups holding a 20lb weight in your right hand

400 meter run

3 rounds:

20 kettle bell high sumos (18-30lb)

20 OH press (10-15lb dumbbells)

300 rope jumps (Jump rope)

3 rounds:

1 min plank hold

20 v-ups

20 tick tocks right and left with 25lb kettle bell

400 meter row